Disclaimer: I do not own Valvrave the Liberator or any of its characters. I just own my feels after watching the last episode.

Warning: Yaoi fic. MPREG. Slightly AU from canon. Heavily implied smut scenes.

Rating: T for this chapter.

Pairing: Tokishima Haruto X L-Elf (Mikhail), L-Elf X Lieselotte. One-sided Haruto X Saki. Eventual one-sided Tokishima Haruto X Shoko. Possible A-Drei X Saki

A/N: This is a fic born out of frustration from the last episode having tons of questions unanswered. I'll try to keep to canon as much as I can, but at some point the plot is going to deviate. Also, do take note that some chars who are supposed to die may not be dead.

For a change, there will be some POV from Haruto. The fic's getting too bitter otherwise. XD

Maryruss, thank you. :D . Well, the kid is definitely cute, but then again, who could resist a chibi EruErufu. I am eternally grateful to Sunrise for actually showing the kid up close in episode 15 (Oh those pretty blue eyes…). Here's an update for you.

Oyuu, you shouldn't be reading my fic. You're too young for this (although you're not). Sob sob. I am so totally toning down on the smut content (jk)… :p . Thanks for the review~

I wanted to update this yesterday, but eh…I had a guest staying over, and there was no way I'd have this Microsoft Word document open when that happened. This is totally not safe for innocent eyes. Still an early update though, so do enjoy.

Just a word of warning, but…eh…there is a slight chance updates may be slow. Work is pouring in (and with it, a lot of pressure), and plot-based stories are rather stressful to write. I have a habit of rewriting scenes repeatedly when they don't quite come out the way I want them to, and that gets frustrating. Sometimes I do wonder if all that effort is even appreciated… *mumble mumble*

A big thanks to reviewers for helping to keep me sane, because frankly speaking, it's always a delight to read your thoughts on each chapter, plus it helps me see if my story is on track.

To the story then…

Friends With Benefits

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 5

L-Elf, during the whole period of caring for Mikhail, watched the child grow, and when the child finally started opening his eyes for real, L-Elf found himself staring at them. The child's eyes were blue, and of the same shape and colour as Tokishima Haruto's.

He threw a side-glance at Haruto, who was cooing over the child as usual. If Haruto noticed the similarity of the child's eyes with his, he didn't point it out, as he seemed to be more preoccupied with stroking the child's head. Mikhail was starting to grow out a fine head of hair, of a colour so light, L-Elf didn't doubt it was inherited from him. He frowned at the slightly smitten expression on Haruto's face as he continued running his fingers through the soft strands of hair. Haruto looked up and smiled at L-Elf, though the Dorssian noticed that his line of sight seemed to be focused on his hair. He didn't doubt that Haruto was probably wondering if L-Elf's hair had the same softness Mikhail's did. The JIOR-ian never quite did have the guts to touch L-Elf's hair when the latter was fully awake. He normally did so sneakily when L-Elf was drifting off to sleep, or during sex.

The next time they shared a bed, L-Elf felt Haruto shift in the middle of the night, holding his breath the way a thief did with sneaky intentions. L-Elf let his breath remain regulated and steady, feigning sleep. He was pretty sure Haruto wouldn't notice his bluff. Haruto sat up and moved closer, invading his personal space. He heard a rustle as the brunette lifted a hand, then very carefully, with shaky fingers, touched L-Elf's hair. At some point, thinking that L-Elf was asleep, he got more courage to run his fingers through the silver locks. "It is just as soft..." Haruto muttered to himself. L-Elf didn't think he was particularly bringing about any inconvenience, and let him do as he liked. He did file the gesture for reference, just in case he needed to soothe his crying baby next time. It felt sort of relaxing.

So soothing, in fact, he ended up lulled to sleep for real, and didn't wake until well into the next morning, with Haruto's arms wrapped tightly around him. He wanted to knock the brunette out of bed, but decided that his lover was a lot less annoying if he remained asleep. He pried Haruto's hands off him, quietly slipped out of bed, put a shirt on and headed to Mikhail's bassinet. After feeding the child and burping him, he took a leaf out of Haruto's book and stroked his son's hair. It worked. Mikhail remained asleep for hours, keeping the rest of the day peaceful.

That was, until Haruto took him out of the bassinet to hold him again. L-Elf almost broke his pen the minute he heard Mikhail's cries. Damn that overly doting JIOR-ian.

XXXXXXXXX

When the child was a month old, the President of ARUS and JIOR came in person to meet him. From the amount of interest the President of ARUS showed the child, L-Elf knew that the baby had a lot of political weightage, and could turn favours to those who had their hands on him. President Sashinami was interested in the child for different reasons. Haruto, still seeing her as the childhood friend he had always been close to from young, took the child and laid him in her arms. L-Elf didn't miss the look of envy she threw his direction, though she snuffed it down quickly. She was a true politician now, masking her real intentions and thoughts easily with a smile which did not reach her eyes, and words which were filled with insincerity. Haruto was just too blind to notice it.

