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Avians and birds alike spent a significant amount of time preening their wings—every morning, after baths, and even as part of a nighttime routine. However, unlike normal birds, Avians were incredibly picky about who they preened with. To them, it was the purest act of trust and intimacy; only parents, siblings, close friends, and mates were allowed to participate. Baring one’s most vulnerable traits, it was their ultimate way of expressing love and affection.
The sound of tinkering echoed through the large, quiet room. Machinery of all shapes and sizes spread across the space, creating an organized chaos. Varian was writing notes in his notebook, keeping an eye on the substance he was heating in a Florence flask. As small bubbles began to form, he gently inserted a thermometer to check the substance’s boiling point. Varian hummed in satisfaction and turned off the heater, then scribbled down some formulas to calculate the actual boiling point against the atmospheric pressure in the room.
His wings flapped in excitement, eager for more experiments to follow. Suddenly, a woman in a purple dress peeked inside. She glanced around, her emerald eyes gleaming as she spotted the young alchemist. Rapunzel flapped her wings gently and flew toward her feathered friend. Landing beside Varian, she nudged the teen.
Varian squawked and immediately flew straight up into the air.
“Don’t scare me like that!” he said as he flew back down.
Rapunzel giggled in response. Once he landed, he huffed at the princess’s shenanigans.
“Aww, don’t be like that, Varian!” she said.
Varian playfully rolled his eyes and went back to his task. Rapunzel sighed, her lips quirking upward, but then her eyes landed on Varian’s wings. The vibrant blue feathers were ragged: there were splits in the plumage, pieces of paper stuck between them, and some new feathers were still encased in keratin sheaths.
Rapunzel hunched her own wings as her face dropped. As an avian, she knew that a lack of wing care usually meant a person was in deep stress, anxiety, or fear. Vines of thorns pricked her heart—bleeding it from the inside. Varian hadn’t been taking care of himself lately. After the betrayal, the bright young teen had slowly lost his spark.
She recalled those murderous blue eyes as he had angrily glared at her. Rapunzel shook her head—no. She was partially to blame for her neglect and ignorance regarding the teen. She had been selfish, as much as the others (and herself) tried to dissuade those thoughts. However, being stuck inside a tower for so long—especially with her mother-kidnapper—it wasn’t surprising she had inherited some traits from her. As for Cass, it was still her fault. She had failed the both of them. Rapunzel lowered her head and gripped her own arms as tightly as she could. No. She would do it right this time. She hadn’t been there when Varian needed her, but she was not about to hide from her mistakes. Never again. Her eyes hardened and she straightened her back.
Rapunzel touched the teen’s shoulder. Varian froze for a minute and rigidly turned his head; seeing her face, he slowly loosened up.
“Yes..?” he asked.
Rapunzel beamed. “My wings are a bit messy! How about we help each other out?”
Varian blinked a couple of times. He brought his left wing up to his face. Oh. He looked at the princess for a minute and pursed his lips. Why…? Why aren’t you mad at me? Why care? Why..? I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve your kindness. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. Why don’t you hate me?
His thoughts circled over and over again. Before he knew it, wetness slowly gathered in his eyes. His blue wings flared out, wrapping tightly around his entire body. Hunching inward, he took several steps back until his spine hit the cold, brick wall. His throat clogged; the lingering, phantom feeling of metal around his wrists kept burning like fire. Rapunzel approached him carefully. He blinked as a gentle hand touched his head.
“Varian..?” she asked softly.
“I—”
He hastily wiped his tears away.
“Hahaha. Sorry—”
“I’m sorry.”
Varian paused. “Huh?”
He looked up and saw Rapunzel crying as well.
“I’m sorry, Varian.”
Silence fell. In the quiet room, the only sounds left were his own ragged breathing and the distant screeching of metal as the automated machines kept working. She’s apologizing..? For what? His heart hammered loudly against his ribs. His wings shook violently with the rest of his body, the feathers frizzling further as he frantically shook his head. He gripped his arms, trying desperately to anchor himself to reality.
You didn’t deserve this.
Failure.
No matter how much you changed…
You are still a…
Monster.
