A/N: It was meant to be an one-shot, but he muses, oh, the muses!

000ooo000

Diaval is clueless on the next steps to take. Maleficent must make clear what she wants.

ooo000ooo

Next days were awkward, to say the least. Diaval followed Maleficent wherever she went, diligently as ever, keeping the respectful one step distance from her and not mentioning a thing. Maleficent kept her routine of watching the Moors' boundaries, shifting Diaval back into raven to spy on the castle, healing plants, arbitrating quarrels amongst the fairies, watching Aurora so she wouldn't die because of the pixies' incompetence... and seemingly ignoring Diaval on whatever was not related to his reports.

The nights were worse. From night one Maleficent settled on using Diaval's chest as her personal favourite pillow and the poor raven-man didn't know what to do with such a gift. Despite the fae having told him that she needed him by her side all the time, there had been no other intimacy, not even a kiss, and he feared she would just get tired of him and forget he promised to kiss her every day if she allowed. If she didn't ask him to, he was sure to not be allowed, but having her sleeping beside him was maddening.

After that first night of naked sleep, she provided him loose pants and tunic to guard his modesty, not even asking if he cared about modesty at all. No problem, he was used to her commanding him and that was it, but he deemed it would be easier to please her without all that fabric.

On the other hand, he could feel her warmth and breathe in the scent of her hair and skin all night long, without a clue of what he was supposed to do. He decided to stroke her hair was safe enough, after she drowned deep into sleep, and it quenched part of his need to touch her, but it left him sleepless for hours and urged his mind to wonder what would be like to touch more of his mistress.

Maleficent had been in a good mood most of the day, and Diaval took it as a sign it would be safe to touch the subject. They were close to the pond she used to bathe after the day of patrolling and almost on the point she would leave him behind to take her bath and he would watch for any intruder to safeguard her moment of relax. His stance was stiff, and she noticed.

"What?" She snapped at his direction, making him squawk before getting a grip on himself again.

"Mistress, I..." His eyes darted to any direction but hers, like a bird looking for an escape route from a predator.

"Spit it out, I don't have all day, have I?"

"No, of course no, mistress, I mean, erm… I… I don't know when I should... erm… please you again."

If he were bold enough to look in her direction he would be able to see the poorly concealed surprise and the glint of delight in her eyes.

"I'll tell you when I need you, Diaval."

Her statement sounded practical, as most things she did, but didn't help his predicament. He cast his eyes down as she passed by him in the direction of the pond, disappointment evident in his stance. The sound of her gown being removed didn't help, either.

She looked back at him over her naked shoulder, a provocation in her smirk.

"I need you, Diaval."

The raven looked up at her in a millisecond, surprise obvious on all of his features and a smile of pure joy making Maleficent wonder why she didn't do it before. She glided the remaining of the path and waded into the pond while Diaval fumbled with the knot of his waistband and kicked his shoes away.

"What is taking you so long, pretty bird? Remember I can't do it without you, Diaval."

"I-I'm coming, mistress, just one more mom…"

His words were cut short by a glint of golden magic and a single word.

"Naked."

And naked he was, black clothes dropped in a pile near to her gown. He stepped into the water tentatively, liking better to preen his feathers than to drench them in water, but man skin had no feathers, and his mistress liked it so much, then…

The water was refreshing, but the side effect was that his manhood (what other name could he use to define it?) shrank to its usual size. There wouldn't be much to please his mistress and this would be a disaster. Better to try and distract her from his current state, else she'd give up on him and find someone better fit to please her, and that he wouldn't tolerate.

"Am I allowed to kiss you, mistress?"

Her smile was pure ruby.

"I need you to, Diaval."

He cupped her face, worshipping her eyes and anticipating the taste of her lips. The touch was soft, tentative as only Diaval could be, but it took him only a few moments to remember she had liked when he kissed her deeper. Her teeth grazing his lips sent shivers down his spine and he reciprocated, curious for her reaction. It couldn't have been better.

