Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV
Author: Garnet Eyes
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com
Last Updated: 06 May 2011
Summary: 30 June 2000 edition.
Rating: M
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Cecil x Rosa/Kain x Cecil
Author Notes: flummox, transitive verb;
1. To confuse; to perplex.
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil had been positive that Kain loved Rosa. The man had even said himself that he wished to have her as his own. So why, then, when the party had been weakened from the trek to acquire the eighth crystal, when the dragoon had knocked Cecil witless to foist the final crystal from him, why in the heavens was it Rosa that had been left behind and the young prince, instead, who was held captive by the enemy? Golbez's methods of torture were completely unorthodox and immoral, and Cecil could only be thankful that it was Kain who was carrying them out even as he was completely baffled over the blonde's vehemence that he be the paladin's torturer. It was embarrassing, having his best friend see him so helpless, with his arms tied together from elbows to wrists behind his back and his legs bound separately, folded tightly so that his calves were pressed to his thighs. His clothing had been stripped from him at the start of his confinement, along with his armor and weapons, and yet he was left on an exceedingly plush bed. It made no sense at first, and it still didn't make sense, but it was something that Cecil could be thankful for.

The paladin had not been beaten, not even once, but Kain fondled him with both his hands and his mouth, and thrust into his exposed nether mouth with such regularity that Cecil was perpetually sore and tired. The dragoon kept him from becoming hungry or thirsty, and carried him to the toilets and bathed him properly even though more often than not a bath turned into a passionate bout of love making and Cecil would need to be cleaned again. Asking outright did nothing, arguing did nothing, and the paladin struggled to understand why his friend would behave in such a manner even if he was just following orders. Kain couldn't possibly be gaining from this situation. Cecil didn't love Rosa any less, and she wasn't the one that the dragoon was entering on a regular basis, so what claim was this worth? Aside from obvious physical release, of course. Which, despite not being something Cecil had any desire for, he was beginning to crave for the intense, mind-altering satisfaction that followed.

Regardless of the fact that Kain ignored any command, request, or plea to stop, the dragoon hadn't actually hurt anything but the paladin's pride; the younger knight was more than a little ashamed about how readily he moaned under the taller man's touch, how willingly he succumbed to the invasion of his body even though he didn't really have a choice. As a man, and one who was in love with a woman, he should not have found any enjoyment in how his body was being manipulated. He resented his forced position, just a bit, but Cecil couldn't find it in himself to turn even the slightest hint of ire toward Kain, no matter how it festered in the back of his mind that the displaced prince had long stopped putting up the slightest resistance. It didn't help him at all that what was happening was far too intimate, far too true to making love, too distanced from just base lust and sex. Surely Golbez intended for there to be some kind of pain? But Cecil was practically being pampered, although he wasn't feeling so wonderful after more than a month of being trussed up as he was.

Waking up one day out of the blue back inside of Baron, in the medical hall, did nothing to help his state. Rosa was by his side, but his body was weak and stiff and uncoordinated, and he had no idea what had happened to get him here. He gleaned something about an assault and a giant and a man named Fusoya, and something else about Golbez being controlled and broken mental binds, and now the warlock was not exactly with them but he was fighting on their side. And... and Kain was here, although he'd avoided the room due to a rather angrily patrolling ninja prince. It was nice of Lord Edge to be worried, but Kain wouldn't hurt Cecil, not on purpose. So Cecil fumbled his way upright in bed and gingerly flexed his arms and legs, grateful to be able to move his muscles again regardless of how they trembled, before he sat with his back against the head of the bed and his legs stretched before him. Then he requested Kain, because he still didn't know what was going on with the older blonde, but he knew that a lot of things would make sense if he could just figure one thing out.

Edge was reluctant to leave the two knights alone, but Cecil swore that he would be fine and eventually managed to shoo everyone else away so that he could be alone with the dragoon. Kain was reluctant to speak, as he always was, but that didn't bother the paladin. It was a bit perturbing that the blonde would not look him in the eye, but Cecil supposed that the older knight might be embarrassed about the whole mind control thing. To ease the larger man's mind, Cecil started the conversation with a blunt statement of fact, that there was nothing to feel guilty over so Kain shouldn't be so upset. He hadn't supposed that his guard would look quite so relieved, let alone lean close and press their lips together, plying into the young prince's mouth with his tongue-oh. Oh... Cecil felt incredibly stupid, all of the sudden. But... didn't Kain love Rosa? Why else would he have said those things earlier? Why else would he have taken her captive first? Rosa had never undergone the same treatment, though, and Cecil would have known because she would have confessed to him if she had. Kain hadn't touched her. Kain hadn't kissed her. Kain hadn't caressed her or cradled her to his chest at night or tenderly cleaned her up after a long day.

Deciding what he should do now really should have been more difficult. Cecil didn't think twice about his response – didn't need to think twice about it now that he actually understood. Lying in bed with Kain spooned into his back was a lot more comfortable now that his own arms weren't smashed between them. After he recovered a bit more, he'd take on the task of explaining himself, but for now his limbs ached and the paladin was tired of trying to piece together what was happening. He didn't need to know why he didn't question himself or his response, and he didn't need to work out what he was going to say to anyone else. For now, he just wanted to lie still inside of Kain's hold and absorb Kain's warmth.