#featherstorm

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Grian blinks his way back to awareness, smooshed between two toastysoft pillows. Teething on one gets him a chuckle.

"Oh, good, you're awake." Vex's echoey rumble.

Vex. Warmpillow. Right, nest time. The pieces of Grian's brain slowly line back up in order. He'd gone all out on his best courting display, and been met with nothing but the most eager reciprocal courting. Sweet on his tongue- Grian chirrs. "M'wake. Yes."

"That's wonderful, prettiest Ari. Especially if you would like to shower before we have to leave for my activity." A warm hand runs over one of his headwings, drawing more cozy chirrs out of him.

"Leave?" Nuzzling into Vex's hand, Grian feels like he should remember something about that, but there's just a blur with highlights where his memories should be.

"My activity is at a secondary location. Private, so we won't have to worry about being seen. But we still have to fly there." Vex explains, fingernails finding a stubborn itch between Grian's feathers and scritching it just right.

Grian garbles out the most elegant trill and he will hear no word otherwise as he faceplants back into his convenient pillow. Fuck. Who gave Vex the right to be so damn good at this. Bedamned fae fingers. He'd better not ever stop. "Flying- Yeah, uh. Shower." Good enough.

"I should join you. Given how much makeup you rubbed off onto me." Vex chuckles softly.

"Mrp? Group shower?" Scar of course chooses right then to join them in wakefulness.

"Group shower. A quick one." Vex confirms. "Either of you want an airlift over?"

Scar catches Grian's eye, and they don't even have to rock paper scissors for it. "We're good." Scar pats Vex on the head, While Grian begins prying himself out of the nest.

Successfully freed from his bowl of cozy goodness, Grian grabs Vex by the shoulders and hefts him up.

A startled yelp, before Vex chuckles as he turns featherlight in Grian's arms. "I see how it is."

Tucking Vex close to his chest, Grian strolls on over to the bathroom. "Exactly. You're not the only one who can carry around here, don't you forget it."

Scar scampers along behind them, snickering.

"I'll tape a sticky note to my forehead." Vex says nonsensically.

"Or you could stick little stickers of us to your forehead." Scar suggests, bustling around to ready the shower.

That leaves stripping to Grian, then. Which Vex's weightlessness makes rather simple for him, an easy glide of fingers over smooth, cool skin. Even if Grian has to pause for a moment, just seeing his blunt fingernail-tipped fingers against Vex's skin. Not something he ever expected to be comfortable showing around Vex. And Vex hasn't even really said anything about it!

Lizzie did say Vex knows other shifters. So this all isn't new-new to him. Still, Grian could stand to take some curiosity. A little prodding. Stupid Vex probably thinks he's being considerate and all, leaving Grian his space.

Scar's hands find their way into Grian's waistband, eager to theft away his pants, as always. "Shocking you've gone this long without goring any of us in your sleep."

"I've been blunting the tips of my talons." Grian murmurs. It's not a perfect system, not as safe as just having human toes, but it's worked thus far, in their visits to Vex.

"What foot configuration do you usually sleep in?" Vex asks, nothing but idle curiosity in his tone.

"Talons if I'm by myself, squishy feet if I'm with people prone to puncturing." Grian rubs at Vex's oddly colorful wings.

"I've told you, it's fine if y-"

"No." Grian's run the course of that conversation with Scar plenty enough times already.

"A sensible arrangement, if one has the choice." Vex nods. His wing flexes under Grian's hand like a laminated piece of paper, pressing back into the rubs.

"Works for me, anyway." Grian bundles the three of them into the shower, under that soft rainfall. Scar's already turned on the waterfall, a siren song of crashing water, but Grian has a delicate fae to wash up first.

Starting out with that woodsy soap, Grian sets about scrubbing a good half of Ariana's face off Vex's shoulder. At least the blue skin makes the makeup rather easy to see.

Scar picks through Grian's flight wings behind him, just a quick once-over to catch any feathers that didn't come in or settle properly during rapid regrowing. There's always a couple, not a huge bother, but nice to have them handled.

Leaving Grian free to focus on Vex, expanding his scrubbing to take care of large streaks of body glitter as best as he can. Vex will just have to deal with being glittery for the foreseeable future. Facts of life when deciding to snuggle someone in full drag.

Grian does at least get any of the chunky stuff off, the rest will run its course in due time.

Getting to be Ariana again- Had been thrilling. A little terrifying, but all the best thrills are. Having his two biggest fans in the crowd... Well, that had worked out, hadn't it?

A stage, of his own, to do that more often? Grian trills one of his own tunes, as he gives Vex a final once-over rinse.

"What are the chances?" Vex muses idly. "That that would turn out to be you."

"One in a few million, or something like it." It's a big city, after all. "Of all the luck in the world, for you to have ended up at my shows."

"Or something like that." Vex murmurs.

"Makes you one lucky fanboy~" Grian winks at Vex, as cheeky as can be. "Living the dream."

"If this a dream, I don't ever want to wake up." Vex catches one of Grian's hands, pressing a kiss to every knuckle.

“Sounds like a dream. Renowned pop sensation falls for a nobody schmuck of a fae.” Grian teases lightly, headwings fluttering. How does Vex keep doing this to him? Turning his insides into butterflies, the likes of which have only been rivaled by Scar.

"Maybe they'll make a movie about us." Vex teases right back.

“I’d watch that.” Scar chimes in. “As many times as the theaters would play it.”

“Ariana and the Cute Boytoy of Doom.” Grian snickers.

"Something along those lines." Vex snickers. "Do you want any help with your own washing?"

"If you want to touch me so badly, you may." Grian demurs, patting Vex's cheek.

"Just no wing touching." Vex double checks, gathering up the soap Grian prefers.

