The Feelings Saga Book 2: The Shifting Feelings

by Ciissi

-AlbelFayt- It all started from a potion which three young women created. This all started from the sentimental feelings. Now the universe is at peace. Now Fayt Leingod and Albel Nox can have their peaceful ever-after… Err… Okay, let's forget the 'peaceful'… and perhaps the 'ever-after' too, because now has come time to Earth to meet Albel 'the Wicked' Nox.

The Feelings Saga Book 2: The Shifting Feelings

Author: Ciissi
Fandom: Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Albel Nox x Fayt Leingod
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3. It belongs to Square Enix, may they do lots of more good games.
Warnings: Somewhere around M/NC-17. Homosexuality, heterosexuality, horniness, idiotic guys liking each other, girls liking other girls, boys liking girls and vice versa and probably several other things I have forgotten. And the most importantly: Author's language. You have been warned. English is still my second language.
Author's Note 1: This chapter happens before the epilogue of 'The Sentimental Feelings'. So excuse me that I had had an urge to post this before the last chapter of 'The Sentimental Feelings'. This is also the beginning of the new fanfiction. Or rather this is somewhat sneaky transition in the newly named 'The Feelings Saga'. I could have continued to call this 'The Sentimental Feelings' and just say this is part three or whatever. I truly hope that you like, what you are going to read. Also kind of 'love letter' to 'Symphony of Science' and to honor science and music in all forms.
Full Summary: You know the beginning of this story. It all started from a potion which three young women created. This all started from the sentimental feelings. Now the universe is at peace. Now Fayt Leingod and Albel Nox can have their peaceful ever-after… Err… Okay, let's forget the 'peaceful'… and perhaps the 'ever-after' too, because now has come time to Earth meet Albel 'the Wicked' Nox. Adjusting to the life on Earth is not as easy as one might think…

-:-:-:-

Prologue: The Relief (Now… We can finally go home… RIGHT, Albel?! Where the fuck are you going to?!)
We are part of this universe
We are in this universe
The universe is in us
Yes, the universe is in us
~Neil deGrasse Tyson (from Symphony of Science: We Are Star Dust)~

Fayt Leingod stood on a desolate field surrounded by his trusty companions and watched the untainted, wild field around them. There was nothing special in this field and it was surrounded by hills with some trees breaking the undulating horizon here and there. It was finally over. They had beaten the Creator of their universe, Luther Lansfeld, and somehow – almost by sheer luck – undone the erasing of their home universe, proving that they were not a mere data in the computer screen. Absent-mindedly Fayt listened to his friends talking about the latest events and conjecturing different hypotheses, what had happened. Some of those hypotheses were utter nonsense while others were considerably realistic, if still somewhat lacking. He could hear them dreaming and planning of their futures, but for some unknown reason to him their voices seemed to come from somewhere faraway place before reaching to his ears.

Fayt's emerald-green eyes drifted towards the only other silent person in their party. This person was the Elicoorian Captain of the Black Brigade of the Kingdom of Airyglyph, Albel 'the Wicked' Nox. Fayt acknowledged to himself in bout of silent, inner respect that the older man had changed during their journey becoming even stronger and more formidable and focused warrior than before. He was also a little more distrusting thanks to Cliff Fittir's harebrained prank, which turned the long-haired swordsman's body into a one of three-years-old's.

Both good and bad things had come out that experience, even though it had caused lots of mayhem and trouble for Fayt especially. But the blue-haired Earthling would have not given away that chain of events. Not because in the end Albel and him had become lovers in almost every meaning of the word, but because he had learned to understand himself and also Albel little bit better. Now he could relate and understand better of Albel's obsession about being strong. 'It's not the great, who are strong. It's the strong, who are great.' Is not that how it went? The one of Albel's favorite sayings. Fayt was pleased that now he could thrive alongside Albel towards that goal without feeling stupid or foolishly self-centered. Because he had learned that to Albel 'the strong' meant not only the strength of the body, but also the strength of the mind and the spirit.

The Elicoorian Captain knew, had seen during his life that power corrupted and absolute power corrupted absolutely. One needed a strong and rightful mind and spirit to resist the corruption and to stay true to one's self.

Suddenly Albel turned his head and his blood -red eyes locked with Fayt's malachite ones. The younger swordsman swallowed thickly in yearning and he licked his dry lips as a hot bolt of lust ran through his body, before he averted his eyes. Yet he still could feel his lover's eyes sweeping over his skin. The things have been really hectic past week or so and he had hardly had any time to spend alone, in private with Albel. Albel Nox was not very demonstrative about his affections and his language was as abusing and insulting as ever, but Fayt could hear the slight change in the pitch in his voice, when Albel spoke to him. It was the one tune, which made Fayt shiver in pleasure as it signaled Albel's desire to be with him. Shamelessly the blue-haired young man allowed his eyes to sweep over the scantily clad body in royal purple fabric. He admired the healthily glowing skin which covered the powerful, lean muscles and his eyes traveled over the long, two-toned hair, which had originally been neatly tied into two hair-tails. Albel's clothes were not in very good shape either and there were blood splatters all over the man's clothes and skin. The Elicoorian Captain was definitely not at his best, when it came to his outer appearances, but Fayt did not think that he looked any less good than usually.

Even after this time Fayt still though in certain daze, how wonderful and strange it was to have a gorgeous creature like Albel Nox as his lover. Because even when blood splatters covered his skin, clothes and hair, his clothing damaged, tore and half-healed wounds marring his skin, Albel the Wicked was simply gorgeous. He looked feral and stunning and best of all he was all Fayt's. Their personalities were strong, which made them still to clash in various ways. Strangely – or perhaps not – sparring together had become a form of showing their affection and devotion to each other. They were strong swordsmen and they wanted to show everybody, to the entire universe that together they were even stronger.

Albel's eyes left Fayt's form and he turned to look at Maria Traydor, who had moved to talk with the Glyphian noble. She was the first person to talk with the swordsman after the battle against Luther. Fayt observed, how Albel relaxed slightly and bent his head lightly towards the youthful woman and her personal space as he listened to patiently, what the leader of the Quark had to say to him. Perhaps she was more able to approach the volatile man than others, because the two of them had fought alongside Fayt against the Creator. Fayt was not as surprised as the rest of the party, how Albel was able to relax slightly at Maria's presence and allow her in his personal space. Fayt recalled a conversation he and Albel had had after the night they had become lovers and Albel had admitted that having Maria as his sister-in-law would be, could be, might be a good and interesting and – time to time – dangerous thing.

Fayt stretched his entire body out to locate any wounds and strained muscles and to drive away few kinks, which had settled into his muscles. The low tunes of Albel's voice drifted to Fayt's ears and he smiled little to himself wishing that the older man would not be too harsh with his words, when talking with Maria. At the same time Albel's dark, rough voice caused also another kind of reaction in Fayt's body.

Due to the hasty pace they had been forced to keep lately, Fayt's first experience with the penetrative sex was also still his only experience of it. There had been never enough time or privacy to repeat the pleasurable act. Albel and Fayt were hardly ever alone so they had developed many other ways to convey their feelings to each other. They did not hold their hands in public or in privacy. It was not their thing. They did not kiss that often and it always happened in privacy. It was not their thing to show emotion in that way. Instead, when their party was taking a bit longer break between the battles, Albel and Fayt often sat near each other. Fayt more often than not sat his back against Albel's back, two of lovers leaning to each other's bodies as they would take care of the pieces of their personal equipment or talked with their comrades about their plans and strategies, how to proceed. Only once had Fayt fallen asleep against Albel his head resting against the older one's shoulder and no-one had dared to wake him up.

At the inns, when in public Fayt and Albel shared a room like it had been their habit for a long time before becoming lovers. But in privacy, when they were alone in their shared room, Albel and Fayt often slept in the same bed and they might or might not use some time at kissing or even masturbating together, but mostly they were too tired to do anything else than to change clothes, crash into the bed and sleep in a warm tangle of two bodies and limbs and hair and hands gently under the pajama shirts. At the inns, when in public there were times, when there were not enough rooms and Fayt and Albel had to share a single room with the other men in the party, Fayt always slept between Albel and other men to act as a buffer like nothing had changed between them. But in privacy, when sharing a room with the other men, Fayt would sleep like always in the space between Albel and others. But he would sleep closer to the Wicked One than he used to do in the past and Albel would not place the Crimson Scourge between his body and Fayt as he used to do in the past.

