...Wow. People are actually reading this. O_o So update I shall.
Chapter Two
He leaned back against the door, breathing hard, heart still beating against his ribcage. He could still feel Ludwig's strong knees pressed into his side... his fingertips still felt the texturing of Ludwig's fine skin, the muscles of his toned torso. No, no, no... why was he thinking about this? Orpherus shook his head violently. He didn't want to think about it. Think of something else. But even as he tried his mind betrayed him and turned back to the scene. The look in Ludwig's deep eyes... what had that been?
Stop it. Again his shook his head, as if he could throw the memories out by doing so hard enough. Stop it.
He hadn't gotten Robertine's locket back. An overwhelming sense of grief overcame him at recalling that fact. He slid to the floor, hugging one of his knees to his chest and rubbing his eyes against it. He had been so close too... why had that closeness to Ludwig scared him away from almost reclaiming what was his? Ludwig was surely laughing right now. It filled Orpherus with rage... rage at himself, rage at the Duke-to-be.
How could Ludwig have even entertained the thought of doing something like that, besides the obvious amusement it would provide him to see Orpherus struggle? Orpherus had held Ludwig in higher opinion than that, even if his views and goals were disagreeable. Slowly, he lifted his head. He was going to have to talk to Ludwig about just handing it over. He'd had his fun, and keeping the locket was of no benefit to him. Surely he could be persuaded.
Orpherus pushed himself weakly to his feet and crossed the room. The sun had basically set now, and he was tired. As he paused in front of the mirror, he saw that his cheeks were still flushed. He wanted to try to sort things out in his mind, but he was too tired, so he undressed and slumped into bed, praying for sleep that he was in desperate need of to come.
~.oOOo.~
"Good morning, Orpherus."
He stopped at that voice and slowly turned. He had passed right by Ludwig, who was reading as he normally was. Orpherus swallowed.
"Good morning, Ludwig," he said, slightly tersely.
"You seem in better shape today."
"Thanks to you," he replied acidically. Deep amethyst eyes flitted up to him for a moment before turning back to the page.
Orpherus bit his lip. The room wasn't much crowded... if he could keep his head, here might be the best place to try to talk Ludwig into giving the pendant back. He took a few steps closer.
"Ludwig, do you have my sister's locket?"
"I may."
"Is it possible for me to convince you to give it back to me? It is a family treasure, and while I know you will not do any harm to it, I'd rather it back in my possession."
"No."
It was said so readily it was almost a slap in the face to Orpherus. "Ludwig -"
"I told you you must get it yourself. If you cannot do that, you don't deserve to hold on to your sister's treasure. Don't you agree?"
Ludwig knew. He knew how much this would irritate Orpherus. He could see it in the faintest shadow of a smile that haunted those lips. But he had to keep his head... if he raised his voice it would draw too much attention. Orpherus wanted to trust that Ludwig wouldn't hold the previous night's happening over his head, but right now he wasn't sure of anything.
"Ludwig, it is wrong for you to keep something that is not yours. Please return it."
"Orpherus," was the sigh. "Will you still hold on to your belief that words will win everything? Here is a situation where I will not allow you to succeed with mere words. You must be a man of action. Otherwise, you are useless."
"If I had one of your things -"
"I would get it back." Violet eyes turned back up to him, and as they caught into his gaze, he froze up. They were the same as the night before. "Unlike you, I would be able to do what was necessary in order to recover it. If it is important enough to you, you should be willing to do anything to get it back. Or is it possible that it really doesn't matter to you, and that's why you're allowing yourself to be flustered so easily?"
That made him snap. He jerked forward, ready to argue, but a strong hand grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Easy now, Orphe," Eduard cautioned. "Don't do something you'll regret. Lui isn't worth it."
Ludwig was smirking now as Orpherus struggled half-heartedly, not entirely trying to pull away. He was angry... so angry he almost did want to disregard Eduard and start a full-out argument, but he knew Ludwig too well. Fighting hot-headed would just make him slip, so Orpherus forced his eyes shut, trying to relax himself.
