AATS
Chapter 32
You?
We wast time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.
-Tom Robbins
XXXXXX
Little lemons
XXXXXX
Jr. awoke caged in limbs. His mind was slow catching up to him and for a moment he couldn't remember where he was or how he had gotten there. His eyes opened up onto the ceiling of the Durandal. Some time during the night Jr. had rolled onto this back and, unwilling to be separated from him, Albedo had wrapped one arm across his middle and snaked the other under his neck, sliding his fingers under Jr.'s hair. He felt Albedo's breath on his neck. He was still asleep. It was strange to Jr. that Albedo slept. That he did human things. He wasn't sure he'd ever truly believe it.
Jr. tried to think of ways out of his cage without waking him up. The idea seemed impossible and perhaps that was the point of wrapping his body around him like this.
Jr. tried turning his head. When Albedo didn't wake, he tried turning on his side, facing him. Albedo's face scrunched slightly. He puffed, annoyed, and removed his arm from around Jr.'s waist but he didn't wake up. Jr. began to delicately navigate his way from under the blanket. Jr. was successful until Albedo's other arm caught him and pulled him back down against his chest.
"Rubedo," Albedo sighed, his voice thick with sleep. "So eager to leave me."
His free hand found Jr., fingers sliding under his boxers to curl around his hip.
"Hey, hey!" Jr. shouted, squirming away from the touch.
Albedo's fingers fell away. Jr. felt his grin before he saw it. Albedo's eyes were soft, sleepy, with the playful glow from the night before still present.
"I can't stay in bed with you all day."
"Au contraire," Albedo said. "In fact, Nigredo insists upon it."
"Listen, I don't know where you get your information but I don't listen to him very often. Dream version or otherwise."
Albedo allowed Jr. to pull away from him but then thought better of it and tried to pull him back down.
"I thought he was clingy," Jr. grumbled, smacking Albedo's away. Jr. looked over at the clock on his nightstand and was surprised to find that it was almost ten o'clock.
I'm extremely late. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept in so late. He moved off of the bed in search of clothes. Albedo let him go, eyes following his every movement. He didn't say anything as Jr. walked into the closet and came out dressed and ready to leave him.
Jr. paused before leaving, remembering his guns.
"Albedo..." Jr. said, as he found them. "What are you trying to do?"
Albedo hadn't moved, had only turned enough in the bed to watch Jr. as he moved around the room.
"I don't understand any of this."
"You will," Albedo said with a simple shrug. His response exhausted Jr. He slid his guns into their holsters and sighed.
"You wanna do it this way then fine. Just tell me, really, are you going to hurt anyone here? Is this all one giant lead up to an inevitable fight? If it is, don't drag this out. Let's get it over with."
Albedo sat up then, a frown pulling at his lips. He opened his mouth but thought better of it. He paused, tried again and again stopped, as if struggling with his words. Jr. watched him intently, waiting for whatever Albedo was trying to say.
"I...am...trying..."Albedo said finally, and with great effort. Their eyes met and Jr. could see his struggle fully then. The urge to reach out to him was tempting but he felt Albedo at the end of their link, waiting, and Jr. knew that Albedo would push him out if he tried to dig deeper.
"I will tell you what I am able, when I am able but I am not here to hurt you."
"Then...why are you here?"
Albedo dropped Jr.'s gaze.
"For you, Rubedo."
I don't need you, Jr. thought. It was sudden, venomous and utterly unfair. He instantly regretted it, was grateful that Albedo hadn't felt it. He ate it up along with the feelings that tried to surface behind it. He'd been searching for Albedo for so long and now that he'd found him his first reactions were to push him away. It was automatic, a reflex, totally out of his control.
Jr. turned away from him. He knew it was a dream, that there was no real escaping Albedo and there was no real work to be done but he couldn't stay with him in that room any longer. It was all too confusing. He couldn't unravel the mystery here with Albedo as a distraction.
"I'm late," Jr. said, walking to the door.
He felt Albedo watching him. He was always watching him. It was unsettling, and made Jr.'s steps faster. The door slid open and Jr. stepped through it. He felt Albedo pulling gently on their link, unwilling to let him go. Jr. tried to ignore it as he made it out of the room and into the hallway. He refused to look back but he held on to their link, kept it open as he worked to create as much distance as possible between them.
Jr. understood that he wasn't really Gaignun but Albedo had done an excellent job of making him exactly like the real thing. Jr. wanted to see how far he could push him. Gaignun was standing by the window, looking out onto the Foundation, when Jr. arrived. He turned at his entrance as Jr. strode straight to his chair. He plopped down, propped his feet up on Gaignun's desk, bent his arms behind his head.
"So," Jr. said, with an air of complete nonchalance, "How long have Roland and I been 'loud'?"
He heard Gaignun choke on something, probably coffee. His quick footsteps were muted against the carpet as he came around his desk. Concern was plastered on his face again.
"Don't tell me that you've forgotten."
Jr. shrugged, "Maybe my memory just needs a jumpstart."
Gaignun frowned, unsure of Jr.'s joking tone.
"Look, I got the rest you've been hounding me about so I think the least you can do is answer my question."
"I'm not going into the sordid details of your love life this early in the morning."
Gaignun sat the cup in his hand down onto the desk in front of Jr. Coffee, Jr. had guessed right.
"Come on, Gaignun."
Jr. pulled the chair up, placed an elbow on Gaignun's desk, propping up his cheek.
"Looks like you got plenty of sleep, so what's the real reason you won't tell me?"
"Is it enough to say that I've had my fill of the two of you writhing around in my head? I don't want to have to relive it."
Jr. slammed his hand down onto the desk. Gaignun raised an eyebrow at the action.
"You don't get to do this. You don't get to order me around, act concerned and then deny me answers."
Gaignun paused, sighed and walked over to the pool table, leaning against a corner of it.
