by NightsDawne
Hyuga reads the title. "Excuse me, what?"
The author pushes him back into his dressing room. "You're not supposed to be making arbitrary appearances outside of the narrative."
Hyuga sulks a bit. "But if I am the protagonist I would like to at least know what I am getting into with a title like that."
The author sighs. "Fine. You read extensively. You've read most of your fanfics. Do you notice a trend in any of them?"
"I am assumed to be a mild-mannered physician chained to a slightly dim but physically adept teenager?"
"Chained is one way to put it."
Hyuga starts and looks at the title again. "No, not again."
"Relax." The author gets Hyuga a cup of tea and a packet of salt so he can make it the way he likes it. "This is about the other trend. The one that has you hooked up with every male in the game. Including Rico."
Hyuga's left eyebrow rises slowly. "Rico? Dear God, I hope I was the terrified victim. Did nobody notice during their play of the game that I am the only married person in the main cast? And that Yui is quite clearly female in gender?"
"Apparently they just assumed it was part of your cover. Now hush and let me get on with the disclaimer." Hyuga purses his lips but settles to salting his tea. The author clears her throat. "Ahem. Alright. Xenogears and all of the characters belong to Squaresoft, not me."
"You might also point out that these events were not pictured in the game."
"Shh. It's time for the story, Hyu."
Chapter 1: Jesiah Blanche
Hyuga leaned against the rail, letting the night wind blow off the ocean and carress his face. It was a beautiful night and for once they weren't being set upon by monsters every ten minutes. Furthermore, he had escaped singing on the bar with a face painted on his abdomen. There was much to be thankful for.
He heard the hatch open behind him and looked over his shoulder, groaning inwardly at the appearance of his one-time captain in the Solarian military and the man who had tried to force him into the humiliation of a bar dance. Outwardly he put on his patient and gentle smile. "Hello, Jesiah."
Jessie waved and paused in his slightly unsteady stride to let out a belch. Many things had changed about Jesiah Blanche in the thirteen years since he and Hyuga had parted paths, the Elements captain escaping with his young family from the star nation to live with the surface dwellers. Most identifiably his appearance. He was thirty-two now and his body carried the haggard look of one who had lived hard enough to put him in his forties. He was still powerfully built, tall and muscular, but his face and body were marred with heavy scars. One thing that hadn't changed, however, was his ability to claim the title of posterboy for testosterone overload. Booze, sex, and shooting anything that looked at him funny were merely hobbies.
Jessie reached for the rail to steady himself, instead grabbing Hyuga's arm. Hyuga patiently hummed a little tune he usually reserved for dealing with his ward, Fei, when he did something excessively clueless. He gently helped Jessie to the rail and watched him carefully to make sure he didn't plunge over it in his inebriated state. "Has Sigurd passed out yet?"
"Nope. He had to go to the bridge." Jessie ignored Hyuga's clear look of alarm as he draped a friendly arm over the doctor's shoulders. "You left early. I never said you could go."
"Yes. Um, should Sigurd be at the helm in his condition?"
"Condition smundition. He was still standing." Jessie lost his sense of balance as the ship passed over a wave, forcing Hyuga to grab him around the waist to keep him from taking a dunk. "It's not like we had that much to drink. I only had two."
"Two what, gallons? Jesiah, you are in no state to be out here." Hyuga grasped the hand that was over his shoulder, keeping his other arm around Jessie's waist. "Come on, I am taking you to bed."
"Damn, thirteen years and we just pick up right where we left off, huh?" Jessie snickered and leaned against Hyuga to give him a kiss on the cheek.
Hyuga sighed softly. "Jesiah, I am a married man. I meant I am taking you to your bed."
"My bed, your bed, hell, I don't give a damn." Jessie staggered along with Hyuga as he was led off the deck. "You still make that little squeaky sound?"
"You are drunk, Jesiah."
"I bet you still do." Jessie grinned and tickled the front of Hyuga's hip. Hyuga jumped and stiffled a squeak, blushing a bit as a passing crewman blinked at the two.
