Two-faced

Written by: Perpetual Thoughts and Meaning

Disclaimer: Hmm… I'll list some of the many reasons why I couldn't have made these characters… One: I'm far too immature to even begin to comprehend the difficult psyche of Arbel the Twisted (that's his original Japanese name, by the way). Two: I'm not entirely sure, but I do believe that this site doesn't provide money for work that wasn't the author's original idea. I'm just borrowing these guys for fun, and I'm far too young to be paid for what I do (unless it's chores). I'm begging you, please don't sue me, because you'll be on the losing end! Oh, and I wrote the song that Albel makes up…

Spoilers: Not really, unless you read the A/N, which I doubt that anyone will.

Summary: Albel and Cliff are partners on a mysterious mission that involves having to wake Cliff up without being clobbered to death! Yeah, I know, it's not funny. This is a filler chapter to satisfy my need for logic in the world. I refuse to give my readers (even though I know that no one reads my crap) an illogical chapter, and I'm the kind of person who likes to explain the situation clearly (I hope) to my reader. I sincerely hope that this chapter doesn't distract you from my story or bore you, and that it helps you guys out. Just to give a heads-up, if something seems amiss to you, then you're right. There's a reason why I'm not giving other details, but it's up to you to figure it out, okay? Shall eventually be Cliff/Albel if I work up the courage. Kind of Albel/Cliff fluff if you squint your eyes a few minutes as you read the chapter…

A/N: This is one of the kind of funny chapters that no one laughs at… Er, yeah. I didn't plan out for the chapter to turn out like this, but nothing ever goes the way I want it to. I wrote this chapter without any break on paper and typed it directly off the paper without any corrections, because I couldn't find any mistake, and the spellchecker didn't find anything, either… Enough of my pointless babbling! Enjoy the story! Edit part 5: I've changed the scene where Albel has to wake up Cliff, because I know that he's a light sleeper, due to the catching Nel coming into their room to say goodbye thing… There are more changes, as well…

Rating: PG-13, because most thirteen year-olds can't write rated R things without having some experience, which I thoroughly lack. Oh, also for some language, but who gives a shit if they curse a little?

Part 2: Chummy/The Flight of Boredom

Dawn breaks evenly today
on the truth and the lie.- Kick The Chair by Megadeth

Albel poked his head into the blond Klausian's bedroom earlier the next morning, determined to find some method of waking him up. He knew that the Klausian wasn't a morning person, and he almost sympathised with him, because he too hated waking up early. Nevertheless, he'd given the man a fair warning, and he'd drag him out of his bedroom, even if they both received bruises in the process. He crept into the room, his senses sharp, and his scarlet orbs darting about in the darkness until he made his way before the Klausian's bed. The man was silently sleeping, his pale face almost magnificent.

Too bad he's not this silent when he's awake… Albel found himself thinking before he ran a claw over the Klausian's face carefully in an attempt to wake him up.

Cliff had odd reflexes. His right arm immediately shot up to punch Albel's face, but the shrewd Elicoorian caught him by his wrist. The man still seemed to be asleep and he tried to get his wrist out of Albel's iron grip. He finally gave up after a few moments and his wrist lay motionless in Albel's claw. Albel sighed, rolled his scarlet orbs at the ceiling and released Cliff's wrist.

Okay, he thought, this may be a bit more difficult than expected…

"Worm," he leaned down to whisper in the Klausian's ear, "time to wake up."

"Five more minutes," Cliff groaned and moved his head away from Albel.

Cliff silently shivered, smiling to himself under the covers. He wasn't asleep. No, he was far from it. He'd always been a light sleeper and had taken to pretending to be the opposite to learn secrets. Yeah, it wasn't right, but it was fun. He'd been roused from his slumber when the Elicoorian had slinked into his room. Well, what really woke him up was the door sliding open, not Albel himself.

His behaviour is similar to that of a small child, Albel thought as he gazed at the Klausian.

"Worm," he tried again in a louder voice and Cliff muttered unintelligible sentences. "I'm not playing around. Get your ass up, or I'll have to force you."