"You're serious, then?" He asked, crossing his arms.
Jr. nodded.
"Last night must have been very awkward."
"Oh you have no idea," Jr. answered, flopping back into Gaignun's desk chair. He waved for Gaignun to continue.
"Well, let's see..."
Gaignun leaned farther back, rubbing his chin as he thought. Jr. wondered if Albedo had already implanted the answer or if he was manipulating Gaignun now, feeding him a response. Albedo knew that Jr. wasn't falling for his delusion and when Gaignun finally answered Jr. decided it had been pre programmed, that Albedo had expected this question.
"Since we were sixteen? Or maybe seventeen? Honestly, I have a hard time remembering when the two of you were quiet."
Jr. whistled. "That's a while."
"You were expecting a shorter amount of time?"
"I don't really know what I was expecting."
Jr. pushed out of Gaignun's chair and came around his desk.
"I sure as hell wasn't expecting any of this. I'm not really sure what to do about it either."
"You're not..." Gaignun stopped.
"I'm not what?" Jr. asked, picking up Gaignun's coffee cup and taking a long drink.
"In love with him?"
Jr. gave a short, curt, disbelieving laugh.
"You're kidding, right?"
He almost dropped the cup. "Who would be? Would you? After all the shit he's done to..."
He trailed off, remembering that in this dreamworld none of the awful things Albedo had done had happened. This Gaignun had no idea what Jr. was talking about. Albedo had never attacked him on Miltia. He hadn't attacked them with the Song of Nephilim or summoned Abel's Ark.
Jr. looked down into Gaignun's cup, his frowning face reflected back up at him. This Albedo was the real one. He'd remember all of it, including the nightmares. He would remember the Alviss.
He would remember the blood, the visor, and the way Jr. strained up to find the face behind the helmet. Albedo had said he would tell him what he could. In his dark reflection he saw the shapeshifter, wearing his face, a teasing smile on his lips.
But hey, nobody said that I couldn't pay you a visit.
"What do you think he's done to you?" Gaignun asked curiously, cautiously. He walked away from the pool table, closer to Jr. "Maybe things weren't so quiet last night after all?"
"No," Jr. said quickly, placing the cup back on Gaignun's desk. "Nothing like that."
He tapped his fingers against the cup, deep in thought. He felt Gaignun's worry like a miasma.
"Sorry," Jr. said, eyes on the ground. "I think I need to find Roland. We've got a few things to work out."
There was a tug on his link and he turned back to Gaignun, slightly surprised at how real the connection felt.
"If you're in trouble, you know you can always come to me."
Jr. paused, remembering their last real conversation and how tightly he had locked down their connection.
"Yeah," Jr. said with a stiff smile. "I know. Same to you."
Albedo was on the bridge when Jr. found him. He was talking to Mary and although Jr. found the sight strange and more than slightly worrying, Mary didn't seem to be in distress. In fact, she was laughing.
"Ya can't act like that, Master Roland. The Little Master will-There ya are, Little Master."
"How can't he act?" Jr. asked, eyeing Albedo suspiciously. He stepped between the two of them, taking a protective stance in front of Mary. Albedo smiled down at him and took a couple of small steps back to give him his desired space.
"What's gotten you in such a sour mood, Little Master?" Mary asked, hands on her hips.
"Nothing," Jr. responded, eyes locked with Albedo's. "Just want to make sure that Roland's behaving."
"I think you're the one actin' out of sorts."
"What have I done to cause such distemper?" Albedo asked, his voice a purr that rippled through Jr.
"Not what you've done. It's what you might do."
"We can't be judged on the things we have yet to do, Little Master," Shelley's smooth, quiet voice didn't do much to quell his temper.
"Roland was just apologizin' for missin' out on supper last night. You don't have to give him such a hard time about everythin'."
"That so?"
"Yes. Look, he even brought some pastries to apologize."
Mary tried to direct Jr.'s attention away from Albedo to the box she had set on the console but Jr. refused to look away. With a frustrated groan she lifted the box and came to stand between the two of them.
"Look," she said, with a huff. "It's even from your favorite bakery."
Jr. tore his threatening blue gaze away from Albedo long enough to read the Smiley Bakery logo on the white box. He softened slightly, surprised that Albedo would know such a small detail.
"He brought treats for Alby, too," Shelley added, coming from her seat to take something from the box. Alby. "But I believe he's run off again."
"The 100-series, right?" Mary said, opening the box for her sister. "He always pouts when Master Roland's home. So jealous."
Albedo hadn't erased Alby, knew that he often pouted when Jr. managed to upset him. Mary and Shelley continued to talk but their voices were dulled by his thoughts.
I've been watching you for so long, it's almost like meeting a celebrity.
He's been watching me, Jr. thought. He and that shapeshifter.
"You got somethin' on your face, Master Roland."
Jr. looked up, pulled out of his thoughts by Albedo's alias.
"Do I?"
"Yep, right here," Mary said cheerfully, tapping the right corner of her mouth. "Don't commit crimes if you're not even gonna hide the evidence."
"No truer words were ever spoken," Albedo said, watching her walk back to the console with her gift.
Albedo turned back and when he met Jr.'s eyes again, he smiled.
You want something from me? Albedo sent. He slid his tongue along his upper lip to the right side of his mouth, swiping up the white frosting sitting in the corner of it. His eyes sparkled, a mischievous grin stretching across his face.
Mon Rubedo?
The office. Jr. sent back, furiously. Now.
"It was you on the Alviss, wasn't it?" Jr. shouted as soon as the door was shut behind them.
The fury of his earlier thoughts had died down somewhat but there was still an edge to his voice, a bubbling threat ready to boil over as soon as Albedo pressed the right button.
"The Alviss?"
"The Alviss!" Jr. shouted his anger rising, spinning around on him. "The soldier. That was you, wasn't it?"
