"The longer that I'm out here,

The better you sound"

Aladdin concentrated on drumming his fingers in just the right way on the glossed tabletop instead of having to fake interest in the conversation between the Sultan and his guests, ambassadors from Truhan, a kingdom south of Getsikstan. But that was irrelevant. What was poignant was the fact the statistics and shoptalk that droned out of each important figures mouth was making him restless and feeling quite incapable, so he had to occupy himself.

He gazed wistfully out between the majestic white pillars to the patch of blue and sun outside, such a fine afternoon, but knew it was his duty as future Sultan and husband to the princess to blah blah blah blah,

In short, he had to stay there, with Jasmine shooting anxious glances at him. He rolled his eyes; he wanted to tell her he wasn't going to embarrass her, again. She had been so aghast, but so valiant in pretending she wasn't, when he had acted out in front of their "noble guest". Never mind that so-called guest turned out to be a traitor, working for Mechanikles. What was more important was that it was revealed Princess Jasmine's husband wasn't as perfect as she made out.

He winced as she swatted his hand. He mouthed, indignant, "What I do?"

Jasmine darted a look at a couple people who had started to stare, and, pointedly polite, said,

"You were drumming your fingers".

Aladdin stared at her; amazed that was all. It was going to be a long afternoon. He patted the bundle beside him, a tied up bunch of clothes. They were his real intent for going, and Mozenrath certainly couldn't, not after yesterday. After he had left to placate Jasmine, he had come back, and naturally, Mozenrath and he had ventured outside, it was too nice a day to stay inside.

Almost instantly, fingers pointed and the shrieks started.

"Look! It's him!"

He heard the groan of chairs as they were pushed back on the smooth palace floors, and looked up shocked to see everyone leaving. He groaned, rubbing his hand over a heated face. Allah, he must have looked so spaced!

Jasmine glanced at him, frowning, her brow furrowed ever so slightly. Had she been too sharp with him? She hovered close, reaching out unnoticed to tuck back almost ritually a lock of hair that never wanted to stay out of his eyes.

"Aladdin?"

You're scrunching up your face in this picture I found
And I'm chasing after you, steadily losing ground

He looked up, giving her an automatic smile to assure her everything was okay. And instantly, at that gesture, everything was okay for Jasmine. She slid onto his lap, startling him with her unexpected forwardness, uncharacteristic in his eyes.

"Aww Aladdin, I know these things aren't…"

She searched for the right word, nuzzling contemplatively under his chin.

"-Pleasant, but think! Whenever it comes time, as it eventually will, for us to take over ruling Agrabah, when can get rid of silly things like this. We can do what we want to do".

Aladdin stared hard at her, disturbed and not knowing why. Perhaps it was her acceptance that her future was already picked out for her, that there were no deviations in her upcoming. She accepted her role, most likely because she had been bred into doing so, and it was natural.

Aladdin had never actually planned in the way most had, he took life as it came, and fought the obstacles that needed fighting, and doing what needed doing. A breakthrough in his and Jasmine's relationship was the realization that both felt trapped by their lives. They eventually broke free, right? Aladdin no longer needed to fumble around in abject want and need, scrabbling to survive, and Jasmine…? She said once, Aladdin remembered, that her home felt like a gilded cage. So she wasn't she still in it, though now with someone to share all it's splendors with?

He kissed the gentle curve of the top of her head, letting his arm rest on the bend of her hip.

Maybe that's all she wanted.

I don't wanna forget so I'm writing it down

They sat like that for what seemed like hours, though time has a way of glorifying things like that. They talked softly, both realizing the need for a little one on one time, Genie and the other's obviously taking the hint, although the dinjn couldn't help himself and had to pop in and offer "Hot Tea And Cookies, Dearies?". A warm contentment settled over Aladdin, and his eyes almost started to droop, until he shifted in his seat, nudging the bag next to him. That's when he remembered what it was there for, and who he had waiting for him back at his place.

And how long he had been gone.

"Shit!" he cursed, rising quickly, upsetting Jasmine's balance leaning on his arm.

