The beast slithered up to the sky, avoiding its grandparents' screaming. It went up to the stars, who all cried and clung to mother.

"Jo," She said calmly. "it seems you are ready to fight."

She flung him with her finger deep into space. All she had to do was get her defender, although she knew it would not be willingly.

--

"The stars, they are shining so brightly." François looked over at Lloyd. "You look very worried. Is there something I should know?"

They were in bed. Lloyd had his head on his chest. "Yes, I've been trying to deny it, but now it's obvious I can't." He started crying before he spoke.

The other made him sit up with him. From the sound of the cry alone, he could tell he's been holding in. He gave him the green frog squishmellow and held him by his lower shoulders.

"They want me back." The world went silent, the words spinning around the room. "She said that Jo is getting worse, and I must fight him again. She wants me up there."

He held him tightly, tight enough for his hands to turn pink. "No, no, no, no." Desperation made his legs go to close and cover the window, the room being pitch-black. Lloyd turned on the mushroom lights. He saw his wet face.

"She..." His hands started to tremble. "She said the stars are trying to take me. She said that..."

François sat on the bed, holding his hands. "What?"

"...the desire is in my heart. She senses it, and she says it's better for everyone if I go."

He hugged him harder than ever. Lloyd looked up to the sky, still hearing the song.

Come. Come.

"Is it me? Are you unhappy because of me?" He frantically let go, hot tears making his cheeks fluster. "I'll tell you my embarrassing secrets, I'll tell you anything you want!"

"No, you d-"

"My first crush was Jessica Rabbit, I-I used to wet my bed until I was twelve, I didn't know how to wash a dish until the war, I-"

"Franny-"

He was walking around the room, bright red. "-I can't spell any of the US states, I used to pick my nose, I used to sleep with the light on until I was eighteen, I'm 230 pounds-"

"Franny."

"I'll even tell you my birth name! It's-"

"François, enough!"

He looked up to him sobbing, covering his face. Lloyd flew up to embrace him, trying his hardest to fight the tears.

"I'm sorry for shouting." He lifted him up, the taller's freckled hands on his shoulders. "You're doing everything right. This is beyond your control. It's even beyond mine."

"Why do you want to go back?" His eyes were like a flashlight. "Aren't you happy here?"

He gripped his shoulders. "Yes, of course! It's just...I left home." François looked at him as he glanced up again. "It's like someone opened a door for me to somewhere I've always wanted to go, then I was placed back here."

"Lloyd." He moved his face to him, his hands on his scaly cheeks. "I'll be your home, okay? Live for me, and live with me. Please.."

He was slow to nod. He floated back down to the bed, still holding him. It was quiet.

"You liked Jessica Rabbit?'

There was laughter again. "Wait? She's hot!"

Lloyd blushed, looking down. "I can't judge. Mine was Paul McCartney."

He laughed, moving himself to sit on the bed. "Did you ever have a girl crush?"

He smirked. "Ariel."

There was more laughter, especially from François. "You never got past the redhead thing, didn't you!"

After they were done, Lloyd kissed his hand. "I'm sorry you told me those things, I know you didn't want to." He kissed his blushing husband. "But don't feel ashamed, my love. I understand. If it makes you feel better, I pissed mine until sixteen."

He looked away, and François saw his eyes shine. "You shouldn't be ashamed, either. We had shitty childhoods, and it's common for that to happen. Especially with the whole thing..."

He hugged his waist. The taller cringed. He let himself get so big, he hates when he has to be reminded of it. "Is it bad that I still have good feelings towards Uncle Henry? I know I shouldn't. But, I don't know, I'm stupid."

"No dear, you're not. It's understandable that you do. You were so young." It hurts him to imagine Lloyd as a small child. He saw the pictures of him and to think that so many people hurt that innocent soul. He even gets mad with his parents sometimes. They're part of the pain.

"I think I see good in everybody, even Hunter." The redhead looked down as he whispered, "I forgave him before he died."

His tone was sweeter than he thought he'll sound. "I know you did."

He gave him a kiss on the head. "I wouldn't like it if I let him die without forgiveness. Forgiveness is humanity, and even a monster can understand that."

"I wish everyone thought like you." He had him very close to him, wrapped in a blanket.

He smiled softly, playing with his fingers. "I forgave Kim, too. Years ago."