For the first time since his nightmares had begun Albedo fell silent. Completely silent.
"The soldier who saved me. You were controlling her somehow, weren't you?"
Albedo wouldn't answer and when Jr. felt for their link Albedo had walls up to keep him out.
"And there was this guy, or at least, I think he was a guy," Jr. said, turning away from Albedo to the couch in the sitting area. "He healed me, after you ripped me open."
Albedo flinched but Jr. ignored him.
"You know him, don't you?"
Jr. paced around the sitting area, looking up at Albedo every few seconds.
"Did you send him to me?"
Jr. stopped in the middle of his pacing and slid his hands into his pockets. He turned back to Albedo.
"How long have you been watching me?"
"It would be easier, Rubedo, to name the years I haven't."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Albedo came alive then, suddenly freed from whatever had been silencing him. He moved like a snake, every muscle in his body loose.
"It means," He said, as he sauntered ever closer. "That I have watched you every second that I have been given."
"That's the creepiest thing anyone's ever said to me," Jr. replied.
"Yet not untrue."
Albedo had reached him but Jr. didn't falter. He stared up at him, eyebrows knit, angry frown on his lips. Albedo adored the sight of him, devoured it. Jr. could see the excitement. His frown deepened.
"I have-"
"Longed for me, I get it. That's not gonna cut it, Roland."
He took his hands out of his pockets and threw his arms out wide in frustration.
"I want details, dates. There are things I want to know. Things I need to know. Like why...why did you protect us?"
Albedo's face pulled in slight confusion. Jr. dropped his arms.
"Back when you worked for U-TIC. The data that I pulled from Pleroma. You encrypted anything they had on us, didn't you?"
The confusion on his face disappeared, replaced by caution. Jr. could feel his thoughts swarming at the end of their link.
"That information could have destroyed us. Bowed us, broken us. You could have used it to make us do whatever you wanted. You could have taken us hostage. Gotten revenge for-"
"That is not the way I wanted to return, Rubedo."
"Hah," Jr. laughed, a hateful, spiteful thing. He crossed his arms. "No, instead you attacked us with the Song. You violated MOMO. You summoned the lite-"
"And you ended me for those things, yes?"
Albedo's shadow covered him as he leaned over him, tilted Jr.'s chin upward to stare up at him.
"I thank you, Rubedo," he said, his voice soft and heavy. "And yet I find myself eternally cursed, seeking your presence, desperate for even the chance that you might think of me."
"Did I actually kill you?" Jr. asked, searching Albedo's face, hoping to find the reason for his caution.
"Did you mourn me?"
Albedo's fingers moved to cradle his face the way they had the night before.
"You can't answer my question with another question," Jr. growled, twisting out of Albedo's grasp.
"If I didn't kill you, or if I almost did and you managed to survive then why the games? You created this...dreamworld, right? So I assume that this is how you want things to be."
Jr. pressed both hands to his chest.
"I can make this happen. Tell me where you really are. Why are you always hiding from me?"
Albedo starightened up but he was as silent as he had been before, as if he'd swallowed his own tongue. It wouldn't have surprised Jr. if he had. Jr. ran frustrated fingers through his hair.
"I did," he said. His eyes fell away from Albedo's. "I can't begin to explain it. You've always been my greatest mistake, my biggest regret. You'd think I'd feel relieved that you were finally gone. That I wouldn't have to think about you anymore."
Jr. took a few steps back, couldn't stand to be so close to Albedo. He felt naked and raw. Albedo stood quiet, listening intently to every word that poured out of Jr. He couldn't stop them. They flowed out of him, the way they had during the last nightmare when he'd had Albedo pinned and defeated.
"Because I have thought about you. How I left you there. How every miserable thing that's ever happened to you is my fault. Every. Day. I think about you every single day. It's a struggle not to think about you and now that you've been messing with me you're all I think about."
Jr.'s hands dropped from his hair and slid back into his pockets. He still couldn't face Albedo. He felt shaky. A slight headache was growing at his temples. He rubbed one absently.
"Where are you? How do I find you? How can I fix this? Are you even alive?"
Jr. felt Albedo's link relax a little at the question, a silent reassurance.
"And you know, I never wanted to kill you. I want this as badly as you do. I was trying to bring you home."
"That is not what I wanted."
"But you do now?" Jr. asked, and when he finally raised his eyes to Albedo they were full of distrust, of shadows and nightmares. "Why?"
"You think me a villain," Albedo said, reading the sharp emotions behind Jr.'s furious blue eyes.
"Aren't you?"
"Misunderstood," Albedo said with a slight shrug.
Jr.'s shaking was visible now. He wasn't sure which emotion was causing it. He felt it all, overflowing, filling him up. Albedo's hands were on him again, Jr.'s flashed for his guns.
"If you touch me-"
His threat died on Albedo's lips. He swallowed Jr.'s protests and Jr. learned, through the haze of his confusing emotions, that Albedo's tongue was still intact. Jr. released the hold on his guns and wrapped his arms around Albedo's neck. It felt like a trap, like Albedo was purposely working Jr. over until he was too desperate to resist. Albedo's lips weren't going to answer any of his questions but they were overwhelmingly adept at distracting him. Jr. couldn't understand why he melted under his touch. Why his body reacted to willingly to anything Albedo asked of it and why Jr. had to fight so hard against every screaming urge demanding more.
"Tempest in a teacup," Albedo whispered against his lips as he pulled away.
He picked Jr. up and placed him on his back on the couch. He towered over him and Jr. was able to tame his wayward thoughts long enough to ask, "Why do you want me so badly?"
It was Albedo's turn to look confused. The expression was so genuine that it almost made Jr. laugh.