In their own private world Fayt would help Albel to brush and tie up his long hair and he would carefully, caressingly rub the salve for burns on Albel's left, scarred arm. In their own private world Albel would patiently listen to Fayt's worries and stories and in the bed he would reverently touch Fayt's right leg and trace that still unknown pattern to the skin. Fayt had also once felt Albel tracing that pattern over the blue-haired youth's heart. He had asked from his lover about the pattern, but as a proof that some things would never change, Albel had never bothered to answer the question.

Of course there were also relatively frequent occasions, when their party for one reason or another was forced to spend their night out open. Even then and there the two swordsmen had ways to remind other about affection. Fayt and Albel would mostly take and spend their nightly guarding duties together. During those stolen waking hours in the darkness of the night they connected and intertwined their lives to for a foundation for a one entity. When in the camp, they would sit near a campfire and talk silently about many things about their pasts and lives, never touching unless it was necessary and when they would take their walks around the perimeter of the camp site, they would walk close enough to allow their body parts to brush against the other's body. Only on those nights, when there really was no fear or probability of raid to their camp site, Albel might let go of his lust of battle, his sense of military training and might spend few moments to molest and cuddle with Fayt beyond the reach of light of a campfire. On the nights, when Albel and Fayt were unable to be paired for the guard duty, they would time to time, on irregular interval check that the other was sleeping peacefully. No-one else in the group would take any real notice of these irregularly timed checkups, because just like always their beddings would be placed near each other, Fayt's sleeping spot once again working as a protecting wall between Albel the Wicked and the rest of the group.

When there would be a peaceful, truly private moment without the fear of being interrupted, Fayt would turn off the translation program in his communicator and they would slowly teach to each other their native languages. Every time they would teach each other a new words, they would sooner or later speak out, repeat the words of affection, which bound them together, in their native languages. To Albel and Fayt it had become important to use their mother tongues, when saying those sentences of love and desire. Oddly the words, the tunes and the emphases in voices and words had become their special allies, when converting their feeling to other in public. Every now and then Albel would end his words to Fayt with the youth's name instead the normal insult. So every time, when Fayt's first name would leave Albel's lips, he had to fight against blushing bright pink as his name still sounded to him like they were having sex. It was dark and lustful and velvety.

All Fayt's and Albel's personal little quirks and secrete signs of attachment might look to someone else, someone not in their position too much trouble to go through, but they had promised to each other that they would keep their slowly growing relationship under the covers for now. Their original intention had been that they would only hide it until the fight against the Creator would be over. But the closer the – hopefully – final battle had drawn, the more certain both Fayt and Albel had become that they needed more time to learn about their lovers and themselves. They needed more time to get used to the everydayness of the relationship and to learn to live with the still deepening mental bond without the well-meaning – but none the less irritating – outsiders meddling and offering their versions of 'good' advices.

Fayt banished all the thoughts about the complexities of the current state of his and Albel's situation from his mind. He did not want to be troubled by those kinds of thought right now, because these troubles could be solved only with time. So he severed the lines of his solitude by stepping forward and smiling gently, but tiredly. Fayt took notice that whatever Albel and Maria were talking about was clearly something interesting and important enough to keep them occupied a little bit longer. That did not mean that they did not notice that Fayt was approaching and joining back to the party of close comrades from his private thoughts, but the blue-haired swordsman's motions did not serve as a stimulus to stop their conversation either.

Fayt turned his attention towards his childhood friend. Sophia Esteed was standing with the youngest members of their group. For a change Peppita was not her hyper-active, chatty self and Roger's ears and tail were drooping rather pathetically alongside his eyelids. Both the Velbaysian girl and the Menodix boy were quiet, subsided and leaning on the gentle, youngest human girl in the verge of sleep. The first excitement and euphoria over the win had started to pass and the adrenaline to dissipate so now almost everyone in the party was feeling tired and muted as the aches and the pains of the last hard battle were making themselves known.

"How are you holding up?" Fayt asked lowly from his brown-haired friend and touched her shoulder lightly, passingly to convert his concern for the well-being of his friend. He saw, how pale his childhood friend was and her eyes were dull in color, misted over like she really was not seeing, what was in front of her.

Slowly, listlessly Sophia turned her face to meet Fayt's eyes. She was able to force out a pathetic, quivering smile to her lips as she saw the worry in her friends bright, green eyes. "I'm alright, Fayt", she assured her friend her voice trembling. "I'm just tired, but I think that that's the way it's with everyone else too." She studied her friend a bit more closely. His clothes were torn and damaged beyond mending, his skin was littered with half-healed wounds and some rather nasty bruises and most notably there was half-dry blood stains everywhere, but other than that he looked more aware than most of their party. Sophia decided that some of that blood was Fayt's alright, but rest of it had to be Maria's and Albel's, who had fought at his side, and Luther Lansfeld's… The last name made her shiver. Suddenly the hot tears were in her eyes and for her horror and mortification she could not stop them or the loud sobs, which escaped from her lips.

Sophia's mental breakdown came as a total surprise for Fayt. But when he thought about it for a moment longer, it should not have been a surprise at all. They had been under a lot of pressure since the destruction of Hydra IV. Sophia had been putting up a brave, experienced front for Fayt since she had been rescued from the Vendeenis at the Kirlsa Training Facility back in Elicoor II. The pressure had only grown, when they had found out about the 4D-space, the Creator and the manipulation of their genetic codes. They had killed many life forms and amongst those had been other human beings or species closely reminding of humans, Luther Lansfeld being only the latest one. Sophia was much too naïve and young and sensitive and sheltered to be forced go through all this without feeling her childish self-centered world shattering around her. Fayt pulled his friend into a sheltering embrace and rubbed the human girl's back in soothing circles. He felt her tears soaking up the remains of his vest and did his best to calm her overflowing, agitated mind. And at the same time Fayt did his best not to break down himself. He told to himself that he could do the breaking down later in privacy, where Albel could embrace him and assemble his shattered pieces. In privacy, where no-one else but Albel would be seeing his breakdown.

"So, she finally broke down", Maria, watching Fayt and Sophia, noted somewhat coldly to Albel Nox with whom she had been talking. She had wanted to know the older man's opinion about Luther other than the given 'weak maggot'. To her eternal surprise the Elicoorian Captain had taken her question seriously and given her a very analytic and detailed answer which had cemented her hypothesis that Albel Nox of Airyglyph had not gotten his military position, because of his father, but because he was an intelligent man with an excellent education. Maria had noticed that the past week or so Albel had been oddly accommodating and respectable towards her whenever she had spoken to him. She was certain that his slightly changed attitude had something to do with Fayt, but for the death of her, she had not a clue, what the other blue-haired member of their group had said or done.

Albel grunted noncommittally and his sharp, blood-red eyes traveled over the hugging friends. For some reason the boy and the girl did not seem to be in equal standing in their current situation and it bothered him. He surveyed the beaten and battered pair and met his lover's eyes. Those green jewels were haunted and told Albel that the human wench was not the only one in dire need of the cleansing breakdown. But unlike his still childish friend, Fayt Leingod was too strong, too proud to break down in public and that made Albel feel some kind of superior pride, because this powerful youth was his lover and companion. "It was long way coming", he finally commented back and turned his keen eyes back to the young woman, whose coloring reminded him of Fayt. Where they really siblings or something? He sighed in exasperation, shifted restlessly his weight from the one leg to another and planted his fisted right hand to his waist. "The Esteed child isn't mentally suited for the cruelties and realities of the battlefield and war", Albel elaborated, when Maria raised her brow questioningly. "Sure, she knows her magic", he admitted readily, "but mentally she isn't tough enough. She's too soft, too weak." Albel glanced at the still wailing girl in mild disgust. "Both mentally and physically. She would make a horrible wife for any soldier", he concluded his appraisal with finality and looked over the top of Maria's head into the unseen distance.

Both Maria and Albel sank into their own thoughts and companionable silence reigned between them. Passingly Albel thought that he could get used to something like this.

"What about my mental toughness?" Maria inquired after a while from the tall man standing with her.

Uninterestedly Albel glanced at the blue-haired gunwoman from the corner of his eye and crooked his eyebrow as only sign that he might be mildly interested at her question, if she could make it somehow more intriguing. But he was not going to hold his breath. Other than that Albel did not react and returned to watch the hilly horizon, which was not doing anything interesting either unless you counted the gentle, hardly there breeze slightly ruffling the leaves in the trees.