“No wings, yes. Someone already has that covered.” Grian shakes one, splattering water onto Scar, only getting a giggle for his troubles. Disaster.

Maybe Grian really can get used to this, letting them both pamper him. Vex’s lathered palms gliding smoothly over his skin, Scar’s fingers rubbing the bases of his wings.

Something so intoxicating, about being the target of that much focused attention. About those hands not his own, roaming his body. The hands of his flock, his m- Grian’s courted, and his mate. Surrounded by so much care, so much tangible affection.

Softly glowing eyes, looking up at him like they want nothing more than to be allowed this supplication. Like Grian’s hand through midnight-dark hair is a benediction of the highest order.

The power could go to Grian's head.

Instead of pondering that further, Grian grabs Scar, diving into scrubbing him down. Get washed, idiot.

Scar giggly wriggles in Grian’s hands, never pulling away. The joy is infuriating, the joy is infectious. Grian makes sure to give Scar’s dick a couple slaps for good measure, but Scar can’t even muster pretending to be whiny about that, moaning for Grian’s touch regardless of the pain.

Such a slut. Though at least Scar doesn't try to hump Grian, so that's a plus. Did Vex's machine actually managed to achieve some sort of satisfaction for Scar?

Grian will have to supervise use of the contraption next time, to see for himself. Anything that can satisfy Scar for this long must be an impressive sight.

Still, just to be sure Scar doesn't get any ideas, Grian grabs onto him and twirls them both right into the waterfall, making only minor efforts to drown his beloved mate.

Requisite amount of sputtering from Scar reached, Grian allows Vex to herd Scar out of the shower for drying off.

Leaving Grian to enjoy his waterfall a little longer, just so Vex can take the worst of Scar's whining and wetness, before Grain follows along. Hm. Vex had a nice featherdryer around here somewhere, didn't he?

"Vexy..." Grian drawls, draping his entire sodden self on the faerie. "Where's your featherdryer?"

"My... featherdryer?" Vex blinks at Grian. "Like...?" He holds up a towel.

"No." Instead of using his words, Grian simply bites Vex. He'll get the idea.

"He means this." Scar has fished something from a cabinet, holding it up. A ConCorp hairdryer, one marketed as extra gentle and extra quiet. Claims it more than lives up to.

"That's a hairdryer?" Vex blinks yet more, an unreasonable amount, really. Grian would complain about it, if Vex weren't running careful fingers through his wet hair. "I mean, yes, it also works on feathers, of course."

"Dry me, with the featherdryer." Grian demands.

"Bossy bird." Scar grins, handing the featherdryer over to Vex.

"Very bossy bird." Vex agrees, plugging in the dryer and getting to work. He starts off on Grian's head, combing his fingers through hair and feathers alike.

"Someone has to be in charge of you tw-" Grian's words dissolve into cooing under the warm air and petting. Must not have been important. Instead, he shakes out his flight wings in Scar's general direction, a much better use of his time.

Let his mate get a headstart on preening. Preened feathers dry better.

"But what about second preening, hm?" Scar chuckles, digging his fingers into Grian's wings.

Mysteriously, Grian blinks his eyes just once, and they're all in Vex's closet, looking over clothing options.

"Warmer than that, please, Neit." Vex mildly requests.

Given that Scar's holding a crop top, Grian nods his agreement. Scar needs to be dressed warmer if they're going flying. "Pick something better, or I will find three parkas to stuff you into." Grian cheerfully chirps, moving to paw through Vex's sweaters.

There're an awful lot of merch sweaters, from heroes and villains both. Grian chooses one of his own, an aggressively pink thing with wing slits. Plenty familiar with how to slide it on, Grian pokes his freshy preened wings out of the slits. Toasty.

Scar already has his crop top on, but tosses his hands up when Grian's gaze lands on him. "Layering!" He yelps, holding up a sweatshirt like a shield.

Of course the problem chose a Vex sweatshirt.

Speaking of Vex. He must have worn this Cuteguy sweater before, it smells of him. Grian can't help but snuffle his nose into the high collar, drinking in the scent of flock.

Vex should wear Grian's colors more often. Not that Grian's going to be helping with that, given that this sweater belongs to Grian now. He's not giving up his cozy flock-scent. He won't even have to explain it if he wears it out and about! Everyone who's anyone loves Cuteguy.

Scar seizes the opportunity to shimmy himself into the sweatshirt where he can spin for Grian's approval.

"Better. Now put on some pants." Grian judges.

"Aww, do I have to?" Scar whines.

Vex tosses a pair of sweatpants at Scar. "Yes. You do. Here." Violently neon pink, with black rhinestones spelling 'CUTE' across the ass. Grian nearly swallows his tongue when he sees Vex is wearing the matching hoodie.

Grian is so stunned that he reaches out and puts on the first pants his hands touch, absolutely certainly not noticing the pale blue crystalline lattice pattern on them. Nope, didn't see it at all.

"Did you miss even a single merch drop?" Grian finally manages to blurt any words out.

"Nope! And I usually got two or three of everything, if there was stock." Vex completes his outfit with the Hotguy sweatpants from the same drop. Neon orange and electric blue, with 'HOT' in black rhinestones on the ass.

"That's- Ah!" Grian flails, trying to paw a sudden smothering thing off his face- Scar cackles victoriously, springing back away. Wh- Fingers over looped planes of fabric, a familiar embroidered logo. A Hotguy scarf, wrapped around Grian's face and shoulders.

"Perfect!" Scar declares, stupidly proud of himself.

"He is." Vex agrees, wrapping a Vex scarf around Scar's neck. Neatly, and tied properly. Vex is already sporting a Cuteguy scarf himself. Grian's gonna steal the scarf too.

Grian re-wraps his own scarf properly. "Well!" Talking is better than thinking about the way his headwings try to flutter. "Now that we're all dressed up, it's time to let an evil villain lead us blindly to an unknown secondary location!"

