Under the Covers
Van walked down to the quarters of the Dragon Slayers. No one seemed to notice him. They did not look at his boldness or directness. He was prince. It was none of their business what he was doing, face covered in red blood and water.
Dilandau was in the middle of tackling a pile of paper work with Gatti.
The Dragon Slayer Lieutenant sprung to his feet as the prince entered. Van looked at him.
"You can go." Van said coolly, just that royal ice in his voice.
His eyes darted to Dilandau. Dilandau looked warily at his minion and brushed him off.
"You are dismissed, Gatti." Dilandau said absently, not realizing or caring Van ordered his soldier. Apparently he would rather have an interesting afternoon with the Fanelian prince than wade through paperwork. He never questioned anything that he thought as a gift that came his way. Beware of Greek's bearing gifts. His mother always said. Whatever a Greek was. Maybe it was a young Draconian warrior who liked to burn things.
Van waited until Gatti had left the room.
"Dilandau. I think it's time you took a break, and made love to me."
"What's all that bloody crap on your face?" Dilandau shirked back. You aren't bleeding are you?"
"It washes away. It just washes away." He smeared it against his nose. Dilandau wiped it off, but only smeared more of it on his faced, a streak of pink across pale white skin.
"It all washes away. Everything. It won't matter because one day I'll feel good again, and I'll forgive him. I'll forgive him, won't I?"
Dilandau pulled back a little, "Who?"
"I'll forgive them. Because I can't feel like this forever. Not here. Not with you. I fucking hate you Dilandau. How can I still hate them when you're holding me." Van held his arm "I've never felt anything like this. How can I feel anything else?" he brushed his cheek against his.
"Van, we can't do this now." Dilandau pulled his head away, "I think your brother dear would very quickly have my head on a pike as a trophy, if he heard from some soldier that you and I were…"
"It all washes away. Nothing stays the same."
"No no. One of the things Fanelia is good at is vengeance. I don't want to think about what he'd do to me for staining your honor."
"Probably just take your scalp." Van whispered into his hair, "That is what would happen if you raped his sister."
"Till tonight, Tenshi. Please a few more hours."
Van knelt on top of him staring deep into his eyes. His lips came close to his. Dilandau trembled as the lips fluttered next to his. Dark lashes like furwurm caterpillars, golden skin wafting into his nostrils.
"Then I will leave."
Poor Dilandau didn't stand a chance.
Dilandau gave him a bruising kiss. The emptiness Van's soul rippled in him, like a drop in a shallow pool. Just enough to feel the hole in him. He needed something to fill him for once. How could he live anymore if there was nothing inside? And if all Dilandau could do was suck him dry why did he come here?
He couldn't let him look at him. He had come to be filled and Dilandau could only take. He was a selfish vain bastard. Asshole horrible- Van cursed himself for this in every word he could remember.
Dilandau just kept kissing. Van was leading him into his bedroom, the small adjoining chamber next to his workspace. A captain would be afforded one suite to himself. Dilandau hadn't realized how silly that would be, until he had a barbarian prince shoving him towards the bedroom. Of course he could say the same thing about armor. He could have tossed Van over his shoulder like a barbarian and slammed him against the bed pounding his pretty little flesh into the sheets.
But they would have to get to the more serious and consider how to take off their armor by themselves.
Little whimpers rose from the back of Van's throat. Each cry was like a rose. A thing of red passionate beauty. There was nothing as lovely as this.
On the surface a rosebud was smooth and self-contained, but Dilandau could fondle the seams of the petals, softly and break it apart, into petals and fragrance and broken seeds. Still new, still not ready. It was hard to find his seams, but they always came open for him, leaving him relaxed and guilty. Dilandau worked his hands between the seams of the black armor.
"I'm not used to taking off my own armor." Dilandau said, "I have my men do it for me." He unfastened the prince's armor and it fell off. Dilandau slid it into the closet. Van stood exposed in his white shirt, fumbling with the snaps. He wasn't used to any armor at all.
"It's like peeling an orange." Van panted. Dilandau laughed as his fell off. He ripped at the frail tunic shirt underneath. He looked better in red anyway. He kissed his tightening throat.