Maria huffed in irritation. This man was, was being difficult on purpose! He definitely knew, what she had meant with her question and he was mocking her just for his personal fun. Briskly she placed her hands around her waist so that she would not give in to the desire to smack the long-haired jackass. "Am I mentally suited for the battlefield?" Maria asked slowly gritting her teeth. Why she was still going through the motions again? Oh yes, the jackass had been a great help in the battles and they had won against Luther with his help.

Albel snorted mockingly. "What do you think, oh great rebel leader?"

That did it. Maria hit Albel. Hard. Middle of the still-healing wound on his side.

"Ow! Fuck, what the hell, woman?" Albel rubbed his side and checked, if the wound had started to bleed again. It had been bitch to heal even for Esteed, who was talented – Albel was not stupid enough to deny the girl's abilities – healing Symbology. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"You were being an asshole on purpose", Maria said wryly and she felt her eye twitching. "I asked nicely. Twice!" she pointed out angrily. "I wanted to know your opinion, because aside from Adray and you, not a single one of us has a formal education in all matters of war and its strategies." Maria closed her eyes and tried to hide her sudden bout of uncertainty. Perhaps there was a reason, why Albel did not want to answer her question…?

Albel turned to face the green-eyed woman and seethed silently for a while doing his best not to touch the throbbing wound. "Are you sure that you and Leingod aren't blood related?" he asked suspiciously after a long silence. They had to be related! They definitely fucking shared the same bitching-gene! "Because you two fucking behave and act and think like you were twins!"

For a moment Maria thought that she was hearing things. How did this man's brain work? She really had nooooo idea. Maria met Albel's stare without a flinch and a straight face. "That's something I really don't know", she finally said and thought about it moment longer. "We could be", she concluded carefully, thoughtfully. "I think it could be nice", Maria muttered to herself very, very silently, "my brother Fayt…" She awoke from her thoughts and saw Albel's irritated expression. Maybe she had done something similar to Fayt again? "Why did you ask that anyway? It has nothing to do with anything."

If there would have been a wall or a tree, Albel would have banged his head against it. They had to be twins, because there was no other excuse. Oh joy… So like often, when dealing with the blue-haired swordsman, Albel gave up and resigned himself to give an explanation he did not want to give. Well, at least she was smart like her brother. "You and Leingod are very similar in many ways and I don't mean you outer appearances. Both of you are foolishly protective and generous, when it comes to friends and bleeding spirits, but unlike your brother, you hide your true self under the mask of hardness, aloofness and biting sarcasm", Albel started and paused to think his next words. "The two of you are emotionally gentle and soft, but none the less your spirits are tough. You both are well aware that the lack of mental toughness might kill you or you comrades in battle. Both of you have deeper understanding about the laws of battlefield." He waved his hand around the field. "To the two brats, all this is a game. To the Esteed girl, all this is something frightening and avoidable. But to the rest of us…", Albel shrugged his shoulders uncaringly, "it's a way of life. We hate it. We adore it. And we deal it without hysterics. Sure, we might break down under the pressure, but never in public." Again Albel glanced disapprovingly at Sophia, who seemed to be starting the next stage of her hysterics and Fayt seemed to be fighting to keep his expression comforting and neutral instead of vexed.

Maria's eyes wandered back to Fayt and Sophia, who was hanging onto the youth, and as her eyes met Fayt's, she could almost see the mental eye-roll going on in the boy's head. She had to agree with Albel's opinion about Sophia. Her hysterics were beginning to turn embarrassing even though they were amongst the friends. "I think I understand you point of view, but… It's never easy to kill", she commented defending gently her fellow Earthling.

"Of course it isn't easy, nor should it be easy", Albel snapped annoyed. "A kill is a weight of another's life upon your own and it can take away your sanity. It doesn't matter, if the life used to belong to a maggot or not." His displeasure was coming even clearer and he seemed to shiver in disgust. "You shouldn't be too demonstrative about the hardness of coping with the kills you have made", he hissed spitefully and turned half-away from Fayt and Sophia. "It's offending towards the lives you've taken and towards those, who are still alive."

This was the first time Maria saw a glimpse of the complicated reasoning and the personal rules and regulations on, which the Wicked One based his actions in war and in peace. She suddenly realized, how loyal Albel Nox was to his true comrades-in-arms. Maria saw the loyalty, which the Glyphian warrior had not shown or felt for Shelby in the stories, which Cliff had told to her about his and Fayt's first encounter with Albel the Wicked. The Captain of the Black Brigade must have been aware of the older knight's treacherous tendencies and had not seen any reason to be loyal or honorable, when it came to his former lieutenant. And today, at this moment Albel Nox's loyalty lay first and foremost with Fayt Leingod.

Both men gave and received. Abidingness, acceptance, acclaim, accolade, accord, accountability, acquaintanceship, adherence, adulation, affection, affiliation, affinity, agreement, allegiance, alliance, amenability, amiability, amicability, amity, apotheosis, approbation, ardor, association, attachment, attention, attraction, benevolence, betrothal, bond, call of duty, celebration, certainty, closeness, coalition, coherence, collusion, combination, comity, communion, compact, companionship, company, concurrence, confederacy, conjunction, connection, conscientiousness, consideration, constancy, cooperation, decoration, deference, dependability, desire, determination, devotedness, devotion, dignity, distinction, duty, earnestness, emotion, empathy, endearment, engagement, entente, esteem, exaltation, faithfulness, familiarity, favor, fealty, fidelity, firmness, fondness, friendliness, friendship, glory, harmony, heart, honesty, honor, immortalization, incorruptibility, integrity, interrelation, intimacy, inviolability, kindness, kinship, league, liability, loyalty, membership, mutuality, notice, obeisance, pact, partiality, participation, partnership, passion, permanence, perseverance, pleasure, pledge, possessiveness, predilection, prestige, principle, privilege, probity, propensity, rapport, recognition, regard, relation, relationship, reliability, renown, reputation, resolution, respect, reverence, sentiment, sincerity, sociability, society, sodality, solicitude, source of pride, stability, steadiness, support, surety, tenacity, tenderness, treaty, tribute, trueness, trust, trustiness, trustworthiness, truthfulness, unchangeableness, understanding, uniformity, union, uprightness, veneration, warmth, worship, wreath and zeal. Everything just for them two. For Fayt. For Albel.

Maria inhaled and exhaled deeply. She stepped right beside the Glyphian nobleman and lightly, bit timidly lowered her right hand to rest on the crook of the elbow over the protective gauntlet on Albel's left hand. Albel's head whipped around violently so he could glare at her and his facial muscles tensed alongside the rest of his body. But Maria did not allow these discouraging signs to make her to waver or shiver or back off and she met the murderous stare of the burning, narrowed eyes fearlessly. "You'll look after him, won't you? If not for me or him, then for yourself?"

Confusion flashed through Albel's eyes, but nothing else changed. "What?" he hissed and bared his teeth threateningly, but he did not lash out physically.

Maria was not intimidated by the vicious man by her side and she moved to rest her eyes on the scenery. "I mean my… 'brother'. You'll watch over him as long as you can, right?" Not even passingly she thought that the Wicked One might not want to give her or anyone else any kind of answer.

Albel examined the young woman standing fearlessly at his side observing the uninhabited, boring fields and hills. Really, she was not asking that much from him to tell the truth considering the secret fact that he and Fayt were lovers and they had been able to keep and strengthen their connection even during these hectic moments in time. Knowing his past Albel was fully aware, how easily their first, only night in each other's arms could have turned in to a meaningless, never-again-happening one-night stand. A single night's trysts were nothing new to the Wicked One and he had been afraid that it might turn out to be so even between him and Fayt. His ruby eyes drifted back to the desolate, dull landscape, which surrounded their group from all sides. Albel thought about Maria's request from the all possible angles he could think of. As far as he knew the blue-haired girl did not know, how deeply involved in reality her 'brother' was with him. He doubted that the Quark leader would have been as non-aggressive with the issue as she was now, if she would have known all the details. Then it came to Albel that Maria would kill him – without remorse –, if she found out that he was sleeping with her 'brother' behind her back. And not telling her even though he was presented with the suitable situation to do so. Because if he would tell her, then Fayt would kill him.

Having combination of Fayt Leingod being one's lover and Maria Traydor being one's sister-in-law could be proven to be hazardous to one's health and length of life expectancy.