"Like this," Jr. said, through thick, heavy breaths. He motioned up and down his body. "You have eyes, right? I'm...not exactly what you would call full-bodied. Unless you've got some other dark fetishes I'd rather not know about."
Albedo's expression softened instantly. He leaned down to whisper against Jr.'s earring.
"I worship whatever body you inhabit."
His breath sent a chill through Jr. Albedo's hand ran under Jr.'s shirt.
"I want the beast inside of you. I want to be the beast inside of you."
Jr.'s heart pounded under Albedo's fingers. The couch wasn't wide enough for the position they were in so Albedo grabbed Jr. up and seated him in his lap.
"Wait, Albedo..." Jr. said, but his mouth kept finding Albedo's. His fingers were in his hair, just as Albedo's were under his shirt, against his skin. "I haven't..."
Albedo chuckled against his mouth.
"Pure Rubedo. I already know. I'm always watching you."
One of his hands left Jr.'s shirt to help him out of his jacket. Jr. went along with the motion mindlessly but once the jacket was gone and his arms were bare clarity tried to set in.
"Relax, Rubedo," Albedo said against his throat. "I'm good at what I do."
"That so?" Jr. said through nervous laughter. "You've had a lot of practice then? I'm sleeping with a whore?"
Albedo laughed, "Training. And if I have been training for you, then you have been waiting for me."
XXXXXX
Albedo's hands were on his hips, sliding along the line of his holster. The click of the buckle registered dimly in Jr.'s ears.
"Albedo," Jr. said, the hesitance in his voice slowed Albedo's movements but didn't stop them. He'd already begun to remove Jr.'s holster. Jr. felt the weight disappear as Albedo pulled it away from his waist. It made a hard thunk against the ground and clarity attempted to find Jr. once more, reminding him exactly what had happened the last time he'd let his guard down.
"Rubedo," Albedo responded. His voice was deep, dark and sent several sharp electrical shocks down Jr.'s spine and he almost lost the thought completely.
"I can't do this...at least not..."
"Just a little, then," Albedo replied heavily against Jr.'s mouth. "Just enough to break you in."
He's controlling me, Jr. thought as Albedo's fingers found his belt buckle and then moved on to unbutton his pants, to slide down his zipper. He'd built this dreamscape. He controlled everything here. It was possible. The hand on Jr.'s back slid lower, causing him to arch into Albedo's hold, gasp against his mouth. Albedo grinned against his lips. Jr.'s fingers remained tangled helplessly in Albedo's white hair. Jr. pulled away from his mouth.
"You're not gonna tear me apart like the last time?"
His voice came out quieter, weaker than he'd intended. Albedo's eyes were half-lidded and dark, their gaze endless and all absorbing. Jr. felt as if he were falling into them or perhaps that they were wrapping around him, consuming him.
"In so many words," He replied, slipping his hand inside the front of Jr.'s pants.
Jr.'s fingers curled tighter into Albedo's hair. The hand on his back slid Jr. closer until his knees were squeezing Albedo's waist.
"Now what was it that you would do, if I were touch you, Rubedo?"
Jr. was shaking with anticipation. Any response he might have offered stuck effectively in his throat as Albedo's warm hand found Jr.'s erection and wrapped around it.
Jr. had never been touched so intimately before. Hugs and quick kisses on the cheek were the most he'd ever experienced. Sometimes, on nights when Gaignun was home, he'd get quick, uncontrolled leaks from that end of their spiritual link but he would always block them fast, eager to give his brother privacy. Albedo knew this, savored the sight of his Rubedo collapsing completely in his hold, quivering in his grasp. Albedo was to be his first in every physical way he could possibly manage.
Jr.'s legs tightened against Albedo's sides. The hands in his hair fell to his shoulders, fingers digging into his suit. Jr. dropped his head, eyes shut tight against movement of Albedo's hand. Albedo didn't like that, wanted to see his eyes, wanted to watch every little flicker of pleasure twist his features. The hand on Jr.'s back moved to his hair. Albedo pulled his head back so that 't hide from him. When he saw him - blue eyes darkened with lust, wet, slightly bruised lips - Albedo almost lost control.
Albedo ran his thumb over the head of Jr.'s erection. His face scrunched up and a high-pitched moan escaped him. Albedo growled and captured his mouth, needed more contact or he would lose it. He would slam Jr. down onto any surface and take him, fully, right then and there if he didn't find a way to calm down.
Jr. moaned into his mouth, rolled his hips against Albedo's actions. The feeling was overwhelming, threatened to collapse every joint in his body. His earlier warning thoughts had been completely lost. He couldn't form any real thoughts. They tried to form, only to be lost with every movement Albedo made. Jr. was consumed by the rhythm of his skin and its slowly increasing speed, pushing him further and further toward the edge until he was there, dangling from it.
"Rubedo," Albedo moaned.
He was acutely aware of the way Albedo was staring at him but he couldn't look away. Albedo's grip on him was too firm. He was trapped but he didn't care. Albedo had turned him into a creature of want. He rolled his hips harder, beckoned Albedo to give him more.
It was over too fast for Albedo but to Jr. it felt like a lifetime. When he finally came it was with a violent shudder and a deep moan that was quickly swallowed up by Albedo. He collapsed in Albedo's hold, completely spent. Albedo caught him, held him still for a moment as he tried to calm down. The two of them sat, both breathing heavily, each waiting for the other to say or do something.
Finally, after his skin had begun to cool and his breathing normalized, Jr. said, "That...that didn't answer any of my questions."
Albedo laughed, completely delighted. He pulled Jr. up to him, holding him in a tight, loving embrace, uncaring of the sticky mess Jr. had made of the both of them.
"It answered mine."
It had been hard to watch Gaignun grow, to see how differently people treated him, fawned over him, wanted him. Jr. had grown used it to after all while, allowed it to roll off his back. Though sometimes he could still feel that old jealousy rearing up, like an old demon he couldn't shake.