"Are you and Orphe arguing again, Lui?" Naoji asked, now entering the room.
"No, Naoji, we were just discussing his shortcomings. As you can see, he's displaying one of them right now."
Orpherus twitched angrily, and he felt Eduard's hand tighten on his shoulder. He wouldn't lunge, though he wanted to. Instead, with his forced calm, Orpherus said, "Thank you for your opinion, Ludwig. I will take it into consideration."
"I pray you do," was the response with the slightest colouring of amusement. "Otherwise you may get nowhere, Orpherus."
The blonde pulled away from Eduard and left the room, cape rustling angrily behind him. The three watched him leave before the other two glanced at Ludwig, who had watched Orpherus's departure, flint-lavender eyes flickering.
"Lui, why must you always try to get a rise out of him?" Naoji asked, almost disapprovingly.
"He lets his emotions control him too easily." Ludwig turned back to his book. "He should have some mastery of them."
"Orphe isn't like you, Lui," Ed said, half-angrily.
"I am not saying," Ludwig replied coolly, "that he should have no emotion. Indeed, for Orpherus, his passion is one of his strongest points. But he is too passionate. He needs to learn how to control himself, and he needs to learn how to act on his emotions in a level-headed way."
"... Lui, where are you coming up with this?"
He didn't reply. Eduard sighed and took his leave, likely to follow Orpherus in order to calm him. As the door shut behind the half-blood, Ludwig closed his book almost all the way.
"Orpherus has something that I do not," he said quietly, so quietly that Naoji didn't seem to hear him. "And I have something that he does not. And... I know something that he does not, or it is something that he does not want to admit. And until he realizes it, this will continue to amuse me, and torture him."
~.oOOo.~
He paced angrily, furiously in his room again. He hated him. He /hated/ Ludwig right now. He'd never thought he was truly capable of such stormy, violent emotion, but "hate" was all he could think of that fit. Such rage... who did Ludwig think he was, doing this? How did he think he even had the right to do this?
Orpherus did swear now, though not out loud, as he whirled around his room, the material of his cape snapping behind him with the sudden rounds. It wasn't often he was provoked to almost carrying out physical violence, but in this situation he thought maybe he could forgive himself for imagining taking a sword to Ludwig. That was his sister's pendant – his sister's! He himself had little right to have it, but for Ludwig to take such liberty with a family treasure...
"Orphe?" A knock on the door. "Orphe, are you okay?"
Eduard. Orpherus wasn't sure whether or not to open the door. It would be nice to vent, but again the previous night's clash began repeating itself in his head, and he found himself resisting his normal inclination to open the door to his best friend. He couldn't talk about that... he couldn't even think about it. But for some reason, he couldn't help himself. Ludwig's presence was still there, pushing tightly and strongly against his waist, and the remembrance of the touch sent a shiver through him.
"Orphe?"
"I'm fine, Ed." Reluctantly, he crossed the room to open the door. Eduard blinked his malachite eyes.
"What's up? You and Lui fight often, but I don't think I've ever seen you so upset at him."
"It's nothing," Orpherus muttered.
"Did you sleep last night?"
"Not really." His mind had been caught in a tempest, and it had been difficult to even doze. "Just a bit."
Eduard raised his dark hand to rest the back against Orpherus's forehead. It felt cool and dry... Orpherus welcomed that sensation. "That's no good. You're looking bit flushed. I know you've been stretched a bit thin the last few days, so maybe you should take today off to rest."
That would be calling surrender. That was probably what Ludwig wanted... to throw him off. Orpherus weakly brushed Eduard's hand away now. He wouldn't let Ludwig have his way. "I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, Ed."
He looked quite dubious, but dropped his hand. "All right, Orphe, but if you start looking funny I'm going to march you straight back here and make you sleep. Straining yourself will only make you sicker."
"Okay. Thanks, Ed. Let's go."
As he passed by the window, he took a moment to glance at himself. Eduard was right... a heavy dusting of red was spread across his cheeks.
He was sick. That was the reason this was getting to him. Comforted by that thought, he passed through the door into the hallway to head back to class.