"I will be gentle."
It was all part of their game. Dilandau would be as he always was and Van would pretend to hate it. Then there would come those heated grinds. Their hot passion digging into each other.
Dilandau only brushed the outside of his loincloth. He was hard from making out already. Van let him devour him with kisses, slowly the curses being drown out in his mind by oaths and exclamations. Though he could never voice them, between his pants.
Van is so sweet. He can't think of anything better than this, even just touching him, is better than anything. It wasn't just about the sex. It was the lack of silence. Silence so full and deep that only lies filled it, platitudes and exaggeration and threats and violence. If Van would never speak to him again, Dilandau would still love this time. He knew he was talking him too much. It was a waste of time, and made it too strange, too close. He didn't want Van inside of his head, to really know him.
Dilandau slid one kiss down his chest. His hooked his fingers around Van's buttocks, working his fingers into the cleft. Van squirmed towards Dilandau, against him, with his fingers defiling his private regions of his body. He smiled.
"Dilandau would you… kiss me?"
"Sure." He pecked his lips.
"No not there." Van panted "Not there. Lower."
Dilandau kissed his throat, and his chest, eager to find out how he could coax Van into deeper passion.
Van's hands caressed his hardening length. Dilandau looked at him suspiciously.
"I want to feel your mouth against my cock. You tongue is so-"
Dilandau stared at Van, "Is that what you want?"
"Yes. I want you to… please I'd do anything to feel that."
"Anything?"
"You kiss so well and I was just wondering…."
Dilandau looked at him strangely. "I wouldn't like that. Yuck."
Van laughed, "It's not for you."
Dilandau shook his head chuckling, "It's too gross."
Van glared at him "I know what I want Captain. Give it to me or I will leave you alone."
Dilandau looked as if he had slapped him. Van watched his eyes soften sadly. He was hurt by that.
"You wouldn't?" Dilandau scrunched his brow.
"Just do it. Don't think about it." Van looked at him hot, his breath shimmering out of him bending in the heat of his gaze, like the way light ripples around a fire, changing the world.
Dilandau lowered his head in a bow "As my Prince commands."
Dilandau kissed under his navel. Van gasped a little, before his lungs before really working. In the sensitive part of his stomach, he laughed lightly. He couldn't begin to understand why he liked this. Dilandau would probably just bite it. But Van was beginning to care less and less.
The tip of his tongue had found every new place of pleasure. He couldn't imagine it would feel this good. Every inch of his cock covered with suction and wetness, enraptured into Dilandau's perfect pale face. He had completely surrounded him. His cock was as animated as it had ever been. Dilandau placed his hands on it and let his lips go over the tip to try that.
Dilandau looked at him utterly befuddled, and frustrated. He loved to see Dilandau get so confused like that. Soon Van closed his eyes to Dilandau's scolding face.
Van bucked his hips towards this supreme pleasure. He let out a soft wail, as he muttered the names of the thirty gods and their attendants. When he was sure he had forgotten most of them. Not only the main protector dragons Jeture, Escaflowne, Calis, Salamandrus… but all of the 20 nation gods as well. This was an excellent memory stimulator. He hadn't imagined this would work out so well. He felt like he was in heaven. He felt himself pumping with the perfect friction of Dilandau's dexterous tongue, and the rest of his mouth. He could feel Dilandau smile.
Dilandau tried to pick up his pace, but all his skill and natural grace could not match the furious and lusty roll of his hips. Van clutched his silver hair pressing Dilandau closer towards him. It would never be enough for Van. The prince was so aroused by Dilandau's helpless mouth. His hips were rocking and faster, thrusting himself past his tongue. Dilandau let out a whimper, some childish helpless sound to stop. Van had never felt anything so erotic against him then his choked voice trying to form words. He felt his throat growl and laugh and make every sort of sound and human music there was. He felt himself shudder.
He came in Dilandau's mouth. Dilandau's eyes bugged, widening into two brilliant red like two pulova berries. He coughed and spit the seed onto the bed.
"I think I… swallowed some." He said timidly. "I think you shot it into my stomach."