Taking that account to consideration Albel knew that he should thread very carefully onwards and watch his mouth. "Whether or not I can grand to you your request, doesn't depend on me. It depends on Leingod. You know, that your brother is strong and stubborn individual", he reminded Maria and hummed thoughtfully. "Thinking of that it might be very much so that I can't give to you any help on this matter, because it concerns more of that Fool than me. I don't pretend to know, what's behind this request of yours", he continued on turning around and beginning to walk towards Fayt, who was currently in process of being totally smothered by his 'dear' – Albel wanted to gag –, over-hysteric childhood friend, "and why you're so intended on to have someone, to have me to look after you twin." He smirked at his next thought and the Aquarian wench flying off the handle behind Fayt and Sophia. "Leingod is my prey. That's my position. I expect you to be fully aware, how hard it's to make him do something he doesn't want to do. Besides… It sounds to me like you aren't going to stay around very long to watch his back." His voice was strictly neutral, holding nothing else, but a mild curiosity in the last words.

Maria wanted to cry, to scream at the man, to hate the man, to beg the man, because no matter, what she might to say people around her, Albel was right. She would not be hanging around for long, because she could not endanger her precious freedom at least for now for anyone, not even for Fayt. But she wanted to stay. Maria wanted to know her 'brother' better. She wanted to be Fayt's real twin sister and act like a one too. She wanted to share little things like secrets and childhood memories with him. Maria wanted to laugh and fight with the short-haired boy. She wanted to tease him about his first crush and first love. She wanted him to be there, when things might turn sour with her boyfriend and act like a real big brother, who was convinced that no-one was good enough for his baby sister. But alas these wants could not be. So Maria tried to make sure that there would be someone trustworthy around to watch Fayt's back for him, for her, for Mrs. Leingod. Why she could not generate and force the right words out of her mouth? Was she that afraid of losing her freedom any second now? "Fayt's power of Destruction…", Maria finally began and she swallowed with difficulty, because of the unsavory thoughts and concerns in her head. "The government of the Pangalactic Federation won't allow him to run loose or to go unchecked", she was able to squeeze out from her fear frozen lips.

Albel stopped and stiffened. "They're afraid of him doing what?" he asked without turning back his left hand gripping his sword. "That fool wouldn't do anything with his powers even, if he could control them."

Maria nodded, even though she knew that Albel could not see her gesture. "It's true that Fayt wouldn't use his powers of Destruction unless he was under a very dire situation. But fear is illogical. They're scared of Fayt, because what was done to him was necessary yet still a taboo. They fear just, because he has those powers, just because he is different." She sighed wearily. "The same goes with me and my powers but in to a lesser extent. Fayt's much more powerful and his current lack of control makes him much more unpredictable in the eyes of the politicians."

"All politicians are yapping worthless, spineless maggots without honor!" Albel snarled furiously and his clawed left hand tightened around the handle of the Crimson Scourge.

"They with their suffocating control are the main reason, why I can't stay", Maria said flatly and shook her head. She had no any kind of intention to live a life in any kind of gilded cage.

Albel's breath hissed between his gritted teeth. "But that fool, he'll stay…"

"… because it's not his nature to run away or avoid problems", Maria finished for Albel. "When it comes to Fayt, I'm not worried about government keeping tabs on him", she shivered and swallowed several times in succession, "I'm afraid, that in worst case scenario they try and succeed to turn him into a handy, mindless weapon for their useless wars, which won't bring anyone happiness. I'm scared that we'll lose the Fayt we all know and love." Her voice crackled and shattered. She whirled around violently. "I DON'T WANT THAT!" she screamed, but if she had any other words in her mind and mouth, they got stuck to her throat as she saw Fayt standing there right beside the Elicoorian man and looking her with his intelligent, compassioned, warm eyes. An irritation flashed through Maria's mind as she wondered, why Albel had not mentioned or greeted Fayt approaching them. Was Nox trying to piss her off again?

"Esteed done with her hysterics?" Albel asked bluntly his back still turned to Maria and his face slightly turned and crooked towards Fayt. His right hand fingers brushed every now and then against the blue-haired swordsman's left hand and wrist without even noticing the contact as they both breathed calmly almost at the same time. They stood exceptionally close to each other for Albel the Wicked and his dislike of nonviolent contact between him and other human beings.

Fayt quickly raised his face to glance passingly at the long-haired warrior, before his eyes turned back to Maria. His words however were meant to the Wicked One. "Yeah. Nel slapped her like whoa." He shook his head in puzzlement, because Nel Zelpher had never been anything else, but gentle towards the brown-haired human girl. "For some reason Nel was really angry and pissed off. She slapped Sophia and told her that she was not acting only embarrassingly, but also disrespectfully. I was kind of afraid Nel might skin Sophia, when she dragged her away, but she made Sophia look after Peppita and Roger", he told watching Albel's expressions from the corner of his eye, but never for an extended period. Maria seemed to be his first priority for now.

The sound, which slipped past Albel's closed lips, seemed to indicate that uncommonly Albel the Wicked was actually agreeing with Lady Nel Zelpher of the Crimson Blades of the Kingdom of Aquaria. He seemed to be almost pleased with his old enemy's words and actions. "Esteed was being an eyesore", was Albel's blunter than blunt assessing of the situation.

Fayt's expression told that he had many opinions about the older man's words, but then he just slumped a bit in resign and sighted deeply in partial irritation. "She wasn't that bad. She is just tired and a bit overwhelmed at the moment. That's all there's to it", he defended his friend and shook his head his hands resting on his hips.

Maria saw Albel's eyes flash keenly in challenge as he opened his mouth to retort at Fayt's words. The way Fayt and Albel continued to banter back and forth reminded her, how surprisingly close those two young men had become in relatively short time period. Albel's body's trip back to the long-gone childhood and Fayt taking care of him and helping him out during that time, had been an experience, which had helped and enforced their friendship. A half of a smile on her face Maria listened to the banter going on between the two very different, very alike males and she took a notice, how quickly they could produce arguments and counter-arguments. It was fascinating to her, because it looked and sounded like they both knew other's way of thinking relatively well and because of that they were able to predict other's words and ready their answers prior to other finishing his sentences.

And for a moment Maria could have sworn that Fayt glowed from some sort of secret happiness as he laughed softly with genuine amusement and happiness at something that Albel had said. Albel seemed to be more at ease with the world and relaxed – less angry, less bitter –, when Fayt chuckled and swatted the older man's upper arm playfully with his left hand. Then time stood still in Maria's eyes and mind, the surrounding world fading away as Fayt tilted his face towards Albel's and Albel bowed his neck lightly to bring his face closer to Fayt and it felt to Maria that if those two had been alone or they had been more distracted to take a notice of their surroundings, they would have kissed.

Suddenly the moment was over like it had never been and time resumed its normal flow as Albel's proudly straightened back retreated further away leaving Maria alone with Fayt, who gazed at her. The joy and merriment were no longer openly evident on the green-eyed swordsman's face as he studied the other blue-haired Earthling solemnly. A sad kind of smile rose to Fayt's lips and he stepped closer to Maria until he stood right in front of her at the arm's length.

"I promise I won't allow them to use me in any way or take me away from my friends and comrades", Fayt said with unshakable, unbreakable conviction looking Maria directly into her eyes to show her the strength of his will and conviction. "I'll learn to control my powers so there won't be any accidents or accidental deaths either", he promised for both of them.

"That sounds like a good yet lonely plan", Maria noted worriedly and she raised her hands to quickly fix the neckline of her 'brother's' vest. She wanted to feel the warmth of life on her brother's skin even passingly. "Are you sure that's, what you want from your future?" she wanted to know.

Fayt laughed lightly and if he had been talking with Sophia, he might have ruffled her long-hair affectionately. But this was Maria, so he looked at her deep in the eyes and scowled playfully and exaggeratedly at her making her giggle at his silliness briefly. "Have a little faith on your twin, sis", he rebuked his 'sister' gently and shook his forefinger pointedly, but light-heartedly at her. "Even if my plans sound lonely now, it doesn't mean that I'll be alone for long." Fayt walked to the green-eyed girl's side and turned to observe the rest of their companions, who were lounging around talking and resting few meter away from them. "See?" he said gesturing at them. "I have good friends in them. You have good friends in them", he pointed out to Maria remembering her that she was not alone and everyone would come to her as they would come to Fayt if they would be asked. "They'll be there for me, when I need them or their help. And that same statement applies to you too or anyone else of the ten of us. The rest nine of us will be there, when one of us needs us." Fayt's voice and words were full of conviction and trust towards their comrades.