"Aladdin, what's wrong with you?" She demanded, slightly annoyed that their peace had been broken, as it always seemed to be. Turbulence in their relationship followed them everywhere. He, however, didn't seem to be listening, shouldering a sling-to bundle she had noticed before. He turned to her, apologetically but in a rush.

"Jasmine, I got to go." He dashed to the door. Jasmine followed him, or at least tried to.

She stopped, exasperated, arms at her side.

"Aladdin, where are you going?"

All she got in response was a yelled back "Nowhere!"

Have you ever? No, never never?
I find that hard to believe

Mozenrath was…irate to say the least. His leg dangled bored off the edge of his cot that had been set up in the little hovel. Or at least he had somehow scrapped it together to suit his sleeping needs: one part magic, two parts ingenuity.

Thankfully, he was spared the company of Aladdin's cheerleading troupe, i.e., the monkey, the bird, the Genie and the Carpet. Well, the monkey wasn't too bad, at least he wasn't screeching angrily at him anymore, shaking his little monkey fist and the like. The bird was away with his girlfriend, and how a bird could have a girlfriend was beyond Mozenrath. The Carpet Aladdin made a habit of traveling on was okay too; he flew in and out of the window on his own business and when he was around, he sort of just shrugged off Mozenrath being there. Apparently he knew it wasn't cause for alarm. Now, he lay like some sleeping canine at the foot of Aladdin's bed, as if waiting for his master to come home.

Which reminded Mozenrath…

Where the hell was that damn street rat?

The bubbling shyness that had been in Mozenrath at the thought of staying in the loose object of his affection's home was now tired cynicism. Everything was blushes and looking away when Aladdin returned last night after dealing with Jasmine. They had made quick accommodations, Mozenrath had unpacked and they made do with what they could arrange, Aladdin once again explaining these were temporary arrangements, but somehow conveyed a sense of hospitality and need for Mozenrath to be there that Mozenrath still had been pondering over in the back of his mind.

That's when he got it, when it all clicked.

A slow smirk spread on Mozenrath's face.

Mozenrath had known for a long time that he was into guys, that he found them much more appealing and interesting than the doe-eyed, uber-submissive girls offered to him when his mother was still holding to the delusion she could marry him off. It had made things difficult, understandably, but Mozenrath had eventually reached a sort of acceptance with the fact he wasn't exactly like everyone else, and it suited his personality just fine.

He knew, however, that homosexuality was not an easy thing for some to understand, heaven forbid accept. He has seen young men struggle with it, the inner conflict, guilt and doubt ripping them from the inside out, namely a servant he had back in the palace, someone he thought he could trust with his secret. Well, Mozenrath being "gay" was a secret for a little while, until, in an attempt to redeem himself with the palace priests, the servant told all about Mozenrath's personal life. Mozenrath, naturally, tried to maim the simpering little idiot, but he was too busy defending himself against the religious crusades of the priests to "heal" him. It was ridiculous, but irksome and disturbing, having them chase him around speaking of Anubis's righteous fury. It was ended, however, when a young Mozenrath announced that along with adopting homosexuality, he had developed a fondness for human flesh.

The priests, old men in showy Egyptian robes or ceremonial uselessness, excused themselves from Mirage's service the next day.

The point was the servant who betrayed him had grown a sort of wild, frantic, erratic, confusing air about him when he thought he might be into guys. The same air Aladdin was now exuding like a pheromone, frustrating Mozenrath to no end and confusing his feelings. Why had he been so intent on bringing him here, to seek out his company in terms beyond what one would call friendship? Why here? Why so close?

He smirked knowingly as he let hope build in him, a trait he usually despised. I mean, how much did he really know about Aladdin's relationships before his idyllic relationship with the princess? He didn't, that was the point.

"You can't fool me", Mozenrath said to himself, " I know you've got secrets."

