Originally published on aff 2009-04-12

Edward found Capell leaning against a window, staring out beyond the glass. From behind, he looked exactly like Sigmund, but the moment he heard Edward's approach, the moment was over. Capell watched him, crimson eyes blank as they waited for the black-haired man to say something. Edward only scratched his cheek and kept his silence. Some warmth and playfulness returned to Capell's eyes then, and he turned his gaze back out the window. He'd been watching Rico and Rucha, Edward realized, staring down at the twins cavorting with Vic and Gustav in the main courtyard. Unbidden, Edward turned to his Unblessed friend and folded his arms over his chest.

"Have you ever thought about having kids?" he asked.

Capell blinked. "What?"

"Have you ever thought about having kids?" Edward reiterated, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Not really. I'm no good around girls. Besides, I already have someone I like, but I'm not going to be having kids from that relationship."

"Aya's a woman."

"It's not Aya." Capell said with a smile.

"Dominica? Komachi? Michelle? Rucha? Vic? Seraphina?"

"No, no, Michelle's like my big sister, and Rucha's like a little sister. Vic… Vic's in a category all her own, and Seraphina likes Kristopher." Capell said, laughing. "No, Ed, it's… it's not a girl I like."

"Gustav?" Edward deadpanned with hardly a smirk. Capell shook his head furiously.

"No way! That's gross." Capell shuddered and shifted, facing the Force fighter now. "I'll give you one hint. Go find a mirror."

With that, Capell hurried away and Edward gave him the benefit of pretending not to see the boy's blush. Go find a mirror? What the hell was Capell talking about? Shaking his head, the black-haired swordsman went to find a mirror, just to humour the redheaded boy. Instead he found Aya, her hands on her hips, blue eyes ablaze.

"Just what did you do to Capell?" she asked, anger colouring her voice. Edward held up his hands in a helpless gesture.

"I didn't do anything!" he hissed. "We talked."

"If you hurt him I'll smack you." The Fayelian princess snarled.

Edward heaved a sigh. "He told me to find a mirror."

Almost at once did Aya's expression change to anger to surprise. "Said that, did he?"

"Why does it feel like you know more than I?"

"Probably because I do. Because I made Capell promise to be open with me." Aya sighed and smiled. "He's naïve and shy. So be gentle with him."

"Wait! Aya!" Edward moved forward to stop her, but the princess was gone, halfway down the stairs by the time Edward managed to get to the top of them. Be gentle with him? What the hell does that mean? Edward turned just slightly and almost jumped, staring at his own reflection. Could Capell have meant…?

No.

Capell couldn't have meant him.

That would just be… wrong.

Wouldn't it?

Edward thought back to all the times Capell had been the cause of all his frustration. Capell had been at the center of all the things that had gone wrong in Edward's life. First Aya, then Sigmund, and Capell just seemed to be the worst influence when it came to everyone else. Ed rubbed the back of his neck and stared at his reflection.

He liked Capell, loathe as he was to admit it, and Capell had saved his life on more than on occasion. The boy had never wanted anything to do with the resistance or Chains, and yet here he was, masquerading as Sigmund so the people wouldn't lose hope. But Ed wasn't concerned with the people – he was concerned about Capell. If Capell really liked Ed like that, then there were going to be about a hundred new problems. Of course, Aya already knew, which meant so did Michelle, and if Michelle knew, everyone else did too.

The black-haired swordsman heaved a breath and went to find Capell.

He listened to the flute music and followed that, finding Capell sitting along in an alcove, lacking everything that made him look like Sigmund. He looked like Capell and Ed decided he liked Capell much better as Capell.

"Hey." Edward ventured as he approached Capell.

The redhead lowered his flute. "Hey."

Edward rubbed the back of his neck. "So I found that mirror, and Aya said the strangest thing to me."

Capell blushed and ducked his head. "What'd she say?"

"Nothing much." Edward said with a teasing smile. "Just that you were a wimp and she hates carrying your sorry ass up all those stairs."

Capell looked up at Edward. "Aya didn't say that."

Ed was within Capell's personal space before the redhead could move. "Yeah." Ed said softly. "She told me to be gentle with you."

Capell's face turned as red as his hair. He tried to look away, but Edward caught his face and forced Capell to meet his eyes. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Sigmund's doppelganger squirmed. "Don't kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you." Edward crouched and held Capell tight so the boy couldn't run. "You know it can never be, right?"

Capell gave a bitter smile. "I can dream."

Ed sighed. "You'd have been better off choosing Aya or someone like that. Why me?"

"You're my best friend," Capell said lamely. "I just, I don't know, fell in love with you. I can't explain it."

"It won't last."

Capell's smile seemed to become even bitterer. "I know."

Ed frowned and looked away from Capell. "But, you were able to pull off being Sigmund this long, so maybe we could give it a shot."

He looked back at Capell and saw hope in the redhead's eyes. Edward gave a smile and leaned to touch his forehead to Capell's. "You have to promise me something, though."

Capell blinked. "Like what?"

"Don't title any more of your songs."

The redhead burst out laughing and threw his arms around Edward, pressing his forehead into the swordsman's shoulder. Edward smirked and pushed Capell back so he could gently kiss the smaller boy. When he drew back, he moved to sit beside Capell and nudged the boy in the ribs.

Grinning, Capell lifted his flute and began to play. Edward closed his eyes and listened to the sounds. Even if Capell was Sigmund's doppelganger, Edward knew what he felt for Capell wasn't a copy how he felt for Sigmund. Edward shifted to look at Capell and smiled, figuring he wouldn't mind being together with Capell.

For however long it lasted.

"Forever," Capell whispered. "I'll love you forever."

Ed blinked and sighed. "Forever." He repeated.

Forever, they both hoped.