Maria knew her twin brother's words were true. The people spread out in front of her would come to hold, defend and support any member of their group. Sometimes they might be more reluctant to come than in other times – Maria glanced first Cliff and then her eyes drifted to Albel –, but they would come. Because they were comrades-at-arms and travelling companions, who had experienced many earthmoving things together. Because they had gone through so much together, any kind of indifference was no longer option for a single one of them. Their destinies, their pasts and their futures were now interwoven and tied together. Maria's lips melted into a shy, fond smile and she leaned against Fayt's shoulder as they followed with light amusement and relief the shenanigans of their mutual friends.

"When you go, you'll go with a company of Albel, right?" Maria finally asked and straightened. She looked the glove covered backs of her hands and found them smeared with blood.

Fayt turned to look at his sister. Quickly he located an old and worn out, but somehow clean handkerchief from a sachet on his belt on which he carried his share of healing items and poured some water from a flask. Gently he placed his fingertips under the young woman's chin and raised her face so he could see it unobstructed by her long hair. "You asked that same question from him, didn't you?" Fayt more stated than asked as he carefully wiped away some blood from her face. When Maria carefully nodded to confirm his suspicion, he just hummed noncommittally and continued to clean his sister's face off the blood. "I you don't mind me asking… Why of all of our friends did you ask a favor from Albel?" Fayt inquired and let go of Maria's chin as he finished cleaning her face with the best of his ability. "I mean… Why not to ask Cliff. Or even Adray?" he asked his curiosity plain to see and hear while he stacked away the flask and squeeze-dry cloth.

Maria smiled gratefully to the blue-haired male and thought of Fayt's questions. She turned her head and soon her eyes were observing the long-haired Captain, who was just then dropping carelessly to sit on a rock his katana in his right hand and all of his moves full of a natural grace, which belonged to a dexterous and strong warrior. Unlike any woman he did not seem to care, if his royal purple, skirt-like garment bared more of his skin than was really proper to any woman or man. It was odd to Maria to see the menacing man from Elicoor II sitting on that slab of rock alone, because at some point she had used to see him almost constantly by Fayt's side or at least somewhere near the younger swordsman. She was not sure exactly, when she had begun to view Fayt and Albel as an inseparable unit.

"I've known Cliff and Mirage the longest amongst our comrades", Maria started explanation of her reasons for choosing Albel the Wicked over their more or less stable and predictable teammates. "They've taken care of me since the day they found me in that escape pod like they really were my real, responsible older brother and sister. Cliff is very protective and time to time almost too protective at least, when it comes to me and you. You're fiercely independent and you don't need overprotectiveness." She was quiet for a moment. "Cliff's also rather reckless and tends to ignore others' advices and warning too easily", she noted wryly and the green-eyed scholar could only chuckle in consent. "Cliff would be overprotective and reckless and sooner or later he would try to make you to come to company those of us in Quark, because he'd get irritated with the government of the Pangalactic Federation and the way it might try to control and restrict your life."

"Yes…", Fayt agreed silently and glanced towards his blond, Klausian 'brother'. "Cliff's hatred towards the Pangalactic Federation seems to be legendary in its portions."

The two blue-haired warriors shared the same amused smile and they snickered together.

"I've known you, Albel and Adray same amount of time", Maria said sounding a bit startled about the fact. "Of course I've known about you longer than that" she specified quickly to disperse all possible misunderstandings. "In my opinion the way things currently are, you're too restless to stay with Adray. 'Uncle' Adray seems to me currently just wanting to go home and do the mundane, everyday things back at Aquios and inside the borders of Aquaria. He wants to settle down and draw a soothing breath to center his inner self. Currently I don't think that staying at the one place is, what you really want", she explained with her best ability.

Fayt looked at Maria thoughtfully and before long he nodded agreeing with her. He appeared to concede with every point the slender young woman had made about the oldest member of their party. "I think that currently Adray is mostly concerned about Clair… and Nel", he noted off-handedly.

Maria could not do anything, but silently agree with her brother-in-arms. She could not remember a single break in, which she had not heard about Adray's anxiety for Clair and Nel. He really did valuate Nel as his daughter's life-companion, but it did not stop him from worrying and giving questionable advices. "About Albel Nox…" she began returning the two of them back to the original topic. Maria turned her head so she could observe the young man beside her. The youth's dark jade eyes were calm as he – most likely – rested them on the Wicked One's form. "Even with all of his faults and vices Albel is the person you trust the most", was her explanation started simply. "He's often pain in the ass and he calls you his prey and fool, yet he watches and guards your back, heals you, when you need it, talks to you, but not anyone else…", Maria listed thoughtfully counting the items with her fingers. "But personally I think that the most important part is that Albel really, truly trusts you to do those things back to him: watching his back, healing, talking, listening and so on. You might be his prey, but you're also his friend", she finished triumphantly.

Fayt flushed lightly at Maria's last words. He was sure that she did not know what she might have been implying with her chosen words. So he did his best to keep his slight coloring as a secret, his facial expressions under the control and his voice neutral. "Thanks, but nothing's been decided as yet. I haven't really even thought about my near future plans or talked with Albel or vice versa. We don't even know, where exactly we're right now", Fayt said gesturing at the desolate nature around them. "So that kind of worry about the future isn't really that important to me right now. Let's get us first back to the Diplo."

Maria nodded in the mutual agreement about Fayt's assess of their group's current circumstances just as Cliff shouted at them to join the rest of the group in planning, what they should do next. Fayt shook his head amused and Maria answered kind by rolling her eyes at the older Klausian blonde, who promptly got smacked to the back of his head by his Klausian partner thanks to being so insensitive and hasty. As Fayt and Maria wandered back to the group, they separated heading to the different destinations. Maria headed to her Quark companions, who were accompanied by Nel and Adray. Fayt walked, where Albel was and sat to the grass near the rock so he could lean on Albel's left leg. Nearby Sophia was also sitting on the grass looking after the two youngest of the group as they slept using her lap as their shared pillow.

While Maria was busy talking with her group of friends, Albel and Fayt did not exchanged a single word between them. Fayt just leaned against the rock and Albel's leg resting his head on the older man's thigh bit above the knee so that his azure hair fanned lightly over the exposed skin of the strong-muscled thigh, where Albel's left stocking did not reach. Albel himself leaned against his bent right leg, which he had raised on the rock and his arms were lazily wrapped around the leg. Absent-mindedly and passingly Fayt tugged the gold-rimmed purple wraparound battle-kilt so it settled a bit more modestly on Albel's lower body, but his eyes did not leave people in front of him, before he closed them with a soundless sigh of contentment. As absently as the green-eyed youth had acted Albel's right hand fingers momentarily ghosted over the blue locks as a thank-you even though his crimson eyes stayed staring into the undefined distance over the horizon until his eyelids hid the view. Yet not a word passed their lips. Everything happened in the comfortable silence and the only sound was their soft, synchronized breaths.

When Maria leading the most members of the rest of the group neared them, Fayt opened his eyes and straightened lifting his head off Albel's thigh. Albel unwound his arms, stretched his upper body and stood up from the rock offering afterwards his clawed left hand to assist Fayt to get to his feet. There was nothing forced or suspicious in their gestures and actions. Everything was executed in harmonious way, which told that they were used to do things like this for each other, with each other.

Mirage Koas smiled at the younger men and admired their friendship. It had grown strong and deep and special in the short period of time, which did not lessen its value or meaning. Thanks to their friendship Albel and Fayt had become even stronger fighters in the battlefield. When Maria stepped closer to consult with Fayt, what they had found out about their surroundings with the scanners, Mirage was reminded by the way Maria, Fayt and Albel acted and moved in front of her, that the three of them had spent countless hours in battle together. It was remarkable to the younger Klausian that Albel's behavior was more respectable towards Maria than towards anyone else aside Fayt and even though the blue-haired swordsman did not trust Maria as much as he trusted to the Glyphian noble, he acted like one might imagine a brother acting with his sister. Not a one of the three warriors seemed to notice, when Albel moved a tad closer to Fayt as he evenly, silently stated his opinion about something they were speaking about to the blue-haired, green-eyed humans. Whatever the sanguine-eyed swordsmaster said, the twin-like Earthlings seemed to agree with him wholeheartedly, but after that Mirage observed that he did not withdraw away from Fayt. Mirage was quite sure that no-one else in their partial group noticed the Elicoorian's lack of distancing himself. She deducted that Fayt was most likely so used to have the older man around, so he did not think anything unusual of it, but Mirage was not used to it, she noticed it and she thought about its significance to Albel's and Fayt's relationship.