Van fell back completely sated, his wrists over his head, his body was so rocked by his pleasure he sweated like a farm animal in Red month. He couldn't speak, only softly chuckled, "…incredible."
Dilandau wiped the cream off his lips. "Hmmm. You just want to fuck with my head."
He kissed Van purposefully, smearing what was in his mouth onto his tongue, so Van had to taste himself.
"Do you want me too-"? Van gave him that same air bending look. He licked his lips.
"No, you'll just bite it off."
"It feels incredible when you do it. Don't you want to try it?"
"Not really." Dilandau squirmed.
"Come on. I won't bite…" His eyes glittered.
Dilandau straddled Van's neck and, the prince opened his mouth and took his lover's cock inside. Dilandau hissed, a little surprised and caught off guard by the sensation of wet and hot against his skin, especially there. He panted trying to catch himself from shouting too loudly. But Van was right.
Van twirled his tongue around his heated flesh. Pumping Dilandau for him with heavy sucks and laughs. Dilandau was going to topple over and snap his neck between his thighs.
Dilandau, being generally less pious than Van, couldn't think of a single gods name to utter. He just incoherently babbled his name "Tenshi, Tenshi Tenshi-sama, Van- VAAAAAN." Dilandau lolled his head as Van took charge. He delicately tried scraping his hot teeth against the underside. Dilandau looked as if he had seen a woman with butterfly wings float down with a gilded scroll of prophecy, as if the gods came down and revealed to him heaven. Dilandau couldn't be understood after that. He began slipping into other languages. He didn't remember he could speak High Ecclesastical Astorian. He certainly forgot he remembered something so useless… something Jajuka didn't teach him. Something else. But apparently the flood of sensation to his body produced an effect. Van released his pleasure and pushed it to its heights. Dilandau's blood boiling to the surface. He came in Van's mouth.
Van kept his tongue and teeth clamping him into place. He swallowed as Dilandau fell down on top of him.
"What… wait didn't I- where did it-"?
Van swallowed.
Dilandau glared at Van, "You didn't…. That's disgusting." Dilandau grimaced.
"You didn't think so when I was making you scream my name." Van licked his teeth.
"I should have been. Nothing good has come out of that mouth." Dilandau chuckled.
"That's not so dirty and horrible is it. You liked it."
Dilandau sat on Van's lap kissing him.
"Lie back." Van whispered to him.
With the spinal dexterity of some kind of snake, Dilandau rested his head against the ground arching his perfect hips, into wide long archs, unnaturally stretching muscles the Dragon Slayer forgot.
***
Folken passed by the dorms where the Dragon Slayers were. He hoped Van wasn't there. He noticed the motion and laughter in the darkness. It was long after quiet hours.
It probably was boys doing something. Even though they were straight laced compared to his crew. He couldn't help but thinking the Dragon Slayers as boys. Boys who needed diversion and relaxation more than the average man could. He found it distressing that they were so disciplined and almost robotic
Perhaps they would know where Van had wandered. He didn't want Van fraternizing with them, but it would be better for Van to be around people his age. He could be sleep walking, or he could get lost. He knew or heard sometimes he would go to Escaflowne and curl up next to it in the middle of the night. Something about it calmed him. He also knew he saw Van standing in the observatory looking at the stars. He didn't sleep well at night. He wandered the ship.
***
He nuzzled his dark hair. He giggled at the sensation. It was so dirty and strange and wonderful. They rolled around trying to be quiet. It was different. It was new. It was warm. They kissed again.
He was mounting his hips. Gods he was everything he desired. The pale soldier called his name sighing deathlike gasps of joy.
There was no pain, just desire and warmth. The pain of war cleansed away, not by water but by fire. He thrust down into him his pleasure. The pale lover moaned as his reward.
Two panting young bodies twining and reaching to one.
"What is this?"
The boys looked up frozen. It was Folken. They had feared he would find them.
Folken covered his eyes, trying not to look at their bodies. "How could you-" he cut himself off. He quickly grabbed the arm of the dark haired boy. He yanked off the bed.
