CHAPTER FOUR: NO MATTER WHAT

Two weeks had gone by now, and the two ex-conmen had begun to establish normalcy and to rebuild what they had once had. There were no more escape attempts from Miguel. He trusted Tulio enough now to believe that should the Count and his daughter come looking for him he would protect him. But despite the mending friendship, Miguel could not hide the scars that Tulio had left on him. He thought perhaps by staying he could learn to live as he had before, pretending the deep longing he had for the black-haired man didn't exist, but it was all but impossible, and he was sure Tulio was getting suspicious after catching Miguel more than once stealing long wistful glances at him when he though he wasn't looking, finding any excuse to touch him or be touched by him, and feeling insanely jealous when women on the street would stare at him. This was of course, not to mention the nights they spent together. Every night, as regular as clock work, Miguel would wake, climb out of bed, and go to Tulio's door and press himself against it, trying to summon the courage to knock or go inside. But the door was always locked, so Miguel would simply stand there, leaning against the hard wood, wishing it were Tulio. After a few minutes of pining and silent tears and self-loathing, he would return to bed and sleep.

What Miguel didn't know was that Tulio had was doing the exact same thing, waking just after Miguel had returned to bed and fallen asleep once more only to stand and have the same midnight vigil at his door.

One afternoon, the two found themselves sitting on the stoop at the local tavern. They were reminiscing over old times and the scams they used to pull, and the hair-raising escapes. It was then that Tulio asked, after a few glasses of wine, "Why did you ever leave in the first place?"

Miguel blinked and stared at him. It was an unexpected question, not to mention one he didn't care to answer at the moment. The pain was still just too close. "It's not important." was all he said.

Tulio looked at him in astonishment. "Not important!? Don't lie to me!" Tulio slurred, his dark blue eyes rather blood-shot.

Miguel shook his head and stood up, dropping a few coins on the table and started over to help Tulio out of his chair. "Come on now, partner. I think you've had enough." he said gently, but Tulio pulled away from him.

"I'll tell you when I've had enough! Now you tell me why you left me high and dry without so much as a goodbye." Tulio continued to rant. Miguel managed to pull him out the chair and loop his arm around his shoulders, leading him away from the table.

"I can't tell you that." Miguel said honestly.

"Bullshit." Tulio grunted as they left the tavern.

"Tulio, you're very drunk. You should just come along now, I'll take you home." Miguel said again as they walked slowly around the back of the tavern where Altivo was waiting for them.

"I'm not nearly drunk enough!" Tulio cried, and this time he pulled out of Miguel's arms all together and stood, as best he could, glaring at him. "You did it because you were jealous, didn't you?" he spat. Miguel was frozen on the spot. "You were jealous of me and her. You wanted her all for yourself, didn't you?" Tulio slurred, shaking a finger at Miguel.

"You're an idiot." Miguel growled then, feeling anger rising up inside him. Drunk or not, Tulio had no right to accuse him of such things. Especially since he was so grossly far from the truth.

"And you're a lair!" Tulio retorted.

"I never loved Chel." Miguel said fiercely.

"Are not capable of love, that's what you mean." Tulio replied.

That did it. Miguel charged him, grabbing him by the collar and hoisting him into the air, slamming him against the wall. Tulio's eyes were huge as he stared down at Miguel. He had never seen that expression on his face. Pure rage and anger, and something else too…

"I have loved more deeply than a cold-hearted thief like you could ever dream!" he shouted in his face. Now it was Tulio's turn to snap.

He back-handed Miguel hard in the face, making him let go of him and he slid down the wall, landing on his rear.

Miguel staggered away, rubbing his face, and then turned away and said nothing for a long time. The quarrel seemed to have brought Tulio to a higher level of awareness because he stood up then, looking very, very sorry. "Miguel…I didn't mean it." he said, his voice not so heavily slurred then.

Miguel did not turn around. If Tulio could have seen his face, he would have seen that his cheeks were now damp with tears. But even if Tulio couldn't see it, Altivo could, and the horse trotted up to his owner, sympathetically nuzzling his face. Tulio watched as Miguel clung onto the beast and buried his face against his muzzle. Altivo shot him a look that was full of daggers, and he knew he had cut Miguel deeply.