By this time both Fayt and Maria had become good at making solid plans and decisions together and in short amount of time. So it took only about half an hour before required decisions were made, order given to the rest of the group and the shuffling of the frontline battle party done and over. Even though they were not that tired after the battle against Luther Fayt, Albel and Maria relinquished their positions as the front guards to Mirage, Cliff and Adray, even though Roger wanted to be at the front and objected that he was not too tired to be fighting. Quickly and typically Albel got fed up with the Menodix boy's obviously fake – and way too loud – bravado and hit him over his head. Thankfully the Glyphian remembered to move the Elicoorian child's helmet and used his right hand. Screaming, screeching and commotion, which followed that action, promoted Fayt to whack Albel and then drag the stunned older swordsman away, while Adray took care of whimpering Roger, before Albel had time to retaliate and turn the entire situation into a full-blown brawl.

Thanks to that brief scuffle it took almost a quarter of an hour more of their time, before Roger's ruffled feathers were smoothed and Albel's disgruntled schadenfreude was efficiently smothered by Fayt, who had way too much experience at doing that. Only after this episode the ten comrades were able to proceed on their plans and move onward in their chosen marching order. The navigator's job was given to Mirage, because Maria and Fayt did not trust Cliff's or Ardray's ability stay focused and not to pull them into some sidetracking detour, and she led them steadily forward. Maria followed after them and tried to contact the Diplo while hoping that they had not strayed too far from the planet Styx after leaving the 4D-space. That was one of Maria's and Fayt's biggest concerns. Behind the Quark leader Sophia and Nel did their best to look after and coax Peppita and sulking Roger to keep up the steady pace and move on with the group. Fayt and Albel were bringing up the rear as they often did, when they both were not at the front. This time their job was mainly make sure that neither Peppita nor Roger was able to randomly wander off and out of the line, if Sophia and Nel failed for some reason to snatch them back before it happened. It left the two young men time to talk and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

-:-:-:-

Fayt stepped into his cabin in the Diplo. He was dressed only into a fresh, loose pair of sweatpants and a towel hung over his head covering eyes and short hair, which was dripping water droplets to his naked chest and back. The light blue pants were draped low on his hips leaving his belly button exposed and revealing that he wore no underwear beneath the pants. The hot shower and possibility to wash up properly had improved his mood and eased his aching and tense muscles. Now that he was clean and dressed into fresh clothes he only wanted to lie down to his bed and sleep. Fayt closed his door locking it so no-one could interrupt his nap and walked across the floor rubbing his hair briskly with the towel. When he was sure that his hair was as dry as he could get with the towel, he abandoned the wet cloth item on the chair in front of his desk and grabbed a simple comb to detangle his short hair. "What can I do for you, Albel?" he asked without turning to look at the older man and combed his hair with quick, sure strokes. As always there were hardly any tangles.

Albel Nox sat on Fayt's fresh, neatly made bed his legs crossed leaning his chin to the palm of his left hand. His legs were crossed the left one over the right leg and his left arm was propped on his left leg just above his knee. Albel was only clothed on the wraparound, which was same kind in the style as his normal purple one, but the one he was currently wearing was dark blue-gray in color and its rim was cream-white. He was not wearing stockings or shoes in his feet and he had left his elaborate belt behind. Albel was also wearing a dark blue-gray glove over his scarred, left arm and his long hair was hanging around him damp and free. He too had clearly spent some time bathing. "You clean up nicely", Albel commented nonchalantly. His red eyes roamed hungrily over his younger lover's half-clad body approvingly.

Fayt laid his comb back on the desk and turned to face Albel crooking his brow. "Thanks, so do you. But that didn't answer my question", he remarked stepping closer to the older man and looking down to his lover. Slowly, carefully Fayt extended his arms being ready to pull them away, if his lover would not approve his actions, and submerged his fingers into long, silky hair. He massaged Albel's scalp gently with one hand. His other hand traveled down until it reached almost to the tips of Albel's hair and raised a few locks to his lips. As Albel raised his face their eyes locked together and Fayt kissed the locks in his hands.

Albel straightened his posture uncrossing his legs and reached out. He placed his hands on Fayt's hips, over the loose waist of the sweatpants and pulled the youth to stand between his legs. Albel's hands hungrily roamed over the pale, smooth skin of his lover's upper torso until his left hand found a perfect place to repose a little bit above the small of Fayt's back and his right hand dove under the soft, light blue fabric of Fayt lightweight sweatpants. Albel's eyes gleamed in satisfaction as he admired, how his lover gasped in surprise and his back arched beautifully as the younger one shivered in pleasure. Fayt's fingers in his hair spasmed and tugged his hair surprisingly gently before they released their holds. Albel firmed his hold on his lover as his hand delved further down the pants and Fayt's back arched more strongly. Albel's fingertips caressed and followed the hard lines of muscle of his lover's backside. His blood-red eyes began to burn from desire as Fayt's hands gripped Albel's biceps and he moaned quietly Albel's name. Albel licked his lips and using his left hand he forced his lover to reverse his arched position.

Fayt sighed in pleasure, in desire, when Albel pulled up and then pressing from his neck his lover made him bow down. The older man connected their mouths in a deep, long and wet kiss. Fayt leaned closer to his lover leaning on to the long-haired man's biceps and felt the older warrior's fingers searching between his buttocks and a moment later to press fingertips against his puckered anal hole. Fayt moaned into their kiss and as Albel's tongue conquered more of his mouth he wondered if this, if sex was, why the Elicoorian man had come to his room. Now they had the time and the privacy to have sex. Fayt just was not sure if he could stay awake that long.

Albel ended their kiss and removed his right hand from his lover's sweatpants. He stroked Fayt's skin with the long, caressing sweeps ignoring to fix the damage he had done to the sweatpants, which now hung even lower than before, and watched the confused curiosity in the Earthling's dilated, green eyes. He could easily read both lust and fatigue from those eyes. Maneuvering the shorter one slightly away from his body, Albel stood up before pulling his lover into a tight embrace. His right hand rubbed Fayt's upper back soothingly and his left hand rested passively on Fayt's waist as he buried his face between the younger man's neck and shoulder and breathed in the scent of fresh skin and Fayt.

Fayt relaxed into the hold of his lover's arms. His own arms automatically wound themselves around his beloved's slender waist and he rested his cheek against the taller man's shoulder his body loosening up in the safe embrace. Very soon he was steadily breathing at the same tempo with Albel and his exhaustion began to catch up with him lulling him into the state of peaceful lethargy. He hummed in warm pleasure as his lover gently nibbled, licked and kissed his skin starting from the side of his neck and continuing over his collarbone to his shoulder. Fayt cuddled closer to his lover and sluggishly raised his right hand to play with the long, black-and-gold locks. "Is this, why you came to my room?" he inquired drowsily pulling and spreading Albel's hair over his head, shoulders and back so his lover's addicting scent and touch were on every possible surface of his naked skin.

Albel hummed against the pale skin and made Fayt giggle almost drunkenly. "You're dead to the world, aren't you, Fayt?" he wondered amusedly his voice muted by the skin and he rolled his eyes, when he got a mindless, senseless happy-hum as his answer. "You definitely are a goner", Albel grinned against his lover's shoulder. He tasted his drowsy lover's clean skin with long licks tracing his way upwards along the strong neck tendons and muscles until his lips verged on the blue-haired swordsman's ear. "I desire you", he breathed hotly into the ear and Fayt's hold on him tightened. Albel could feel Fayt's back muscles trembling under his touch, because of his words.

Fayt's mind was fuzzy from the lethargy and lust and he did not know, what would be the best course of action. Without really thinking he raised his head from Albel's shoulder jarring his lover's long hair off his body and wrapped his arms around the Elicoorian male's neck. Fayt stared into the scarlet eyes and he backed away from the bed pulling his lover with him until his butt and back of the legs came to contact with the lonely desk in the room. Fayt wound his right leg around Albel's waist and when his lover's hands had found their way to his ass, he dared to raise his left leg off the floor to accompany the right one around the waist of the slender, strong body. Fayt craned his neck to kiss his lover.