“You don’t have to say— I should be the one saying sorry.”
“But it was my fault too, Varian.” Rapunzel wiped her tears. “You were a grieving kid. I was a full-on adult.”
Varian tightened his fist. “No! I still harmed a lot of people in the process, Raps! I was stupid. Foolish! Letting my emotions run wild!”
As he spoke, his wings spread wildly. A few damaged feathers frizzled and tore free, drifting slowly down to the floor. Rapunzel’s wings lowered submissively, and she let out a soft, soothing croon to calm the distressed young man. Varian’s winged ears only twitched in response.
Rapunzel shook her head. “You were a teen who lost his parents, V. You were in pain. Grieving.” She locked eyes with him. “The adults failed you, V. It’s no excuse. My own father—he was at fault too.”
Varian whispered, “But I almost overthrew your kingdom—twice. Hurting families in the process. I was reckless.”
“You were alone,” she replied.
“…”
“You were alone too, Rapunzel.”
Rapunzel’s eyes widened, and she let out a soft, watery laugh. She stepped across the small gap between them and immediately hugged Varian as tightly as she could.
“I suppose we were both lost, huh?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled. “Then let’s face the world together. Yeah?”
Varian snuggled closer to her, burying his face into her shoulder. “Yeah.”
Afterward, both of them sat down on Rapunzel’s large, king-sized bed. Thick blankets, stuffed toys, and soft pillows surrounded them, forming a cozy nesting place.
“Are you sure you want to do this in your nest..?” Varian asked, his eyes darting around nervously.
Rapunzel only smiled in response as she pulled out a small glass bottle of fragrant oil. She popped off the cap, letting the soothing yellow liquid ooze out. Rapunzel signaled for him to turn around, and he presented his back to her. A cooling sensation immediately followed. He froze for a moment before relaxing as Rapunzel slowly unfurled his feathers, picked out the loose pieces, and coated his wings with the oil to soften them up. He really wanted to cry. It had been so long. Rapunzel kept humming a soft tune to soothe him, maintaining her gentle touch. He closed his eyes and listened to his older sister—wait. Sister? He pursed his lips. Would she even let him think of her that way?
“Varian?”
“Yes..?”
Rapunzel beamed. “You know, you’re only the second person I’ve ever preened. Cassandra was the first.” She paused, her voice softening. “You know… I’ve never had a brother before.”
He let out a soft laugh. Well, that was it then. “I’ve never had an older sister before, either.”
Inside the bedroom, the two shared a loud, harmonious cackle that echoed all the way out into the hallway, easily overheard by the passing maids.
＼(^_^)／
Varian was flying up into the clouds. The wind blew against his hair and face—god, the feeling was amazing. He looked down and saw Old Corona. Grinning in delight, he rolled his entire body and dived down fast. However, he went far too fast and accidentally crashed into a packed stack of wheat. Ouch. He rubbed his poor head and rolled his aching shoulders. Varian glanced down at his blue wings and saw they were covered in mud and wheat. Uugh. Gross. As he grumbled in annoyance, heavy footsteps immediately followed. A large man with giant wings rushed forward, panicking as he scanned the area. Seeing the teen's face, the older man let out a long sigh of relief.
“Son,” his father said.
Varian grinned. “Dad!”
He dashed forward and hugged Quirin. His wings flapped in excitement, and Quirin's large, black wings instantly opened to cover the boy's entire body. Quirin let out a soft croon, snuggling his face into the mop of messy black hair. After some time, they stepped out of the barn and went inside the house.
“Where’s Ruddiger?” his dad asked.
Varian smiled. “He’s sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb him.”
Quirin hummed in response, his eyes suddenly catching the state of his son's wings. His black eyes hesitated. Before the amber incident, he had not been a good father. He had been far too focused on the village and the black rocks, completely neglecting his own son’s mental and physical well-being. He had been neglectful, and he understood that now. As much as he appreciated Varian’s desperate attempts to bring him back, his poor son had paid the price for his own negligence. He hadn’t been there. He had failed him. Worst of all, it had been so long that he couldn’t even remember the last time he had properly preened his only child.