"You don't- we don't have to go." Vex frets his shoulders down into a slump, suddenly shy. "I just- thought it might be fun."

Catching Vex's chin in his hand, Grian stares him down. "You're not getting out of your part of this date that easily, buster. You are going to get out there and take us to your sinister ominous secret evil date activity, you hear me?"

"Yessir." Vex's entire body falls in line as his eyes go soft for a moment.

Before he catches himself, shaking off that state with a firm nod, and leading them out of the closet.

"Good." Grian nods back, making sure Scar follows along. "And don't forget anything you need to bring, I'm not coming all the way back midway through flying."

"I got my phone, anything else we need Vexy?" Scar asks.

"Not that I can think of. Everything else should be there." Vex leads them right out the front door of the lair, to the waiting, open elevator.

Scar crashes into Grian, which would normally have Grian stumbling forward, but in this instance, Grian's rooted solidly in place. What's that high pitched noise? It's broken again already isn't it- It's going to hurt Vex-

Between on blink and the next, Vex is dragged back from the maw of the beast and crushed close to Grian's chest. Wrapped up in Grian's wings, tight-safe.

Words. There's words, and hands on his face. Hands petting his wings and cooing soft affections at him.

Grian shivers, barely able to pace his breathing to the hands running up and down his back. He just- He just has to keep Vex safe from that thing, that's all. He can't let Vex be left in that dark box.

Step by step, Grian is pulled back inside, until the door of Vex's lair closes, hiding the waiting beast.

"What's wrong, my pretty?" Scar's voice crystallizes out of the mess of sensations.

"Nothing!" Grian yelps out, as if anyone might believe him at this point. But he has to try, doesn't he? What else does he have but the trying.

"That sure looked like a whole lotta nothin' there, darlin. Mind explaining the nothing?" Scar coos, working his fingers into fluffed feathers.

Squeezing Vex closer, Grian shakes his head. "I won't let it have him." Grian's traitorous mouth mutters.

"Let what have our Vexy? He's right here, safe in your arms, see?" Scar guides Grian's face to press into Vex's shoulder.

"Safe. Safe. Didn't leave him." Deep breaths are easier when Grian's breathing in Vex's fresh, clean scent. Grian's arms loosen just slightly, enough to feel lungs inflate against his chest.

"Is it the elevator?" Vex asks. "It's been professionally repaired. It's not going to hurt you." Cool fingers dig into Grian's hair, scritching at his scalp.

"It's fine, I'm fine, I'm totally fine. Elevators are fine. I'm fine, I can take an elevator." Grian protests, pressing into both of their touches, no matter how he has to twist himself to do so.

"You sure?" Vex asks. "Then let's go. You can stay cuddled up to us if you want."

"Nu-uh, he's gonna flip again." Scar, the bastardous traitor pipes up. He's lucky he's out of biting range, the asshole.

"Do you have any suggestions? You've been his partner for a long time." Vex asks Scar.

"My grand suggestion is 'What if we used literally any other method than the elevator that gave you both complete meltdowns like yesterday.'. Feel free to applaud at will." Grian can feel the jazz hands rattling into his feathers.

"Ari is welcome to take the stairs if he prefers." Vex sounds baffled. "I have no problems with the elevator."

A soft hiss from Vex clues Grian in that Grian's digging his fingers into Vex's back. Fingers, not claws. Not claws, good. Just fingers.

"Shh, shh, sweetheart, it's alright." Scar rubs Grian's back again, voice steady. "Weren't you listening, sugarplum? He's scared of leaving you alone in there."

"Ah." Vex still sounds perplexed. "There's no danger, though? Even if the elevator were to unexpectedly fail again, trapping me somewhere against my will is nearly impossible?"

"Sorry to say, but settin' logic against fresh emotion ain't gonna get far. Is it important for your plans that we take the elevator?" Scar's confidence is a balm on Grian's nerves, the steady rumble of his keen negotiating tone.

"No. Just the easiest way to get to the roof, so we can take off." Vex explains. "Should we take off from the balcony instead?"

"Balcony." Grian gasps out.

"I'd say that's a yes." Scar agrees. "We can just hop on over to the balcony, and a good flight will clear everything right up."

"Balcony it is." Vex lifts Grian wholesale off the ground, carrying him deeper into the villainous lair. The further they get, the more Grian relaxes.

Really, it was nothing, just a passing moment of weakness. Grian can just tuck his face into Vex's neck, breathe, and put that embarrassment behind him.

"It really does lack something without the destroyed door." Scar muses.

"Lacks a certain chill too." Vex snorts, door sliding open for them. "Neit, who do you want to fly with?"

"Our pretty birdie will carry me." Scar doesn't hesitate. Fine. That's fine. Grian's done it before and he'll do it again.

A little surprising, that Scar doesn't want to fly with Vex, who he's never had the chance to really fly with before, but Grian doesn't care. There's fresh air in his lungs and a breeze on his feathers, and he needs to fly.

"I may call on you on our way back, though." Scar presses a smooch to Vex's cheek.

Didn't they get the memo that this isn't the time for flirting, it's the time for flying? Honestly. Grian tries to squirm his way out of Vex's arms.

He's let go right away, steadied into his talons wrapping around the balcony railing like a perching bar. Talons? Oh well. Not like Vex doesn't know, by now.

Might as well also- He shakes out his wings, color draining from them until they're dark as the falling dusk sky. The better to not be seen flying with this disaster group.

"You make such a handsome shadow in the night." Scar muses in soft rapture, gliding a hand over Grian's dark wings. He clambers his way right into Grian's arms without hesitation or care for the sheer drop over the balcony.