Gently Albel lowered his lover to lie on the desk. As their kisses turned more intensive and longer, he allowed the weight of his body to set on the blue-haired Earthling and thus to press the shorter man's back fully to the desktop. They continued kissing for a while and soon Fayt began to wiggle under the older man's weight. Soon after Albel rose up to his arms and he observed critically his squirming lover silently some time. "So…", he started vaguely. "What do you think?" he asked his voice neutral keeping his eyes on the green ones as his left hand moved according to its own mind to caress Albel's lover's right leg in a familiar pattern.

Fayt stayed lying on the desk and thought about Albel's question while his wriggling increased. A dark, displeased frown rose to mar his face. "This sucks", he blurted bluntly and wiggled some more in irritation. "Not only I'm damn too tired for this, but I swear that there's a comb digging into my lower back and ass." He squirmed more and his displeasure came even plainer to see. "I think that's a pen at my right side, at my ribs. And something that feels like a communicator under my left shoulder blade", Fayt complained casually in good humor to his lover and squeezed the red-eyed swordsman's waist with his right leg playfully.

Albel let out a short chuckle and slapped gently his lover's right tight. "Rain check?" he inquired amusedly in surprisingly high-spirits.

"Rain check", Fayt nodded in agreement and released his lover from the steely cage of his legs. He muttered something angry and obscene about inconveniently placed office supplies and other stuff under his breath as he heaved himself to sit instead of lying on the desk with Albel's help. In annoyance he rubbed his aching left shoulder and glanced over it to see that no, it had not been his communicator, which had been pressing against his shoulder blade. It had been his quad scanner, which did not console him at all. And the small, cylinder-shaped object, which had been digging into his ribs, appeared to be something other than a pen, but Fayt was not sure exactly that it was and where it had come from. He did not even remember owning that… thing… whatever it was. Passingly he also peeled his comb off the small of his back, before he turned his attention back to his lover patiently standing in front of him. Fayt blushed and smiled weakly. "Sorry about that. It seemed like a good idea at the time", he apologized to his volatile lover allowing his fingertips to graze along the long-haired man's jawline and cheek. "I think it needs a bit more careful planning at the logistics than I expected", he confessed bashfully.

Albel smirked at the youth's words and pulled his lover from the desk to stand against his chest. "It wasn't a bad plan", he admitted running his right hand fingers along the top of the waist of the powder blue sweatpants. "Your execution of it just plain sucked", Albel judged and pretended that he did not hear his lover's noises of outraged protests. "Big time", he added just to get a bigger rise out of the blue-haired youth. Albel caressed his lover with light touches to pacify him and slowly he shuffled them towards Fayt's bed. "Because you seem to be interested, I'll fuck you on the desk some other time", he murmured into his lover's ear and ruthlessly ground their half-erect cocks together.

Both of men moaned silently, because even if they were too tired to do anything else, than tease each other, friction still felt good to them. They kissed shortly before Albel separated their bodies by taking half a step away from Fayt and resting his hand on his lover's hips he studied sharply the young Earthborn.

The medical personnel of the Diplo had done a very good job on healing Fayt's scratches and hurts. The youth's skin was devoid of any blemishing bruises and only one wound had been bad enough to leave a very faint scar to remind them about their fight against the Creator called Luther Lansfeld. Albel's hands traveled from his lover's waist to the younger male's stomach, where he felt around for the abdominal muscles, which were still developing, and curiously circled a finger around the belly button only to hear Fayt take a startled breather and to feel the muscles quivering. From there Albel's hands and fingers continued north and he brushed over the dark reddish, hardened nipples. Albel's right hand settled and stayed over his lover's heart to feel its beats against his palm. His left hand continued further up to the north passing over the base of Fayt throat – where he was able to detect the pulse –, and Adam's apple continuing all the way over the stubborn chin until it reached to Fayt's lips. Albel pushed two cloth-covered fingers into Fayt's pliant mouth and quietly directed the green-eyed boy to take a hold on the fabric of the glove with his teeth. Carefully Fayt bit down on the fabric and Albel pulled his arm out of the glove feeling, how Fayt's heartbeats quickened slightly. Albel knew that to Fayt to see the older man to show willingly his shameful scars to his lover was the ultimate sign of trust and friendship between them.

The dark blue-gray glove fell to the floor and was instantly forgotten.

Albel's forefinger and middle finger slipped back to Fayt's hot mouth. The Elicoorian man shivered in pleasure, when his delightful lover's tongue bathed his fingers and the teeth nibbled gently his scarred digits. The slender, nimble fingers of Fayt's right hand wound around Albel's wrist and his thumb stroked steadily over the scarred skin like trying to ease the tension caused by the burn scarring. Fayt's eyes were closed and Albel saw the expression of extreme concentration on his youthful, calm face. Fayt was only focused on caressing and easing his older lover's skin and mind. Albel was slightly startled, when Fayt's left hand settled over his right one to press it even more firmly to the young man's chest and heart.

Fayt released Albel's fingers from his mouth and his fingers clasped more firmly on Albel's hand resting on his chest. He let go of Albel's wrist and his hand came up to his face to hide his yawn. His eyelids fluttered a long while, when he opened his eyes to cast a gentle, sleepy look to his lover. "I love you, Albel", he said with all of the emotion he hold inside for the man. "Do you want to spend the night here with me?" he asked carefully and quickly glanced at the bed beside them. Fayt swallowed with difficulty and some of the happiness in his smile waned away. "We'll arrive to Elicoor II some time tomorrow. so this could be our… last night together for a while", he explained feeling his body and mind clenching painfully at the thought of parting the ways even, if it would not be final or lasting. Fayt knew it would happen, because he had not asked anything and Albel had not said a thing.

Albel tilted his head and thought about Fayt's words. They had never seriously talked about their future or plans after defeating the Creator in any deeper detail and to tell the truth Albel had not really thought about it himself either. He had no real interest in returning alone back to his mundane life in Airyglyph especially now that there would be a peace between his home kingdom and Aquarians. Albel banished the thoughts about his possible futures out of his mind momentarily and concentrated on his lover. He decided that for now he would live like this would be the last day of his life.

Albel pulled his hand free from its place between Fayt's chest and left hand. Gracefully he fell to his knees in front of his lover, who emitted a confused sound. He brought his hands up to the waist of the light blue sweatpants and began slowly to tug them off the waist, down to Fayt's body. Albel heard his lover to suck in air sharply in surprise, but he did not stop what he was doing and the blue-haired warrior did not do a thing to make him stop just waiting and watching, what Albel was going to do to him. When the piece of clothing was finally on a heap on the floor around Fayt's ankles, Albel touched encouragingly and lightly his uncertain lover's shins to signal the younger one to lift his legs so he could remove the pants all the way.

Fayt's face was flushed hotly and his pale skin had a stronger pinkish hue than normally. He was confused and embarrassed, but he complied with the Glyphian noble's request and lifted his legs, first right then left, out of the pant legs.

The lump of powder blue fabric was carelessly discarded and forgotten to the floor with the dark blue-gray glove.

Albel's eyelids lowered to cover the half of his burgundy eyes and he admired his lover's strong, lean-muscled form, which seemed to glow ethereally even the harsh, hard artificial light, which illuminated the cabins, rooms and halls of the Diplo as he knelt in front of the blue-haired celestial. He was awed by the runological power, which he could see(1) whirling around his lover's body and how they formed the pair of wings – like a halo –, which always materialized and became visible for everybody, when the Earthling unleashed his Ethereal Blast. Albel extended his arms and almost timidly touched his lover's unveiled skin. His fingertips skimmed over the skin and muscle of his lover's legs lightly in wonder. Closing his eyes Albel bent his head adoringly and began to caress his lover's right leg with his lips and tongue respectably, when his hands wandered on their own. His fingers did their best to cover every inch and patch of the pale, glowing skin with their touch as they drew intricate, meaningless patterns. Albel's lips and tongue moved to caress the sensitive inside of the powerful right leg. He could feel his lover's muscles tremble in his hold and touch.

Albel the Wicked did not believe in gods. Yet here he was prostrating himself before his green-eyed lover's feet like a humble servant or a lowly priest ready to worship his one and only god. His hands and lips seemed to exist only to worship reverently the pale, naked skin of this celestial being and he was only able to wish that an unremarkable, broken, disgusting and worthless man like him could be able to please and pleasure his deity passingly. It was like the blue-haired youth was a holy idol of the Furious Destroyer God lovingly made out of the ivory, sapphires and emeralds only staying cold and untouched by the selfish pleads those genuflecting in front of his pedestal again and again. The green-eyed male had to be a sacred vessel for the Unholy Destroyer God synthetically made into flesh, bone and blood only wanting the innocence of his mortal body to be tainted by his one and only priest again and again. Albel the Wicked did not believe in gods, but he did believe in his lover(2).