They didn't stay for long, fortunately. Once they were done with their visit, and after discussing what they knew about the current movement of Cain's forces, the rest were sent back. L-Elf loosened his collar and sighed slightly, drained just having to deal with them. He was not bad at political work, but he didn't like it. He preferred something more fieldwork related. Still, to protect the Magius in this country, he needed to be in a position of the highest power.

A soft thud made him open his eyes. Tokishima Haruto had set a cup of coffee on his table. Black and sugarless, just as he preferred it. "Thank you for your hard work, L-Elf." The brunette told him. He held Mikhail in the other arm, rocking the sleeping child gently. L-Elf had always wondered about that. With the exception of pacifying the child or feeding him, he had always thought it more practical to let the child sleep in his bassinet. The probability of him waking up and making a racket was a lot lower. He didn't know why Haruto seemed to think that the baby would suddenly disappear if he didn't hold him frequently.

L-Elf passed him a stack of notes. "These are the plans to counter the next attack. Have them memorized by tomorrow."

That, unsurprisingly, brought about instant protests from the brunette. L-Elf thought that his argument was pointless and ignored him, going back to look through the endless paperwork he had on his desk. Haruto sighed and hugged their son tighter. "You're getting even bitterer after you became Regent. Being confined to an office doesn't suit you. If you want to get out to the field on your own, why not get someone else to do the paperwork for you?"

"Don't state the obvious. Who else would be able to do my work? There is no one else to stand in." Or more like, no one else was as meticulous or flawless in scanning through everything and ensuring that there were no loopholes.

Haruto huffed. "You're L-Elf. You're frustratingly perfect at whipping out some kind of a plan. You would probably still be able to find someone who's good at paperwork. Knowing you, you'd maybe … I don't know … somehow bully Renboukouji-senpai into standing in for you."

The gears in L-Elf's head turned. Damn…even with the lack of common intelligence… Haruto had a point. Haruto was probably just grumbling as to how L-Elf was able to effortlessly manipulate all his pawns into doing his bidding without realising that he gave his lover an idea. Renboukouji Satomi really was more suited for paperwork compared to him. Already, L-Elf was mentally planning out Renboukouji Satomi's enslavement in the office. Of course, L-Elf wasn't going to point out Haruto's contribution to it.

"If you have time to complain, you could very well start work on your memorizing." L-Elf stated calmly. He threw a glance at Haruto. "Also, leave Mikhail here. You get distracted with him around."

The expression on Haruto's face looked as if L-Elf had just asked him to hack off an arm. He made a tortured sound, but obeyed anyway, transferring the baby to L-Elf's arm. "Just admit that you want to hold the child…" He grumbled.

L-Elf threw him a glare in response. Haruto held up his hands. "Fine, fine. I'll get going. On one condition though. I'm working here too."

L-Elf pondered the idea. It wasn't too bad, since he could keep an eye on Haruto and monitor his progress. The guy tended to fall asleep halfway sometimes. "Suits yourself." He replied flatly.

Haruto took the stack of notes, drew up a chair and sat right next to L-Elf, borrowing some of his table space. There was no more conversation between them. L-Elf did look up occasionally though, just to see if Haruto might have fallen asleep. The brunette didn't, as his eyes scanned through the lines written in L-Elf's strong, trained handwriting. He mouthed the plan quietly to himself, a habit he normally did which allowed him to memorise better. There were times his brow furrowed, probably trying to picture some of the scenarios L-Elf tried to explain in as simple words as he could to cater to someone of his level of intelligence.

L-Elf put his signature on yet another document and set it aside, on top of a neat, growing pile of papers. He mused that with all three of them being around the table like that, they did seem like a family. A farce, but a family all the same.

No sooner did that thought cross his mind when a wave of disgust followed. At himself, mainly. He too was getting sentimental from hanging out with Haruto and his fellow JIOR-ians too often. He frowned down at the document he was in the process of signing, and at the signature that was less neat compared to the others, glaring at the paper like it had offended him in some way. He threw a mental dart at the traitorous thought, pinning it to the back of his mind and keeping it there. He had no intentions to ponder over such nonsense again. With that, he regained his focus and went back to work, resolutely pretending that he hadn't noticed Haruto's glance at him.

XXXXXXXXX

Speaking of family, two months after L-Elf gave Renboukouji Satomi the order to take his place in the office, the latter announced that he was ready to begin the next phase of his life.

Satomi was getting married, to his longtime girlfriend Ninomiya Takahi, whom he had been courting in what he thought was a discreet manner. He was the only one who thought so, of course. Haruto came home one day with an invitation in hand and passed the card to L-Elf, who skimmed through it quickly, noting that he was invited as one of the V.I.P. due to his position. The brunette looked at him expectantly, curious over his answer. After some consideration, L-Elf instructed his lover to pass an affirmative reply to the to-be-wedded couple. Renboukouji Satomi had contributed greatly to his plans so far, and was a loyal subordinate…friend. L-Elf believed that a show of gratitude to the blonde would go a long way.

L-Elf put on his formal attire for the occasion, a simple black military outfit with a red sash crossing downwards from his right shoulder and ending at the left side of his waist, one which indicated his status as a member of royalty. Haruto put on his own formal attire, one made of silk, but customized in similar colours to his pilot outfit, and with a design regal enough to be worn in public if he were with his Dorssian partner. Their three month old baby son wore a light blue outfit befitting his rank as a prince. L-Elf figured that it was Mikhail's favourite colour, especially seeing how he always reached out for Haruto's eyes.