He remembered the last time he'd felt that kind of jealousy was during his first nightmare, when he'd met the pretty Realian nurse.
But that had been Albedo.
Albedo. Albedo. Albedo.
It had been hours since he'd left Albedo but Jr. could still feel him on his skin. Albedo's voice still hummed in his ears, sweet and seductive.
Jr. hid his face on his desk. His whole body tingled at the thought of him now and it was distracting as hell. He wasn't here to get his rocks off with his deranged, resurrected brother.
Or maybe that was why he was here. Albedo had gotten tired of tormenting Jr. one way, now he was trying something new, shaking things up. Well at least Jr. was getting something out of it this time.
"What's gotten into you, Lil' Master?" Mary said, patting him on the shoulder.
Jr. jumped at her touch. She pulled away, the set of her lips suggesting she was completely suspicious of him.
"You've been acting strange all day. First ya go and attack Master Roland this mornin'. Then ya tell me ya got some work to do in here and come all the way over to this empty console and do...well, nothin'. Now if you don't tell me what's goin' on I'll ask Master Roland and he"ll-"
"Nothing's going on, Mary," Jr. reassured, holding both hands up in defeat. "It's just taking a little while for me to get back into the flow of things."
"Well then why aren't 'cha in your office with Master Roland?"
"He's distracting. I can't get anything done."
Her lips curled into a devious smile.
"Oh, I see," she said, her voice playful and teasing. "Master Roland's what's gotten into you, huh?"
Jr. couldn't stop the heat rushing to his face. Mary giggled, ecstatic.
"Master Gaignun told me things had been a little awkward. Glad to see things are gettin' back to normal."
"Mary," Shelley hissed, grabbing her sister by the arm. "That's completely inappropriate."
"Oh Shelley, lighten up," she said, trying to pull her arm out of her grasp. "We're just havin' a little fun."
Jr. was not having fun. He had never been so embarrassed about anything in his entire life. The fact that it was a dream didn't help. He couldn't even come up with a clever response.
"I'm sorry, Little Master," Mary said, withering under her sister's hard gaze. "I'm so relieved. You're just not yourself when the two of you are fighting."
She winked at him. "Or well, actually fighting, anyway."
"Come on, Mary. Leave him alone."
"Nah, it's ok. I was about to leave anyway."
"Mary, look what you've done."
"No, no," Jr. said, laughing. "It's nothing she said. It's just getting late and I am running behind. It would be better if I worked from my own console. What's the point of an office if you don't use it?"
He stood up and moved around his seat.
"Little Master, we would really prefer that you rest. We don't expect you to be back so soon. At least not at full capacity."
Jr. waved her away.
"It's fine, Shelley, really. If you promise to stop giving Mary a hard time I'll call it early. I obviously can't concentrate enough to get anything done today anyway."
Shelley sighed and released her sister.
"Alright, LIttle Master," she said. She shot her sister a warning look before turning away from the two of them and returning to the console.
"Thanks, LIttle Master," Mary said, giving him another wink.
Jr. shook his head, feeling a little more like himself as he headed toward the elevator.
Albedo found him in the Durandal's park, stretched out on one of the benches. Jr.'s eyes were closed but he opened one when Albedo grew close.
"The girls tell you where I was?"
"They gave me a few guesses."
Something heavy hit his stomach and Jr. sat up, curling around it. It was his holster with both guns inside. Jr. fiddled with it, embarrassed that he had left it behind. This whole day had been one big embarrassment.
"I guess I did leave in a hurry."
What an understatement. Jr. had practically vanished afterward. He scooted over, inviting Albedo to sit beside him. He kept his eyes down but he could feel Albedo's warmth through their link. Jr. stood up and fastened his holster around his hips. The two of them sat in silence for a while. Jr., tried to compose himself. What was the etiquette for something like this? Albedo waited patiently, leaning back against the bench, smiling lazily at the boy beside him.
"I haven't been in here in a while," Jr. finally said, deciding that there were no proper rules for dealing with Albedo. "I don't think I've been in here since...since before I went to meet you at Abel's Ark."
He nodded toward the fountain.
"I remember sitting over there, while you called to me, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do."
The memory of it was suddenly so vivid. It was almost like he was sitting there again, staring out into space, trying to find Albedo in the black expanse, hoping that he wouldn't, knowing what he would have to do when he did.
"I really thought we were going to settle things. Now look at us. What a waste of time that was."
"Sorry to disappoint," Albedo said. He said it with that same lazy smile on his lips. "We could always try again."
Jr. laughed, turning to look at Albedo. "Please. We've been beating the hell out of each other for months and for what? So you could-"
Jr. wished he could learn to control the rising heat inside of him. He turned back around. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.
"So, you won't answer any of my earlier questions?" He asked before Albedo could think of something sly to say about his last comment. When he was silent, Jr. nodded.
"Yeah, thought so. Ok then, that's fine. Can I ask you about before the nightmares?"
The environmental bugs had activated. They came floating out of their hiding places, lighting up the darkness like blinking yellow fairies flitting from one spot to the next. Albedo seemed interested in them. One landed on his sleeve and he picked it up, letting it crawl over his fingers.
"You said that it would be easier to count the years that you hadn't watched me. Was that your job at U-TIC?"
"No," Albedo said and the fact that it was a real answer surprised him. He sat up a little, watching Albedo play with the nanomachine. "I wished to know all I could about you, about Nigredo. It was an obsession, to know your life. You had shut me out and the silence alone was maddening. I had to find ways to dilute the disquiet."
Jr. tried not to feel, to let any emotions take root. He stored the information away. He had more questions. He could dissect the answers later. He needed to keep Albedo talking.
"How well do you know the Foundation, then? Did you come here often without me knowing?"
Here Albedo smiled, a secret on his lips. He brought the bug close to his face to better inspect it.
