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A great while ago, when the world was full of wonders, there was a village that lay east of the river and west of the mountains. In this town lived a young man of twenty and four summers named Liam.
Liam, being fair of face and possessed of a cheerful disposition, had his pick of suitors from the village, but his heart had been set firmly upon Zayn for as long as he could remember. Zayn, a witch of benevolent magics, was sought after by a great many people for his unearthly beauty. Thus far he had remained utterly unobtainable.
Legend had it that a curse had been laid upon the beautiful young man and he would only marry whomever could capture the key from around the neck of his familiar, a black cat. Many had tried this seemingly simple task and all had failed.
For as angelic and kind as Zayn was, his cat was said to be the devil himself: wily and faster than mere human could follow. Not once had anyone captured so much as a fur from his tail in their attempts, let alone the key.
As a youth, Liam had tried to chase the cat, but even he, as the swiftest runner in the village, had failed. That was many summers ago and, older and wiser, Liam knew that as much as he ached for Zayn it was impossible.
Often Liam sought Zayn out, sometimes to talk and sometimes to bask in his silence, which Liam swore was more restorative than anything else in existence. He went away feeling at peace, content in the possession of Zayn's friendship if not his heart.
Zayn's magic was of a gentle sort. He made tonics and potions for illness and tended his expansive garden with a loving touch. The sun shone just a little brighter when he was happy. The rain fell just a little harder when he was melancholy. And his flowers bloomed more verdant under his care, which Liam understood. Were he a flower in Zayn's garden, he would bloom as bright and large as he could to receive a smile as refreshing as the first thaw of spring.
One early summer day, Liam found himself alone in Zayn's garden with Zayn nowhere to be found. Liam had hoped to share a lunch with Zayn, but settled by himself instead on the thick green grass in hope that Zayn would return.
He hummed to himself as he ate, the air warm and fragrant. Slow fat bumble bees buzzed as they ambled from flower to flower. Sitting in the midday sun, Liam felt himself grow drowsy. He lay down and stretched out under the shade of a nearby tree and stared lazily up into its branches.
Some time later, a flicker of movement caught the corner of his eye. Liam lethargically turned his head, feeling heavy as though caught in sap. There at the edge of the garden, perched on a stone and looking amused, was Zayn's cat.
"Oh," Liam said softly, hoping not to scare him away. "Hello."
The cat swished his tail once and tilted his head but otherwise did not move. Liam smiled to himself and looked back up into the branches above him. He hoped that by showing he had no intention of giving chase the cat might stick around for a while.
"I wish your witch were here," Liam mused softly. "I miss him quite a lot. We've both been busy preparing for the festival and I've not seen him in almost a fortnight. That's far too long."
As far as Liam could tell, though the cat watched him with bright intelligent eyes, he couldn't actually speak. Liam had heard tales of familiars with the power of human speech but those were ravens and not cats. Still, it seemed as though the cat understood him somehow.
Liam rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his arm to face his companion. The cat looked alarmed for a moment, tensed as though to run, but settled down once he realized Liam was not getting up or coming closer.
A wistful smile crossed Liam's lips. "Don't worry," he said, voice tinged with melancholy. "I won't chase you. I'm sure you remember my attempts in years past. It is not fated that Zayn and I should be lovers, I don't think. I am happy with his friendship. Your key is safe from me."
The cat seemed to huff and squint his eyes into green slits. His muscles relaxed and unbunched beneath his shiny black fur that glistened like polished onyx in the sun. There was an intelligence behind those eyes that made Liam believe the cat could fully understand all the nonsense he was chatting.
Liam passed the afternoon companionably with the cat, speaking to him as he would Zayn if he were present. The cat rarely reacted, but periodically would incline his head as if to encourage Liam to continue. It wasn't quite as satisfying as spending time with Zayn himself, but Liam felt his heart soothed by the presence of the beast.
Over the following weeks, Zayn was scarce and Liam spent many an afternoon with his cat instead. Sometimes Liam talked to him and sometimes they both lay on the grass in companionable silence, the cat always keeping his distance but seeming content with Liam's presence.
Liam missed Zayn like a bruise on his heart, but the cat's company was a balm. Periodically he would see Zayn at a distance in town and his friend always had a smile and a wave for Liam, but no spare time to spend with him.
"I miss your witch," Liam repeated for the hundredth time one fair afternoon, voice soft and mournful. "He has been absent from my life an unbearable amount of time."