He didn’t know how to approach this. He wanted to show Varian that he loved him—more than his own life itself. But after the fall of Umbra and the loss of his beloved wife, he just didn't know how to express his affection anymore. Quirin gripped the edge of the table tightly. His face twisted into a mixture of guilt and anger—not directed at his son, but at himself. He began to shake. His large black wings lowered, trembling slightly.
“Dad..?”
Right.
Quirin hardened his eyes. No. His son needed him now. He was not about to abandon him like this. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his back. His wings flared open as he turned back to face his son's confused expression. His eyes softened as they landed on the short teen. For a fleeting moment, he saw a beautiful combination of Varian’s younger self, Ulla, and the young man his son was becoming.
“How about we go outside and fix up your wings, son?” he asked softly.
Later, they were sitting out in a grassy field. The air was crisp and clean, flowers danced with the wind, and the faint noises of wild animals echoed nearby. It was a peaceful heaven. Varian sat crisscross on the grass, with his dad positioned right behind him. Rough, calloused hands gently picked the wheat off his wings, using a wet towel to scrub away the mud and dirt before coating his blue feathers with soothing oil. His father was quiet and focused; Quirin relaxed his own set of wings, resting them down against the fabric of their makeshift mat. Varian was stiff at first—it had been so long. As the wind blew through his hair, Varian remembered a younger version of himself, asking a battalion of questions to his dad while Quirin patiently worked on his small, baby wings. Those rough hands had always been so gentle and soothing. Then, he heard it. A soft, rhythmic crooning noise.
Oh.
Oh.
Varian began to shake, and hot tears slowly fell down his freckled cheeks. When was the last time his dad had crooned like that? The last time he had heard those instinctual, vulnerable noises was when he was a little kid crying to his dad because of a nightmare. A large, dark wing protectively surrounded his entire frame, and Varian finally let himself go, sinking into the comfort. He let out a broken sound and hesitantly leaned back against his dad’s strong chest, closing his eyes as the tears kept falling. He was accepted. His dad still loved—loves him. He sobbed openly while his dad continued the meticulous preening. Large, strong arms wrapped around him from behind, and Varian felt the warmth of tears dropping onto his nape.
“I’m so proud of you. So, so much, Varian,” his dad choked out.
“I love you too, dad,” he hiccupped back.
Two avians—one large and one small. The bigger one held his fledgling protectively, while the smaller one finally cried away all of his sorrows.
＼(^_^)／
As the sun rose over the kingdom of Corona, the royal palace was already bustling with work. Inside the laboratory, papers and books were haphazardly thrown around the room, glass beakers were scattered, and blue feathers littered the floor. Varian was still computing different formulas to make Flynollium stable when mixed with various reactive substances. Not even a minute later, a tall blond man walked into the shared lab. His tail swished from side to side as he scanned the room, looking for his wayward mate. When his eyes landed on the blue-winged alchemist, a playful light of mischief gleamed in his emerald eyes.
Hugo, ever the expert thief, approached the avian without being noticed. He raised his arms and wrapped them tightly around the younger one’s waist. Varian’s wings frizzled up in shock, and a fluffy, blonde wolf tail wrapped itself around his thigh. Varian blinked behind his goggles. He slipped them off and turned around, finding his boyfriend giving him a toothy grin. Varian rolled his eyes but leaned in to kiss his mate’s cheek.
“Finally helping me in the lab?” he asked, raising a brow.
“Goggles, I’m hurt,” Hugo dramatically replied.
Varian scoffed. “Really?”
Hugo snuggled closer, his wolf ears flattening down as he nuzzled and sniffed Varian's neck.
“You’re being dramatic.”
“Oh, look at this. My cold and merciless mate, leaving me in our shared nest. All alone!”
Varian sighed. “Yes, yes. I’m so cold and heartless.”
Varian then went back to his work while the blond wolf lazily leaned against his back. Moments later, Hugo stepped back and noticed that Varian’s beautiful blue wings were heavily matted. Seriously, why did his boyfriend always forget to preen his feathers? Hugo groaned and started searching the entire lab for some preening oil. Seeing none, Hugo glanced back at the avian, who was deep in thought. Hugo's ears straightened. He walked back over to Varian and, using his superior strength, grabbed him by the waist—hoisting him right over his shoulder before running up to their room.