"You two ready?" Vex asks, spreading his wings wide and simply stepping forward through the railing. The low sun glitters in his wings, making him the prettiest shiny Grian's ever seen. Grian's fingers itch with the need to hoard Vex away.

Grian tucks Scar close, sculpting the shape of his wings, the weight of his body, to accommodate the standing start while holding Scar. Familiar, practiced motions, by now. More important is focusing in on his shiny-treasure. Grian will have to hunt it down through the skies if he wants to hoard it away, so Grian readies himself for takeoff. "Yes." Eyes on the prize, Grian could not be more ready.

"Then let's go." Slowly, Vex begins to rise up, rotating as he goes.

In contrast, Grian shoots up into the sky, powerful wings beating hard. He's got to move, he needs to be up. Wind can't quite manage to steal away Scar's whooping glee as he clings tight to Grian, up and up and up until Grian can steady out circling Vex.

Matching his speed, Vex follows, until he's hovering still at the same height that Grian's circling.

This way, Vex trills out a whistle, his body finally tipping into a more natural position for flying as he speeds off.

Grian whistles his following automatically as he breaks out of his circling to fall into formation with Vex. Good burn in his muscles, sharp wind in his face, everything so much clearer up here. Pure speed and delight, chasing Vex through the skies. Nothing on the line, no reputations, no danger.

Just his pretty, speeding into the setting sun, a fiery rainbow of wings in flight.

On and on they fly, the high rises under them giving way to lower and lower buildings with more and more green between them. Out over the suburbs, until a shape again rises in the distance.

Under them, the city eventually gives way to fields. They must've been flying for almost an hour by now, to be over city limits.

Maybe Vex really is taking them out into the middle of nowhere to bump them off- Grian only belatedly wonders if the magic-flying asshole even knows how long an avian can keep this up. Thankfully, Grian's practiced in both fast flight and long flight, so he's still got a ways he can go. But he wasn't expecting quite this long in the skies. Even the bundle in Grian's arms has quieted, lulled half to sleep by their motion.

Landing, Vex trills out as they approach a white structure, a cluster of sprawling clean buildings with little in the way of defining features aside from the main one being topped by a large dome. Aiming not for said dome, but for one of the lower buildings on the outskirts of the smattering, Vex touches down on a lovely balcony. Comfortable outdoor seating, twinkling fairylights, and a table are all Grian can catch at first glance while trying to touch down safely.

No tuck and roll, not with his cargo, so Grian has to actually slow and angle his descent properly. A few hops and skips, and he's down, immediately turning this way and that to investigate the balcony and its remarkably cozy furnishings. Hardly any visible evil at all.

"A private viewing platform. For stargazing." Vex explains. "I had dinner brought here for us."

"One last meal to entrap us in your fae wiles?" Grian deposits Scar into the seat so he can do his cool-down stretches freely.

"I- what?" Vex looks startled. "No, this is supposed to be our date! I even had them prepare wine!"

"You're gonna continue bein' really uptight about that, huh?" Grian loosely swipes a wing in Vex's direction, a little gust of air.

"I hope the flight wasn't too long for you? I probably should have warned you." Vex frets, fidgeting with his hands.

"You should've, but I'm tough. A little flight isn't gonna keep me down." More than his wings, it's Grian's arms that need the stretching. He does wish he'd known he'd be carrying Scar for an hour when choosing how to hold him. There might have been some tendrils involved partway through to give himself a break.

Stretches complete, Grian swaggers his way over into Vex's space.

"You meanwhile, pretty little treasure, you look all tuckered out." Grian teases, cupping Vex's chin and wrapping both wings around him.

The gesture gets him the most adorable squeak, and a deep lilac blush.

"Caught you." Grian chuckles, trilling a low covet-treasure-keep to Vex. Gradually, Grian allows a spider-crack web of pale blue glow spread across the inner surface of his dark wings. With dinner soon, Grian can afford burn some energy on a bioluminescent treat for his adorable little treasure.

The captivated look on Vex's face, the way his skin shimmers in renewed soap bubble aurora, is so worth the display.

"If you're not careful, we might decide to eat you instead of dinner." Grian leans in, ghosting a breath over Vex's tantalizingly close lips- Before stealing a nip of Vex's cheek.

"I- uh- if you're hungry, dinner should be inside. I can get the wine poured too, so that can breathe. Or set out the snacks?" Vex sounds so adorably squeaky. Like a chew toy.

"I'm looking at a snack right now." Grian croons, running his thumb over Vex's pulse. If this is how Vex is with Scar, it's a wonder Vex has survived this long, being this bone-crushably cute.

"Or-or that, yeah, you can also have at me." Vex stutters. Grian feels hands tap his feathers, asking entry.

Briefly, Grian considers denying those hands, coveting Vex for himself.

But the urge passes as soon as it comes, wings easily parting enough to allow entry before closing up again. Why should Grian limit himself to one treasure, when he can have two treasures?

"We can, have you." Scar purrs, slotting himself into place behind Vex.

"Time to devour you." Pulling the scarf off Vex's neck, Grian sets about biting rough hickies into one side.

"Don't mind if I do." Scar eagerly mirrors the bites on the other side of Vex's neck, the one already permanently adorned by Scar's bite.

Grian bites harder. Would Vex let him-? Not today, no, not while Vex is still his courted. Later, when Vex has completed his challenge, has brought him closure on his cold case.

Then he'll ask. Or maybe just bite. Claim Vex the same way Scar has. The same way Vex claimed Neit.

Vex. Melting between them, pliant to a fault.

Good thing they have Vex caught up close, supported by the press of their bodies. Warming him, after the long, cold flight must have sapped more of Vex's heat than usual, even. Grian does his part, pressing heated kisses into the hollow of Vex's throat. "Should we put some above the collar? Spice up your boring office job?"

