The Turn of a Feather

Chapter 2

Antonio tried to start a conversation to keep his patient's mind off of the physical and emotional pain. "What's your name?" He asked. He figured he should learn more about his ward. It took a moment before he got the answer: "Lovino Vargas." "Ooh, I like that name." Antonio grinned. "How about I call you Lovi?" Lovino glared up at him. "How about no?" He growled. Antonio laughed and simply continued to bandage Lovi's leg.

"What about you? Should I just call you 'Jerk-bastard'?"

The police officer smiled. "My name is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo." Lovino stared at him for a moment before snorting and looking away. "That's too long. I'll just stick with jerk-bastard." 

Antonio laughed again. Something about his Lovi just made him want to laugh and smile.

Over the next few days, Lovino was continually forced into the close company of the jerk officer who had rescued him.

Each day, he had to allow Antonio to bandage his injuries as they slowly began to heal. Well, as much as they ever would. Lovino was currently sitting in Antonio's bed as he listened to the overly cheerful police officer cooking a "surprise meal" to celebrate the fact that Lovino had managed to limp slowly over to the window without his caretaker's assistance.

Much to both men's relief, both the bite Lovino had taken to his leg and the gashes on his shoulder blades were healing nicely.

The post-angel had slipped into a depression for the first few days after he had woken up, barely eating and hardly talking beyond the first small conversation they'd had. It took him awhile to accept the fact that he'd never fly again, and therefore maybe never even be able to return home.

During one of the few periods in which Lovino actually spoke more than one word, he had explained to Antonio that his home was impossible to get to without flying; his grandfather and the other avians who lived on the secluded property had dug the existing trench around the lot deeper, creating a wide gap that was impossible to cross without major equipment. Grandpa Roma had made it intentionally so that no human would ever discover them so long as they stayed within the fence line, enforcing with an iron fist the rule that no one was to ever stray outside of the boundaries unless it was for a planned supply run.

Lovino felt regret burn in his throat as the stumps where his beautiful wings had once been throbbed. He remembered how he used to be so picky about the state of them. Each day he had meticulously preened and maintained each feather until they were perfectly aligned and glossed enough to reflect the sun. Antonio had tried his absolute hardest to make him feel better about it, but Lovino had refused to be comforted. He knew it was his fault, no one else's. He had chosen to ignore Grandpa Roma's rule and wandered beyond the fence out of pure spite after an huge argument with his family.
                        --flashback--
Lovino and his grandfather continued to shout at each other as Feliciano weaved between them, trying to break up the fight. "Come on, fratello! Please don't fight, I'm sure you can go next time!" Of course perfect boy Feliciano had taken his Grandfather's side. He always did, even when he wasn't being fair! All Lovino had wanted to do was go on the next supply run. Now that he was twenty-one, he felt that he should be well past able to leave the monotonous boredom of his cabin and go out into the real world for some excitement! His Grandpa had refused again, however, leading to a fight between the two that resulted in Lovino storming out and flying straight ahead as far as possible until he inevitably reached the border of the woods. Once there, he had sat down on the edge of the abyss, breathing heavily and glaring across the chasm with angry tears in his green eyes. Why can't Grandpa understand? I just want some freedom; I want him to trust me!

He sat there for a few minutes, seething. In his anger, an idea started to form in Lovino's mind. At first, he dismissed it as an idiotic thought that was bound to get him killed, but as he suddenly heard his Grandfather's voice calling him, joined by Feliciano's, he realized how much trouble he was going to be in if his family found him here, on the very edge of the safe territory.

As the calls grew frighteningly closer, Lovino made a panicked, split second decision and jumped off the cliff. He unfurled his wings and sped hastily to the other side just as Feli and Roma flew past, swooping close to the ground and desperately calling for Lovino. However, the boy was hiding on the other side of the boundary, stowed away in the fork of a tree high above his relatives. He felt a small prickle of guilt as he noticed the worried expressions on the faces of his brother and grandfather, but fear and anger kept him from giving away his location as he slipped away into the woods.

Soon, all thoughts of tension left the angel as he glided lazily over the forest. He stopped at a small creek and ran his hand through the water, grinning as minnows slipped between his fingers. His trance was broken, however, by the small crack of a twig being broken behind him, ringing like a gunshot through the air. Lovino snapped up and turned around, staring behind him into the underbrush, but seeing nothing. He turned around slowly, giving his attention back to the stream. A few seconds later, another crack and what sounded like a voice shushing made him whip around again, staring off into the brush.

Suddenly wary, Lovino started to get up to leave. It was not long before the humans that had stealthily surrounded him made their presence known, springing up from every direction in a tight circle around Lovino. He gasped and shot straight upward, terror and adrenaline giving his wings the power to lift him high above the trees. One of the men pulled out a small gun and shot a red, beeping device at their quarry, which stuck to his wing and wouldn't come off.

Lovino flapped his wings to dislodge the object, but it held fast and he was in no shape to make an effort to remove it. Lovino simply flew off in what he thought was the direction of his home. What he didn't realize was that during his venture he'd become completely turned around, and was now facing the opposite direction that he wanted to go.

The angel flew onward towards human civilization, unaware that he'd had no chance against the hunters from the moment the tracker was placed on his wing. It would only take a day and a half for the angel to be worn out from the chase and end up in a tiny clearing, where he was quickly surrounded.

      Lovino was jolted back to reality as Antonio flounced into the room. The Spaniard presented his dish with a flourish: spiced rice with chicken, shrimp, and sausage mixed into it. Peppers and herbs were arranged artfully on the top, and a pleasant, spicy smell wafted through the air. Lovino's mouth watered and he barely noticed Antonio's pleased grin as the plate was placed on his lap. "What is it?" The angel asked, not waiting for an answer before he took a big bite. His eyes grew large as the taste pervaded his mouth. Spicy, as predicted, with just the right amount of salt and a profusion of other flavors. "It's paella, a famous dish in my country. It is one of my favorite foods, so I hoped you might enjoy it as well."

"I guess it's okay..." Lovino muttered between huge mouthfuls. Antonio laughed. "I'm so glad you like it, Lovi~! careful, or you'll choke."

"I'll be fine, bastardo!" Lovino snapped. "And I told you to stop calling me that." Antonio simply smiled as the Italian finished off the meal, sighed happily and leaned against the pillows. Soon enough, he was drifting off to sleep.

Antonio chuckled a bit as he lifted Lovino's empty plate from his lap and stood up to leave. The angel was snoring gently in the mountain of pillows. He almost looked... Adorable. Yes, that was the word. Antonio blinked and shook himself. Now was not the time to think about this.

He left the room, closing the door softly behind him, and made his way back down the hallway to the kitchen. He would confront his feelings in the morning. Right now, he just needed a good night's sleep.