Author's Note: Lookit all the reviews! -basks- ...Oh, and I'm back to school (I've been sick), so the updates will be a bit slower now... not because I'm getting lazy, but because I'm busy with school stuff...
Faris (Chapter Two): Thank you! You're not the only one who never thought of it before; trust me - it hit me like a ten-ton bucket of bricks the last time I was playing SO3. I just thought, out of nowhere... "Holy crap, they'd make a great pairing!"
Iconoclastic Orthodoxy (Chapter Two): First of all, I really hope I spelled that right. O-o; Second, thank you for the offer -I might just take you up on that, possibly.
Raven the Dark Angel (Chapter 2-3): Who, me? An Anne Rice fan? No. Not at all. That's certainly not the reason why my bookshelf is full of her work... or why I aspire to be like her... of course not... -shifty eyes-Anyway... what was I saying again? Oh, right... um... yay, another RomeroxAlbel fan! I'll infect the world (the world being And Folstar is the briefly-mentioned God of Death. He has a four-line entry in the Dictionary. -.-; Well, guess I can't complain... Romero doesn't get anything... oh, and... Albel has plans, don't worry. He's devious. As you'll see in just a few moments.
Gemelli: Yay! Gemelli! -glomp- Yes, this is a lovely pairing. When was the last time my updates came within two days of each other? You would know... my very first loyal reviewer. -hug-
Pyrocrastic Flow: Folstar? Hell, for this fic, I'm willing to bring in Apris. ...Which isn't to say I will. Or won't. You never know; I rarely have a plan for anything... this is one of those fics I do have a general storyline for, though, fortunately. -sweatdrop- And by the way, I love long reviews!
Chibi Usagi1: You find Romero in two places - in Albel's ending, and in the Urssa Cave Temple (where he fights alongside Albel) if you choose not to take Albel in your party (I have yet to see this, obviously). I have a couple of screencaps, if you're interested. Or, you could just track me down on MSN and ask to see my Romero Display Picture, that works, too. -nods happily-
Psychodog: It's the guilt trip... OF DOOOOOOOM! -lightning explodes in the background with a fierce crack, accompanied by organ music- ...What? You were thinking it, too. -cough- This story is like a carcrash. Only, without the car. Or the crash. But it's still got blood, screams, loud noises, a little metal, and one question - "What the heck happened here?"
Warnings: shounen-ai, yaoi, a rather painful retribution on Albel's behalf
Pairing: Romero and Albel
Afterlife
LeFox
Chapter Four: Obey Thy Master
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"Heh... you seem a bit feisty," Romero murmured, kissing Albel again. Albel's tongue explored his mouth curiously... then, the swordsman pulled back a bit, touching Romero's lips with his good hand. Amused, the demon opened his mouth a bit, allowing the searching fingers to slip inside. Albel's fingers ran along his teeth, focusing on the eye teeth. He frowned.
"...Didn't you have fangs?" he puzzled. The demon smiled, pulling the hand out of his mouth. He brushed the man's hair away from his neck, looking calmly at the small puncture wounds.
"You enjoyed it, hmm...?" Romero purred seductively, setting the man in his lap. He pressed his forehead against Albel's neck. "You're not like other mortals, Albel." The swordsman seemed pleased with the compliment, running his clawed fingers down Romero's back. The demon winced mentally - he could feel the skin break and reseal itself, stinging harshly as it did so. Immortality and invincibilty had never been without pain...
"Of course I'm not like anyone else," Albel said haughtily. "I can't be. How many others have you taken?" He was referring, of course, to the number of fallen mortals he had taken for himself, without allowing Folstar to have them first. That was the usual procedure - Folstar or Romero severed the Soul Thread, then Folstar would carefully pick and choose between the dead... those who were worthy of it moved on to Oblivion, those who had been sinners in their lives remained with him, those who fit neither profile became Romero's servants.
But these servants were mutilated before they were sent to him; they were mute, blind, deaf, or otherwise incapable of communication - and as such, they could not possibly be worthwhile companions. Albel was the first real company Romero had seen in many centuries now...
The realization swept over him, acerbic and savage. He pulled the man closer, savoring the feeling of Albel's skin against his. Centuries. The warm, soft skin was an all new experience; with his face against Albel's neck, he could feel the blood coursing through the veins. Centuries since he'd last been this close to anyone, let alone a mortal... He could feel the lungs expanding and contracting, and the air passing from the lips... it coursed over his ear as Albel's teeth nibbled on his earlobe. The swordsman's breath was warm, Romero noticed, with a small, satisfied smile.
"...Are you falling asleep, your majesty?" Albel asked, delivering his title mockingly. He traced the tattoos on Romero's chest with one finger, delighting in the way the demon arched his back under his fingertips. Romero responded with a soft, barely audible sigh, squeezing him closer. Smirking, Albel began running his clawed fingers lightly and harmlessly through Romero's gleaming hair. The demon was as vulnerable as he'd ever be, lying in his arms like a child...
