A/N: Hopefully, there will only be one more chapter to go. But knowing me and my verbosity, that "one more" may split into "two more".

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Two Glory

Chapter 2

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The two of them advanced further through the thicket's core with silent tongues. There was much Patroklos wanted to ask the reserved woman, but whenever he opened his mouth to do so, he was rendered speechless and spoke nothing. The fortune teller, on the other hand, had many a word to disclose, but the time was not yet ripe for it. Her reasons for seeking out the boy were for her own interests as well as having substance on a much larger, global, scale. In her cherry-tinted crystal ball, she had seen of two outcomes dealing with him at its centerpiece. However, the causes to the two different paths, whichever one resulted in being embarked upon, were clouded. In order to clearly witness what was to happen, there was one thing that would trigger the more favorable solution. And that was what Viola had to witness with her own two eyes—if her assumption would indeed prove helpful in this situation.

"Are we there yet?" Patroklos groused quite audibly. The air had begun to thin since their trek led them near a mountaintop. In response, Viola addressed him with a bemused expression. A thousand phrases shaped her red eyes, none of which were to be voiced. Just then, a gruff cough engulfed an area not too far from their location. While faint, familiarity could still be plucked from it. Upon hearing the sound a second time, Patroklos halted in his steps and stood very still. His breath ceased momentarily and his pupils shrank to narrowed pin-tips. "...Is that... is that really..? It can't...?" he stammered; his mouth was moving faster than his thoughts could form a complete sentence. Without thinking, he ran ahead of Viola and climbed up the steep slope that led to an obscurely settled hut just off the path. The woman did nothing to stop him. A blank look was all she held before following after him at her own unhurried pace.

"Zwei! Zwei, are you there? Say something!" Patroklos called at the height of his lungs at the front door. His reply was another cough from the other side, followed by a deep gravelly groan, "How about 'could you keep it down?' I've got a splitting headache..."

An airy sound of awe released from Patroklos, unknown to him of how uninhibited his excitement truly was, and he burst through the door. The interior of the dwelling appeared far more condensed than the outside of it. There were different things scattered about the floors and a rather messy kitchen, but all of that swiftly lost meaning once the blonde's eyes found the man he had longed to reunite with. The pale-haired swordsman sat on the floor with on leg bent, boot planted atop the ground, with the other curved beneath it. His chiseled body was shirtless; comfortable form-fitting pants and boots adorned his lower half; both eyes were closed and his lips were drawn at a descent. Was it truly him? Unable to contain his surprise, Patroklos dashed next to the olive-skinned male and dropped to his knees, "Zwei! Zwei!"

Not used to being called so frequently, accompanied by such boisterous enthusiasm, Zwei recoiled slightly from the intensity and rubbed his temples,"Can't you listen? I've really got a headache! Keep it down, would ya? You may not be a dog anymore, but you still have your bark," he jeered; the last bit of his statement carried reference towards how the teen would blindly follow orders from those who eventually turn on him. While Patroklos ended up becoming a "hero", he still had his big mouth.

"You MORON!" Patroklos spat back, disregarding Zwei's gripes despite the other man's blatant discomfort about his headaches. He could apologize later. Right now, he felt as if he had every right to give the wiser male a little trouble, "You've been here all this time? And you didn't tell me?"

"Sorry, kid, I didn't get the memo," Zwei commented dryly, cracking his neck.

"Why aren't you with Siegfried?"

"..."The darker male said nothing momentarily. Ethereal orbs of teal slid over to the frantic youth beside him. The boy's eyes were wide with shock, yet sharp with concern. Curls of subdued blonde coiled about his face and enhanced his features in ways that made every brash statement from his mouth more tolerable. And, was he pouting? It must not have been on purpose. He and his sister were twins weren't they? They must share some of the same expressions naturally. For a split second, Zwei pictured Patroklos in his sister's battle attire, hair accessories and all, standing in the same timidly passive way she would with her sword. The thought brushed a flicker of a smirk across those browned lips but in place of a laugh, he just answered the question, "The captain isn't in control of me, you know. After your malfested sister stabbed me in the back and I fell from that tower, I figured the old man would consider me dead or that I just didn't want to be found. And that's exactly what I was..."

"? Dead?"

"Not wanting to be found, genius!" Zwei corrected snappishly, "Do I look dead to you?"

"You look a lot of things to me right now so you don't want me to answer that! I still want more explanations from you!"

Zwei sighed; his sound a rich blend of coarseness and fluidity, "Let me guess, how did I make it, right? How could I survive both the fall and the wound, right?"