The cat stretched and tilted his head. He let out a questioning mrowp sound that made Liam smile faintly.
"I love him," he confessed quietly. "In all ways. But his friendship is my most prized possession and I would abandon all else to keep it." Liam laughed to himself at his own melodramatic mood. "I know he hasn't gone anywhere, he's just busy. I'll be gifted some of his time soon, I'm sure."
The cat stood and deliberately padded toward Liam on soft paws. Liam's eyes widened when the cat stopped and sat down next to him, almost brushing Liam's thigh with his rich black fur.
"Hello," Liam said in an awed tone. "You're even more handsome up close. May I pet you?"
The cat butted his head into Liam's palm, making Liam laugh. He stroked the cat's sleek coat, amazed by how silky it was.
"You may be the softest thing I've ever felt," Liam murmured, feeling proud of the low purr vibrating the cat's chest.
The cat stood up again and Liam removed his hand, expecting him to leave. Instead the cat huffed and pressed his neck into Liam's palm, his key cool and heavy between them.
Liam froze. "You can't mean…" He trailed off, heart beating wildly in his chest.
The cat seemed to roll his eyes, making Liam flush in embarrassment. A soft mrow gentled Liam's pulse and he nodded as though he had been given a command. The key felt as if it were warming beneath his touch.
"Okay. But if I'm understanding you wrong, you must scratch me or run away. I don't want to do the wrong thing," Liam said hesitantly.
The cat stood still as a shadow, patiently waiting for Liam to lift the chain holding the key from around his neck. Nerves made Liam's fingers shake and his stomach knot. He managed to get the chain over the cat's ears without harming them and slipped it the rest of the way off.
The instant the necklace was removed the cat disappeared, leaving Zayn in his place. Liam fell back and gaped rather unattractively, voice stolen by shock. Zayn offered him a sweet smile and reached out to close Liam's hand around the key.
"That is the literal key to my heart," Zayn said in a teasing lilt. "Be careful with it, Leeyum."
Liam swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat. "The curse?" He croaked, still unable to form proper sentences.
Zayn shook his head. "It was never a curse, Leeyum, it was a gift. Daadi gave it to me to allow me free choice of partner. So I could see who truly deserves my heart." He sighed somewhat wistfully. "I will miss being a cat sometimes, though."
Liam blinked at him, feeling dreadfully slow. "And I? Deserve your heart?" That seemed too fantastical to believe. More fantastical even than Zayn having been the cat he had been sitting with for weeks.
"Who else?" Zayn asked, eyes wide and guileless. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of Liam's lips, blushing prettily as he pulled away. Liam found himself utterly besotted by the sight.
"But I'm just me," Liam protested half-heartedly. "I've seen your other suitors. They're wealthier and smarter than I." He worried at his lower lip with his teeth.
Zayn reached out to press his palm over Liam's heart. "But you were the only one to befriend me as a cat rather than give chase. And you did it not with ulterior motives, but solely because your heart is good and true. You value our friendship first and foremost, which is the only foundation a romance can be solidly built upon. How could it be anyone but you?"
Liam covered Zayn's hand with his own and met his unblinking gaze. "I love you," was all he could manage to say, voice too choked with emotion to manage more.
"And I love you," Zayn replied with a sunny smile. "I hope you don't want to wait on our marriage. I might have been making preparations for our nuptials to coincide with the festival."
A laugh bubbled out of Liam's mouth as Zayn's expression turned to that of a naughty schoolboy not quite sorry for what he had done. Despite all the strangeness and the shock of the many revelations Liam had been faced with, Zayn was still his best friend.
"I would marry you this very minute if you wanted," Liam replied happily. "I don't need or want anything but you."
Zayn wrapped his arms around Liam's neck and kissed his cheek. "We have preparations to make, Leeyum. And decisions to make about where to live. But for now, I have missed being with you as my human self. Let us sit here for a while."
Liam rested his forehead against Zayn's. "I have missed you too. We have time for the rest later." Liam did not tell Zayn that he would spend forever there with him if he wanted, but it seemed that Zayn already knew.
Zayn and Liam were wed at the Summer Festival to the joy of many, the confusion of some, and the burning jealousy of a few. They were unaware of all of them, only able to see each other under the warm sunshine and blue skies that felt tailor made for their day.
The pair moved into Zayn's house as it was larger and had the garden where they had spent so many gratifying hours together. They loved fiercely and deeply and lived as happily as humans are able until the end of their days.