"Without you knowing, yes. Every chance afforded me. But your dreadnought...was always off limits."
The bug flitted away from Albedo and he dropped his arm.
"A world of beauty, your little battleship. You never were lacking in style, little showman."
"Little?" Jr. said, slightly offended. "At least it's navigable. The layout of Ormus ships give me nightmares. Real nightmares."
"You've infiltrated enough to appreciate their deception."
"Maybe," Jr. grumbled. "But no one's been able to invade the Durandal. True power trumps deception."
Albedo looked away from the fireflies, bringing his purple gaze onto Jr.'s bent form. Jr. swallowed his embarrassment.
"I'll admit, I'm a little surprised."
Jr. turned sideways on the bench, throwing one arm over the back and drawing up one knee.
"You said you'd been 'training' for me. We're all clones so I assume you'd have the same charm that Gaignun has but I have to ask...what kind of person takes a madman for their lover?"
"You have, haven't you?"
Jr. couldn't stop the redness from creeping up on him this time. Albedo laughed, long and victorious.
"Sweet Rubedo, they were nothing. Poor imitations possessing small pieces of you. Inferior, cheapened pieces of you."
He drew closer to Jr.
"Mere experiments. Whetstones to sharpen these blossoming skills upon."
"Is that...what we are?" Jr. asked. His eyes had left Albedo's and had landed on his red tie. He'd changed suits since their rendezvous in their office. Clean and pressed, it fit him like a second skin.
"If you wish it."
"I don't know what I want. I don't know what to think."
Albedo's left hand slid along the back of the bench until he found Jr.'s.
"I'm...so glad that you're alive. But even in my wildest thoughts of bringing you home I never pictured this. I had no idea that you...wanted me like this. I've even thought that you hated me. That you were haunting me for all of the things I had done to you."
"I needed your hatred. I will feed off of any of your most powerful emotions until I am drunk in them, in that power and grateful to drown in them."
His other hand was on Jr.'s knee, sliding up his thigh.
"But you fed me silence and how horrifyingly hopeless I was, yearning for the very being who hated me more than my enemies."
"I didn't hate you!" Jr. shouted. "I mean, I don't hate you. I never hated you. I just..."
Jr. banged a first against his leg in frustration.
"I was a kid, Albedo. What else was I supposed to do? I couldn't just let Gaignun bleed out and you...how was I supposed to bring both of you back? It was impossible to save you both. I almost didn't save him. We were lucky to make it out alive. If chaos hadn't shown up you would have been the only one to survive."
The hand on Jr.'s leg froze, the thought momentarily paralyzing Albedo.
"I had no idea how to find you either. No. The truth is...I didn't want to find you."
Jr. tugged on their link. Albedo tugged back.
"I didn't even want to check in the beginning. I couldn't have handled it if you had died because of my cowardice."
He gave a curt little laugh and gathered the courage to look up at Albedo.
"And then there you were in the end, begging for it. And here you are now, tearing me down in every way you can possibly think of. I don't know what to do. Our connection tells me that this is you but you can't answer my questions so how do I know this is the real you? That this is the Albedo I will get when I finally find you a way to bring you home?"
Jr. sat up on his knees, squeezing the hand grasping his.
"I don't care which version I get. I just want to know so I can brace myself. And I want you to know..."
Albedo seemed taken aback by Jr.'s sincerity. Jr. leaned up, a little nervous, a little unsure and placed uncertain lips against Albedo's.
"That I will bring you home," Jr. said, pulling back. "No matter what."
Albedo pulled Jr. closer for a better, deeper kiss. Jr. felt as if they'd been kissing all day. He really hadn't done anything else. He couldn't even remember eating. Did he need to eat? How long had he been here? What about his body back at the beach house? Would Albedo let him rot to keep him here? If Jr. were to ask him any of these questions would he give him real answers?
Did any of it really matter?
"Slow down," Jr. gasped. Albedo's lips had moved to his neck. His hands were already tracing familiar territory. "We can't do this here anyway. We'll get caught."
"And what if we do? Little showman."
"Albedo."
Jr. grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his body.
"You wanna get arrested? I can't imagine you in prison or in front of a council. When they realize what you are, you'd be lucky to get reconditioning."
"Who could contain me?" Albedo replied, as if the very idea was ridiculous. "None but you."
"It looks like even I can't," Jr. said with a grin.
He hopped off the bench and extended a hand to Albedo.
"Come on," he said. "We're doing this backward but we do everything backward."
Albedo remembered his first meeting with Wilhelm and the hazy, red Rubedo that had offered him its hand in the very same way. Albedo looked at Jr.'s hand, studied it, as if he was afraid to touch it. As if he was afraid it would dissolve the very same way it had before; a trick, a desperate illusion. Even after all of this, that fear still seized him.
"Where are we going, Rubedo?" Albedo asked as he hesitantly grabbed his hand and pulled himself off the bench. Jr. grinned and turned around, motioning for Albedo to follow.
"You say you've been all over the Foundation but there's a few places I can think of that I know you haven't seen yet."
Jr. looked over his shoulder to make sure Albedo was still following him.
"Consider it a date."
Being with Albedo was surprisingly easy. Jr. wasn't sure what he had been expecting but it definitely hadn't been the charming, handsome, sly man gliding in and out of shops and smooth talking anyone he was "introduced" to. It seemed to Jr. that the people of the Foundation, even in this dreamworld, didn't get the chance to see Roland all that often. Then again, Gaignun didn't get the chance to stroll around the streets very often himself so he supposed it wasn't too unbelievable.
Albedo was handsome in his gray suit and red tie. Jr. found himself caught up in his bright purple eyes and easy, dangerous smiles. Jr. tried and failed multiple times not to be swept up in him but he had no one to blame but himself. He had called it a date, after all.