"Folken-"
"How could you do this vile thing?" Folken looked deep into his young eyes. They were so lonely and frightened. How could he have missed this in the light of day? He turned his face away.
The dark haired boy was still quite frightened. His eyes were swelling. He tried to look back at his lover. Folken was angered.
Folken grabbed him by his shoulders with his steel arm, forgetting his own strength for a moment.
"Don't look at him you little-"
The boy tried to look at his feet. Folken shook him again prodding him for an answer.
"Well? Don't you have an answer? What are you doing here?"
"You're hurting me, please-"
Folken caught himself. He let the boy down. He scurried to his clothes. Folken had to ball his real fist until it hurt enough for him to want to stop. He couldn't believe how angry he was. He turned away from them. The sight itself was so repugnant. He squeezed his eyes trying to forget the image. He caught his breath. He would not be so cruel as to hurt or touch him anymore. What had come over him? What had come over both of them?
"We're leaving."
His voice is a tiny breath, not even a word, "Yessir."
"You would forgive me. I was… You must leave. You would forgive me." Folken caught his breath inside. Stilling it trying to maintain himself in the sight of such a wicked thing. He wanted to cast the little trollop against the wall and break his ribs. What was this he was feeling? He was not a man of violence. He was a man of reason, he was man of civility. He could not--
Folken turned around, covering his eyes, and looking down at the ground.
"For Blue Scafera- Dallet, put on some pants."
"Yes sir."
***
Folken escorted Dallet out of the room, into the hall
"Folken-sama what will happen to Guimel?" the boy tugged on his cape, making a rat like rustling noise against his bionic arm.
"It's late to consider that now. Worry about yourself."
The Dragon Slayer made a strange frightened noise. Like his sanity was snapping.
"Folken-sama you aren't mad at him. It's my fault. Please I-I-I
Folken placed his hand on Dallet's shoulder. Here this creature had been in carnal embrace with another boy and he needed to be coddled. It was a strange world.
"What will happen to—is he gonna—" The boy began whimpering.
Folken sighed, shifting his feet. The boy was going to break out into tears. He was being too harsh. Dragon Slayer or now this was a boy. He was fifteen years old. He was still innocent of many of the sins of the world. Perhaps he did not even recognize his sin, perhaps he had never been taught the proper way. Did the Zaibach teach their children about such things?
"I don't think you can realize what you have done. You are so young. Do you even realize what it means?"
Dallet tried to explain himself, seeking something to make it sound right and just. Seeking so hard to redeem himself.
"Folken-sama, I love him."
"Of course, I never said you didn't. You love him as a brother in arms, a friend…"
"Yes and-"
"But, such ways are wrong. You have been confused. Your love is a—"
"It can't be. I love him."
"But not like this. In such a way? Dallet... How could it be possible? Does it make any sense to you? It doesn't make any sense to me. One of us has to be right."
Folken sat him down. He looked deeply into his eyes, trying to look for something other than innocence to grasp onto, some sin or vice or lust to grasp hold of and chastise. But all he saw was warmth and fear. But the world did not work that way. Boys did not fall in love with other boys, neither could a girl change into a goldfish. It was against the way things worked. It cracked his heart deeper telling the boy this.
"It is abhorrent to the Gods. It is even forbidden in the laws of Zaibach. You are disgracing yourselves and your family by such actions."
"My family is Guimel." Dallet threw the words back at him, "He's the only one who ever cared. He's the only one who ever loved me. You think my father would have tried to save my life? He made me join the center. He made me join the Command school. He just wanted a perfect son. One who wouldn't be killed by S-iden. Only Guimel cares if I live or die. And Dilandau. How can a family not care if you die?" Dallet glared at him in the eye. Dallet threw his hands into the air and slammed into the wall "What could you know? You don't feel anything. Your heart must be made of steel too. You just tell us where and when to die and kill and we aren't anything. You don't care what happens to us. What in the hell do you know?"
Dallet smothered his tears against the wall, trying not to let to see him cry. He would rather get court marshalled than that. He was so utterly convinced that this was true love. How utterly horrible. Folken had so little experience dealing with such things. He had always heard of such things, but never would he imagine that it could happen. It was a very different thing when it did. How could he not help them see it was wrong?
