Shades of Red

by Owl

 

Premise Tags: Heartwarming,

Change of Perspective,

Doting Lovers, Dark Fluff,

Fantasy, Fairytale, Symbolic.

Content Warnings: some gore.

 

 

Chacha raised a hand to catch a falling leaf. It was dry and a bit brittle, nicely cracking between his fingers and making him giggle. He crumbled it, then let the pieces fly off into the wind.

 

Next to him, sitting on the gras and letting his legs dangle over the edge of the rather steep ravine, someone else watched him.

 

It was a quiet, sunny day with a comfortable breeze blowing. Not yet the cold winter air, but a refreshing autumn wind. It was the perfect weather for sitting out under the sun.

 

“Zangzang”, Chacha chirped in a sweet, melodious voice. “Look! Look, they’re flying!”

 

Chacha laughed louder. It was quite adorable - the pale skin had little dimbles that appeared whenever he smiled, and his bright blue eyes were shining with joy. Chacha was slender and small, his clothes a bit too big for him, not to mention Zangzang’s coat on his shoulders.

 

He was like a little angel, innocently giggling at leaves dancing in the wind.

 

Zangzang smiled as well, seeing Chacha so cheerful about such a small thing.

 

The leaves that fell from the trees were floating off into the distance, carried by the breeze. They’d fall into the valley below, where the rows of trees had taken on a reddish colour.

 

“So happy, every year”, Zangzang chuckled. He didn’t feel cold despite the temperatures, his bare arms lined with muscle. 

 

Auburn eyes gazing out into the valley, Zangzang couldn’t help but stretch peacefully. He liked it when it got colder, in truth. Summer wasn’t for him.

 

“Oh, I forgot! Thank you for your hard work”, Chacha congratulated him, plopping down at his side. His soft gray hair tickled Zangzang’s dark skin when the young man placed his head on the other’s shoulder in an intimate way. He wrapped an arm around the taller man’s, hugging it to his chest.

 

“Thanks”, Zangzang mumbled. He had just completed his shift, so now he was on break. A bit awkward, he peeked down at Chacha, whose cheek was squished against his shoulder.

 

Chacha was a sweetheart. They had met… Oh, it seemed like forever ago by now! Chacha had always been a cheerful guy, so lively, unlike him. But even he had thawed when the sweet smile was directed at him.

 

Zangzang had fallen for Chacha almost immediately. He didn’t dare approach him, but in the end, that wasn’t necessary.

 

Because… Chacha came to him by himself.

 

He was always worried that Chacha might come to dislike his rougher nature. He wasn’t good at being charming and neither was he outstanding in any way. Beautiful little Chacha would deserve someone much better.

 

But if he was willing to stay with Zangzang, who was Zangzang to reject him?

 

“You’re sure you’re not cold?”, Chacha asked, pointing a slender finger at the coat on his shoulders. Zangzang was only wearing a shirt.

 

“I’m not cold”, Zangzang ensured him. “I’m… I’m used to this weather! I’m fine!”

 

Chacha broke out into laughter. He stroked his fingers through Zangzang’s long, reddish-brown hair, combing it. “But I’m fine, too.”

 

“No. What if you get sick? I don’t want you getting sick”, Zangzang insisted.

 

“Boo! I’m not that weak!”

 

Chacha puffed out his chest, but it was hardly convincing. He was far too cute to look strong in any way.

 

Helpless, Zangzang leaned down and touched his nose against the other’s. Their breaths intertwined. “Do it for me? So I won’t be worried?”

 

“I will”, Chacha gave in, pouting a bit. “But still, I’m strong!” 

 

“Alright, alright.”

 

With affection overflowing in his voice, Zangzang leaned in further, brushing their lips against each other. Chacha hummed softly, parting his own.

 

There was nothing harsh about the kiss at all. Zangzang always treated Chacha like a precious treasure, as if he might break if pushed a bit too hard. But Chacha enjoyed it - the feeling of their tongues intertwining, Zangzang’s breath on his face, the softness of his lips.

 

The way Zangzang displayed all his love for him in every single action.

 

Zangzang only pulled away when Chacha began gasping for breath. He licked a spot of saliva off the other’s lip, causing him to giggle.

 

“You taste like iron”, Chacha laughed.