Albedo was completely relaxed, almost carefree and Jr. realized for the first time since he'd awoken in this dreamworld that Albedo's eyes were clear. The haze of U-DO that had always clung to him was gone. He was still unstable but he always had been. His eyes were always too wide and his smiles, even at their most innocent, were sharp and threatening. HIs movements were always slightly exaggerated, and inhumanely fluid. He had the allure of an exotic creature that drew one in only to feast upon them once it was too late to escape.
But when his attention was drawn back to Jr. those wild edges softened, as if reigned in by the sight of him. It was a neat little trick and it drew Jr. in, against his better judgement. When they sat down to eat and Albedo ran his tongue over his lips again Jr.'s reaction wasn't one of anger.
It was getting dark and Jr. had decided that there was still one place that Albedo needed to see.
Twilight was heavy on the Foundation. The beach was awash in dark purples and burning red clouds that stretched out into softer pinks, speckled through with stars and flickering lights from the Foundation's buildings.
"So, what do you think?" Jr. asked, walking to the water's edge. He shoved his hands into his back pockets and leaned back. "Don't tell me that you've come here too without me knowing."
"Well," he said, turning back to look at Albedo. "At least not in person, anyway. Hah, I guess it's still technically not in person."
Albedo had stopped a few feet behind Jr. His suit was like a canvas, soaking up all of the colors reflected off the water. The dangerous, seductive air around him had dissolved, replaced by a sudden and calm quiet.
"I haven't..." he said, staring pensively down at the dark purple waters. "It wasn't complete the last time."
"It took a little while," Jr. admitted, following Albedo's gaze out over the water. "I wanted it to be perfect. I wouldn't even let Gaignun see it before it was finished. I made him wait until I could bring him, when it was finally complete. Drove him nuts."
"You wanted to be the one to bring him. The way you had promised."
Jr.'s eyes jerked away from the ocean and found Albedo staring down at him. The calm quiet was opening up, swirling into a storm.
"You think you know me?" Jr. challenged, a playful smirk on his lips.
"Better than you know yourself," Albedo whispered, bending lower over him.
Jr. laughed, a dry ghostly sound. He almost believed him.
"I promised you, too. So you should have been expecting this."
His words were breathed against Albedo's lips. Jr. remained impressed with the way Albedo was able to twist his body down to his level. It was almost seemed practiced. Maybe it was. He never seemed uncomfortable. He was always more than happy to do whatever he needed to reach Jr.
"Did you ever think of me, Rubedo? Looking out from your dreadnought? Out here with your family? Your haunted thoughts?"
"Haunted. If that's not the most perfect word."
Albedo's hands were on his shoulders. He flicked gently at Jr.'s earring, eyes still stormy.
"I've always wondered what you would think of it."
He placed his hands over Albedo's and leaned up a little.
"Now that you're here you aren't even enjoying it."
"Oh I intend to," Albedo replied, sliding his hands to the sides of Jr.'s face. "To have waited for so long..."
Albedo leaned down fully then. Jr. closed his eyes and smiled against his lips.
"Save the best for last."
XXXXXX
Albedo tore through the beach house, the storm finally released. He carried Jr. inside, past the living room, through the kitchen and straight to the suite. Jr. clung to him desperately, fingers fumbling with his tie, popping open the buttons on his suit. Jr.'s holster and jacket were gone before he hit the bed. Albedo pulled away his loose tie and the suit jacket and climbed on top of him, capturing Jr.'s gasping lips. Jr.'s fingers began again, attacking the buttons on Albedo's white shirt. Albedo knocked Jr.'s hands way and ripped the shirt off himself, impatient and eager for Jr.'s touch. When he came back down, he pulled Jr. up and in one, swift motion, pulled his shirt over his head.
He laid Jr. back gently and followed him down.
"What are we doing?" Jr. asked. His hands found Albedo's shoulders, slid along his chest.
"What are you doing to me?"
Albedo chuckled into his neck.
"Only what you beg of me, Rubedo."
"I feel like..." Jr. gasped, shivering under Albedo's lips and hands. "Like I don't have a choice."
"Command me and I will stop," Albedo said, his breath misting against Jr.'s navel.
"That's not...not what I meant," Jr. responded.
Albedo leaned back onto his knees, brushed his hair away from his eyes and for the first time Jr. truly saw him. Albedo's body was immaculate. Every muscle was clearly defined and reinforced how strong he actually was. Jr. wondered if that was part of his appeal, the fact that he could crush you if his madness seized him. Even Jr., with all his power, wasn't immune to him. Albedo could destroy him, might still destroy him. The sight of him made Jr. feel small, scrawny and unattractive. Albedo had fed his body, had fed his power whatever it needed, whatever it wanted. Jr. had starved his, stunted it.
Albedo grinned down at him and it was too wide, too wild.
"What are these," Albedo asked, removing Jr.'s belt. Jr. moved his hips with the motion, mindlessly, lost in the mischievous sparkle of Albedo's eyes.
"These little insecurities?"
Jr.'s boots had been discarded somewhere. Albedo was tugging at his pants, sliding them off. Had Albedo heard his thoughts or had he guessed? Was it something someone could read on their lover?
Albedo laughed. He fell down over Jr., bracing himself on a forearm. His other arm snaked under Jr.'s waist, fingers playing at the waistband of his boxers.
"What must I do," Albedo asked, slipping those fingers under the waistband. He tugged and Jr. lifted his hips instinctively. "To prove my devotion, my red prince?"
He pulled them away. Jr. didn't have time to process his embarrassment. Albedo was on him, his mouth covering every inch of bare skin within his reach. Jr. clung uselessly to him, the same way he had that morning. It was all moving too fast and yet not fast enough. Jr. tried to compose himself but it was pointless, impossible.