He could only hold that boy to look into his eyes and stare at him.
"Dallet, to lay with another man is a sin."
"You are wrong." Dallet's eyes flared, then he lowered his head "It is not. How could it be wrong? I just want-"
Folken could not speak of this to one who was so pure of heart. Could not the gods forgive one so young? So beset by trials? Couldn't there be one exception to save the soul of this young boy? Was there no mercy in heaven either?
"Poor Dallet. My boy. I know you are very confused. Is this an excuse to destroy your life?"
Dallet didn't answer. He lifted his head high.
Folken knew he could not appeal with the emotions of any 15 year old boy. He could barely understand his own brother. Boys that age were emotional creatures, with little wisdom in their heads. He would have to help Dallet understand.
"Sodomy is still a grave crime. It is an offense in the Military Code. It is also in the Grapheo Hubris, that should a man force his will upon another, without honor or decency so that man is fit for Death. If you had forced Guimel into… that, it would be a violation. As horrible as if you had killed his family. You do know what they do to those who break the laws of Hubris?"
"I'm not a child."
Folken said. "If you weren't a child than you would know what you have done. You would feel shame. You are a good soldier and a fine man. Can you imagine a good man feeling this way and doing these things?"
"I don't know many good men then."
"It is because of your youth and innocence. I can only be lenient. I must be. You must learn from your mistake."
Dallet's hard dark ice softened into a tear. He started crying.
"But, I—"
"I will tell your commander, now. You go to your room Dallet."
Dallet picked himself up.
"You know I am right." Folken said, "You cannot live like this. The world is not a place that is made for such love."
Dallet's eyes were swirling and burning with Folken's words. Folken had told him so much and hurt him so deep.
"And you know I am right too." Dallet said, "It's the only way I would live. It is the only way I can love. It's that or become heartless. Like Gatti… or you."
Dallet bowed "Goodnight Folken-sama. You will sleep well tonight."
***
Later that night, Dilandau watched his lover sleeping over his chest. He didn't suffocate him. He seemed to float on top of him. Their hands were grasped. Their hands had found each other in the night as there bodies collapsed with their exertions. Van's hand was warmer than his. It was very nice. Of all the things he and Van had been through, that Van had let him do this was the one that he would remember the most clearly. Warmth and softness, so it relaxed. Like he was safe. He had never felt this. Not even as a sick child in Jajuka's arms. Or with Cel- he had never. Dilandau lowered his head back on to the pillow, not caring what had wakened him to this moment, he just felt it with a smile.
Van was an incredible fuck.
Dilandau soon became aware what had woken him up to this lovely moment. The Dragon Slayers knew not to disturb him. Only Folken would. It was Folken at his door.
Why did it make him nervous? He was in his room. He covered Van with the blanket over his head like he enjoyed it. Van nested deep into the warmth and sighed, his face hidden, except for an air hole. The silver-haired boy smirked. He was so safe and comfortable under his blanket. So sweet and hapless unaware. It was almost as if Van vanished into a portal into another dimension, his little quilt dimension. Dilandau wanted to poke him in his little pocket of warmth and watch him squirm, maybe even break it and tickle him until he hyperventilated. He had a bizarre fantasy of tickling Van until he passed out, making him lose every vestige of reason, the noise level be damned. Yet with the second knock he knew Folken would get suspicious if he waited too long. He walked to his door at the front of his room.
"Folken. I was just about to leave- How you love to drop in on me just when I have something better to do! Come in have a drink."
Folken looked at him, "You should not drink. It is not healthy for someone your age."
"I should not be doing a lot of things. Come in."
He would not enter Dilandau's chambers, especially if Dilandau insisted. Probably this was the safest way to protect his sweet little pocket of warmth.
"Your men disappoint me."
"Good thing they aren't yours."
"I caught two of your men caught in an act of perverse sexual conduct."
"Did Gatti rape some whore?"
Folken shook his head. Dilandau didn't flinch. Folken felt discomfort about that phrase. But he had to ignore it.
