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Wilford wasn’t sure what he expected from the enchanted woods. He’d been living in the north side of the enchanted woods with Dark for a while now and Wilford found he was just as enchanted as the first day he saw him.
If Wilford thought Dark was enchanting when he first met him in the King’s throne room, it barely held a torch to Dark now. The phoenix lived in a stone tower deep in the northern part of the enchanted woods, east of the kingdom Wilford had defected from. It held a small personal library, and a garden around the tower. And seeing the phoenix in his own home and comfortable in his own domain was a treat so divine, it often robbed Wilford of breath.
It was deep into the autumn season and all the leaves were starting to change color. Dark peered out through the window and sighed. “Not long before winter,” Dark mused.
“Yeah,” Wilford smiled at Dark.
“The more tropical plants need to be moved to the arboretum,” Dark hummed in thought.
“Yeah,” Wilford didn’t stop smiling.
“What? Are you hungry or something?” Dark asked.
“You’re very pretty,” Wilford grinned. “Prettier than the leaves.”
The phoenix rolled his eyes and chuckled, “Really?”
“Truly, radiant,” Wilford told him.
Dark scoffed, and closed the book he had in his hands, “I need to start tending to those plants, before you make me forget.”
“I’ll help,” Wilford stood up, looking like a puppy who had been told he was going for a walk.
He followed Dark to the bottom of the tower that was a giant garden, multicolored birds flying around. Wilford watched him for a bit before racing out to the grounds and gathering up an armful of brightly colored autumn leaves. Then he bolted back inside, and more than a few birds nervously scattered at the loud and big human coming in their direction. Then when he was close enough, he tossed the flurry of warm colored leaves at the phoenix, earning him a very familiar half smile.
“Having fun?” Dark asked him.
“For that smile, absolutely,” Wilford told him, and spent the next hour bringing some of the more delicate flowers into the warmer parts of the arboretum. It was careful work and Wilford was tired by the end of it. But Dark was proud of their accomplishments by the end of it, and by the end they were back up at the library of the tower.
Dark had his tea and a book, and Wilford had a cup of his own and was bundled up next to the phoenix, lulled by the natural warmth that came from the supernatural creature. He was drowsy, just watching the sun start to dip below the treeline.
“I love you,” Wilford told Dark.
Dark seemed to flinch in surprise.
“You’re so pretty, whatever face you take,” Wilford told him. “I don’t think I’ve told you that enough.”
The phoenix set his book down and cup of tea on the table, then he took Wilford’s as well.
“My darling,” Dark took Wilford’s face in his hands. “The only crime you commit is that you are human, something I really should get around to fixing.”
Then he slipped one of the smaller contour feathers that he had molted off a few days ago, and tucked the plumage behind Wilford’s ears.
The former knight’s eyes widened, Dark always made a point of immediately disposing of any feathers that came off of him so they couldn’t be taken for potions or a way to track him. Even Wilford wasn’t allowed to touch them. It was a rule Dark had ordered from him on day one if Wilford wanted to stay with him, and it was a rule that Wilford religiously followed.
“But it’s your—” Wilford started to move his hand to take it off but Dark grabbed his hand and moved in to kiss the feather. The magic made it lie flat along his scalp and his hair along that portion of his head turned into those brilliant hues of purple and blue.
“You are one of my feathers,” Dark told Wilford. “You are mine.”
His chest felt constricted and tears welled up in Wilford’s eyes. “Yes.”
Dark moved in and their lips met as the sun kept lowering on the horizon.