Albedo pulled away from Jr. and stepped off the bed. For a small second Jr. wondered if he had done something wrong. Albedo grabbed his ankles and pulled him along the bed until Jr.'s knees were hanging off the edge. He started to sit up but Albedo was on his knees between his legs, pressing him back down with a gentle hand against his chest.
The bed wasn't that far off the ground and Albedo still towered over Jr., even on his knees. Jr. allowed Albedo to push him back down, questions on his lips and at their link. Albedo left them unanswered for the time being, leaning farther over him to capture his lips again. His movements were more coordinated now, no longer the swirling chaos that had swept them into the suite.
Albedo took his time, knew exactly where to place his fingers to make Jr. shiver and sweat. It was a slow build up. Jr.'s own fingers were clutched into the sheets or in Albedo's hair or digging into his shoulder. He moaned into Albedo's mouth as he slid expert hands down his hips and between his legs. Albedo's hand wrapped around Jr.'s half-erection. Jr. pulled away from Albedo's mouth and threw his head back against the bed. Albedo grinned into his neck, sliding his hand up and down Jr.'s length, adjusting his speed to the frequency of Jr.'s cries.
Albedo's mouth traveled down Jr.'s body, past his chest, down to his stomach, until Albedo was back on his knees, mouth on Jr.'s inner thigh.
"Albedo," Jr. said and it came out as a moan, sending sharp shivers under Albedo's skin. "What are you doing?"
Jr. felt him smile into his thigh. A thrill ran through him despite himself. Jr. felt awkward and exposed without Albedo's body covering him. He wanted his warmth, his shadow to cover the glare of the light, reminding him exactly how visible he was under Albedo's eyes. He considered turning the lights off, but knew that Albedo wouldn't allow it.
Albedo wanted to watch Jr. He wanted to experience every part of Jr. Albedo wasn't going to let him hide.
Jr. heard a small pop and before he could react, felt one of Albedo's fingers press against his entrance. He jumped slightly, unsure if he was ready for anything so...invasive.
Just enough to break you in.
Albedo's voice curled into his thoughts, choking away any protests. He removed his hand and spread Jr.'s legs a little wider, carefully massaging his entrance, watchful, half-lidded eyes constantly on Jr.'s slightly red skin. Skin that grew redder when Jr. noticed the intensity of his stare.
"You're..." Jr. said, through tight little gasps that threatened to drive Albedo wild. "You're playing with me."
"Mmm, of course."
Albedo's finger slid in a little deeper. Jr.'s breathing increased. Albedo leaned over him, planting a quick kiss on those irresistible lips.
"How else do you expect to learn?"
Albedo ran his free hand along Jr.'s hip as he settled back onto his haunches. He took Jr.'s throbbing erection into his hand and carefully leaned forward, taking the tip of it into his mouth.
Jr. jerked violently, his breath stuck in his chest. He lifted his hips involuntarily and Albedo took him deeper, smiling into his Rubedo's eagerness. Albedo played him like an instrument, his favorite instrument, one he'd been dying to get his hands on. He left Jr. panting, begging and out of his mind with want. He strained for Albedo even as he tried to shink away from him. It was always too much. Albedo would sneak long glances to him from between Jr.'s legs. And when their eyes would meet, Albedo's mouth wrapped around his member, his tongue playing at the head, Jr.'s legs thrown over his shoulders, he felt faint. Albedo's free hand slid under his back, desperate for their flesh to touch in any and every way possible. Jr. reached for him, fingers always in his hair, hips thrusting lightly up into his mouth and back down onto the fingers inside him. He came down on them hard and Albedo's exploring fingers found his prostate. Jr. gasped, every muscle in his body tightening around Albedo. Albedo moaned around Jr.'s erection. He pressed against the spot again and Jr. fell apart.
Albedo gave his shivering little lover everything his body was yearning for, reveling in every sound, every tightening muscle. It was a victory, the very proof he had sought. Jr.'s thrusting deepened, his cries sharpened. Albedo withdrew his fingers and cradled his Rubedo's hips, let him do whatever he wanted, whatever he needed until the fingers in his hair and the knees on either side of his neck were tightening to almost painful levels.
Jr. came into Albedo's mouth, falling limply against the bed in a quivering, boneless heap. Slight panic assailed Jr. and he began to sit up, to apologize, but Albedo only leaned back, a satisfied smile on his lips. For the third time that day Jr. watched him lick the corners of his mouth. This time it made him shiver.
Albedo climbed back onto the bed and Jr. realized that Albedo had never taken off his pants. He'd been too busy undressing Jr. He leaned over Jr., wrapped a strong hand around the back of his head and pulled him forward, kissing him deep, forcing to Jr. to taste himself on his tongue. Jr. didn't have the energy to think too hard about the taste. He fell willingly into Albedo's hold, even more exhausted than from their previous round.
"What about you?" Jr. asked as Albedo pulled away.
They couldn't be done. It didn't seem fair but Albedo only chuckled against his lips. He brought their foreheads together and sighed.
"I'll have my due, Rubedo. But for now..."
He laid Jr. back down, gently and pulled away. He turned off the light and finally pulled off his pants, crawling into bed beside him. Jr. followed him under the covers, didn't fight him when Albedo wrapped him in his arms, pulled him flush against his chest.
"This is insane," Jr. whispered in the dark. "What we just did was insane."
The disbelief in his voice was loud, tickled across Albedo's skin. He laughed and hugged Jr. closer.
"And yet you join me in it. Down the rabbit hole, delving deeper into this lunacy. Has it been worth it?"
Albedo rolled onto his back, pulling Jr. across his chest.
Jr. settled into a more comfortable position in the crook of Albedo's arm.
"It was one hell of a first date."
A/N: A little late but hopefully the length makes up for it. Little rusty with lemons but I hope I did well enough. Everyone please stay safe and healthy! I'll see you next time!