"Dallet and Guimel."
"You finally caught them together?"
"Yes." Folken was surprised, caught them. How long had this been going on? Had Dilandau encouraged this somehow? He didn't want to think about it. Dilandau probably had just tried to ignore it, hoping it would go away, "The punishment for this is flogging."
"Oh a little touch of Barnyard justice. I'm so glad they brought such enlightened minds from Pigville."
"It is obscene and gross conduct. And it is the Zaibach code."
"Oh so this isn't out of some righteous indignation. You think you can beat it out of them. You know like thumb sucking or bed wetting."
"There is nothing wrong with them that mercy would not fix. My heart goes out to them."
Folken shook his head
"I did not see evil in their hearts. They are so young. To be so deprived of natural decency at this age. Their lives are so hard. All they see it as natural."
Dilandau was in no mood to sentimentalize. He smiled.
"It happens. That's the way it works in the Centers. All the time."
"What are you talking about?"
"When you come up through the centers with someone, it does things to you. The teachers and leaders don't do a damn thing about it. They say it toughens you up. It did for me. Once I was being eyed by this team leader, he was around 17 years old. I threw a ration of boiling soup in his face." Dilandau smirked. "See, I have blinded men with my beauty."
Folken winced, "How old were you when he approached you?"
"I was 11. I was always really pretty. Others don't want to hurt anybody else, so they just keep quiet until they are big enough to tell someone to go fuck off. They just lie there quiet in their beds letting some other child take them. Then when these boys get to the troops you have to keep your hands off each other. Because they were right when they were crying and weeping. They were right all along. It was dirty and wrong. It's not new and it's not pretty."
Folken glared, "How can you be so cool and heartless about it? They are ruining their lives."
"You wouldn't understand. You grew up in Fanelia, with your mother and father and your sweet little baby brother. Maybe even a cat and dog. We are Children of Zaibach."
"You're just going to let them…"
"I command them to burn kingdoms down. I'd say a hormonal child with a guymelef can ruin many more things then two boys playing with each other under their blankets."
"Don't you care what this is doing to their lives?"
"No. I just teach them what they need to fight and live. If they have lost their souls I won't find them."
Dilandau shook his head. He was stressed by this revelation, now that he would deal with it. Folken could almost forgive him for turning a blind eye to them. Dilandau, despite his bravado, would not have the strength to deal with this problem. He was only a child himself.
"I will make sure they don't see each other. You will not worry about this Strategos."
"You haven't managed to stop it before it happened."
"That's because it doesn't really matter. They are my Dragon Slayers. I will not hurt them. They are my life. I could not do that. I could not betray them."
"It is the only way. You are not betraying them. You are saving them. We must correct them before it is too late."
Dilandau's face softened and his hard gaze became sweet and sad.
"That won't change what I must tell them. I have to tell them they can't be friends anymore." Dilandau said "That is betrayal to me."
Folken stared amazed and silent at the boy. There hadn't been a sin or vice he hadn't contemplated or accomplished with flying colors. Now he was afraid to hurt his men's feelings.
"Sometimes I can't believe you, Albatou. What made you the way you became?"
"And why didn't it kill me and put me out of my misery?" Dilandau smirked.
Folken smiled back, "Yes. I have wondered that."
Folken began walking down the hall. Dilandau called after him.
"How's your brother?"
"I'm not telling you. If you go any where near him I will find out and you'll be sorry."
Folken padded away.
"I'll ask him myself."
Dilandau wandered into his room plopped on the bed lifted up the blanket all the way off and looked at the frozen Fanelian king. Van winced at the immediate rush of cool air.
"Your big brother is such a geek. He won't tell me how you are? How are you Van? Are you well?"
Dilandau was not sure Van was still alive. His eyes weren't blinking. He was curled up frozen in fear.
"Van?"
Van tackled Dilandau to the bed, slapping with such graceful stinging force.
"I am having tremors in my chest. And that is all you can say."
"You are really worried. Don't have a heart attack. He was only at the door. He didn't even see you. He just-"
"Dilandau! are you insane? I am fucking a complete idiot." Van said smashing him into the pillows. Vans mussed up his hair in frustration.