"No," he mumbled, turning his body away from Albel, "just five more minutes…"

Albel scowled darkly and ripped the bed sheets off the Klausian, or well, tried to, anyway. The man tugged at the sheets, and somehow, slung Albel in the bed with him. The Elicoorian was enveloped in the Klausian's muscled arms, struggling to get free. Albel found to his horror that he was blushing as his head rested on Cliff's chest, and stopped struggling as he tried to stop blushing. Cliff was obviously a sleepwalker, because Albel knew very well that the Klausian didn't fancy other men.

"Thanks for my dog plush, mother," he muttered, snuggling Albel closer to him.

Ah, this was why Cliff loved his life. He'd gotten so well at his little act that he could overhear what he wouldn't have if he really were a heavy sleeper. He actually was an intelligent man, but he pretended to be oblivious for his own sanity. If he really ever showed his true intelligence, he might've actually been promoted to the leader of their team. He didn't want that at all. He liked not having to be relied on, to let other people take charge. That's why he agreed with Fayt's every decision back on Elicoor, not because he was too unintelligent to make his own choice, but because he didn't want to interfere with the little boy's hero development. Yeah, hero development…

Dog plush? Albel wondered incredulously. What's a 'plush'? Is he calling me a mutt!

"Wait a sec," Cliff was muttering, running his fingers over Albel's artificial arm. "My plush doesn't have sharp points…" He opened his sapphire orbs and shouted when his eyes landed on Albel, but he didn't release him.

"I told you before, worm, to never touch me again," the Elicoorian spat, his blush only growing darker.

"Why are you in my bed?" Cliff interrupted him, still not releasing the Elicoorian.

"I'll answer if you take your filthy hands off of me," Albel shot back.

"My hands ain't filthy," Cliff said, not complying with Albel's request. "I'll let go of you once you answer my question."

What the hell? Albel wondered as he stared at the man's chest. Does he like being close to me, or something?

"I asked you first, worm," Albel coolly said, tilting his head up to glare at Cliff, and his blush only darkened after he found that their faces were mere inches apart.

Heh, Cliff thought. Why doesn't he just quit the tough guy act?

"Is everything okay in there, Cliff?" Nel's sleepy voice came from outside the Klausian's door.

Oh great, Cliff thought sarcastically. Just when I was getting somewhere…

"Uh, yeah, everything's okay!" Cliff replied hastily. "I just had a nightmare, that's all!"

"Let go of me before she comes to check," Albel whispered to Cliff, not wanting anyone to witness the close proximity of their bodies.

"Is someone in there with you, Cliff?" Nel's suspicious voice grew nearer, and Albel closed his mouth, his blush redder than the crimson spurts of blood from his victims.

Shit! Albel thought, struggling again in Cliff's strong grip.

"No," Cliff replied, not releasing the captive in his arms, "I had some music on."

"Oh, really?" Nel asked him, her voice sceptical. "What song's it?"

Why does she have to ask what the damn song's called! Albel wondered crossly.

"Die," Albel mouthed to Cliff, who almost cracked up.

"Die," he replied.

"Oh?" she asked again. "Can I hear some of it?"

Albel's face went placid, and his eyes said "You've got to be kidding me!" He gazed up at Cliff, hoping that he wouldn't agree. Unfortunately, the Klausian saw that this was his chance to get back at the Elicoorian for barging into his room. Cliff smiled widely at Albel, and the younger adult knew that the apocalypse was upon him.

"Sure," he replied, smiling at Albel's pissed-off expression.

I know what game you're playing worm, Albel thought nastily, and I won't let you get your enjoyment out of this…

Albel knew exactly how to change his voice to something completely different and he didn't hesitate to use his guttural tone that he caught on to when listening to Nile (one of the best death metal bands on earth),

"In the coldest region of this accursed world,

the dead have risen.

They'll rip your body to shreds,

but who's to lead them?

Exactly,

who's to lead them but me?

We'll reclaim this land for Lucifer,

because we're all eager for his return."

"Fine," Nel said, "you can listen to your music… Just don't turn it up too loud. Some of us are trying to sleep, if you didn't know."

It would have been nice if you'd stayed asleep, Cliff silently replied.

"Nice song," Cliff whispered into Albel's ear, using a tone so low that he could barely hear him.

"To answer your question," Albel ignored the complement and leaned up to Cliff's ear to whisper, "I was in your room because we have a mission to complete."

"That's today?" he whispered, his sapphire orbs widening.

"No," Albel replied sarcastically, "it's two years from now. The fool's been locked up until then."