Vex whines deliciously, but doesn't forbid it. Oh well, too bad, he's getting marked up! Grian busies himself sucking a violet hickey right under Vex's jaw.

"What a good treasure you are." Grian chirrs.

"Sparkly-shiny~" Scar gets his hands all over Vex's wings, with a nip to Vex's earlobe.

"I heard our treasure has offerings for us." Grian tells Scar. "Do we let him get them?"

"He makes such a fine offering himself." Scar punctuates with groping Vex's ass. "But, in the spirit of wanting everything, bring on the additional offerings!"

Grian releases Vex from the cage of his wings, watching him stumble. A quick grab presses Scar to Grian's front, so Scar doesn't pounce their hapless prey.

To his credit, Vex finds his balance quickly. Righting himself, he heads into the indoor area, which opens for him, returning laden with food. By the time Vex is finished trekking back and forth, the low table is covered in plates and bowls and glasses, a bottle of wine and several pitchers of juice, all laid out for them.

"Look at him." Grian coos in Scar's ear. "So eager to make offerings to us. So devoted to our indulgence." Grian spies gem-like fruits among the spread, along with succulent fans of meat. Entire fish cooked whole.

Hard to tell, if Scar is eyeing the food or Vex more.

"Dig in. Dinner is served." Vex gestures for them to help themselves, moreover to take their places at the decadent spread.

Grian doesn't even need to ask, he and Scar take up seats flanking Vex without question. Even though they have to move the chairs a bit to make sure they're close enough.

"A feast fit for a king." Grian muses, loading up his plate.

"Or, a pair of deities~" Scar bounces the words back, helping himself to both the table's spread and also bits off Vex's plate.

"That's the idea. A whole pantheon, just for me to worship." Vex reverently strokes both their cheeks.

“Arrogance, to claim our worship for yourself.” Grian turns his head into Vex’s touch as he speaks, though. He offers one of his ruby grapes up to Vex’s lips.

Cool lips take the glistening fruit primly from Grian's fingers, kissing each one in the process. "Arrogant it may be, but you are mine." Vex returns the gesture, holding a cherry up for Grian.

Grian scoops up the cherry with his tongue, biting without hesitation right through the lack-of-pit. Vex gets one kiss pressed to his knuckle for his pleasant worship. “You’re working toward that, anyway.” Grian grins impishly.

"My courted, are you not?" Vex holds Grian's gaze, his chirps annoyingly perfect.

“Am I? Your courted?” Grian challenges right back. He knows Vex’s spine is in there somewhere. Even with all of their melting.

"Yes. You said so yourself." Vex meets the challenge head on, calmly. Absolutely.

“I may have made such a claim. Have you?” What would it be like for Vex to challenge him? What would Vex choose?

"Is the cherry around your neck not claim enough for you, my courted?" Vex's wings spread wide. Inviting. Presenting. Showing off every last color dancing through handwrought crystals in the bloody light of the setting sun.

“Perhaps I enjoy hearing the claim from your own lips on occasion, courted-mine.” Grian coos, looping just one wing around to brush tips with Vex’s presenting wing. “My cherry is a rather fine offering, though, yes.”

"Good. I would hate to give you substandard gifts, my courted. And if you like hearing my claim so much, I'll simply have to say it more." Vex purrs, planting a kiss on Grian's cheek as he offers up another cherry.

"See that you do." Grian nibbles this cherry out of Vex's fingers, headwing tousling Vex's hair. Revealing feathers that pull proud trills from Grian. No other avian is beating him to this courting. Vex is his, in all of Vex's perplexing oddities and over-earnest effort.

Folding his wings back down, Vex turns to give Scar some attention as well. Mostly in form of feeding Scar nibbles, while Scar lounges like the overgrown housecat he wants to be.

Following suit, Grian folds his wings as well. What a damn relief, to just be able to change shapes and colors on a whim again- He stuffs a roll full with strips of lamb, unhinging his jaw to consume the bundle in a single bite. His peckishness is only a minor downside. Hardly even that, with this sort of feast provided.

Scar's managing to make feeding him more difficult by occupying his mouth with kissing Vex often between nibbles.

After all, Scar is at all times a problem. But that's nothing new. Just nice to let him be someone else's problem for a while.

Dinner and a show. Vex certainly doesn't look at all bothered by his task of wrangling Scar into eating, rippling in pleased colors just as much from kisses as he is from Scar accepting the food.

Sure, Grian had been concerned, at first, when sleep began taking up so much more of Scar's time. The naps add up. But every time Scar's awake, he's so much more energetic and vibrant than before- A subtle difference, like- Like he's not running on borrowed energy all the time, anymore.

A good change.

With all the additional, proper food Scar's eating, he may well be the healthiest he's ever been. More so every day.

There are worse things.

Scar’s never going to be healthy healthy, Grian’s tripped over that conversational land mine with Scar before. But Grian’s finding himself... surprisingly content, to see Scar getting as much quality out of his life as he can.

Well, that last part is important, to Grian. Seeing it. Being some part of Scar’s journey, even if Grian can’t be the whole of it. No matter how much Grian wants to be all of it.

But- Then Grian wouldn’t have his new treasure, his courted. A war, of different selfishnesses.

Slowly, they’re winning him over. He should have known they would, with Scar’s silver tongue and Vex’s clever hands.

Impossible idiots. Grian fights it, but he's powerless to stop the smile spreading on his face.

These idiots are his. Grian's eyes linger on them, where Vex is pointing at something in the sky, explaining it to Scar. Who's got the same smitten grin on his face that matches Grian's.

Scar's been watching the night sky more, lately, and with Vex this excited to share it- Well, it's not difficult to see why. Grian occupies himself with devouring an entire half-chicken, bones and all, while slowly rearranging the glow on his wings. From cracks, to little points of light, carefully spaced out. Or they will be, once his wings are spread. Thankfully, he has a reference right above his head, no need to memorize anything.