The only thing the other did was kiss his horns. He thought about the day he found out about Kim's death. The government put its best soldier and his European cadets in box cars like cows. He was lucky to even get his own with François.

The redhead told him what he did, and at first, he laughed, thinking it was the sickest joke. Then, he looked out to the sunrise. He remembered Kim saying that he hated sunrises because he hated all the colors. The sunrise that morning was different. Full of colors and clouds. It was as if God was saying his deepest apologies. He cried until they reached France.

"Do you forgive Jo?" He came back to Earth when François spoke, rubbing his wings.

He played with his shirt. "I'm not sure yet. I feel like...he had good intentions at the start, and I think he went crazy when they changed him."

The redhead laid down with him. "I think he's downright evil. I get mad at my little brother. Hell, I've gotten furious with him. But I've never wanted to kill him."

"...I hope you're wrong. I don't want to imagine him evil." He had his hand to his mouth. "Jo sucks ass."

He chuckled slightly. "Yeah." He looked at his pretty face. "..I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by saying my deadname."

He frowned at him. "You didn't. I get upset because I knew you were forcing yourself to tell me, and I didn't want that."

"I do want to tell you. I actually have the chance now." His lip trembled. Lloyd nodded at him, holding his hand. "Adeline. My name was Adeline."

He looked away from him, crying and covering his eyes. It was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders, yet it felt so strange to say a name that holds many terrible memories, his terrible memories.

Lloyd turned him over, speaking softly. "That was a beautiful name, but I know it wasn't yours. It was hers." He touched his freckles. "I love Adeline and François."

"I'm sorry for keeping it from you. You can call me that if you like! If it'll make you happy!" He stopped shaking when the shorter hugged him.

"I love what you were then, I love what you are now, and I love what you will become." He saw him smile. "I love her, and I love you."

He sniffled, taking deep breaths. "I neglected her for so long. I'm ashamed to admit that I hated her so long." He felt tears in the corner of his eyes. "I-I hated her like everyone else did."

He looked at his ring. It shined so brightly. "Well, you can love her now." He touched his beating heart. "She's a little girl who just wants love, and you can give it to her. You can love her yet not be her."

"I love you." He kissed his lips. "You make me feel so happy and loved." He blushed when Lloyd kissed him back. "I love you."

"I love you, François." He laid to his side, spooning him. "I actually have a name confession as well."

"Woo?" He raised his eyebrow as he turned to look at him.

"Y'know how my middle name is John?" He nodded. "That's not true."

He became worried, picking at his nail polish. "Really? But you've written it down a lot of times. It was on your gravestone."

He chuckled. "I know! Uncle Henry changed it when I was little because I was getting bullied for it, plus France is stupid with foreign names."

"Oh, I see. What was it?"

He smiled softly. "Yo-han. It's the Korean version of John, so Uncle just changed it to that. My mother used to write John on all my stuff, including the photo album. It works better."

François touched his face. "Yo-han is a lovely name. Do you want to be called that?"

"I still like Lloyd, and John sorta just stuck. But um, I do like Yo-han." He blushed. "Think about it. My father never called me John, nor do my siblings."

"Well, I'll call you your middle name on special occasions." He rolled over so he could be properly spooned. "Goodnight, Yo-han."

He laughed, his cheeks flushed. He kissed his ear. "Night, my Franny."

----

He woke up late in the morning. He moved the blanket off him and screamed bloody-murder, making François jump.

"Franny! Franny!" The redhead turned white. Lloyd's legs returned, his wings, his four arms, and horns disappeared, and he was albino again. His hair was strangely pin straight.

"What happened?!"

"Oh, it's coming!" He buried his face into the pillow. "She's going to take me!"

"No!" He grabbed him and held him. "M-maybe if I-I hold you tight enough, she can't grab you!" He looked up at him. "T-T-Tears! Blood!"

Lloyd looked at the pillow. He wiped his face and nearly fainted when he saw red. "No, no!"

François rubbed his back, shushing him. They were both shaking. "Let's try to think positive. You said it was in your heart, so maybe if you're distracted and having fun, you won't go back!"

He touched his chest. "Sex! I need to have sex with you right now!"

"Okay!"

They stripped naked, and Lloyd cried more when he saw that his vagina and scars returned. They went at it. It wasn't an enjoyable experience of cursing and rocking the bed. The shorter was crying too much to do anything, and the taller felt too nervous to even get hard.