 

“Ah!”

 

Zangzang twitched back, embarrassed. “I forgot! Let me clean up first!”

 

“Nooo! Stay!” Chacha whined, holding onto Zangzang’s arms.

 

Red blood had already begun to dry on Zangzang’s clothes. A smudge was still on his cheek where he hadn’t wiped it away well, and clots were forming in his hair. The grass beneath him was stained red, a strong stench of iron spreading.

 

“Clean up later”, Chacha begged. “It’s okay! You worked so hard just now, please stay with me for a moment? It’s been so many days since you had time for me!”

 

Behind the two of them, something fell off a tree’s branch, landing on the ground with a wet sound. They didn’t even give it a glance.

 

The whole forest, which had been a lush green not so long ago, had turned red and yellow and brown, the blood still fresh in some places. Where it had been longer, the leaves had grown brittle and hard.

 

The tiny humanoid bodies - millions, easily - hung over the branches, wings torn and arms limply dangling. Their eyes were wide with shock - although one had to question why, considering they should know this was coming, as it did every year?

 

Did they think they could stay forever? Truly not, right?

 

The fairies had their time, and they had their end. They’d let the world bloom, but it could not bloom forever. That was not how the cycle went, but they were stubborn and wouldn’t stop on their own - someone had to stop them forcefully.

 

Zangzang felt proud of his work, if he was honest. It wasn’t easy finding every single of the little critters, as they tended to run from him.

 

It was hard keeping track, sometimes, but it worked ever since he started hanging them up after killing them. If he had gotten all, then there wouldn’t be a green leaf left. All of them were enough to dye all leaves red. Easy, right?

 

It was a bit of a mess, for sure, but Zangzang had gotten used to the sight of the forests being decorated by little corpses. Misshapen Christmas trees, in a way.

 

“But”, Zangzang mumbled, a bit embarrassed, “I can’t leave it like this for you. That’s part of the preparation.”

 

“I’m not saying you should leave them, I’m only saying they can stay for a day or two longer. I’m not in a hurry to do my work”, Chacha asserted, nuzzling closer to his beloved. “Besides, I love your work! There’s nothing more beautiful than turning something tainted completely white!”

 

The youth smiled.

 

Maybe there was something odd about his smile, maybe there wasn’t. Zangzang simply thought it was the loveliest thing on this planet. Untainted Chacha, pure as freshly fallen snow.

 

Chacha stretched out an arm, waving it in a large motion to point at the whole valley. Excitement was making his voice hitch up like a kid’s.

 

“Aaaaaall of that will be white! It will be so pretty, don’t you think?”

 

It was because Chacha loved cleanliness so much that Zangzang often felt uncertain about his work. Slaughtering the fairies every year was hardly a beautiful sight, no matter how used he himself was to it. What if Chacha got scared one day? If he came to dislike those colours…?

 

As if sensing Zangzang’s nervousness, Chacha gave him a soothing peck on the cheek.

 

“Don’t worry”, he sang, affectionately picking up another leaf. It got crushed in his fingers like a fairy’s wing. “Your work makes me happy. There’s no fun in cleaning something that’s not dirty, right?”

 

In fact, he looked forward to it every year. He knew that the fairies, for example, thought their work was hard, but he completed his task with great relish.

 

Zangzang gave a low, sheepish hum that made Chacha giggle again. He moved to sit in the other’s lap, staring out at the blood-red valley below. Immediately, Zangzang held him tight so that he wouldn’t fall.

 

Arms wrapped warmly around his waist, Chacha nuzzled his head against Zangzang’s.

 

Zangzang was so embarrassed about his task. He didn’t even enjoy it. Sometimes, Zangzang felt almost naive, the way he believed the coldest and harshest of winters to be so weak?

 

Truly, that guy did not know that it was winter who took the most lives, did he? How innocent, how adorable! His beloved Zangzang who blushed so brightly the first time they had met! How could he ever let him go, how could he believe his beloved was tainted?

 

How could he not love him, and desire his love in return?

 

Aaah… Between the two of them, who really was dirty and who was clean?

 

💀🍁💀

 

A big thanks to Rat!

Rat (@Killokii) / Twitter

 

 

 

 

Author's Account:

Owl (SH).