"The stars keep getting closer and closer to city limits." Grian muses aloud, remembering long nights at work, putting extra hours into Mr. Fan's eco-initiatives. At first, Grian had been skeptical, sure it was all lip service cleverly positioned to give ConCorp good press. But that was before seeing Cub speak so passionately about the smog choking skies, that Grian had long since grown accustomed to accounting for. That was before taking a flight around the city at peak hours and not needing to take multiple breaks to wheeze out his lungs.

Real, actual change. Tangible benefits, in only years. How could Grian not be moved?

"Ari?" The call of his name pulls Grian put of his thoughts. "Vexy is telling me all about the first visible stars this time of year. You wanna hear too?" Scar blinks up at him with eager wide eyes.

"Let's hear his tales of the skies, then." Grian rests his chin on the palm of his hand, tearing his eyes off of Scar to turn his gaze to Vex. "Wow us."

"Well, if you look over there, Venus is currently in the position of the evening star. With a magnitude of up to -4.9, it's the third brightest object in the sky, right after the sun and the moon." Vex starts.

Obligingly, Grian looks over to the pinpoint of light Vex indicates.

"Venus is a star? Neat!" Scar bounces in his seat.

"Actually, Venus is a planet, like Earth. Our closest planetary neighbor, and often called Earth's twin for the similarities in size and mass. Though the climates are very different." Vex continues.

"But you just called it a nighttime star?" Scar tips his head, disgustingly adorable. How dare he.

How dare he be comfortable enough with Vex to ask questions so freely, no less.

"Venus carries the nicknames of morning and evening star, because of its brightness and the times when it appears, even though it is, in fact, a planet. Many things we perceive as stars aren't actually stars. Sometimes it'll be two stars, a binary system, or even a whole galaxy." Vex explains.

Scar gasps in scandal, covering his mouth. "Fake stars! Sneaky liar not-stars."

Grian shifts the internals of his eyes around a little, gathering more light and focusing better on the speckled lights spilling out overhead.

"Most of the time, you won't see the difference unless you're using a powerful enough telescope, but for the planets their relatively fast and erratic movement pattern can make the difference rather clear. If you look over there, just above the horizon, there's a faint reddish dot. That's Mars. Another planet. Our neighbor on the other side. Unlike Venus, a little smaller than earth, but would be a lot easier to settle. Much more habitable temperatures, and much less toxic atmosphere. It also has the biggest volcano in the whole solar system, Olympus Mons, and the largest canyon, Valles Marineris. A canyon over four thousand kilometers long, up to two hundred wide, and up to eight kilometers deep." Vex's voice is pleasant to listen to as he talks, even and steady through his excitement.

"I like mons." Scar nods.

"Going to build an evil villain base on Mars? In that nice big canyon?" Grian teases, flicking his gaze to Vex. Far from the expected blinding, Vex has actually dimmed the light of his eyes, matching the soft lighting around them.

"I might. Would take me solving quite a few issues with interplanetary spaceflight, but I might." Vex muses.

"Not an issue at all for your big scienceful brain!" Neit declares confidently.

"You'd better remember to invite us over to your fancy new place." Grian chuckles.

"I'll make a scheme of it, kidnap you publicly. Little forced space vacation for both of you." Vex smiles fondly.

"You going to call me in kidnapped to work, too?" Grian flicks his hand.

"I actually wanted to offer you a copy of the Vexting app. Then I could give you a heads-up and you could call out. Plus, it's not like you'd actually be kidnapped, and we'd be in range of earth for a good while." Bashfully, Vex ducks his head.

How dare Vex be thoughtful in the middle of Grian’s teasing! Grian needs to slam dunk him directly off this balcony.

Instead, Grian shapes words to speak. “Might be for the best. Can’t have you giving my boss a heart attack.” Poor Cub might try to do something silly like mount a rescue, if Vex gave him a fright like that. Grian shan’t be having Mr. Fan take silly risks like that.

"So you'll take a copy?" Vex's whole body lights up. Not physically, not actually glowing more than usual, but still. His wing perk, his head perks, hope shining in every inch of him.

“If you insist.” Grian gives his most gracious nod. “I imagine you’ll even be wanting a groupchat.” Then Grian wouldn’t be left out of the loop, of Scar looking at his phone and giggling.

"Of course! A groupchat for all of us, as well as private chats. Would you also like a custom app skin? It can be pretty much anything you want. You've seen Neit's." Vex continues, helpful and chipper.

"Make mine sky themed, changing with the time." Grian demands. "Not as dull as yours, but not as hyperactive as his." If he'd going to be using it this much, it might as well be nice to look at.

"Sure thing. Any requests for your username?" Vex has his note taking face on.

"Ari is fine for the username." If he wants anything fancier later, then he'll just make Vex change it then.

"Sure thing. Only a handful of people even have the app, so that name should be free." Vex nods.

"Are we able to message other people who've got it?" Scar pops in with a question that can do no one any good.

"If you have their username and know how to set up a new chat. Is there anyone you'd like to message?" Vex asks.

"Who's my options? I wanna message them all!" Scar beams. Grian doesn't have to imagine the kind of animal and meme spam those poor people would be receiving.

"Some other villains, Doc, a few of my friends. Maybe a dozen people." Vex shrugs.

"I gotta message Doc. And also all of your friends." Scar leans in, wheedling.

"What would you even have to say to them?" Grian asks.

"Super important things!"

"Cat memes are not important things." Grian deadpans.

"I'll definitely set you up with Doc's contact." Vex agrees right away. "Do you want Lizzie's contact too?"

"Yeah! Lizzie too! And your other friends, too-too!" Neit insists, eyes a hint too bright. Jealous thing.