Van wouldn't let him get up, putting his knee on his chest, squeezing some of the air out. "Shut up."
Van landed on Dilandau with a thud and threw his arms around "I'm frightened and hot. You stay there." Van closed his eyes.
"I think your heart is racing like a bird. Is it going to jump out your chest and build a nest and crap all over the ship?"
Van glared at him, "Such is the poetry of your soul. Not only do you use a bad cliché but you make it as disgusting as possible." And thwapped him over the shoulder, playful but still it stung.
"There I feel good."
"No more heart attack."
"Yes. That's good."
Van rested on top of Dilandau again, holding his hand and forgetting about his heart attack completely.
It wasn't ten minutes before there was a pounding on his door. This was turning out to be a strange night.
"Dilandau-sama, forgive me."
Dilandau watched Van unfold his arms and awaken, like a flower petal, or maybe more like a bat.
"Who is it now?" He asked wiping his face with his thumb. Van froze and pulled the blanket over his head "Folken?"
"Miguel and Gatti were going to watch out."
"They weren't before." Van said from the lump in his blanket.
"Dilandau-sama, please wake up. I need to talk to you."
Dilandau stood at the door. Van brushed the Captain's arm and shook his head giving a "don't-lose-it" with his eyes. The poor schmuck really didn't deserve the anger behind Dilandau's dark look.
"Make it fast. I don't want to talk to you." Dilandau glared at him. Every Dragon Slayer must have known Van was with him now.
Dallet didn't look Van in the eye as he entered.
"Van-sama. I – Excuse my intrusion."
"Dallet-kun." Van said acknowledging him. The Prince noticed how nervous he was, his shoulders were locked and touching his ears. Even Dilandau knew he was upset.
"What's wrong?" Van asked softly.
"Van-sama…" He sounded like he had been crying his head off "I have to tell D-"
"You heard the Prince, tell him what happened, soldier." Dilandau said sternly.
"Your brother caught us. He is-"
Dilandau stood up. "You should have been more careful. Don't come crying to me because you have to get whipped."
"No no no. Please."
"What are you talking about?" Van asked. Dilandau brushed him aside.
"Folken caught them in the middle of a very unique battle technique. I will handle this. You just wait."
Van broiled as Dilandau dismissed him, pompous blowhard would dismiss a prince.
"Don't let them hurt Guimel. Please. It was my fault. I mean I was so aggressive. He never wanted to fuck, before. But I wanted to please him. I hurt him so bad the first time... I never want to betray him again. If I do that I'll die."
Dilandau looked down at him on the floor "Dallet, Rape is an act of Hubris. If you say you raped Guimel, you could burn, the best you could hope for is jail."
"But I never meant to hurt him again."
"What are you doing? Nothing. Folken is thinking about letting them flog you. They would just do it because they think they need to make a message of us. As if anything can prevent us from being corrupted."
"I've got to see him Dilandau. I have to apologize."
"You will not see him. All of that is over."
"Then I might as well burn. I... Dilandau. I told you once, I'll tell you again. I love him. He's all I have."
"You have me." Dilandau said.
Dallet's eyes sparked
"Keep away from him until all this nonsense is over with." Dilandau said.
Dallet's eyes grew "No. Please. Punish me yourself. Just. You can't-"
Dilandau floored him with a punch.
"You will not question my orders. When you do you will have disobeyed me. And you will not be a Dragon Slayer any longer. Do you understand?"
"What? I could never-"
Dilandau stood up.
"What if I asked you never to see Guimel again?"
Dallet looked at him scathingly "Please don't ask me that."
Dilandau bore the edges of his teeth. His breath cut against the air. His hand struck.
"Go to your quarters, Dallet."
"And you should thank me for the pain I'm saving you from, Dallet. Guimel has confused you from the beginning. If you had better taste in lovers, you would be in better standing. Guimel weakens you. You should forget him."
As quiet as death "Bitch."
Dilandau watched him walk out the door.
Van watched Dallet walk out the door, "Poor Dallet."