Albel closed his eyes, humming as softly and sweetly as he could manage. His hand passed slowly through the white hair, grazing gently over the demon's scalp. His other hand, the good hand, lovingly massaged his neck, shoulders, and back. He could feel long eyelashes brushing against his neck, butterfly wings... the King of the Dead was so trusting... he was murmuring something softly now, kissing his collarbone. Remarkably sweet, this Romero, for a servant of the gods... almost like an infant. Albel's hand paused on the back of the demon's neck, stroking the pale skin with one finger. "You claim me, then, your majesty? Master?" A low, breathy reply came as an answer, presumably in the affirmative. "...And maybe I can claim you, then?" Another little sound. This one was almost hesitant.
"Quiet, then, Master, and let me... claim... you."
He dug his claws into Romero's skull with as much force as he could summon up. The demon gasped soundlessly. His body tensed... his hands clutched Albel's sides almost painfully... he bit into Albel's neck... he squeezed Albel's body against him so tightly Albel thought his spine would break... and then... he went limp with one final, shuddering breath. Albel laughed cruelly, withdrawing his fatal hand from Romero's head. He wasn't particularly surprised that they weren't bloody at all, nor was he shocked to see the wound heal itself. But what he was sure of was that Romero, King of the Dead, had joined his subjects.
Albel let the King's body lie on him for a mere second before lying him down (almost) gently to the bed, then sliding away to find some suitable clothing for himself. After all... Romero wouldn't be needing it anymore. Best not to let it go to waste. After sorting through various outfits, he finally found one that fit him (almost) perfectly - a bit of a tight fit, but then again... He glanced over at the remains of his previous outfit. He could hardly complain about the changes in his ensemble. He dressed quickly, turning to examine his reflection in a conveniently-placed full-length mirror. Hm. Who knew he could look so good in black? Purple had always been his color of choice... ah, well, you learned something new every day. Albel glanced down at his hair. Wrapping it back up would take such a long time, and he just didn't have the patience for it. He chose instead to simply tie it back, using one of his wrappings. Satisfied, he turned his attentions back to Romero's body.
His flaming eyes were still open halfway... groaning, Albel reached over to close them. His hand lingered for a moment on the side of Romero's face.
"...Well," he muttered (almost) wistfully, "I'll give you this much - you sure know how to leave a beautiful corpse-"
"Why, thank you." All at once, the eyes flew back open, and Romero's hand whipped up and caught Albel's wrist before he could pull away. "You're quite the tease, Albel Nox," Romero said coldly, sitting up. "You dare to make an attempt on my life at such a time? Bold of you... bold, but foolish. As are most of the things you do."
Albel stared, dumbfounded, at the demon. But-! Just a moment ago! He was...! His eyes were huge, almost comical, as he attempted to wrench his hand away from the demon's grip. "D-Damn you!" he screamed, struggling against the deathgrip. Romero merely smiled passionlessly, squeezing tighter.
"You," he said in a low, threatening voice, "Will learn," He yanked Albel onto the bed, "To obey," He flipped him to his stomach, and pinned him with a knee on his back. "Me!" He held Albel's wrists down, almost crushing them with the pressure of his grasp. "You are my slave, mortal, and you have no power over me. I own your body, soul, your very being! Don't think for a moment that I can't sense your thoughts! Don't dare to move against me - I can predict every move you make!"
The swordsman was paralyzed beneath Romero, unable to move, unable to think, unable to speak... he felt like a wild animal being broken for domestication. He couldn't feel anything.
"...But not to worry..." Romero said gently, after a moment. "I forgive you. After all... you're only mortal..." He released Albel slowly, stroking the man's hair. He stood then, rolling Albel onto his back. "I like this outfit on you," he mused, his eyes slowly scanning the man's body. "It suits you."
The numbness was wearing away, leaving a burning rage and overwhelming hatred in its place. Albel sat up slowly and, with all his might, threw himself at Romero. "I'll kill you, you damned maggot!" he yelled, lashing out with everything he had. It was an all-out temper tantrum, fueled with enough fury to surprise even the King of the Dead. Romero stagged away from the man, doing his best to block the blows. He was struck several times before he finally caught one of the man's hands - the claw, easily the deadlier of the two.
"Now, now, Albel..." he said soothingly, pushing the hyperventilating man back to the bed. Albel slumped wearily on the side of the bed, glaring viciously from under a fringe of dark hair. Romero studied him carefully. He smiled inwardly, reflecting on a memory of a similar time, from not so long ago... but that was a memory for a different day. "You'll learn, in time, who you serve." He whispered closely, smiling serenely. "And I think you may come to like me, after all."
Albel jerked away, throwing himself away from Romero. The demon watched, fascinated, as he buried himself under the covers he had torn only moments ago. He was breathing heavily, furiously, quivering with rage. Sighing, Romero climbed into the bed beside him, holding the man's cover-enclosed body.
"Albel," he whispered gently, "I don't mean to break you. I don't seek to control you."
Albel glared at him over his shoulder, but the true anger was gone from his eyes, leaving behind an innocent curiosity that, perhaps, Albel himself wasn't aware of.
"But if I'm expected to respect you, Albel, you have to respect me." Romero held Albel's face firmly with one hand, staring intently into his eyes. Slowly, stubbornly, the swordsman nodded.
Author's Note: And so ends the daily updates, my friends... I'd say from now on, expect an update about once a week, maybe twice. -nod- ...I don't have school on Monday, however... -evil grin-
