Stress Relief
NOTE:
Happy New Year!
This is my very belated gift to Drkstars for Escaflowne Secret Santa 2017. I'm so sorry it's a couple of weeks late. Real life (both personal and professional) has been crazy and I really tried to post this on the deadline and even by Christmas but circumstances prevented me.
But I wasn't going to let you down too much and I still tried my best to write this and I hope you like it.
This is my first attempt at writing m/m so please forgive me if it does not seem very in-character. I'm also still finding my bearings writing smut and so far have only attempted doing so for Merlandau so my experience is quite limited. But this was an interesting experience and a welcome challenge to me as a writer.
Fortunately, I had written some NSFW stuff for Dilandau before so I just had to put him in a different situation and with a different partner. In a way it was also a bit easier because there was less baggage with Gatti than there always is with Merle. Not much context is needed for this story. I didn't have much time to develop it. It's set some time before the series.
Again, apologies if it seems a bit trashy or cheesy or out of character. Hopefully, I learned from this experience and I can write something a bit better for this pairing in the future.
But here you go and I hope you can forgive me for posting so late! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
.
.
.
.
.
Dilandau Albatou had many ways of blowing off steam, some more pleasurable than others. Gatti was familiar with one particular method, since he was always an active (and eager) participant.
He couldn't even remember how it started. He wasn't sure if it had been a sudden change or a subtle, inevitable transition from just being one of the Dragonslayers to someone closer to the captain than anyone else. He was fairly certain though that the first time, neither of them had been drunk on anything. Despite Dilandau's affinity for alcohol, he did not allow consumption of it to cloud his judgment too much. Gatti simply knows that he had been chosen and that he had also chosen to reciprocate; in fact, he had been happy to do so. And the rest was history.
The young Dragonslayer would never speak of those frenzied nights, but he could never help but blush when he thought of them. And he was also honored to have been chosen by his beloved captain to share in such passion. He also knew that, for all his bravado, Dilandau did sometimes feel lonely (not that he would ever admit it out loud) and this was one way to fight against the despair that sometimes threatened to overwhelm him at unexpected moments. He needed a respite that could not be found in extra training sessions or excessive consumption of alcohol. He needed a real, human connection, and he found that he was lucky enough to have someone willing to give him just that.
As with everything, Dilandau was extremely passionate in the bedroom. He was well aware that his physical prowess was not limited to the battlefield. It was impossible not to surrender to his touch and Dilandau knew how much power he held and he delighted in wielding it. Here was another kind of fire that he could ignite with ease and that he could succumb to very willingly.
He kissed with a hunger and urgency that always left his companion breathless and overwhelmed. He made sure that their bodies were always completely intertwined as they clutched at each other, frantically trying to satisfy their intense desires. Dilandau would be thorough in his approach: kissing, licking, and sucking until Gatti could no longer hold back. There would be no time for hesitation or doubt, no troublesome thoughts to distract, only the heightened sensation of the here and now and the powerful urges that needed to be satisfied.
The other Dragonslayers knew well enough to stay away from the captain's bedroom when he was in such a mood, to avoid getting distracted from the enthusiastic noises from within. The room would be filled with loud moans and sighs and, as the night wore on, cries for more. They both had enough stamina to sustain prolonged activity and sometimes Dilandau considered this an intensive kind of "sparring session." And, of course, Gatti never had complaints on this.
"Lord Dilandau!" Gatti would cry out passionately as Dilandau thrust into him. Hearing his name said thus was always a source of amusement to Dilandau and this also encouraged him to speed up his movements, causing even more sounds of pleasure to fill the room.
Lost in the blaze of passion, they would both forget the nightmares that plagued them, the burdens of responsibility and duty, the pain they had endured during every fight, and the horrors they had seen in battle. For a while, they shared a truly intimate connection, and one they needed more than anything. No one else would exist in the world but each other and nothing else would matter, at least for one night.
And at the end of their exertions, they would lie side by side in silence, catching their breath, waiting for their hearts to stop racing. There was never any need for conversation afterwards. They would simply drift off to a deep sleep.
Gatti usually stayed awake a bit longer and he would gaze at his companion and admire the serene expression on the latter's face, a truly rare sight. He would smile, happy in the knowledge that Dilandau found some momentary peace in the midst of a life of chaos, and even happier that he had played a part in bringing this about.
Gatti was well aware that these occasional tumbles did not constitute a formal and proper romantic relationship and that if it were, there would be a number of complications and consequences. They were careful enough that such events did not cause any scandal or controversy in the Vione. All the Dragonslayers were in the know but were also bound by a silent agreement to keep their discretion.
They were fairly certain that Strategos Folken was aware of the arrangement but he also never alluded to it. Perhaps he even understood. (And even if he did not, Dilandau did not need his approval.)
And so, things went on as usual, and there were no disruptions to this strange harmony that existed between the captain the Dragonslayers. They lived in a state of constant turmoil, between one battle and another, surviving hardships that they did not care to speak about. So whatever comfort they derived from each other was precious and worth fighting for. This was the life that they had chosen and none of them had any intention of living any other way.
Though one did not easily associate Dilandau with the concept of affection, there was a certain, genuine fondness he had for his Dragonslayer that he could only properly express when they were alone together. The captain was not given to displays of sentimentality but he did feel extremely protective of those he held dear to him. And those passionate nights were the rare occasions when he let his guard down and simply opened himself up to other possibilities. He would never allow himself to stay in such a state of vulnerability for long. But when he did, he did not regret it.
This wasn't love exactly, but as close enough as Dilandau Albatou would ever come to it. And as far as he was concerned, it was enough.