Author's Notes: I think if anyone reads through this, they might expect a second part to ensue. I'm not sure myself. I think it might, but in case you actually like it, that's good! But for now, I think it'll stand alone because there's enough fluff in here to make even a hetero boy blush. That's all I've got to say about the matter, and if you don't like it, no flaming. In the words inside Stephen King's books, "Say Thank-ya big-big."

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If You Are Happy...

"Luciola?" Deeo walked into the ship's cabin where he had hoped to find his companion, his all-time buddy, Luciola. He had been meaning to ask him something all day, since he had to give Luciola permission to go shower before the infuriating young man would actually go do it.

It began something like this:

"Luciola! You smell! What, can't you take a shower on your own?"

Blushing, the other replied, "S-Sir, I'm afraid I would have angered you..."

"Silly Luciola..." Deeo giggled, wrapping his arms around him, purring in his ear, licking his cheek, where they were in private. "Do you need me to wash you too, like when we were little?"

The cabin was empty, save for a few articles of clothing. He'd walked in to make sure that Luciola was okay... he'd been in there a long time.

He paused to look out one of the small round windows, his reflection staring back with sultry, pale eyes and a rather feminine face that beamed with expression. He brushed his hair aside from his forehead just a moment, finding the Guild sign staring him in the face. He quickly wiped his hair down over it again before turning, calling out in a near-shriek. "Luciola!!!"

His fingers trailed over the clothing, wondering if Luciola had just taken them off in here, or if he had left them out to change into. Well, that was too bad. He wished he'd be done by now! Luciola wasn't 'that' dirty; maybe he shouldn't have said he smelled.

Guilty, he walked toward the cracked open door, from whence steam was billowing toward the ceiling. It wasn't a lot of steam, and it wasn't warm. Water was a precious thing, and not a lot of it could be used for such trifle things as bathing. In fact, he was worried that he'd get Luciola in trouble.

He stepped into the door, looking around. "Luci--" Stopped short. Gawked in downright childish horror. "--ola...?"

"S, Sir..." The Guilder stood, perfectly naked, moisture dripping from his arms and legs, down the fine planes of his flat, boyish stomach. He gave no indication of shame, only concern that Deeo himself was ashamed. He shut off the steam propulsion and quickly grabbed the towel to cover himself. Deeo gulped, before he smiled again.

"Oh... Sorry 'bout that! You were taking so long... you all clean again?"

"Yes, sir," Luciola replied. His eyes lowered to the floor, tinged pink nearly to his shoulders now. He was always a little worried when Deeo suddenly lost all sense of modesty. His worst fear came to life when Deeo suddenly waltzed toward him and threw his arms around his shoulders, pulling him down and laughing.

"Clean, clean!! Luciola, get dressed now... I want to show you something!"

Deeo spun around and dashed through the door, rushing into the next room, then stood by the closed cabin door, arms over his chest, tapping his foot. "Hurry!"

Luciola nodded, gulping loudly. He dressed quickly, using the towel to guard Deeo's sight, before he secured his Guild outfit with little ceremony, finishing the last unseen button. Then, Deeo's hand closed on his wrist and he pulled him out through the halls, bustling past other Vanship pilots and mechanics and workers whose jobs did not fully reveal themselves to Deeo's understanding. Faces swept past, and Deeo cried, "Immelman!" once when he passed the grim-faced boy in the halls. Then Luciola was yanked unceremoniously outside and into the sunlight, where there was a small basket waiting for them. Deeo ran to the basket, opening it and raising his hands.

"Look what I've got for you! It's good, I've tried everything, so you don't have to worry!"

Luciola approached, before sitting down before him. The metal was frigid from the constant motion of the air stealing the heat from it. Deeo removed something from one of the small paper bags inside the wicker basket. He held it to his lips, but he jerked his head back slightly in response. It smelled very pungent, almost enticing.

"Try it," Deeo piped, his face beaming with total adoration. "Please?"

The Guilder took a bite carefully, his eyes never leaving Deeo's. He didn't realize what it was, but it was good and sweet and filled his mouth with juices unlike anything he'd ever tasted before. His own gaze showed mild surprise, awe, and greed. He reached for another bite, which Deeo suddenly denied him.

"Wait a minute. It's even better when you eat it like this," Deeo explained, removing a small dish, taking the plastic seal off before dunking the slice of the fruit in the white puffy substance. He raised it to his lips again, grinning. "Try it now."

He blinked as the flavor exploded again, focused now by a powdery wet sweetness that melted on his tongue and expanded at the same time. Swallowing, he gasped for breath, and reached for Deeo. "What was that? What sort of magic is this?"

"It's Deeo magic," he whispered, grinning mischievously, then with quick precision tugged Luciola closer to him and rested his head on his shoulder, gazing up at the clouds that rolled past them like giant white whales, rising and falling as they surfaced. His throat worked as he considered what to say, before blurting out, "Are we still friends?"

