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Apo was back home, not her nest, the center of the bridge, her chest still hurt, she hurt so damn bad, but when she touched her chest where the slash of nicos’s sword had swung there was no blood, only a sharp pain that was slowly fading. She felt weak, like when a blessing would fade, but worse, her head hurt, and before she knew it the spinning bridge around her was reduced to the muddy floor, she tried to push herself up but her wings, they were too heavy, hanging on her back like weights as her arms shook before she collapsed again, she couldn't even see the stars from here, blast. “Apo” Owen's voice, unmistakable, the way she pronounced it, emphasis on each letter, the almost… settled air about him how she sounded like this had already happened, because to her, it already had. Apo flopped over, she didn't care how she looked it was Owen, Hm? She questioned humming and trying not to glance over at her. “Are you all right” a hand on her wing, she flinched back “Apologies i” “No, Owen's fine, a hand was extended in front of her, and behind it, Owen's face. She took the hand warm, calloused fingers wrapping around hers, and her heart did not feel light as a feather, and if it did it was because she was still a little dizzy. Dizzy, apparently very dizzy, she thought as her footing wobbled wings pulling her forward till she crashed into Owen, but he didn't push her away, not like she thought he might, instead warm arms wrapped under her wings hands splayed on her back and lips pressed to the crown of her head, and stayed there. And she was warm, so warm in her arms, so she paused and let herself stay there, just for a moment, she told herself, but it was a lie. She ended up tucked into his side as they walked back, fingers running through her feathers that sprouted painfully from her back. They had been hurting ever since they grew from her back, which was quite annoying at this point. But Owen's fingers sent shivers down her spine, and they were terribly nice, they made it to her nest, the top of one of the bridges buildings partly open to the stars, the inside laden with pillows and blankets like a bed mixed with an observatory, she hadn't let any other feather holders up here, and Owen gave her a little smile when she saw it. “What” she grumbled crossing her arms but still leaning on them, they chuckled, low, a sound that sent warmth down her spine “Nothing” she said, and she stood to leave, but the warmth was so nice, she was hers, Owen was hers, no, he wasn't, she was the god’s and so was apo, but she still wasn't letting her go. She wrapped her wings around Owen pulling her into her lap, fingers finding his shawl and head pressed to the curve of her throat. “Are you Shure your all right apo” Hands found the small of her back again and she did not chirp when fingers found her feathers, and she did not chirp, she did not. But she did spill, about nicos, and her domain, and the feeling of a sword cutting through her chest, and how weak she felt. Owen, in the meanwhile, listened. “Are you still in pain?” Owen asked, hands slowing on her back as though she was afraid to hurt her. “Hmh, just a little sore, it's my wings that still hurt like hell” apo said breathing Owens scent, warmth and a deep almost masculine scent that fit her so well. “My apologies” Owen said, hands stopping on their back to pull her closer against his chest. “No-i, it's since. I've been thinking…” she paused to fiddle with the gold lining on the front of Owen's robe “Birds preen their wings, and mine are quite dirty, and I tried to- but I could only reach, well really it's” she paused, her words coming out like boulders in a landslide, chipped and too fast. So she took a breath, masculine scent filling her lungs “Do you want me to help?” deep to soft voice asked before she could and she nodded slowly into her chest, “Turn around feather” Owen said so she unfurled the feathery cocoon she'd made reluctantly, letting up her safe place, her place for Owen, right here against her, and spun around so they were half in his lap, wings fluffing in apprehension. And this time- maybe, yes maybe she did chirp, but Owen chuckled so it was allright, her wings came up on instinct to block her face before firm warm hands came up and lightly pushed them down, and she allowed it like putty in her hands. Fingers trailed along her wings, midnight-colored feathers scattering around them as apo sank into the touch. After about an hour of this, apo now fluffy leaning against her chest as Owen's arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a tight hug from behind. Face pressed into her shoulder, and she was so warm, warm, warm. apos face wings fluttered to cover her eyes, and Owen perked up “Do you want me to help with those too?” she asked an apo sank at the loss of warmth and breath on her neck, but nodded spinning awkwardly in irons pap so her legs startled his, she was suddenly very aware of how exposed her shawl made her body she had never been ashamed of it before and she didn't think she was now, more… embarrassed? A feeling she had never quite experienced in life, humiliated, yes, embarrassed, not so much. Owens hands cupped her face, thumbs and pointer fingers brushing on her cheeks in a tantalizing way that sent shivers down her feathered spine. Owen shifted hands brushing back her long hair as it fell to cover her eyes. Her head wings fluttered at the feeling moving to cover her eyes again, and Owen laughed shooing them out of the way, and then she paused, and opened her eyes, the white glow of every moment in time, lighting up the dark room, and gods she was so pretty, with her dark skin and hair that looked so soft she just reached out to touch it, hands finding the perfect soft waved on weather side of her warm face as Owen's hands lingered on hers. He seemed to be taking her in, opening his eyes not as a rare show of power, but fighting with his god to hold it in, just to take her in. but why in that moment, when she was red with embarrassment, wings all puffed up from preening and all the attention and hey to wide eyes large as she took the other in. she didn't know, but in the split second that Owen closed her eyes again, she was kind of glad she had opened them in the first place. She tucked into Owen again, pushing him down onto the bed of pillows and blankets as he chuckled, letting her move them around until she was perfectly satisfied, letting her, slightly less heavy wings falling over them in a loose cocoon of feathers, this, this was what had been missing all those too sleepless nights , for her god, this was what was missing. And when Owen awoke her in the night, nightmare of the future plaguing her mind like a vice she took them top her realm top sleep, less comfortable, but the peace that fell over Owen's face was everything and when she awoke to soft white eyes, there was no pain behind them, no lines on pain clamping on her face, he looked… normal, a life that could have been, a life that never was.