“What the fuck! Hugo! Put me down!”
“Sorry, sweetcheeks, but it's for your own good,” Hugo singsonged back.
Arriving at their shared bedroom, Hugo pushed inside and kicked the door closed. He let Varian down, only for his mate to immediately ruffle his feathers and shoot him a fierce death glare. Hugo simply smirked and pointed toward the nest. Varian, being the stubborn guy he was, refused to yield and kept glaring at him. Well, no choice then. Hugo strolled toward Varian and started ruthlessly tickling his waist. Varian’s scowling face instantly morphed into a fit of laughter as he circled his arms around Hugo's neck. His wings flapped excitedly, completely enveloping them both.
“Hugo—stop!” he giggled.
“Hmm, should I?” Hugo cocked his head thoughtfully.
Varian glared, but a moment later, he let out a loud cackle. “Okay, okay! You win!”
Hugo grinned at the victory and stopped his tickle assault. Varian plopped down, snuggling into the soft fabric of their nest. Hugo opened a drawer to find the preening oil—the special blend recommended by Rapunzel—and took it out. He paused for a moment and tapped gently on Varian’s shoulder.
“What..?” Varian's voice came out muffled against the pillows.
“May I?”
Sure, they had been dating for about two years now, but Hugo would always ask anyway. After all, this was an avian's safest, most vulnerable space. Varian looked back and gave him a bright, bucktoothed smile.
“Yes. Come in. I want to snuggle with your tail,” Varian replied.
Hugo sat down as Varian sprawled out on the nest of fabric, blissfully smooshing his face into the fluffy blonde tail. Seeing that there were still several feathers tucked uncomfortably underneath the boy's clothes, Hugo tapped Varian’s shoulder once more.
“Hey, Goggles.”
“Hmm..?”
“Could you take off your shirt?”
Varian blinked. “Sure..?”
Varian stood up and began slipping off his vest and shirt. Seeing the tan, freckled skin, a small blush spread across Hugo's cheeks. Varian plopped himself back down, letting his bare back and wings relax completely. Hugo twisted the cap off the bottle and let the oil coat his fingers. First, he rubbed the soothing liquid into the keratin sheaths of the newly forming feathers, coating them thoroughly. Next, he used his long, nimble fingers to massage the wings, working the oil into the frizzled plumage. Finally, he plucked away a few loose feathers, pausing for a moment before beginning to massage the avian's back and tight shoulders. Varian let out a deeply satisfied crooning noise, snuggling even deeper into their shared nest.
“Feeling good, Goggles?” Hugo teased.
“Mhmm..”
Varian looked absolutely blissful and soft, his rhythmic crooning filling the quiet room. Hugo felt a distinct wave of pride for making Varian feel so happy and comfortable.
His wolf instincts rumbled in pure satisfaction, and a sudden urge of fierce protectiveness washed over him. He knew Varian didn’t technically need a protector—the boy was fiercely independent and strong in his own way—but the feeling was primal. He recalled the very first time Varian had ever asked him to preen his wings. Suns, it had been the most intimate and vulnerable act Hugo had ever shared with another person. He had multiple partners in the past, yet he had never touched a single one of them like this. The guilt he had felt back then hit him again—the painful memory of how the mere thought of betraying Varian used to linger in his mind.
Snapping back to the present, Hugo glanced down and saw that Varian still had his eyes closed, completely relaxed and blissful.
He chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss the back of Varian’s neck. Varian’s eyes lazily blinked open. He rolled over, sat up, and circled his arms securely around Hugo's neck, leaning in close. Soft lips met his, and Varian's calloused hands gently petted Hugo's soft wolf ears. Hugo let out a soft moan, deepening the kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, they rested their foreheads together. Warm breaths mingled as they stared softly into each other's eyes.
Varian smiled. “Thank you.”
Hugo grinned back. “You're welcome, V.”