So let's burn the furniture
To see how angry a fire could make me

With so little known about Aladdin (And so much known about himself), the sorcerer realized that left a lot of doors open, a lot of room for his own conclusions. Maybe he was just a street rat, maybe he did 'certain things' to get by on the street. Maybe this isn't Aladdin's first brush with homosexual attraction. Or maybe he really is just a good ole boy next door who got delt some bad cards early in life.

Mozenrath snorted.

Right.

Aladdin, he realized, was a lot more than his friends and girlfriend believed. Sure he was a good person in the end, at heart at least, but he wasn't perfect, and Mozenrath knew that better than anyone else, bearing the pain first hand of brutal offenses. Yes, Aladdin definitely had some pent up rage, somewhere, from somewhere along the line. It became apparent when it surfaced as an unpredictable temper, erratic decisions, and the bewilderingly personal determination that fueled the hero in battle.

But of course, Mozenrath thought bitterly, everyone else would never believe anything wrong about their golden boy, their hero, and their savior.

But they were so ready to believe the worse about him.

He flung his, no Aladdin's, pillow savagely to the floor in anger.

He watched in surprise as his flame, unknowingly called from his gauntlet, followed the pillow's path. Had he done that? He jolted as with a loud crack, the pillow caught blue flame, burning crazily.

Part of him knew he couldn't very well let Aladdin's hovel burn the rest of the way to the ground and not expect repercussions. Part of him knew he would be consumed in the blaze, possibly, if it continued.

But part of him realized this felt…good. He stood suddenly, flinging another magical blast at the wall, sending another at Aladdin's bed, his meager possessions following next. Who was Aladdin to toy with him like this, to make a love struck fool out of him? Who was Aladdin to jerk him round, manipulate his emotions mercilessly, defeating him in humiliating success one day, and pursuing friendship the next?

The problem was with the magical flames that they sizzled to nothing after a while, but they sure incinerate and ruined, blackened and charred whatever they touched. The room was soon consumed with the blue-black glow as Mozenrath vented his rage. His hand throbbed from overuse, and addition to the constant pain there, but he didn't care.

What happened to the old Mozenrath? The stern, the disciplined, the flippant and scathing Mozenrath? He still hated Aladdin, didn't he?

Suddenly, he stopped, sitting down with his chin in his hands among the wreckage.

Didn't he?

Now you say that there's someone that you need to reconnect with
Some scarecrow from high school that you loved but never slept with
A baby with a pipe dream playing hopscotch on your bandages

He reflected on his anger, his composure gained back with cat like speed, a coping mechanism he had learned from his mother.

What bothered him so…really, above all else?

He recalled the events of yesterday. He had wandered outside as Aladdin had run off to tend to his bride-to-be, and unknowingly caused a panic as the citizens of Agrabah recognized him instantly. The rest of the situation was basically out of his hands. One moment he was dodging the attack of a particularly brave butcher, the next he saw Aladdin running down the street towards the chaos, Mozenrath sorely wishing Aladdin would approve of him blasting through these fools.

Aladdin took the situation in an instant, hearing the cries from the crowd, ( Look! It's Aladdin! He'll take care of this one). Mozenrath sure was surprised as Aladdin took him roughly by the arm, whipping him round to face him.

" I won't let you hurt these people, Mozenrath" He said loudly, desperately trying to communicate the charade with his eyes.

CRACK!

It didn't work, and Aladdin was surprised in the force of Mozenrath's indignant punch across his face. "Shit!" he cursed. But he had to keep up the act and the people's expectations, who were watching very closely. He managed to make it seem like he and Mozenrath grappled in the direction of an alleyway turnoff, finally falling in out of sight, for then anyway.

The illusion worked, Mozenrath tried to get out of his hold, gauntlet warming up to blast him right then and there. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded. Aladdin sighed.

"Did you really think you could just waltz out on the streets and be dismissed as normal? Besides, I have to keep up appearances unless you want for every Tom Dick and Harry to know what you really are doing here."

Mozenrath opened his mouth to protest, to argue, but found no words and shut it, deciding sulking was the best thing to do at the time. He watched moodily as Aladdin whistled for Carpet and they were whisked back to the privacy of the hovel.