Patroklos nodded, frowning lightly. The contrasts in their maturities was made highly evident this instance. But the bond they exhibited told of far more. "Well, yeah! For starters, anyway. Tell me!"

To this, Zwei gave a sly, toothy grin in which caused the blonde's eyes to expand even more. "You-! You're-!"

"Yeah. Not human. Ever hear of werewolves, Patroklos?"

"Of course I have but—then you have cursed blood? Are you a malfested too?" he accused, gripping the hilt of his weapon.

"Now, hold on! Quit jumping to conclusions, would you! I'm no malfested but my blood IS cursed. The reason is irrelevant. It's who I am and I'm gonna deal with it. Anyway...When I fell, I summoned Ein to help soften the landing. He couldn't hold me for very long, so I ended up taking a few scratches and sprains along the way after he dropped me. I healed myself once I hit the ground; Viola found me; and we moved up here temporarily."

"The two of you are always together..." Patroklos seethed briskly absentmindedly; the words trespassed his lips as he uttered them. His hands curled into fists without his realizing. Zwei noticed, but made no mention of it. He didn't have time to either. A new stream of inquires sprouted from the teen with emotion-driven vigor. Every sentence may as well had been strung together as one from how quickly he burned through them, "Then, why are the two of you holed up here by yourselves? What's wrong with you? Why did Viola even bring me here?"

While Zwei appreciated Patroklos' company, he hated being barraged with so many empty questions and finally called for help, "Ugggh... Viola!"

"Yes, this is my doing," she coolly confessed while she literally glided into the house, seated atop her crystal ball. Legs crossed and hands placed in her lap, her ivory curls feathered over the decorations at her chest as she tilted her head thoughtfully, "As I mentioned to you before, there was something that I must see through to its end." Her gaze then trailed over to Patroklos, who regarded her presence with a rather complex expression. Jealousy. Confusion. Misunderstanding. She accepted all of them together. They would aid her in this current role, "The moon grows colder."

"..." Zwei inspected the young woman while his mind sampled her words, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she approved with a fragmented smile, "I shall be observing."

"Ehh right," Zwei agreed doubtfully. He then returned his attention to Patroklos, who had stood to his feet and began looking around to get his sight off of that female. With the blonde's focus divided, Zwei examined him closely, studying the way he moved; breathed; his scent, "... … … Hmm..."

"How long did it take for you to get here? Did Violahelp levitate you?" the boy resumed, making sure to say the woman's name as sarcastically as possible. It was no mystery or secret about how he felt towards her and he certainly would continue to prove it. A faint snigger left Zwei and he shifted his weight to a more comfortable position while remaining seated, "Of course she didn't. I made it here on my own. Who am I to burden her with something like that anyway? In any case, you've asked enough questions. It's my turn to return the favor. But since you're here and already standing, would you mind grabbing me the sandwich from the pail in the kitchen?"

"What?" he spun around, eyes glinting with disbelief, "Do I look like someone's wife or wench? Isn't that what she's here for?" he sneered, cocking his head over at Viola. Expressionless, Zwei gazed over at the floating woman while she shared not a word in her own defense. She and her companion were only comrades and nothing more. If the time came where she had to dispose of him, she would—in her own way. At this moment, her interests contained the interactions between the two males before her. This was of the most importance. While not for any personal gain, she had to watch. When she gave nothing for Patroklos to go along with, he tossed his glances between the both of them before throwing up his arms and storming into the small kitchen. He set his sword-sheathed shield along a wall and fetched the food from the cold water within the bucket. The sandwich was wrapped, of course, and consisted of large slabs of stale bread on either ends of salted meat and aged cheese wedges.

"Here's your meal, your highness," he drawled, dropping the food in Zwei's lap before rejoining him on the floor. He trusted the man enough to not need his weapons at his side. Zwei would have scolded him about this, but he figured he'd cut the kid some slack for now. He actually appreciated the company, even if it was assisted. But that was fine; he knew that if Patroklos knew he had been alive, he would have visited a lot sooner. Zwei would have done the same to him.

"Thanks. So how have you and your sister been doing?"

"Fine. She's been getting ahead of herself; gotten a little braver. She doesn't want me to protect her as much." Just like the times when they were still getting to know the other, Patroklos' thoughts freely tumbled from his lips to Zwei's ears. He respected this man far more than he realized.

"As quick as you are to jump into things, I don't blame her," Zwei added with a chuckle, unraveling the sandwich's trappings, "And you?"