"Stop, stop!" François got off him immediately, instead wrapping his arms around him.

He cried until he couldn't. He got dressed, tripping because he nearly forgot how to walk.

"Damn bitch, you walk everyday?" Despite his anxiety, that made François fall down laughing. "I'll stick to floating."

He was wearing his black skirt and stockings. He had his little strawberry earrings, gold bracelets and necklace, black Beatles shirt, and his sneakers on. He forgot how weird it felt to wear shoes again.

"Beautiful." François pulled him down for another hug. "We can go on a date later tonight. How's that?"

"Let's have a picnic in Rda, I need comfort cake." He breathed in his husband's forest cologne.

"Let's go see your parents. I'm sure they'll have answers."

--

"I have no idea how to help you."

Marie was holding him after checking him for fevers as Lily admired his skirt. Beom gave François tea for his headache.

"Do you feel ill?"

"No." He kicked his foot around as he flew up.

"We're just worried about-" He didn't want to upset his in-laws, he's already done that a lot. "-Lloydie, that's all."

Beom pulled him down to look at him. He was still that cute little boy of his. "He's just fine. You know how his look changes."

They went home after that. Lloyd prayed, harder and longer than he ever did. He cried, he pleaded, but nothing. He needed to be comforted by his dogs and François, who was eating and sweating like crazy. He felt like throwing up when he saw how helpless Lloyd was becoming.

"Please don't worry." He gave Apple to him, he cuddled her like a toy. "We'll have a good time in two hours."

He nodded, desperately snuggling up to him. He didn't want to leave him. He's been so happy with him. He'll never forgive himself if he needed to leave him again.

--

It was sunset by the time they were in Rda. Lloyd decided to be fancy and wear a suit. François went in cargo shorts because it was hot.

"It's just as beautiful as the first time I was here." He cut the cake François made in small pieces.

"It is nice here, apart from the damn mosquitos." He killed one that was biting his hairy leg. He smiled when Lloyd gave him a piece of cake. "Are you feeling better, dear-boy?"

"..yes."

"Good. Imma go take a piss."

He sat there, picking at his nails. He heard wrestling in the bushes. He jumped up when he saw her.

"Jeanette." The little girl was smiling ear and ear at her daddy. "Jeanette..." François came back and went white again. Lloyd clung to his arm. "You see her too?"

He nodded, guarding him with his arm. "Little girl, where's your father?"

She eager pointed to Lloyd, who blushed when his husband gave him a look. "Baby, she's from the stars. She's older than my father."

"Huh?"

"She told me to get you, appa! She wants you to come with me!" She hugged his leg, tucking on his pants.

He smiled shakily. "Who, my silly girl?"

"Me." The whisper woman came. Lloyd tried picking them up and flying off, but couldn't. That's when he realized his ice powers didn't act up all day.

François tried holding onto the girl, but she was already gone. "Who's this?"

Shaking like a leaf, he held onto him. "She's going to take me."

He grabbed Lloyd's hand and ran as fast as they could. They didn't know where or how long they've been running for, they just had to escape. They finally stopped near an edge, François throwing up from the amount of running he did.

"Sit down, sit down." He made him sit on the ground. "She should be gone now."

"Such a shame." He had to take a step back when he saw her. He shielded François, who was still catching his breath. She wrapped him in light, causing a burning pain all over his body. "C'mon now, this has gone on long enough."

"No!" François tried to reach out for his screaming husband, then pulled back his hand from the heat. "Stop! Don't do this!"

"Don't cry, you tub of lard. I'll send you back to France once I'm done."

"No, no! Stop!"

Lloyd, feeling his legs becoming blue light, screamed, "I WANT TO USE MY SECOND WISH! I WANT TO USE MY WISH! I WANT MORE TIME WITH MY FAMILY! PLEASE!"

The woman looked up, then scoffed when the stars twinkled a certain way. "Very well." She made the light yellow, then dropped him.

"Lloyd!" He got up and turned him over. He cried out when he saw his yellow skin and black hair.

"Two hours. That's all I'm giving you." She watched as he picked up the coughing man, cradling him like a baby.

There were tears rolling down his red face. He felt Lloyd's bones and cringed. "Fuck you! I'm going-"

She smirked before snapping them back to France. "You won't win this battle, François Dauphiné."

--

The Massacre of the Innocents
Léon Cogniet