A/N: Sorry it's taking so long for me to get this up. I've been working on a lot of one-shots the past days...but people haven't been reviewing them so I'm basically wasting my time. At least this gets reviews and I love you all for taking the time to review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Albel or Fayt…I'm just torturing the poor things for my own amusement.

Albel was not pleased with the way things were turning out. He had specifically told Fayt not to sneak looks at him and the fool was doing exactly what he told him not to do. Fayt seemed enthralled with Albel's beauty. All through dinner, Fayt was staring at Albel when he thought the irritated swordsman wasn't looking. Albel barely resisted stabbing Fayt with his fork. Just because he was wearing a dress and disguising himself as a pretty girl didn't mean he had turned into one.

After dinner, Albel dragged Fayt back upstairs and slammed the door to their room. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

"Admiring your disguise," Fayt said calmly. "You look pretty."

Albel growled and shut his eyes tightly to try and control his temper. "Let me say this again in small words so you can understand. I'm your sister. Sister. You don't look at your sister like that."

"But if my sister is pretty, aren't I allowed to-"

"No!" Albel snapped. Furiously, he undid his braids and mussed it up. "I'm not a girl. You're not supposed to find me pretty."

"But you make a convincing girl."

Albel's eyes narrowed. "You know I'm not a girl. All the clothes in the world cannot make me a woman. I thought if I had you see, you could remind yourself that no matter how womanly I may look, I am a man underneath."

"You didn't want me to look at you," Fayt complained. "You accused me of being a pervert."

Albel's eyes flashed. "I told you to look."

Fayt looked down. "You didn't believe me when I told you I didn't look at you. I didn't want to make you mad."

Albel snorted. He grumbled to himself as he yanked the dress off over his head. Albel put his hands on his hips and scowled at Fayt. "Convinced that I'm a man now, fool?" he spat.

Once Albel was out of that dress there was no question. The thin frame that gave the illusion of femininity in a dress was actually hardened, whip like muscles. Albel didn't have a broad, muscular chest like many of the soldiers, but his body was lean and agile, making up for his lack of size with grace and agility. Albel's body stomach was also completely flat. He didn't have an ounce of extra fat on him anywhere. It was all tightly coiled muscles.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Albel snarled.

Fayt's gaze snapped back up to Albel's face and he reddened slightly.

"Well?" Albel demanded. "Are you convinced or are you going to stare at my manhood until I catch cold? I'm not going to stand around naked all day for your pleasure."

Fayt swallowed. "Yes," he said timidly. "You're definitely not a woman."

"That's more like it," Albel huffed. He draped himself loosely in the night gown the innkeeper's wife had left for him and sprawled across the bed.

Fayt looked at Albel nervously. "Where should I sleep?"

Albel stared at Fayt appraisingly. "On the floor, I would think." He rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't trust you sleeping beside me after that little incident. I don't want another lapse of judgment from you. I'm wearing a nightgown and I'm not going to trust you if you're going to lose your mind every time I wear women's clothing. You can't be that desperate that you'd chase after the first skirt you see, whether it belongs to a female or not." He snorted derisively. "Although perhaps that's normal for an idiot like you."

Fayt sighed heavily. "I suppose I ought to sleep on the floor. It would be scandalous if anyone were to catch me in bed with my sister."

"Exactly," Albel purred. "Keep reminding yourself that."

Reluctantly, Fayt made a makeshift bed on the floor out of several layers of bedding. The innkeeper's wife had given them extra sheets because Albel looked so delicate and she was afraid Albel would catch cold. Albel claimed that the cold didn't bother him and he had donated nearly all of the bedding to Fayt. Fayt was grateful for the extra layers. It was certainly far more comfortable than the cold ground from the night before.

"Don't worry, fool," Albel said confidently. "Soon we will be through with this bothersome charade and you will not have to be tempted. Once we escape from the borders of this foul kingdom, I will no longer have to disguise myself. The nomadic peoples of the south have no love for your king. No matter how many wanted posters he puts up, we will not be handed over to him. I can go back to wearing masculine clothes again."

Fayt smiled thinly. It was good to see Albel so happy, but the thought of leaving the kingdom slightly worried him. If Albel were to leave him outside the borders, he wouldn't know what to do or where to go. The southern regions of the kingdom were peaceful and well-protected. But beyond the boundaries, it was said to be a wild place. There were huge tracts of land unclaimed by any kingdom where nomadic peoples wandered freely. There were no laws, no rules. Albel had his tribe to depend on for protection from the lawlessness. But Fayt had nobody. Albel was thoroughly frustrated with him and likely to leave him in the middle of the desert. What he really ought to do was part ways with Albel before they crossed over the border. But first, they needed to put more distance between them and the castle. Fayt was also running from the law and any town close to the royal city would be sure to turn him over. Deep in the southern region he could be safe. They were too far away from the castle to hear about his treasonous flight.

Fayt had a lot of thinking to do as he lay down to sleep in his makeshift bed. He didn't know when he would leave Albel, but he would know when the time was right.