Mozenrath smirked, however, at the memory of yesterday, remembering that this morning it was revealed a nasty bruise had formed over Aladdin's right temple.

But Aladdin had to rush off again; because of course Jasmine couldn't be lead to suspect his many disappearances. She had to be placated. She had to be kept unaware and happy.

Mozenrath didn't believe for once second her little innocence act, how she glided about, wide eyed and jail bait-esque. For one thing, he knew she knew perfectly well what her scantily clad self did to her admirer's hormones, but complained about being treated like an object.

And of course, Mozenrath thought with a crude grin, she hadn't given it up yet, not let yet Aladdin consummate their so called destined love.

No, when it came right down to it, she was a tease.

She could never, Mozenrath decided, be what he needed. She was privelaged, she couldn't deny it, and however hard she tried, it would be impossible to understand everything Aladdin has gone through or ever will, to be an independent being from him, to not worry Aladdin with thoughts of her protection.

That's when it hit Mozenrath, how he sounded.

Jealous.

And I'm singing all his songs while I sleep on your couch

Mozenrath made his way to Aladdin's bed in a haze, sweeping a hand across his hair in a desperate motion to get a grip of things. He sunk to it, lying on his back, starring at the charred ceiling.

He was jealous. Of Jasmine. Because she had Aladdin's commitment, and Mozenrath didn't even have any real reason to suspect he had Aladdin's interest. Not really.

His last thought before he drifted into an exhausted, numbed sleep was this,

" Allah, what am I coming to?"

I'm coughing up a lung but I'm covering my mouth

And I paint you on the wall
Yellow, red, green and brown

Mozenrath was awakened, his sleep seeming only like a blink to him, by the faint sound of footsteps. He sat up, realizing that they were at the bottom of the stairs that lead to Aladdin's hovel.

Ok, so what now? He looked around. There was no way he could possibly clean this up in time. But hell he thought tiredly, why should he? His thoughts were interrupted by a jolt of pain in his fleshless hand and looked down to realize the gauntlet had slipped off in his sleep. His breath strained and the pain increased every second it took to grope around for the damn thing, shoving it on with a bite of his lip and a test of will.

Damn thing.

I miss you all the time but I'm blocking it out

Aladdin climbed the stairs with a fine, quick pace, hurrying even more as he neared the top.

Why? He kept asking himself. Why did this sudden need to see the sorcerer fuel every move he took? Why couldn't he wake to break that threshold?

Did he miss him?

He shook the thought from his head. No, he was just worried. That's all.

Are you better? No, never never?
What does that say about me?

Aladdin skidded to a halt outside of his doorway to his room, roving immediately for sign of Mozenrath. He caught him sitting there, on the edge of his bed, looking up with helpless accountability, biting his lip and gazing up through a curtain of his bangs.

He looks…unhappy.

That's when Aladdin took in the rest of the room. Mozenrath watched the expressions on his face as he took in the damage, the wreckage. At first, he could see the mentally tallying up, the shock in the slight widening of his eyes, and finally the sad resolve that he knew who did this. His fists clenched ever so slightly. Mozenrath scooted back a bit on the bed, his body tensing for the clash of wills, the inevitable.

"Oh Mozenrath…why?" he asked dejectedly.

Mozenrath's mouth worked, but nothing came out. But no excuse would work.

He watched the tell tale ripple of the slight muscle in Aladdin's arms as he walked towards Mozenrath, bypassing him entirely to crouch over a smoldering pile of cinder blocks. Mozenrath finally stood to look over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

Aladdin tenderly, oh so carefully, lifted a wooden box from a secret compartment in the floor. Unconcerned whether Mozenrath was watching or not, it seemed, he ruffled through them, counting. Mozenrath caught glimpses of a faded, yellowed edge photograph, a saber case, a couple of brass coins, and a little cross on brown twine. The lid was closed suddenly before Mozenrath could see the rest.