"Tha-- humph!" Cliff shouted before Albel clamped his hand over the Klausian's mouth. "Humph? Humph!"

Albel glared acidly up at him, shaking his head quickly. "She still may be listening," he whispered. "Yes, the mission's today, maggot, and we should've been there by now."

Cliff released Albel, and the younger adult suddenly missed the warmth of the Klausian's body, but he climbed silently out of Cliff's bed without voicing any complaint. Cliff sat up on his bed, stretching out his arms the exact way as he did the day before, almost hitting Albel with one of his fists. Albel stealthily crept across the room to the door, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. Cliff glanced over at him and popped his neck before pulling on his shoes rather noisily. Albel rolled his scarlet orbs at the ceiling, wondering if Cliff knew the definition of the word "silence" at all.

"Well," Cliff said, "let's go!"

How the rest of the crew is not awake, I do not know… Albel thought sarcastically.

"Yes," Albel muttered, "and perhaps, we could do so without waking up the entire ship?"

Cliff blinked down at Albel, suddenly realising what he'd been doing. "Yeah," he said in a lower tone. "I forgot about that."

It's difficult to keep up this oblivious act, Cliff thought, but I have to, lest I have to tell everyone the truth.

Albel rolled his scarlet eyes at the blond. "I noticed," he whispered in reply and turned to face the sliding door, wondering to himself how he hadn't triggered it into opening when he'd been leaning on it earlier.

…

I am the menace in your eyes,
the one you can't escape.- Show No Mercy, track 10 on Slayer's 1983 release, Show No Mercy

Albel and Cliff were inside one of the emergency ships a few moments later. Albel was sitting as far away from Cliff as he could, staring lazily out of one of the windows at the boring scenery as Cliff piloted the ship. Albel was propping his head up with his artificial hand, his mouth curled into a marring scowl. The Klausian had insisted on bringing supplies, and he was sitting next to his backpack that was filled with medical items, like an emergency kit that held some verdurous potions, analeptics, aqua potions, basil, lavender, those kind of things. Cliff yawned a few times per minute (Damn it! Now I'm yawning!), and Albel would occasionally glance at him to make sure that he wasn't asleep. Albel was bored out of his mind, but he wasn't bored enough to talk to the Klausian, especially after that encounter earlier with him.

Damn it, he thought as his eyelids began to droop. I'm not letting my guard down with that Klausian around me…

"I wish that I could put it on autopilot," Cliff muttered to himself, but Albel's acute hearing picked it up, "but the damn place is uncharted…"

"Bah," Albel grumbled. "I only know what it looks like… So that's why I'm watching… (He paused his speech to yawn.) We're close to it, so just continue the direction you're going, maggot."

"Got ya," the Klausian muttered, choosing not to argue with him. "Once we're there, the cold will wake us up, right?"

"It usually does," Albel replied grumpily, watching the area change below him.

"Good," Cliff said, ignoring Albel's sarcasm, "'cause I'm about to drift off and this baby's gonna drift down along with me…"

Albel scowled over at the Klausian before turning his attention back to the ground below them. Permafrost? he wondered silently. Where have I seen that before?

"We're right over it," Albel said in a monotone, leisurely climbing to his feet.

"Yahoo," Cliff said in a similar monotone that caused Albel to raise his eyebrows at him. "I'm gonna have some fun in a frozen wasteland…"

"I just hope that you don't actually consider this mission as fun," Albel said sourly. "For once, I hope that you use your miniscule brain and not drag me down."

Cliff rolled his eyes at the slightly shorter man. "I won't drag ya' down," he said, standing from his chair to stare him directly in the eyes. "You just better not do the same to me."

Albel scowled heatedly at him, his scarlet orbs narrowed dangerously. "Let's go," he growled, growing tired of talking to him.

To be continued…

A/N: I actually had fun writing this… I thought that I'd hate writing a shonen-ai fanfic, but these two are complicated like Draco and Hermione, so it's fun to mess with them… Expect all the chapters to be at least three or more pages long, unlike my 20-page long chapters for my Draco/Hermione fanfics, because, like I said in my A/N in the first chapter, I'm sure as hell not used to this! Edit part 5: Okay, the three page thing's a lie. These chapters just seem to get longer as I continue the story. I can't help it!