"Damn it!" he cursed loudly, banging his head against the brick wall. "I'm such an ass!" he berated himself. Now Miguel chanced a side long glance at him, his tear effectively dried by Altivo's coat. "Miguel, forgive me, I meant none of it!" he begged, taking the other man's shoulders and turning him towards him. "I'm am an idiot, just as you said, it's true!" he pleaded. "I'm evil and…and I must be stopped!" he continued, this time making Miguel smile a little.

"Then you don't hate me forever?" Tulio asked, looking him in the eyes. Miguel could not help but being honest with him.

"I tried that once, it worked out badly." he joked, but it was very true.

Tulio hugged him again. "I'm sorry I hit you, did it leave a mark?" he asked, examining the slowly blossoming bruise on Miguel's cheek, making the other man blush once again.

"I've had worse." he said, feeling embarrassed by Tulio's attentions, and taking a step backwards.

It was then that they saw that they were not alone in the alley way. Another figure appeared, a tall, gaunt, evil looking fellow with little squinting eyes. He smiled at the two men as he approached.

"Evening, gentlemen." he said thickly, looking between Miguel and Tulio.

"What do you want?" Miguel said abruptly, much to Tulio's surprise. The other man made a sweeping gesture and produced from his pocket a pair of dice. "Care to play?"

Tulio and Miguel exchanged glances. Tulio smiled, "Uh, sorry senor, we don't play." he said, trying to remain on the brute's good side.

"Ah, that's a shame." the other man said. "Because I'll be taking your money anyway." and with that he drew out his sword and pointed at the two men.

And Miguel smiled. He stepped lightly in front of Tulio, gently pushing him back as he drew his own sword from his side and pressed it against the other man's blade.

"You fence?" the man asked.

"A little." Miguel lied, and he couldn't keep himself from smiling. Tulio retreated further down the alley, standing by Altivo.

"Miguel, be careful!" he called, grabbing onto the horse's reign. Miguel winked at him.

"Begin." he said.

And begin the duel did. Miguel was on the defense immediately as the other man moved towards him in a swift powerful movement, but it was no problem for him to avoid it, and he quickly turned it around on him, forcing him to take defense as he went after him like a lightning bolt.

Tulio stared in awe of Miguel's ability. Truth be told when Miguel had told him he had done nothing but practice fencing for two years he didn't completely believe him, or at least he didn't believe that he was as good as he was. But now he had to believe.

However, first blood went the stranger. His blade grazed over Miguel's left wrist. It was just a small cut, but it was bleeding. Tulio clenched Altivo's reigns so hard that he pulled the poor horse's head down till it was level with his chest.

But Miguel barely even noticed it and kept attacking, never letting up. No matter what the stranger did now, he could not keep Miguel from advancing upon him. Finally was driven back against the wall, with Miguel's sword crossed with his own at his throat.

"Who are you!?" the stranger cried.

"No one of importance."

"I must know!"

"Get used to disappointment." Miguel said with a little grin, and with a quick flick of his wrist he sent the other man's sword flying.

"Do it quickly." the man pleaded with him, falling to his knees.

"Not my intention. However, since I can't have you following us, either…" Miguel said, cuffing him across the back of the head with the back of his sword and allowing him to slump senselessly to the floor.

He sheathed his rapier and then turned towards Tulio, who, along side Altivo, stood there with his eyes huge and unbelieving, mouth hanging open.

"What?" Miguel asked innocently.

"You…You're amazing!!" Tulio cried rushing to him then, dragging Altivo behind him while the horse rolled his eyes clearly saying "Of course he is…"

"Thank you. I have worked hard to become so." Miguel said simply. "Lets go home then, eh?" he asked, leaping upon Altivo's back, pulling Tulio on behind him. It was then that he noticed the blood on his partner's wrist.

"You're hurt!" he gasped.

Miguel blinked down at the cut. "What? Oh, it's only a scratch," he said lightly.

"But you're bleeding!" Tulio cried frantically, as though Miguel's hand had been chopped clear off. The blonde-haired man remember that his friend was still fairly intoxicated and Tulio always became over emotional when he was drunk. He pulled his hair ribbon from his hair, letting his hair fall losely down his back and across his shoulders and wrapped Miguel's wound with it gingerly.

"There," he said. "All better." Then inadvertently he kissed Miguel's cheek and promptly passed out against his shoulder. In a slight, dizzyingly happy daze, Miguel reached up and touched the little spot where Tulio had kissed him, and then looked down at his inebriated friend, securing his arms around his waist so he wouldn't fall, then patted Altivo's mane. "Home, Altivo." he said giving him a light nudge with his foot.