He stood just as abruptly. Mozenrath stumbled back. Aladdin sighed, running a hand through his hair. He turned to Mozenrath with a smile.

"Well then, I guess I can't live here anymore, now can I?"

He paused, as if waiting for Mozenrath's input, and getting no such thing from the speechless sorcerer, handed him the sack he was carrying.

"Here, try these one while I go check and see if the main support beam in the back is still safe, you never know."

Mozenrath watched Aladdin leave before looking down at the parcel in his hands.

Inside were simple clothes, perfect for the purpose of taking the obvious edge out of Mozenrath's image. Surprisingly, everything fit just about right. He changed hurriedly, sneaking glances at the door Aladdin left by. Just as he set the final piece atop his head, adjusted the final wrinkle, he looked up to see Aladdin walk in.

Now let's break the smoke alarm
To see how scared locked windows make me

Aladdin's breath caught in his throat, finding himself praising his hurried choice of wardrobe for Mozenrath.

The Lord of The Black Sands now wore a simple, green, long-sleeve tunic of lightweight material, the sleeves a bit long and extending over his wrists. This was matched with a soft, camel hair belt and loose, faded pants, almost like what Aladdin word, ending with shoes, black flats specifically. In exchange for his turban, it was a simple, white rounded, shapeless hat, worn jauntily at an angle on the head, topped by a corded, brown rope trimming.

It was a lot less elegant, a lot less dark, and a lot less pricey and fine than what Mozenrath was used to. However, it did succeed in making him look younger, the colors flattering and giving almost a healthy glow to his skin. An added bonus was how surprisingly becoming his hair looked loose and unconstrained. It rested at his shoulders in long, untamed black curls.

Mozenrath was still all legs and arms, but somehow looking natural and casual, it seemed, at least to Aladdin, almost endearingly so.

"What?" Mozenrath asked, noticing Aladdin's continued stare without a word to him.

Aladdin gulped back the lump in his throat.

"Nothing…I just think," he swiped a hand across his hair nervously, "it'll work." He sighed. "Yeah, it'll work".

Mozenrath looked at him oddly,

"Ok…"

But as he looked around the shabby home, made even more so by his destruction, he felt a bit guilty.

"So, where will you go?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Where will you stay?"

"Oh, " Aladdin replied dismissively, " I guess I'll just stay in the palace." Mozenrath's hackles rose, but Aladdin continued. "I mean, the Sultan has been asking why I don't in the first place. I don't really know why myself." He laughed. "There's nothing here but bad memories."

"Oh, you mean like me?" Mozenrath snapped.

Aladdin looked at him incredulously. "What are you talking about? Of course not. What do you have to do with it?"

Mozenrath was gaining fire as he went, enraged unreasonably by the inevitability of loosing Aladdin to the princess and Sultan. And by his own hands! But that didn't matter, what did was that he was feeling unwanted and ugly, and was damn sure going to take it out on Aladdin.

"Oh of course! What it in the world do I have to do with anything? Forgive me for being presumptuous. " He snorted with contempt.

Aladdin was a bit irritated himself at the uncalled for instability of Mozenrath's moods. I mean hell; didn't he just shrug off the fact Mozenrath decimate his childhood home?

"Mozenrath, what is wrong with you? You're making absolutely no sense."

If possible, Mozenrath's hackles reached the sky. " No sense? No, you know what doesn't make sense? What doesn't make sense is my fucking worst enemy going on some friendship quest for seemingly non-existent reasons, feeding me some stupid bullshit about help and understanding all of a sudden. What doesn't make sense, Aladdin, is you practically dragging me from my bed and home to your happy little hole in the wall, only to be abandoned every five seconds for your damn codependent girlfriend!"

Aladdin started to protest, but part of him was fascinated that he was finally getting to see what really bothered Mozenrath lately, how his colorless, almost black eyes flitted like lightening when he was angry, how his already impressible height seemed to grow, catlike in manner.

He stood his ground as Mozenrath made his way to him, forgetting the bed.