Maleficent ran her fingers through his hair, fingernails scrapping his scalp and moving his head down to her jaw, throat and breasts. The water didn't allow her to take it much further without the risk of drowning her servant-turned-into-lover, but the results were the ones she wanted. Her whole body felt alive, goosebumps on her skin, dizziness in her head, and fire in her core. She brought his head back to her lips and took his hands in hers, guiding them to her buttocks, making their bodies to get closer. Diaval whimpered in her mouth when his dick touched her, her kisses all he needed to have his hardness back.

He was careful, oh so careful when he ran his hands up and down her back, keeping away from the stumps of her wings, trying to bring her good sensations instead of bad memories, being rewarded with a soft moan when he bit her earlobe and nibbled his way down her jawline and back to her mouth. Maleficent grabbed his shoulders and hooked a leg around his hip.

"Hmm, I need you, Diaval…"

"And I need to please you, mistress…"

Ravens are creative birds, and he didn't have to consider much to lift her by her buttocks and lower her down on his shaft. Her ankles crossed behind his back lending them an angle that enhanced the thrill of their touch. The sensation was magnified by the water around them, making their bodies lighter and easier to move.

Her heat was all around him, enveloping and constricting his cock in a way no bird would understand. Diaval felt sweat forming on his brow, despite the fresh water, and increased the pace as Maleficent's moans turned louder. To make her come, to make her reach the skies without wings, that's what he lived for. Now that he knew what pleasure was like he would not for the life of him leave his mistress without it, not ever more.

She gritted her teeth and clawed his arms, trembling as the waves of her climax rolled up her body and squeezed him tight. This time he was unable to hold longer and followed swift, groaning the explosion of his pleasure as he felt his seed flooding her, her aftershocks draining him to the last drop.

The fae rested her head on his shoulder, panting, but unwilling to let go. The raven-man held her close with one arm, caressing her back with the other, daydreaming of how he would please her next time.

"I'm getting cold." Murmured Maleficent, untangling her legs. Diaval helped her down to her own feet and held her close, mumbling his own wish.

"I will keep you warm all night long, mistress, if you only allow me."

She looked up at him, amused.

"Didn't I allow you to stay in my nest already?"

"Yes, mistress." He conceded, a roguish smile on his lips. "But it's too many clothes to keep you warm properly."

Maleficent arched one eyebrow.

"Oh."

She moved to get out of the pond, Diaval following close by, and a flicker of her fingers summoned golden light to dry them. To put clothes on was a lazy thing, none really willing to leave the peace of the place, the contented satisfaction of their bodies pulsing in unison. The raven gave up tying the string of his shirt, as usual, and preened his hair the best he could with his fingers.

"Are you done for the day, mistress?"

"What do you mean with 'done', exactly, Diaval?"

"I mean… patrolling the Moors, talking to fairies, this kind of thing."

"Well, yes, I guess."

They walked back to the nest, her lack of talkativeness annoying him and his excess of curiosity annoying her.

"Will we visit the cottage?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because… erm…" He was unsure on how to approach it, but the former success was promising. "Are you still cold, mistress?"

"What…? Hah!"

She laughed at his lust disguised as worry.

"I might be." She dimmed the shine in his eyes with only one word. "Later."

He sighed, resigned to his mistress' whims. They walked some more, Diaval at the respectful one step distance from her, looking at the tips of his boots as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. All to keep his eyes from the delightful ass he had had the chance to grab and squeeze and feel under his fingers and that he hungered to feel again.

They were almost at the roots of the rowan tree when Maleficent faced him with her best nonchalant gaze.

"Remember, Diaval. I'll tell you when I need you."

The way she said it made him stop in his tracks, certain that she meant him to keep out of her way, her nest, her life. Even being a sworn servant to her any and every need. Even if she told him, just some nights before, that she needed him by her side all the time. The poor raven was used to her mood swings in almost everything that wasn't her revenge on Stefan, how much would it cost her to take back her word about needing him?

Forlorn eyes followed her steps on each bent branch that worked as a footstep to the wingless fae up to her nest. Bewildered by her apparent contradictions, Diaval decided it was better to wait than to wear out her goodwill.

Not for long.

She smirked at him over her shoulder, provocative as a fae could be.

"I need you, Diaval."