"I'll see if they want to." Vex nods. "Speaking of Doc, Ari. You remember I drew bloodsamples after Neit's felinid transformation ended?"

“Sure, sure, what of it?” No, Grian doesn’t have super clear memories of that, but Vex doesn’t need to know that.

"Well, the results came back, and Neit does have a few nutrient and vitamin deficiencies. Nothing super critical, but they should be seen to. His options are daily supplements or weekly injections." Vex explains.

Grian pinches the bridge of his own nose. “He’s never going to remember daily supplements.”

“Exactly!” A sentiment Scar would never so readily agree to in front of Vex, unless he already had his heart set on the other option.

“So he’ll be having appointments with Doc?” Grian tries to push the pessimism out of his voice, to little success.

"I'm more than qualified to do a few vitamin injections. No need to bother Doc." Vex holds Grian's gaze.

Grian’s headwings pin back as he forces a shiver down. Every alarm bell in his bones tries to go off at once, imagining a villain given freedom to inject Hotguy with whatever they like on a weekly basis. “We could hand them off to Joel.” Grian tries.

"Take that up with Neit. I'm not asking your permission. I'm informing you. But if you want, Lizzie or Joel could teach you how to do them. Would take like five minutes." Of course Vex has learned. Bastard.

"I will be." Grian shoots a look to Scar, who is entirely unrepentant. Grian doesn't doubt that Scar will get his way on these shots, but Grian's not letting him have it for free.

"Would you two like to hash that out now? Or should I go grab our wine, and tell you some more about the stars as they appear. There's also blankets if anyone gets cold." Vex offers.

"He and I will be having that conversation later. Not during our nice evil star date." Grian fluffs out and resettles his headwings primly.

All he gets in answer from Scar is a stuck out tongue.

"Wine." Grian barely doesn't groan the word. He's going to need it, to clear out- Well, he can get started by stuffing his mouth with several grapes to viciously chew. Close enough to wine.

"One moment." Vex rises from his seat between them, disappearing into the building.

When he returns, it's with a fancy wine decanter that he fills all three of their glasses an exacting amount from.

As much as Grian wants to simply slam back his whole glass, some shred of curiosity stops him. He's had nice wines before, but he's never had Vex's budget to shop for wines.

Scar takes up his glass, swirling it in a practiced motion, breathing in delicate sniffs. "A fruity bouquet on the nose, but not too sweet. Woody notes from the casket. The essence of November frost in a bottle." A completely confident assessment, almost in Hotguy's smooth tones.

"Impressive." Vex nods. "Though most people actually find this one too sweet. They brewed this with a small percentage of blackberry juice. From the Landgraf winery, where they co-grow the fruit organically on solar pastures."

"Such a rich bitch." Grian murmurs, sipping the wine. "Mm, people don't know what they're talking about, this is fine."

"I'll have you know the current market value of the bottle is around fifty thousand." Vex grins his best fae grin.

Scar stutters a breath, very carefully setting his glass down.

Locking eyes with Vex, Grian pulls another long sip of his wine. "I've had better." Never thought he'd be so glad to have let Mumbo talk him into sharing a private collection bottle the one time.

"Really? Do tell, which wine is up to your high standards." Vex challenges, though he spares a soothing touch for Scar. "That's the current value, I bought it for 4k, Neit. They get more expensive, like collectors items. Drink up."

"Not much, just a 1985 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole." Grian rattles off the words with practiced smoothness. He knew memorizing the bottle label would come in handy.

Scar runs a fingertip over the rim of his own glass. Even only four thousand dollars- Turns out price tag can get to Scar even with Vex, on occasion.

"Mh. I'll see about keeping some handy for you." Vex promises. Like he's talking about applejuice.

"You could, but if you're going to the trouble, I'd rather the fresh fruit than the fermented." Grian punctuates by tossing a cherry up and chomping it down. "Now, what was that about more stars?"

"If that's your preferred wine I'll keep it handy." Vex takes a sip from his own glass. "As well as all the fruit you want. Now, on the topic of more stars..." The fairy lights wink out into darkness as the sun disappears fully behind the horizon, leaving them blanketed in a dusky twilight as Vex speaks the ecliptic and the constellations adorning it into the sky.

No matter how he tries to tune out to think, Grian keeps getting caught up in Vex's explanations. Especially when Scar begins chiming in with questions again, prompting Vex on and on.

Despite Vex's pervasive excitement, he never gets so into his explanations that he forgets to prompt Scar to eat. Truly impressive, the amount of food Vex has coaxed into Scar.

Grian's already cleared several of the platters within arm's reach of him, but Scar's putting up a respectable showing, even next to that. And Scar's smile- His beaming brilliance, so eager to learn from Vex, to devour stories and food alike. Vex's low-lit eyes still somehow bright, his lip tipped up and his gestures grand.

Turning around on the foot of his lounger, Grian settles his head in Vex's lap, slinging his own wing over himself as a sort of blanket. Cozy. Besides, every now and then Vex's fingers drop off another morsel for him to feast on, and his other hand occasionally dips into Grian's hair.

Grian can watch Vex and Scar and the whole sky all at once like this, much better. Especially when Scar slides his way on over to occupy Vex's shoulder with a languid drape. Their pillow now, no escape.

Not that Vex tries go anywhere, looking rather cozy between them as he talks his nerd stuff.

"Should we move this over somewhere more nest-suitable? I had some nesting materials delivered." Soft words and gentle fingers on his headwings pull Grian out of his cozy doze.

“Nest?” Grian doesn’t even have to be fully aware to already be nodding and dragging himself more fully onto Vex’s lap. Grian’s turn to be carried! He sticks his tongue out at Scar.

Barely noticing Vex's magic on him, Grian's airlifted right into a pile of nesting supplies on a large pillowy surface. Good, high quality stuff. Warm stuff, too.

