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The first morning rays of the sun cast their light into Adriano's age-fogged eyes. He drew his white, bushy, eyebrows down his wrinkled forehead into a squint, and adjusted the rim of his hat as he strode across the wet, shaggy grass of this cemetery that he was all-too familiar with. In southern California the winters didn't feel much different from the summers, but as the shadow of his frail body, wrapped in his best charcoal suit, cast it's long silhouette across the passing tombstones, Adriano couldn't help but feel an unnatural chill within his bones.

For the last 20 years or so, Adriano had worked hard to modify his posture and gait while he was in public, to better resemble that of the decrepit old man his body now resembled. He never left his house without a walking cane, and slowly hobbled around graciously accepting assistance from younger people whenever they offered. But now, he'd grown tired of the charade and left his house… their house, he heard the youthful voice of his lover echo from his memories, for the last time. Today he was walking tall and strong.

Not that anyone would take notice of the supposed 108 year old when he left their house an hour before sunrise to visit this place of death. Anyone awake at this hour would have doubtlessly been preoccupied with their own daily routine, paying him no notice as he passed by their homes in darkness.

Gracing one of the smaller grassy hills of the graveyard stood an unusually ornate tombstone, standing nearly twice the heights of all the others, and covered in an intricately detailed carving of a black walnut tree. Even from a distance Adriano could see the lovingly carved monument in sharp detail, including the words “PAUL HARRIS, BELOVED MATE, 1863-1952" etched into the smooth plaque in the center.

The chill in his bones moved to his empty stomach as he got closer, threatening to bring up whatever bile that may have been in there. He hadn't eaten much since he'd carved that grave-marker nearly a year ago. If he were to give it any thought he'd have realized that it had been nearly two months since he'd forced himself to eat something.

Eating was one thing, but drinking was quite another, and as he closed the distance between himself and the tombstone, he pulled a flask from his suit's inside pocket. Expertly unscrewing the cap with the index finger of the hand he held the flask in, he dropped to his knees and took a long, deep swig of the vodka within before pressing his palm against the unnaturally smooth stone in front of him.

Everyone had to die, it was inevitable. Even he was going to die someday. But that didn't make facing the loss of another loved one any easier to deal with. What was worse, he couldn't just mourn the loss of Paul while he was here, his immortal mind was much more cruel than that. Instead, as he knelt there, allowing oily tears of loss to well up in his eyes, he was forced to mourn all those he'd loved before as well. His mother, Vixiwsihdihvurdihwolih. His father, Kvewuvekhwuviv'lthahvigsi . His brother, Vsihksidja'vcsirhok. The first human he took as his mate back when he lived in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Hanif. Flavius, his second human mate, two thousand years later in the Roman Republic. Jadsihv'cviwlsirhok, who brought him 967 years of unadulterated bliss. Then, finally Paul.

He'd come to this cemetery to give his final goodbye to this truly amazing human being. They had shared over half a century together, a milestone few human couple have the longevity to reach. They had laughed, cried, argued, fought, but most importantly, genuinely cared for each other. That, in a way, made the last few years with Paul the most difficult.

Adriano's body shook as he allowed himself to take advantage of what this place was designed for, giving into his emotions, sobbing without restraint. His cries carrying on the wind across the green-hills of death around him, not caring if anyone else was out there to hear him.

“Mi corazón," he whispered hoarsely between breaths, “this is what you wished to spare me from…"

His flask slipped from his loose grasp, hitting the ground with a muffled, metallic, thud as he relived the moment Paul had tried desperately to leave a few years prior. He begged for Adriano to let him go, so that he would be spared the pain of watching someone else he loved be snuffed from existence. Paul had been a strong man, and it had pained him to know that Adriano had to watch his slow decline despite how well he'd taken care of himself.

“I understand, mi corazón, but I couldn't let you wander off into the woods to die like you were a stray dog… either way I was going to lose you… at least this way we had a few more years…"

Adriano's body began to shimmer as the magic that kept him looking like a human began to falter, and he gasped with sudden alarm, cursing himself that this final moment of goodbye was going to be cut short.To anyone looking on, it would have just looked like a trick of the morning light shining on the weeping form of an old man. He had a few moments to spare, but his time was short.

“Mi corazón, I know you cannot hear me… but I am sorry… I need to fly now. Siempre te amaré..."

Without caring who or what may be around him, Adriano began to undress, not wanting one of Paul's favorite suits on him to get ruined. He rolled up his socks and put them inside of his wingtip Oxfords before carefully laying out the trousers, shirt, and jacket on top of the shoes. Finally, once he was naked, he allowed his weakening glamour spell to fall away, revealing black scales and red eyes that glittered like fire in the sunlight where sagging skin and dim eyes had been a moment before. He stretched his tail and spread his wings, smiling, despite his tear-streaked face."

“You would have loved this." He choked out before leaping into the sky.