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Mute swans could only mate once throughout their life. And Ivan was determined to be Till’s one and only.
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In a world full of human-animal hybrids, Till just had to be born one of the only creatures in the animal kingdom that mated for life- that simply couldn’t live without their chosen mate.
Swans were known for their symbolism- they mated for life, and if their partners died, they often followed shortly after. Romantic, right? Well Till didn’t think so.
To him it was just another way god had royally screwed him over.
Till hated the idea of being that closely tied to someone else, of trusting them wholeheartedly with his life. And he hated that Ivan thought he would ever let him fill that role.
Black Swans weren’t meant to be with Mute Swans. It was common knowledge- although apparently not all that common to Ivan.
“Till pleaseee,” he whined. “‘I’ll do anything!”
Till rolled his eyes, “Why do you even care, Ivan?”
He crossed his arms, looking down at where Ivan was practically groveling at his feet. “You know you can only choose a mate once, right? You don’t get a do over when you get sick of me- sick of everyone judging you all the time.”
Ivan moved to rub his face against Till’s stomach, jet black wings fluttering softly, “I could never get sick of you, Tilly. Never.”
Till flinched backward, repulsed by Ivan’s sudden proximity. “Get off me, you creep!” He screeched, stumbling backwards. Even after all this time, he still wasn’t used to how much of a freak Ivan could be.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself before continuing. “Be reasonable for once in your stupid life, Ivan. You don’t want me, not really.”
“Go find someone else, someone who’ll impress your father, who’ll improve your already spotless reputation- not… not ruin it.” He said, rare vulnerability softening his tone.
His white feathery wings curled around him protectively, as if trying to shield him.
It was the most open and honest Ivan had ever seen him.
Ivan’s eyes widened, shock breaking through the fake plastic shell and perfectly curated expressions he usually clung to.
“W- What…? Are you… being serious right now?” He took a moment to examine Till closer, his eyes ran over his face, the subtle tremble of his lower lip, his wings, and his stilted breathing. “…till?”
Till simply turned his head to the side, hiding his face from Ivan. Uncomfortable with the close scrutiny, his hands clenching into fists.
Ivan didn’t let up, rising to his feet slowly and backing him up against the nearest wall. “Till.” He said, firmly. Almost demanding a response, “You don’t… seriously think that, do you?” He asked, completely serious for once.
Till just pressed his lips together tightly, and looked down at the floor like he wished it would swallow him up.
Ivan reached out and slid a hand along Till’s jaw, cupping his face in his hand, thumb tracing across the soft skin of his cheek. “Till… Do you really think I give a shit whether or not you impress my father? Not even I impress Unsha, and he’s been training and perfecting me since I was a kid.”
Till was surprised by the hand cupping his face, the firm but gentle pressure finally making him look up. His eyes widened when Ivan cursed, Ivan never cursed.
“I- Ivan? Wh-“
Till was cut off almost immediately, Ivan’s tone sharp.
“Quiet. This time you’re going to listen to me- really listen to me.”
Till paused, finally realizing that what he had said to Ivan had upset him.
After a moment he nodded slowly, forcing out a shaky breath.
Ivan kept his expression solemn, but his eyes softened around the edges when Till nodded.
He was so gone for him, always had been. And somehow Till still thought that there were plenty of other, better suited options for Ivan than him.
His jaw clenched in anger- not at Till, but at whoever had made him think so little of himself.
“You’re it for me, Till. Reputation be damned.”
Ivan took a deep breath, and stared deep into Till’s eyes, refusing to let Till go on believing he wasn’t good enough for Ivan- that Ivan didn’t really want him, that he was only joking.
“You’re all I’ve ever wanted, ever since I was a kid. I dream about you, Till. I breathe for you.
He stepped closer to Till, his left hand coming up to cup his other cheek, until Ivan was holding his face in his hands with all the gentleness of a lover. “There were days when I wanted to give up, when it was all too much, and I lived solely for you- because of you.”
Ivan’s wings slowly curled protectively around the both of them, covering them in a blanket of black feathers and hiding them from the world for a bit.
Till sucked in a breath, his eyes going wide again and his hands beginning to tremble.
He opened his mouth to say something- and was stopped by the sheer intensity of the look in Ivan’s eyes.
“You’re my everything, Till. Now and forever.” He let out a breath, face softening with a hint of resignation. “Even if you don’t want me as your mate.”
“I’ll stand by your side my whole life, but you need to know that there’s no one else out there for me, that there never will be-“
This time, Ivan was the one cut off. Till surged forward and pressed his lips firmly against Ivan’s, practically throwing his arms around his neck.
Ivan stumbled backwards, wings flaring out behind him for balance as his eyes widened with shock, though they soon closed in pleasure as he returned the kiss.
After a few moments Ivan tried to pull away, to say something more, and Till pulled him right back into a kiss.
“Shut up for once and kiss me.” He murmured against Ivan’s lips.
“Anything for you, Till.” Ivan replied, smiling brightly against Till’s mouth.
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Then three hours had passed, and Till and Ivan were tangled up in his bed together.
Till had his face buried in Ivan’s shoulder and Ivan’s arms wrapped around him, holding him close.
One of Till’s wings was draped over Ivan, as if subconsciously trying to keep him safe.
“So… about you becoming my mate-“
“Really, Ivan?” Till said exasperated, clearly not having expected him to bring it up again so soon.
Ivan smiled guiltily, though it was clear he felt nothing of the sort. He buried his face into Till’s hair. “Well, spring is coming up soon, and-“
“Fine.”
“Please, Till? I promise that if you agree to become my-“ Ivan paused, Till’s one word answer practically having gone in one ear and out the other.
“Huh…?”
Till rolled his eyes, snuggling his face further into the crook of Ivan’s neck. “I said fine, you idiot. Now shut up and go to bed.”
Ivan gaped, grateful Till couldn’t see his face, or he surely would’ve taken back his words. And for the first time in his life, tears welled up in his eyes.
Eventually he blinked them away, inhaling the calming scent that surrounded Till.
“Okay, Till. I love you.” He said softly, voice cracking slightly.
A few seconds later he heard a faint grumble from where Till was hidden.
“Love you too.”
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Later down the road, Till learns that Ivan only ever cries when he feels loved. From that day on he made it his mission to make Ivan cry as much as possible.
THE END