The other Guilder brought his hands curiously over the front of Deeo's arms. He was practically seated on his lap, with his back against his chest, all the while looking like the Guild prince that he was on the only throne he would take. Bitterness crept into his thoughts, at the cruelness of his fate and the shadow of warning that lingered in his guarded heart.

But then he remembered all of the times he shared with Deeo, holding him in his arms when he cried if ever Maestro Delphine was cruel or violent, or when he had horrible nightmares. At night he would hold his trembling body as he sobbed, cryingwhile 'Delphine the Destroyer' haunted his dreams and made his every thought shatter into glass pieces.To mention her name had enough power to send him quaking with discomfort. Deeo was a unique and fragile individual, somehow small in his arms when he should have been bigger. In a way, Luciola was not just his servant, but his protector and his friend like Deeo had always said since the first moment he had shown him kindness beyond simple courtesy. It simply broke his heart, opening him up to a whole new possibility - that he was worth more to Deeo than an object.

"Yes," he whispered suddenly. "We're still friends."

Deeo smiled. Craning his head back, the wind toying with his delicate braid and sending the small ornament to jingling happily, Luciola saw his friend's face light up with unimaginable joy. His sultry gaze fixated on his, captivating him and holding him immobile save but for the sudden quick movement of his breathing. He longed to touch those cheeks, that slender throat; brush his hands through tangled locks of platinum-white hair--

No. These thoughts did not befit a servant. Was Deeo making him feel these things? It couldn't be. Deeo was... Deeo...

...tasted...good.

His stomach rumbled again, and its reverberations trickled down his hips into his legs, making him squirm. This kind of feeling he could not explain, nor did he have an immediate reasonfor as he felt Deeo's tongue lapping against his lips, goading him into reaction with a soft moan. Deeo sat straddling his legs comfortably, reaching his lithe white hands up and dragging his fingertips slowly and firmly through his short, darker hair, tipping Luciola's head back slowly.

"D...Deeo-sama..." he whispered hoarsely, once his lips were free. They felt numb and cold, and so did his cheek where his companion had begun to nuzzle into his skin, his trail of passion unbroken by pauses as he traveled over his neck.

Luciola was forcefully pushed down against the cold metal. Deeo pulled open his jacket and slid his arms inside it, his chilling hands brushing over his naked skin, across his sides, then around his waist, lazily pulling himself onto his side and rolling Luciola with him. They lay together like that, side-by-side, against each other while Luciola clung helplessly to the edges of his jacket, trying to close out the cold air and maybe Deeo-sama, too.

"I saw Immelman and the lady doing that," Deeo explained quietly, blushing, his hands pausing overhis tentative, nervous abdominal muscles. "And this, too... the lady to Claus... Claus to the lady."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't that what friends do?"

Luciola shrugged, his eyes softening slightly. Before he could answer, Deeo laughed and buried his face against his naked chest. "Oh, it doesn't matter... I like it this way, anyway. Don't you? If it feels nice, your eyes should show it. Let's go inside... It's too cold for a picnic, anyway."

Thank Order. Luciola smiled, slowly backing off as Deeo began to put things back in the basket before picking it up, while he buttoned up his jacket and let the fabric gently stick to his skin again. He followed Deeo inside, back to their cabin where the warmth was delightful and he relaxed against the cushions of his bed.

Deeo admired him out of the corner of his eye. He didn't need to tell him to lay down. But once his friend saw he was looking, he struggled to get up. Quickly, Deeo motioned for him to stay down while he fumbled words out of his mouth but nothing coherent came out, and then while Luciola finally laid back and committed himself to going to sleep, Deeo curled up close by, watching him undisturbed.

Luciola was undeniably beautiful. He thought that the moment he laid eyes on him, when Delphine presented the boy to him as a gift. Oh, how beautiful his eyes are! And yet so sad. He threw himself at him almost in the manner of a girl, hoping to take that empty, sad gaze and replace it with a smile. Sometimes Luciola's been smiling recently, almost reluctantly, but with all the awful things going on it was no wonder that everyone, even Immelman, were hard-pressed to find a reason to be happy.

Deeo slid closer on the bed, reaching up to gently run his fingers through his short, soft hair, pausing to smooth his fingertips over his worried brow. He looked so old, frowning like that in his sleep even. He leaned close to lick his cheek, wishing the taste of him would go away because it was so hard to forget. So sweet - it was tasting heaven and hell at the same time. He made him feel strange, things he probably shouldn't be feeling. But it was nearly his birthday all the same, and it meant he would become a man... and if Delphine had her way...

No! He would never lose his soul to her. Not when he could be feeling things like this. The young Guilder's eyes watered slightly with but the touch of Luciola's body to comfort him, his warmth and the sound of his steady breathing.

Tomorrow would be different, he thought sleepily. He slid his arm around his waist. "Tomorrow," he promised quietly, "I'll make you smile."