Dilandau got up and stood looking away "No use wasting tears. I told them to stop. I told Dallet a hundred times he could do better."
Van looked at Dilandau.
"I told him to stop. I told him." Dilandau lowered his head, "Fools. Just a bunch of fools." He cuddled into Van, clutching onto the side of his pillow "They are all fools." He grabbed the back of his hair, trying to curl up as small as possible
Van pet his neck and kissed it "What makes Guimel worth all this? What does it? It's only one boy. Why does it matter?"
Van looked at him, "It's not your business."
"It is." Dilandau snarled, "They are my men. They are mine. What have they done? What will they do?"
"Love isn't anyone else's business. That is between them." Van said.
"No. No. Not something like this. Love changes everything." Dilandau looked at the sheet of paper.
"Love takes itself and rips you in two. Just like that mind and body, heart and intellect. Apart. This is it. This is how it is for love. You can't be whole. It breaks all the connections. Dallet will never be happy again, now that he's…"
Dilandau's face could be so sweet. As if he was a child. There was a part of his soul that never grew up. Van felt something in his stomach twitch. As if he body was changing inside, preparing for something great and wrong.
Van stood up putting on his shirt.
"They let it go too far. Just like you said. If it means more than it does…"
Dilandau turned around looking a little stunned.
"You were right, Dilandau. This has been fun." Van smiled, his teeth thin like a knife, "But despite a few blunders you do know better."
Dilandau nodded and looked away from his eyes "Yes. Sex is fun." His voice was cold because he knew Van didn't need to hear it." Van placed his arm over Dilandau and embraced him
"I am glad you are captain of the Dragon Slayers and your men would never betray you. Not even if it means this. I don't think you are smart enough to trick Folken. They will protect you." Van whispered, "I hate you Dilandau. I can't fight you, but I hate you."
Dilandau bit his lip and three teardrops were pressed out of his eyes "That was cruel."
Van kissed his cheek.
"But thank you. I was so afraid."
"Folken won't find out. I need this Dilandau. I need something to make it better. I can't think. I don't want to think about you. I have too much to think about. I need you here with whatever it is you want to do to me or I'll snap, I'll burst with sorrows. I can't do that. Too many people need me."
"Stress relief is very important. I am glad that I can increase your efficiency. It's cruel but I don't mind." Dilandau rested his head against him, "I'm glad you got some more sense in your head about this. This is a somewhat more appealing tactic than flipping out and trying to kill your self. I hope you like this arrangement more than you like the idea of dying."
"Nonsense. I cannot die. Who would be king of Fanelia. Allen Schezar told me as long as Fanelia had a king it would have a future. This is the way things are."
Van heard the softest shift in Dilandau's chest. As if something had changed inside of his body to. Van smiled, really. Dilandau's eyes had hardened and sharpened to their normal lecherous state.
Dilandau smelled him, "Don't make me love you. I don't think if you tried I could. It rips us in two. Don't try or I'll never forgive you. You are my enemy. We cannot… You can use and hurt each other, but don't…"
Dilandau grasped his flesh and smelled him.
"You smell good."
"Thank you Dilandau. I'm going to leave you now."
Dilandau sat up curling the blanket around him with his memory of warmth inside.
"Really?"
"Folken will get suspicious. Besides. We are done with each other. We don't need each other anymore tonight." Van stroked his chin.
Dilandau brushed the warmth in the corner where Van had hidden. A little realm of his own, where none of these problems had hurt them. Just one instant of something nice. "No I'm tired. Goodnight."
Little kiss. Van knew he wanted him there, in the night. Maybe that would be best. To remove the temptation. It was strange thing. To be tempted to tickle someone and forced to fuck them. But it was the kind of thing people in love did, the kind of silly useless dangerous things that was going to destroy Dallet and Guimel. It had it's own logic and context; a logic that had no place among enemies, even ones that could not fight. It had no business with the Conquered Prince or the Worthless Champion.
Dilandau shook out the covers to get the feeling of Van out of his bed, and slowly drew the covers under his chin. Then when he was sure Van left over his head, curling into a shape that should have been holding someone else.