Nest, Grian has to build them a good nest. Grand nest. Best nest! Pillows laid out to cushion them and break the wind, blankets-

Grian stops, craning to peer at Vex. "How do I make it make you warm?" Grian demands. The courting guidelines were quite clear. The nest has to make the fae warm to be suitable for rest.

"Unfortunately, I have to modify the bed for that. It doesn't work just anywhere." Vex sits down at the edge of the under-construction nest.

"What? No, there has to be something." Grian insists, clutching a pillow in dull fingers. He has to make a proper nest for his courted. He has to.

"I'm sorry Ari. There's nothing you can do right now."

"No..." Jittering cotton stuffing his brain, Grian moves numbly through the motions of completing constructing the faulty nest. He's failing at courting, after Vex just put on such a lavish display for them.

"Shh, sweetheart." Scar drapes himself onto Grian, purring his words.

"I'll keep this in mind, and make you a blanket to put under your nests so I turn warm okay?" Vex, cold and unrestful, cuddles up to Grian's other side. "The blanket will need to be plugged in though."

Grian blinks slowly at Vex, Vex's words processing like molasses as Scar works his hands through Grian's feathers and rumbles sweetly in his ear.

"Okay- You, yes." Grian's mouth speaks clumsy words. Vex has to give him a way to make his nests make Vex warm. Grian has to make up for this courting-failure.

"I will. I promise. I didn't realize it would be such an issue for you, prettiest Ari. My courted. I apologize." Vex takes one of Grian's hands, pressing a kiss to every knuckle.

"I haveta court you right." Grian murmurs. "It was in the manual, I gotta." The words come out softer than expected, less desperate. A little like the floating feeling of Scar's and Vex's touches.

"It's okay. I never told you how. I forgive you for this nest not warming me up." Vex drops his voice. "I'll even tell you part of what the warming is, if you want."

Even without Scar's eager prompt in his ear, Grian would nod his featherlight head. "I want to know. I want to know about you."

"So you know how my wings are... prosthetic?" Grian and Scar nod together. "Well, they have to move and connect to my brain somehow. So there's wires and all that in me. Part of me warming up is literally that charging."

"You charge like a Switch?" Scar blinks while Grian can feel himself doing the same. The wires, Grian remembers something about them, but not exactly what. He pulls Vex under multiple blankets and a wing. Get at least some warmth into him.

"I mean. I can plug myself in if I want to. But yeah, usually I induction charge." Vex nods, letting Grian mother hen him.

"Do you have a plug here?" Scar prods, no doubt just excited to stick something into Vex.

"Just a standard usb port, really. Might have one inside." Vex shrugs.

"So I could get that, and you'd be like. Warm a little?" Scar asks.

"Yeah?" Vex blinks at Scar.

"Goofball." Scar maneuvers Grian's floppy body to snuggle up to Vex even more. "Be right back."

Grian's malcontent chirps chase Scar's retreating back, before Grian presses his face into Vex's shoulder.

"I got one. Where do I plug it in you?" Grian hears Scar ask.

"My wrist." Vex rumbles under him, trying to get away. No! Grian won't let him escape too!

"Ari. I just need to give Neit my hand." Vex patiently pets Grian's arms.

“Sweetheart.” Scar’s voice calls Grian to melt, but this time Grian fights, clinging tighter. “Just give me Vex’s arm, and we’ll warm him up together. We’ll make him warm.”

Grian trills, hands sliding down to Vex’s arm. Warm? They can make Vex nest-warm?

“Just like that, just hold him out. So good, sweetheart.” Scar spares a moment to pet Grian, getting stern chirps.

Petting later! Warm Vex now!

"There's a patch of synthskin on the inside of my wrist, yeah, there. Push that to your left, perfect." Grian feels Vex nod, as Scar makes a fascinated noise.

Then Scar is climbing in the nest with them, cooing over how good Grian is, what a pretty bird.

Skeptically, Grian keeps his hands on Vex, waiting for him to be nestwarm. Slowly, much slower than usual, Vex at least turns not-cold. Not his usual nestwarm, but warmish, at least. Good.

The knot around Grian’s lungs loosens, from the inside rather than the outside this time. It’s not a perfect nest, but it’s a good nest, a nest good for his courted fae to rest in. And now he’ll know how to do better next time.

Scar rearranges Grian to be squished between Scar and Vex, cozy. “Thank you for telling us about this, Vexy. And for the lovely meal under your stars. And sneaky fake-stars.” Scar practically purrs, nuzzling into them both.

"We can do more stargazing from in here." Vex reminds Scar. "Or we nap, whatever we want."

“Freedom.” Scar sighs contentedly. “Got a pair of pretty stars right here.”

Grian snickers, wiggling up to nuzzle Vex’s cheek and obstruct Scar’s view of those ‘stars’.

"Those would be sneaky fake stars." Vex smiles, pressing kisses to Grian's face.

“My favorite sneaky fake stars, thank you very much.” Scar jockeys his cheek against Grian’s, competing to nuzzle Vex, adding little smooches to Vex’s nose. “Stars and black holes.”

"They are gorgeous voids." Vex agrees.

"Prettiest voids." Scar nods, and Grian finds himself now beset from both sides by a flurry of kisses! All over his cheeks and chin and masquerade mask.

Endless chirps and trills spill out of Grian, adoring and proud. His flock! They're his, and they want him. Want to be in his good nest, all cozy and warm. Safe. Good. Grian's nests are the best. Of course they should be here, warm, and safe, and fed.

Contentedness radiates throughout Grian's whole body, sticky and sweet. His courted and his mate, both here, kissing him and each other. Everything as it should be.

AU Family tree if mudclaw (muddyclaws) and featherstorm were siblings.