Chapter 9: Volpe's Concern

A/N: I'm trying to stay at least reasonably true to Cesare's personality in the manga. He didn't ever strike me as actually being homosexual. It more seemed like he fell in love with Chiaro partly out of desperation to be close to Chiaro and partly (and this is my personal theory) because the demons stirred up a sexual passion, knowing it would drive Chiaro away, since Chiaro was a hindrance to their plans. I figured I could turn the second around by countering the first, and thus give the story a better possibility of a happy ending. But that doesn't mean Cesare isn't still aware of what the demons could make him feel if he isn't careful.

A/N 2: I'm actually bringing Volpe into the story, what do you know. My opinion on Volpe: I feel kind of bad for him, since Cesare chooses Chiaro, not him. But he also totally freaks me out because of his obsession with Cesare and the fact that he has no problem with the demons taking over Cesare's mind and body. And honestly, I think the obsession weirds Cesare out a little too, though of course, being Cesare, he's perfectly willing to use it.

A/N 3: I apologize for the ridiculously long author's notes. Please enjoy the story.

Chiaro woke up, smiling to see Cesare still sleeping peacefully. It had been a week since he'd killed Larangue, and there had been no assignments since. Cesare was changing for the better, that much was certain.

"Lord Cesare!" The door suddenly burst open to reveal Volpe, who saw Chiaro and turned red.

Meanwhile, Cesare stirred, blinking open his eyes. "Is that Volpe?" he murmured.

"Yes." Well, it was bound to have happened eventually.

Cesare sat up and looked at Volpe. "Most people knock, you know."

"I'm… sorry," Volpe stammered. "I didn't realize you slept together." Underneath his embarrassment was anger, primarily directed at Chiaro. Of course.

"We don't," Cesare said. "I mean, we do, but…." He got the covers off them. "Look, we're both clothed. Chiaro can drive away the demons by touching me, so in order to help me sleep peacefully, he often holds me. However, he isn't my lover, or anything like that." Thank goodness for Cesare's ability to be calm in the face of crisis. If Cesare were suspected of homosexual behavior… but then again, this was Volpe, who would probably rather walk across a field of knives than cast any shadow on Cesare's name. Though he might relish the opportunity to get Chiaro in trouble.

Volpe looked doubtful. "That's hardly normal."

Cesare cocked an eyebrow, perhaps at Volpe's bluntness. "I'm hardly normal."

"What do you mean, Chiaro can drive away the demons by touching you?"

Chiaro sighed a little, a bit irritated by Volpe's tendency to talk about him while he was in the room as if he wasn't even there.

"I don't know how, but Chiaro has that ability." He looked at Chiaro curiously. "Do you know how?" Chiaro shook his head, glad at least that Cesare wasn't ignoring him.

"Is that why you always stay so close to him?"

"Partly."

"But why do you want to send them away? I thought they're usually helpful."

"I don't need their help to sleep."

"But if Chiaro is always sending them away—"

"What?" Chiaro asked. "Would you rather they take him over to make him strong? Don't you care about his soul at all?"

Volpe glared at him, saying nothing.

Cesare sighed. "There was apparently something you needed to tell me that you found urgent enough to invade my privacy," he commented. "Might we table this discussion for the time being while you give me your information?"

Volpe mastered himself and turned to Cesare. "The pope needs to speak with you. He says it's urgent."

"Very well. I hope he will not be unduly upset about the delay caused by this irrelevant discussion." Chiaro looked at Cesare nervously, hoping he wasn't the one Cesare was mad at.

"Forgive me, Master Cesare. I will take a message to the pope informing him that you will arrive shortly."

"Please do." He sighed after Volpe left the room. "Chiaro, my laces?"

"Right… sorry," Chiaro said distractedly, going quickly to do up the laces of his cardinal's robe. "Uh… sorry about that."

"It wasn't your fault." He sighed again. "I have to do something about him, Chiaro. Any ideas?"

"Something like what?"

"He's very useful, and I'd rather he not lose his loyalty to me through jealousy of you."

"Well, you could try smiling at him occasionally."

"He doesn't like me to be familiar."

"He doesn't like you to be familiar with me. I have a feeling he might not be as averse if you treated him like a friend."

"Perhaps." Cesare seemed oddly distracted.

"Is this really worrying you that much?"

Cesare smiled a little. "The idea of being too close to Volpe… makes me nervous, for some reason." He paused. "You don't think he would spread rumors, do you?"

"I doubt it. He wouldn't want to get you in trouble."

"Not me, perhaps. But what about you?"

Chiaro shook his head. "If something happens, just tell the truth, that you're not homosexual."

"I haven't engaged in homosexual relations, no, but if my father thinks I have… well, no matter. If he won't accept the truth, I can hold something else over his head."

Chiaro blinked a few times, having noticed that Cesare had not made any assertion regarding his sexuality in response to either Volpe or himself.

"You're staring at me," Cesare commented as he put his hat on and adjusted it.

"Cesare, you're not, right?"

"Not what?"

"Homosexual."

Cesare sniffed and shook his head. "No. Nothing that straightforward."

"Straightforward?"

Cesare sighed and looked around. "Chiaro, you never will understand, will you? I am possessed by demons. Sexuality isn't even an issue. Everything has been warped. I have all sort of desires and passions now—the taste of blood, for example—that I never would have dreamed of as a child, and don't want, by the way. It's impossible to tell what's me and what's from them, so I keep everything completely suppressed unless I have a very good reason not to." He back in the mirror and readjusting his hat.

Chiaro frowned in confusion. Had that been an answer? If so, he hadn't understood it. "So…."

"So, stop worrying."

"How is that supposed to make me stop worrying?"

Cesare sighed again, took the hat off, and turned. "I do not want a romantic relationship with you," he said, emphasizing every word. "Are you satisfied?"

Chiaro's mind was a whirl, but at least that last bit was fairly straightforward. And that was all he really cared about. He nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Now help me with this stupid hat. And shouldn't you be getting dressed instead of worrying about stupid things? Or did you want to leave me to Volpe when I go visit my father?"

"I'd rather step on nails," Chiaro grumbled, finally managing to straighten Cesare's hat.

Cesare turned to him with a teasing smile. "That's my Chiaro."