"I-" he trailed off. His attention had become snagged by the prodding Viola hovering atop her orb, staring intently at the two of them conversing. Patroklos grimaced, "Okay, THAT...is making me uncomfortable..."

"That" referred to either Viola, her actions, or possibly both.

"Viola..." Zwei began, lowly.

"Yes."

"Do you mind?"

"Yes."

"... You know what I mean!"

"And again, yes. I must see this."

"Could you do it from someplace else? Please?"

"Somewhere we can't see you, maybe?" Patroklos chimed in bluntly.

She paused, considering it, "Yes. Very well." With that, she floated to the opposite side of Zwei. Not liking having someone so closely behind him, Zwei groaned and turned towards her. As he did, he found himself eye to eye with an upside-down Viola. Immediately, his eyes narrowed, "Some privacy, please, Viola? Although it does amuse me to see you really do have a sense of humor."

"Wine loses its understanding as it ages," she countered in drab monotone. In response, both Patroklos and Zwei glared at her in their own ways. After a few seconds of dense silence, Viola surprised them both with a small pretty smile, "I see. Very well. I will return," she offered. Her eyes then glided over to Patroklos, "Do feel free to not behave."

"What?" the blonde inquired, but Viola was already gone- she floated to an upper loft in the hut and perched herself amongst the hay and straw for the roofing there. Now it was so that she could see them, but they weren't as aware of her. It was good enough.

Then, there again was silence.

"..." Zwei glanced over his food to occupy himself while waiting for the blonde to continue. Yet, now that he was "alone" with Zwei, and sitting so closely to him, the young hero wasn't sure of what to disclose about himself. What could one say to the individual he thought had been lost forever? Should he mention how he wanted to search for his remains to give him a respectful burial? Or perchance he ought to bring up how estranged he felt after possibly finding a true friend in the older man, but never having a chance to explore its depths? Yeah, like that would ever happen. He was far too proud to ever let Zwei know any of that. He could never tell him how bothered he was from the other's absence in his life so suddenly. He was grateful for his sister and loved her greatly, or at least the idea of having a sibling to protect and care for he loved. They both wanted a family of their own, but had no interest in others of their opposite sex except with themselves. However, she was of his own blood and it was forbidden to intermingle that bond no matter how easy accomplishing it would be. It was a strange thing and Patroklos had no word for it. If he couldn't understand what that meant, how would he ever confess to himself, or Zwei, about how deeply his respect ran for him? He hadn't even known him for very long and already thoughts of this man had rooted themselves in his memory? Was Patroklos that desperate for companionship towards someone who could understand and clash with him on a regular basis? The puzzlement disturbed him and not having a solution right away enabled vexation.

"Here."

Patroklos blinked slightly; his lashes accented his hooded lids while his gaze lined the floor. It was then he came to notice that he was sulking and Zwei had seen all of it, "Huh what?" he wondered, blinking again before looking in Zwei's direction. The enigmatic man chewed his food casually, holding the sandwich out to Patroklos to offer him a bite. Appalled by such common food, the blonde curled his lip at the display and scooted away from the monstrosity, "Keep that thing to yourself."

Zwei's brows raised. Just to make sure of the rejection, he held the sandwich near Patroklos' face again, "Sure you aren't hungry? You were looking pretty depressed like you haven't eaten in days."

"I said I didn't want-!" he stopped suddenly once view shifted to his mentor. The man must had been eating with abandon; there was a tiny piece of bread stuck to the corner of his mouth. Completely without thinking, Patroklos leaned close, closed his eyes, and touched his lips to the spot briefly. As he pulled away, the tip of his tongue peeked out and pilfered the crumb from Zwei's face. It all occurred so quickly, Zwei stared owlishly at the younger, albeit still chewing slowly. For the moment, Patroklos felt nothing out of place and swallowed the morsel of bread. It wasn't until his eyes met with the aquamarine opals, that were not of his sister's, did he recognize what he had just done.

"... …. …. … … …!" Humiliation painted his face in its scarlet hue; his teeth clenched; his pupils shrank. He did NOT just kiss Zwei, another man, did he? Apparently, he did. It happened purely out of habitual instinct! He had gotten so used to removing bits of food from Pyrrha's face that way, as a considerate brother, that when he saw it happen on Zwei's, he acted purely on autopilot.

"^&*&^#^*&y#*&$&*^&%%r%^!" Patroklos shrieked in a foreign tongue, launching himself to a stand and then doing his best to scramble away from his crush. No! That was wrong! Zwei wasn't his crush! He wasn't a 'his' anything! He was a guy! Another guy- who had received a nice peck on the mouth from his former pupil!

This was it. Patroklos' life was over. And the most shameful and horrifying part about it was-

-he actually wantedtodoitagain.

Maybe! His head was a jumble of nonsense.

"Is that Greek?" Zwei questioned, sounding very lackadaisical, hardly looking over his shoulder from his meal, "And I thought English was hard enough..."

"I JUST KISSED YOU, YOU &^#&%#& MORON! &^^#! IDIOT! Or haven't you noticed?" Patroklos sputtered. He rubbed his mouth harshly with the back of his hand while attempting to point an accusing finger Zwei's way. Why wasn't he acting at least the slightest bit disgusted? Yes, Patroklos had thought of Zwei as very smooth and collected, but certainly not this much! Why was he taking such a situation so well? Patroklos failed to understand.

"I noticed," Zwei shrugged and took another bite of his food, "But you were only doing something you've done with your sister, right? You two are all alone out there. Makes sense to me."

"I. KISSED. YOU. There IS no 'oh yeah, that makes perfect sense' HERE!"

"Haha...Just how close are the two of you?" Zwei knew the blonde was being serious, but he couldn't help but find his dramatic behavior funny. To Patroklos' dismay, the young hero blanched. "-WHAT-"

"Hmmm," Zwei lifted his chin while he recalled a distant recollection, "The great warrior Achilles and his dear friend Patroclus. How did that one story go... ? Oh yeah. Explicitly close those two were... Come to think of it, didn't Achilles use the name 'Pyrrha' once when he disguised himself among women?"

If looks could kill, the harshness Patroklos depicted would have sliced through the swordsman thrice by now, "Take that back!"

"Or you'll what? Pick up your weapon and strike me? You know you can never beat me...not even in a hundred years," the lycan surmised, facing away from the teen.

"!" Patroklos would be lying if he mentioned the thought of readying his sword and forcing Zwei into a duel hadn't crossed his mind several times for his licentious comments. How dare he make such assumptions! Thankfully, he was so blinded by the awkwardness of the moment he didn't even bother to consider why in the world his beloved mother gave him and his sister such controversial names in the first place.

"One day, I will surpass you." And he meant it.

"Wonderful," Zwei drawled dispassionately, then motioned for Patroklos to rejoin him without a glance, "Come back here, would you."

"..." The word 'NO!' held fast to Patroklos' tongue, but for some reason, he could not speak it. Instead, he started to feel rather daring. He figured that perhaps Zwei was testing him. Well, he certainly wouldn't disappoint. His mischievous eyes trickled across the floor before nestling along the curves of the other man's bare back. The muscles there flexed, sensing that they were being visually tasted. The turn of Zwei's head followed suit, viewing the slender warrior with unreadable eyes. The corners of Patroklos' softened. To him, Zwei represented danger as well as compassion. There was a fire within him that burned mightily when certain things he deemed important and worthy were in front of him. In this moment, Patroklos swore he could see that flame; it beckoned to him, and he boldly allowed it satiation with his presence.

A comfortable silence then merged between them. Patroklos took proud steps over to Zwei, keeping his form fixated on the darker man's visage. Of course, by doing so, he wasn't watching where he was walking and missed the small step that separated the kitchen from the rest of the hut. A beautiful gasp fluttered from him, that sounded very similar to something his sister would make, and he fell face first into Zwei's lap. His arms flailed, knocking the sandwich out of its devourer's hands. Amongst the confusion, Patroklos thought he heard a shout from Zwei, then a growl. The next thing he knew, he felt a yank at the back of his head before the hardness of the floor made contact with it soon thereafter. Through narrowed vision, he could identify Zwei's broad muscular form looming over him with piercing, searching, eyes. He was like a beast—a wild untamed beast—clamping his arms to the floor, pressing a knee into his midsection with bared teeth near his throat. He was positively primal and Patroklos had the will to contend with all of him.

"Ah—What-" the blonde stammered, then quickly recomposed himself and properly equipped his tongue with a retort, "Like being rough, do you, Zwei?"

"You have no idea what rough is," he replied smoothly. Too smoothly. And oddly, Patroklos laughed. Here he was with a half naked man pinning him to the floor, sprinkling exhales over the exposed skin of his neck and he was laughing?

"What have you got to prove, anyway?"

"I have no dinner now, thanks to you and your clumsiness... Got a thing for falling in other people's laps, Patroklos?"

"Got a thing for being a prick, Zwei?"

"You're one to talk."

"I tripped! Yours just happened to BE THERE. So get off of me!"

"Make me, little boy," The taunt resonated sonorously in his throat. The flash of an expression passed over Patroklos' face that was too quick to read. Then, his brows lowered foxily, his eyes narrowed and a haughty smirk took his lips, "Hmph. I'd be careful with words like that if I were you..."

Zwei's eyes contracted threateningly, but there was humor in them, "Someone's got jokes..."

"Don't tempt me..." he muttered, both a little louder than he intended Zwei to hear as well as a bit too softly that it sounded like a secret longing. Whether the hidden meaning was understood or not was undecipherable on Zwei. His eyes rapidly traced the planes of Patroklos' face, taking in the conflicting gaze that furrowed his blonde brow.

"...You owe me a sandwich," he mumbled.

"I'll owe you more than that," he teased with a cocky grin. It would seem the expression was contagious as Zwei's lips sported an amused curve of their own.

"But you're part wolf aren't you?"

"Werewolf," he corrected flatly, indicating just how much he "loved" talking about that subject.

"A dog, then."

"What did you say..."

"So you should have no problem eating it off the floor."

The edge of Zwei's mouth twitched, "Do you like that face of yours, Patroklos..."

"I certainly do, Zwei," he returned hotly with a teasing smile, "My sister does too, but while she's pretty cute, I'm the real looker."

"Oh, really..." he mused, the even timbre of his voice dissolving into an almost sensual growl. A wild blush claimed Patroklos' features. A broken sound caught in his throat and he bit his lip to prevent it from escaping.

This was bad!

Somehow he managed to get an arm free to press his palm to the middle of Zwei's face as a barrier between his vulnerable embarrassment, "Get OFF of me!" he demanded, attempting to push the swordsman away. In retaliation, Zwei grasped his wrist and positioned both of them above the youth's head. There was no way Patroklos was getting out of this one of his own volition. But that certainly didn't stop his mouth from shouting every obscenity that came to mind at Zwei.

"Most interesting..."

Both males halted what they were doing and cast their eyes towards the prying Viola directly next to them. There was a hint of fascination glimmering in her wine-hued orbs while she sat atop her crystal ball. Her hood was lowered and her platinum locks wavered with each intake of breath. She was excited, for whatever reason, the two others weren't entirely sure about. Puzzled, they exchanged glances, then immediately separated. Patroklos was the first to rise to a stand, while dusting the awkward situation from off his clothes, with Zwei gradually following suit. The lycan observed the sputtering boy announce his leave and dash out of the hut. Then, seconds later, he returned to gather his forgotten sword and shield, then repeated his flee.

With Zwei and Viola now the only remaining, the taller turned towards the rose-clad maiden with uncertainty on his tongue, "What was all that about with you..."

Smiling playfully, which Zwei assumed was supposed to be an expression of triumph, Viola unmounted her perch and summoned it to hover between her hands, "Clouded wine mirrors the moon and may block the sun from its rise."

"Huh?"

"The unclear segment of my visions reached a milestone whilst the two of you tussled. I believe that now... the fate in which he chooses will become a more favorable one that all of humanity and those with tainted blood can appreciate. He must be kept closer."

Closer, huh? Zwei was fine with that, "Well... … knowing him, he'll be back. He's too stubborn and foolhardy to turn his back on me now."

"Good." With her piece stated, the woman took her leave. Once more in solitude, Zwei carried his gaze to the ceiling in thought. Instinctively, his fingers reached up and grazed the spot where Patroklos "kissed" him earlier. It was nothing, right? Just an easy mistake and misunderstanding. However...

No. There was no point in considering otherwise.

What would he do with domestic baggage anyway? He didn't have the time for it. But if Patroklos did want to spend more time with him, he would not object to it. He wasn't completely certain of how he was viewed through the eyes of the younger male; his scent held far too many emotions to filter out just one.

He could figure all of this out at another time. As of now, it had to have been some time after midnight—and fatigue was the last thing on his mind.

OoO

Thar be a lemon afoot next chapter! And special thanx to Shakira for her song "Did It Again". Had it playing on loop for this chapter!

And yes the "wild untamed beast" bit is a pun...a nod to the part of the title to Z.W.E.I.'s theme.

lol there was a time when I typed "Amy" instead of "Viola" before of course deleting it hahaha

Oh! I forgot to mention the bringing up of the name Pyrrha in ref to Achilles is from the story "The Iliad" in which Patroclus' very best and very close friend, was disguised as a woman. Because of his bright/light colored hair the women there dubbed him Pyrrha, getting the word from "pyrrhon" that means flame-colored.

Yes dear Sophitia, why DID you give your CHILDREN these names?

To be continued

-Mel