" But do you know what really winds me up about you, Aladdin? How you've got this illusion you have every right in the world to jerk people around. I'm not used to being toyed with Aladdin. Do you hear me? "

His last demand ended in a shout, suddenly snatching Aladdin up by the collar. Aladdin was lifted bodily from the ground, adrenaline screaming in Mozenrath's veins making his weight almost nonexistent.

Their breath intermingled, one panting with exertion, the other just now realizing he had been holding his breath. Time stood still and the seconds crawled. As the roar washed from his ears, Mozenrath started to realize how close they really were, faces inches from one another's. He realized how Aladdin was uncomplaining, almost pliable in his hands. Aladdin's eyes darted down to Mozenrath's lips, the sorcerer's eyes already downcast to his, already slightly open.

Mozenrath's heart tightened, Aladdin's breath stilled, the chemistry static and heavy in the room. Their lips neared.

Almost.


So you say there's a stranger staring sideways in a deep freeze
A loner draped in ivy playing slumlord in his city dream

A gasp, sharp and obvious, broke each of their trances, and, without letting go of Aladdin, Mozenrath turned to see one unwelcome observer floating outside of the gaping hole in the hovel wall.

Her red lacquered nails to her pretty lips; the princess of Agrabah was stunned, big pretty eyes wide, boring into Aladdin like wildfire. And Aladdin, while realizing how deep in shit he had just become, felt slightly disappointed when Mozenrath drew away, setting him down.

"Jasmine-" he started out obligingly.

She turned away, Carpet whisking her more so that way, flying out of sight. Aladdin ran to the window, chanting like a mantra,

"Shit Shit Shit Shit".

He leaned over the edge, looking down the mild height. She was already a purple blur on the horizon, speeding for the palace most likely. Aladdin turned to Mozenrath, helpless, pleading for a solution, so ready to bolt out the door, when another visitor flew in.

Aladdin turned relieved to find a solemn faced Genie, who only said,

"I saw Jasmine…She wasn't in the mood to talk, but I guess…" he looked briefly at Mozenrath at this point, " I kind of know what she saw. From what she said, anyway." He looked uncomfortably, standing directionless in the middle of the floor.

"Oh Man, Genie, What am I going to do? I've got to talk to her…" he looked suddenly at Genie. "Genie! Can you please talk to her?" He saw Genie was starting to object, "Please! I can't loose her, not like this."

Genie nodded in ascension.

"Of course. But remember Aladdin, " he said just before he flew out the window, " I can't fight all your battles for you. You know what I mean."

Aladdin sighed when Genie left, sinking once again to the bed.

A faker with an art form pulling magic tricks on the week girls up his sleeve

So while Aladdin, mulling over how very complicated his life had become, Genie set to work. He comforted a confused, lost princess, her rose tinted glasses broken, making up flimsy excuses that she, ready for a happy ending would grow to believe.

And I'm choking right along with the words in my throat
I'm falling back in love with the letter you wrote
And I think that I was wrong, but I guess I don't know

Mozenrath looked at the dismayed, silent Aladdin, loosing clear sight as the rapidly falling desert sun sank, dusking the Earth. He decided know was the time to talk.

"Aladdin?" he began. The hero didn't look up, but Mozenrath knew he had heard him.

"I'm sorry for…doing what I did to your home. And if it's any consolation I'll…well I'll try to find you a new one and pay for it. Wait, that's not what I meant," he got frustrated, deciding finally just to head it straight on. " In any case, you didn't force me here, and I'm glad I'm here at all. If what I did ruined your relationship with the princess, well-"

He flopped down to sit beside Aladdin, who was staring out the window.

"Well, I'm sorry."

He looked to Aladdin for reply, and sighed when he got none, surrendering to just sit in agonized silence.

After a bit, Mozenrath felt a roughened, warm, strong hand slipped into his, a thumb rubbing across his palm. He looked shocked to Aladdin, who gave him a smile.

"I know…And it's going to be fine."

I figure that I'll wait until you tell me so

Mozenrath sighed, lying back with his head against the rapidly cooling stone, Aladdin's hand in his.