"Ahem. Mr. Black is not feeling well." He smiled patiently and gently to the crewman, then dragged Jessie to his door. "Is there nothing circumspect about you?"
"Hell, Hyu, we were lovers for two years. I'd think you'd know something like that."
Hyuga rolled his eyes and pushed Jessie into his room. "I said circumspect, not circumsized."
Jessie stumbled and fell onto his bed. "Yeah, well, no on one and yes on two." He sat up a bit and eyed his belt with a frown, then started trying to get it off.
Hyuga closed the door behind him. "Do you want help with that?"
Jessie leered. "No messing around with idle chit chat, huh? Sure, go for it."
Hyuga smiled. Patiently and gently. "I meant getting undressed so you could go to sleep. Until you are sober and hung over."
Jessie frowned. "I hate sex when I'm hung over."
"Who said anything about sex?" Hyuga stepped over and bent down to undo Jessie's belt, then his pants, sliding them down to his boots, then crouching to get those off.
"If you haven't I will. Wanna fool around?"
Hyuga paused for a moment to count silently to ten, then cleared his throat. "Go to sleep, Jesiah." He picked up Jessie's feet and started to push the bigger man onto the bed.
Jessie grabbed his sash and yanked him down on top of him, then pinned him with an arm around his waist. "Call me Jessie. You know, you're still sexy."
Hyu tried for twenty this time. "I always called you Jesiah."
"I know, so formal. Wait, no, you used to call me Jesiah-san."
"That was merely a title of respect."
"So you don't respect me anymore?" Jessie pouted, keeping his tight grip on Hyu. "I'm hurt."
"Funny, I am the one being manhandled. Would you mind terribly loosening your arm a bit? It is hurting my wrist." Hyuga managed to get his hand up as Jessie let up on the pressure.
"You're not trying too hard to get away, Hyu." Jessie grinned crookedly and lifted his head to kiss the lighter man. "So is that a yes?"
Hyu sighed as Jessie reached up and slid his glasses off, dropping them on the nightstand. "I need those."
"No you don't. You've got perfect vision. You just like to hide behind them." He kissed Hyu again. "You don't need disguises with me. I know who you are."
"Oh, really? Who am I?" Hyuga fixed his dark brown eyes on Jessie's crystal blue ones.
"An overly analytical, sneaky, ass-kissing genius I wouldn't trust for a minute if he wasn't so damn good in bed." He put his hand to Hyuga's lips before he could reply. "No more analyzing, babe."
Hyuga looked away. Five years of virtual monkdom had left a--
--Hyuga raises his hand. "Pardon me."
--The author blinks. "Oh, it's you again."
--Hyuga nods. "Monkdom? I was married the entire time."
--"Yes, but to a woman."
--"That does not count?" Hyuga frowns, puzzled.
--The author sighs. "Look, you haven't been with another man in all that time."
--"What about Fei?"
--The author shakes her head. "Way too overdone. Besides, you know how I feel about him."
--"One of the few areas where we are in concurrence of thought. However, am I not supposed to be faithful to my wife?"
--The author gives Hyuga a pointed look. "Hyu, you're a double agent screwing both sides for your own agenda. Are we going to argue loyalty here?"
--"Oh my God, I am not going to wind up in bed with Cain, am I?"
--".... That's not the kind of screwing I meant. Now will you just settle down and let me get on with it?"
--"I am out of tea." Hyuga holds up his empty cup.
--The author sighs and refills the cup. "Okay, where were we again? Oh, right."
Hyuga looked away. Five years of virtual monkdom had left a need in his life. He loved his wife, but there was a special bond that could only exist between men and he missed that relationship dearly. Jessie was a widower, but it was clear he missed his ex-lover as well. Hyuga slowly relaxed against Jessie's muscular chest. Perhaps in the safe arms of another man he could find refuge for a moment from his double life, could forget about the lies and deceptions he was forced to wear.
"Well?" Jessie's voice was husky with whiskey and lust. "Yes?" He gave Hyuga's sash a tug.
Hyuga sat up, his patient and gentle smile slipping into his less-than-innocent one. "Yes." His clothes fell into a pile on top of Jessie's on the floor.