Fayt looked in wonder at the man, who had been clearly brought up to be a master of all – and everything – and a servant only to his king and who had grown up to be a proud person, kneeling in front of him and touching him while skillfully balancing in the thin line between erotically sensual and sexually lewd. A sharp, arousing nib to the side of his knee made Fayt to toss his head back and whisper, murmur in pleasure. He could feel the inner power of symbology to raise and fluctuate like he was casting a spell. He was willing to bet that his older lover could feel the force as prickling against the tongue, lips and fingertips like hundreds of small bolts of lightning all over his skin. Fayt did not know, why it was happening and he did not really care as it felt good and Albel appeared to be comfortable with it too.

Fayt did not know that his body was undulating, twisting, dancing with the beat of his lover's touch on his skin. His head tossed and turned constantly in this dance making his blue, short hair to sway and flow around and over his face, throat and nape of the neck. Fayt's arms were moving slowly around as his hands, fingers drew symbological runes into the air and his back arched, straightened and bowed gently. His eyes opened and closed in slow, drawn out blinks and his lips moved without any real word, just filling the air with soft and mellow breaths, sighs. Fayt's entire upper body was constantly moving in the intricate, ancient dance of desire, which did not seem to belong to this modern, plastic room made out of harsh lightening, cold steel and reflectless glass.

Albel opened his eyes and slowly stood up wrapping his arms around his naked lover's waist. His eyes enlarged and he stared in wonder the exotic youth, who was dancing and oscillating as his energy-wings flickered in and out of his back. Numerous ribbons of symbological characters glowing eerily twirled, flowed around them confining the two lovers in to a loose cocoon. When those ribbons of raw power came to contact with Albel's skin, they felt like ice daggers and fire bolts, scorching and freezing at the same time. His lover did not seem to be aware, what he was doing and what was going on around them, even though the green eyes clearly saw Albel. Albel felt the answering pull of his own runological power, but he could do nothing else than support and watch this pristine white youth to dance for him in his embrace.

Many strange and unexplainable things happen in this world and time to time they turn into more than rumors. They turn into the legends, because they happen so rarely and unexpectedly that they are almost impossible to study scientifically.

During his 24 years of life in Airyglyph of Elicoor II Albel had heard stories and legends of the very strong runologists sinking in to the trancelike state without any apparent reason and… move just like the way Fayt was now dancing and twisting. The legends said that they always danced only for the person they currently had a trusted, strong mental, physical and sexual bond, relationship with. Albel had honestly always considered those stories and legends as humbug and claptrap. Yet here in front of a nonbeliever Fayt Leingod was swaying gently, alluring and somehow making their symbological energies to materialize in unfamiliar way.

Fayt's lips moved forming his lover's given name as he called out for the Glyphian Captain soundlessly. Albel could not do anything else, but to comply touching his young lover and allowing their runological powers to intertwine and get familiar with other's fluctuations.

The end of the dance came relatively quickly and naturally as Albel shortly kissed his lover's lips gently, chastely. The end of the dance was a natural transition from the soft undulation to the warm embrace. Fayt blinked his eyes languidly and smiled shyly to the older man, who turned to open the bed. Albel lifted the shorter one to his arms and deposited the naked Earthen youth to the bed and under the covers.

Fayt shifted around to find a good position on his side. Then he turned his green eyes to his lover, who was standing beside the bed. Fayt patted the mattress beside his body encouragingly and stopped to wait, what Albel would decide to do.

Albel observed Fayt's gestures and expressions. Unhurriedly he opened the bow and knot in the rather simple, braided bright-red sash-belt, which was holding up his dark blue-gray wraparound battle-kilt. Unselfconsciously Albel 'the Wicked' Nox allowed the cloth to fall down to the floor revealing that he was not wearing anything beneath it. Elegantly he sat to the edge of the bed, before he swung his long, lean-muscled legs to the bed and buried his legs under the covers. He lay down to his back and pulled the blankets over his naked body. After that he drew Fayt closer and made the youngster to lie half over his chest so that their naked bodies were touching from head to toe.

After a long silence Albel sighted and hummed in annoyance. "This ship needs wider beds", Albel noted wryly.

Fayt chuckled at his lover's grumblings and snuggled closer. He nibbled his lower lip nervously and thought about his options. He could go to sleep or open his mouth and talk with Albel about, what would be going to happen between them in the near future. He wondered many things. Would Albel go back to his home country of Airyglyph? Would they separate for a while and meet later on somewhere in Elicoor II? Or would something entirely unpredictable happen to them? Fayt wondered, what the Wicked One really wanted to do and if Fayt had any place in those plans.

Meditatively Albel ran his left hand fingers lightly up and down his lover's back. His eyes were closed and he luxuriated in the feeling of his lover relaxing and cohabiting by his side. Albel could tell by the rhythm of the younger one's breathing that his lover was not sleeping, but just lying there and contemplating about something so hard that the blue-haired fool would most likely turn it into something more complex than it needed to be, after which he might or might not share with Albel. So he rested there his eyes closed petting his lover soothingly and cheeringly and waiting that the boy would either open his mouth and fess up his worries or fall to sleep. And turn of the lights. Albel did not know the right word for the voice command computer to turn the lights off in Fayt's room. "Lights, Leingod", he finally grumbled getting fed up with the piercing glare of the artificial lights even through his eyelids.

Fayt laughed shortly and gave the command. The room plunged into a warm, pitch-black darkness, which was total in a way that it never was in a room in a house located on a planet with its windows covered with curtains. The sleep was closing in, Fayt finally made his decision. "Can I stay with you?" he asked timidly.

Albel shifted and rested his hand at the small of his lover's back. "Sure", he agreed drowsily, "as long as we don't go back to Elicoor."

Freezing silence filled the dark room.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

THE END OF PROLOGUE
Moving Forward…

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Author's Note 2: Oh god! I thought this prologue would not ever end. So sorry everyone. I was doing my normal rereading (like 20th time) and I noticed my notes from my first editing. I had written with rather big, bold, red letters: 'Who wrote this shit?!' Oh, yeah… That would be me... TT-TT

And for those who are screaming in frustration, where is the last chapter of 'The Sentimental Feelings'. It is… coming along… slowly. Very, very slowly. Sorry about that, but the next thing that I will post, will be the epilogue. Promise.

(1) I do not know how many of you had been reading the dictionary found in the Main Menu of the game. If you read the part about the Elicoorian race, you found out that Elicoorians can actually see the symbologic force around individuals. I always forgot that and I think that those, who made the game also forgot this. This means that hypothetically Adray, Albel, Nel and Roger can see things about Fayt, Maria and Sophia, which Cliff, Mirage or Peppita cannot see. This is the direct quote, which can be found from the game:
"Elicoorian (Race)
Humans living on Elicoor II, primarily found in the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria and the military superpower of Airyglyph.
Although Elicoorians look exactly like Earthlings at first glance, they are a completely different race.
The most distinguishing characteristic of Elicoorians is a special ability of their eyes-they are able to visually recognize fluctuations in symbological force. The precision with which an individual can discern symbological fluctuations depends their genetic makeup. Holy Mothers, who have the greatest concentration of this power, are able to see the workings of symbols in every living or non-living bodies or activity within their field of vision.
This is why Elicoorians possess symbological technology that greatly exceeds their general level of civilization."

(2) I realized that I am giving or associating Albel's thoughts with lots of mythical or mystical or ethereal images or visions, which are often sexually loaded, when associated with Fayt. My only explanation to these symbolical associations of Albel is the culture and the time in, which he was raised. This Airyglyphian cultural period correlates with the European (ergo Western) Middle Ages. Most European cultures were under the influence of the Catholic Church during that. Superstition was every day thing, nothing really to take notion of and mention. The cultures of the Middle Ages were filled with many mythological and supernatural beliefs and stories. Even though I personally believe that Albel is an atheist (even though I do not think he would use that word himself), it does not mean that his thinking would not be at least slightly influenced and colored by the believes of people around him, whether they are nobles or peasants, believers or nonbelievers. Albel did not grow up in the Christianity laced cultural environment.

:-: 13 282 words and 15 pages in Word 2012 (Verdana, size 9) :-: