A Royal Summer Chapter Sixteen
Roseluva! Another cookie for you! Such a fast review~!
You too KodeKira! (YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME? Ah, that's okay. Many followers have...)
Two more chaps in this fic! Next will be 'A Royal Fall', which will, just a tiny hint, involve that maniac who was overruled by TYL Fran...
Ten years in the future...
Fran leaned back, fanning his hands, his face flushed. 'I thought that would do it...,' he thought in irritation. 'These demonic hands don't help at all.'
Half of him wanted to scream for help, but he didn't know if that would help. Fran grasped his soul and kept a firm hold on it, extinguishing the flame of the Hell ring, and held out his hand, and thought hard. Within seconds, the illusionist sent the dragon from his hand, and tried to press the fire out with the dragon's hands. He took the dragon's point of view, and gripped the branch hard. The heat of the fire was almost quickly dispersed, but the illusion was too strong. Fran gasped as the branch trembled with the dragon's grip, before snapping like a twig.
"Ah-!" Fran yelped as he fell, the illusion breaking and regrouping painfully as a hand. The teal-haired man grunted with pain as he hit a couple branches, his body hitting the ground in a splitting, sharp, searing pain. Fran painfully sat up, coughing, and glanced up at the branch above him. Ash sprinkled from the branch, but no light remained. The cord from the device hung down from the branch, minor sparks crackling from the melted rubber coating. Fran rubbed his scraped knee, then grunted as he moved to get up. He limped. "Gh- a broken ankle...?" he murmured. He sighed, and picked up his sore foot, then stared up at the headquarters. The sky was just beginning to light up, giving the building a minor, orange glow. Fran paused, not knowing how to explain this to Bel.
But the thought was fast. Fran soon decided that hopping was better than crawling, and gave that an attempt. He managed to make it to the door, and made it in. Immediately, he tripped, and somehow landed in someone's arms. "Sen...pai...?" he whispered, though the strong scent of perfume changed his guess in an instant.
"What's wrong, Fran-chan?" asked a strangely motherly man voice. Fran grunted.
"Help me up, gaylord. I know you enjoy having me all squished up against you, but-"
"Shush," Lussuria snapped, before sweeping Fran into his arms. "My, you really were a brat ten years ago."
Fran groaned, and squirmed. "Put me down," he protested. "Luss!"
Lussuria grinned. "Come now, Fran, it's difficult to carry a boy who's wriggling around so much," he chuckled, "Really, I'm going to take you to the infirmary so I can heal you right up, just stop moving around so much; you'll only make it worse."
Fran reluctantly stopped, then asked, "Hey, why did you just happen to be at the door?"
Lussuria gave another light laugh, and said, "Well, Fran, I've got that garden out front. Did you ever see the roses?"
Fran rolled his eyes. "I haven't been outside until this morning."
The Sun guardian gave a slight gasp, holding Fran uncomfortably close as he murmured, "I'll have to show you around... no, no, I can't... ohh, Fran, I'm sorry. I really want to show you this world, but you shouldn't be wandering about outside alone in the first place..."
Fran sighed. "Yeah, yeah, you aren't my mother, so shut up," he grunted, before muttering, "I don't need your pity."
Lussuria smiled sadly. "Maybe I can sneak you outside sometime," he whispered. Fran's heart skipped a beat, but he instantly brushed it off, repulsed at himself for the momentary excitement.
"... I guess you could," the Mist mumbled, holding back every trace of a blush.
"Hey, Fran," the older man began once more as he kicked the door to the infirmary open. "What's it like, being thrown into an unknown world? While knowing that there's a future version of you who is doing whatever he pleases in your life?"
Fran sighed as he was lied on the mangled, infirmary bed. He sat up and leaned against the wall. "I dunno," he murmured. He winced as Lussuria touched his ankle. "Ow, Luss," he growled. The Sun nodded. Fran rolled his eyes, and continued, "I guess it's kind of frustrating. I mean, I do miss the senpai I'm used to. I know it's still senpai, but he's so... mature... and he's acting all cool. Senpai's usually an erratic, childish maniac. That's the senpai I know."
Lussuria smiled. "Oh, Fran...," he hummed, before taking a needle from the counter. He turned back to the illusionist, and knelt beside the bed. "Hehe. I understand. But you know, Bel-chan misses you're older self, too."
Fran scrunched up his face. "Don't you stick me with that thing," he ordered. Lussuria laughed once more.
"I won't, Fran, if anything, this'll be nice," he said, before lighting the end of the pin with Sun flames. "Now listen. In this world, you are such a sweetheart. You'll do anything for Bel-chan, and he'll do anything for you. You're completely in love with his maturity. Maybe his carefree attitude just got old after a while, and the both of you moved on. Ahh, your romance, Fran, is truly the best kind. I wish Ryohei and I had had such a perfect relationship... Fran, you're really lucky."
Lussuria heaved a mighty sigh, and touched the needle to Fran's ankle, holding his leg down with one hand. Fran watched, propped up with his arms, and blinked. He was a bit confused. Who wouldn't be after hearing such a sunny character act so... down? The older man wasn't even smiling as he worked, tapping around Fran's ankle with the lighted piece of metal. Fran exhaled, sort of liking the warmth of the Sun flames. He didn't know that Luss was capable of anything that could be considered nice without being pervy.
"Hey, Fran, say something," Lussuria said in a quiet voice. Fran smiled.
"Thank you."
In the past...
"Fran," Bel whined, prodding his kouhai in the side. "Wake up..." Fran grunted and rolled over, pulling the sheets with him. Bel shivered. "Froggy," he complained, "It's early... I'm tired... and if it's bad enough that you elbowed me, now you're taking all of the bedsheets.
"It's summer. Stop being such a baby," Fran grunted.
"It's cold!" Bel said, poking the older man in the back. Fran rolled back, and tossed the sheets to Bel, then squirmed out of the bed. Bel sat up. "Froggy?"
"I'm just gonna get up," Fran sighed, "go ahead and get your sleep."
Bel frowned as his lover walked out of the room. "No-fun Froggy," he mumbled, curling up under the sheets.
Fran yawned, walking towards the kitchen. Regardless of his tiredness, the man couldn't take an ounce more of his younger lover's self. He strode into the kitchen, not aware that a certain ray of sunlight was also in there. He looked up. "Hey, Luss," he greeted. Lussuria grinned.
"Hi, Fran-chan," he greeted. "Where's Bel-chan?"
"In bed," Fran growled, moving to take a seat. He slumped into his chair and groaned. "If I knew how immature he was at this age, I may have thought twice. He keeps poking me and jabbing me and all that," he grunted, "And he was so cute earlier. Luss, I can't believe I'm saying this. I need some advice."
Lussuria set a glass of water on the table, and sat down on the opposite end. He thought for a moment, tugging on his bang as he wondered what to say. "Well, Fran-chan," he began, "People change."
"No duh," Fran sighed, leaning back in his chair.
The Sun guardian took a moment to look irked. "Fran-chan, I'm sorry, but please let me give you what I can."
The illusionist sighed. "I'm sorry. Please continue."
Fran didn't neccessarily respect the other man; however, he did know that Lussuria was well studied in romantics, and his advice was worth listening to, especially since it was free. "Well, Bel-chan misses your younger self, you know," Lussuria murmured, drumming his fingers on the table. "It's hard to be away from the one that you love. I know that, Fran-chan, and I know you never want your lover to change. But you change over time, I saw that right away. Like how Mammon-chan changed from being so greedy, to questioning his methods. How boss grew stronger, and more calm. And how you became so mature, Fran-chan. The future version of Bel is perfect for this version of you, and this version of Bel is perfect for the Fran of this world. ... I'm actually impressed you put up with this pranky, childish Bel-chan for so long..."
Fran rested his head in his arms. "Ugh. I see your point, Luss. I'll just have to deal with it. Thanks. Thanks for everything."
Just outside the kitchen, Bel looked to the ground.
"I get it," he whispered, "I get it, Froggy."
A single tear rolled down his cheek.
-End Chapter
Aw. I'll have to wrap this all up soon. :)