Haruto, as usual, couldn't keep his eyes off his partner when the latter dressed. L-Elf took one look at how Haruto put on his own ensemble, sighed and walked over, straightening the brunette's collar. The pilot did not go to formal functions often, and L-Elf would not embarrass himself by walking around with an untidy person.

"Stop staring." L-Elf eventually ordered, having grown tired of feeling Haruto's eyes on him.

The pilot flushed a little and averted his gaze. "You look…nice." He commented lamely. L-Elf didn't say anything to that, though as both made their way to the wedding, Haruto commented again. "I kind of miss seeing you in white though. You look better in that colour."

If there was a change in L-Elf's wardrobe much, much later to white outfits, it was definitely not because of Haruto's statement. L-Elf just wanted to standardise the colour of his formal outfits to that of Dorssian military outfits…and A-Drei's outfit as a Fuhrer. It definitely did not have anything to do with Haruto's words.

Coming back to the wedding…

Satomi invited L-Elf, since the latter was his current superior, and also of the ruling family in the country he was currently a citizen of. He invited L-Elf's closest friend, A-Drei, who fought alongside them. As a courtesy, he extended the invitation to Kriemhild, who was both L-Elf and A-Drei's former superior. The remaining seats were filled by the surviving students of Sakimori Academy (and whoever accepted the invitation were flown in from Dyson Sphere at least a day or two before the event), Satomi and Takahi's closest friends, as well as the Valvrave pilots. Takahi's parents attended, but not Satomi and Akira's. The Renboukouji older couple weren't exactly on speaking terms with their children, not since both failed to graduate from high school, and who had both run off to become permanent residents (and eventually citizens) of Neo-Dorssia. It was an embarrassment to their family, seeing their eldest married without so much as a high school certificate.

The most prominent guest from JIOR was, of course, Shoko. Both Satomi and Takahi bowed to her when she arrived, honoured by her presence. The young president went to greet L-Elf and A-Drei, as was her political duty. She wore a brown, frilly outfit, one which made L-Elf wonder if her wardrobe advisor had caught a cold and died off somewhere. A-Drei, in contrast, wore a blue formal outfit, of a design which was rapidly gaining popularity among ARUS men. L-Elf had to admit that his friend looked good in it.

Haruto, of course, lingered around his silver-haired partner, and he waved to his childhood friend with his free hand. Shoko's gaze drifted to his other arm, which held his and L-Elf's sleeping baby protectively. He went over to greet her warmly, completely oblivious to her uneasiness as he focused his topic of conversation on his son, gushing like the hopeless father he was. She returned his smile, one which L-Elf recognized as a mask for public appearances. L-Elf sighed. His partner was seriously dense to not notice her source of discomfort. He went up to the brunette. "Pass Mikhail to me. You may resume your conversation with Sashinami Shoko after that."

Haruto blinked, but did as he said and carefully transferred the sleeping infant to L-Elf's arms. L-Elf turned away and put some distance between them. He doubted Sashinami Shoko would come out of her politician shell if he lingered.

He continued holding Mikhail, though curiosity got the better of him, and he discreetly switched on the bug he had put on Haruto's outfit, eavesdropping on their conversation.

XXXXXX

Haruto's POV

It was a silent walk away from the crowd. Haruto glanced over at his usually cheerful childhood friend, then looked back and threw a glance at L-Elf, who was rocking Mikhail subconsciously. The Dorssian didn't act like it, but he was actually a good parent to their son. "You look well, Haruto." Shoko spoke up suddenly, and he turned his attention back to her.

Shoko was every bit like he remembered her, all sweet and selfless. That, and there seemed to be no improvement to her dress sense. There were some dark circles around her eyes though, covered with makeup, but not quite fooling his eyes. Already, he felt his heart go out to the childhood friend he loved (and still somewhat did), but had to give up after he became a monster, and after he made his resolve to be a proper lover to L-Elf instead. He knew that she had been working hard ever since she was formally named president of JIOR, even by citizens who were now free from Dorssian rule. He believed she deserved it, having earned it through hard work, though he did once get into a fight with L-Elf, who commented that the people most likely chose her because she was the daughter of the former president.

"So do you." He commented after a while. The silence fell between them. It was strange. Back then, whenever they hung out, she wouldn't stop chattering about her day, or about anything which could be a common topic between them. He was usually the one who listened, giving input whenever he had something to say too. If they did fall silent, it was due to the awkwardness of their feelings towards each other, or the possibility of a confession between them (if they ever managed to gather their courage. They never did).

Now, they were struggling to think of topics for conversation. His topics were all related to strategies and battles. Hers were all politics. Excluding the time she dropped by for a visit shortly after Mikhail's birth, and also when she last made a request for the JIOR-ians to return to space, when they last met each other face to face like that, they did not part on good terms. He lied to her by not revealing the secret of the Valvraves and their pilots, and even though he told her he would reveal the truth of the world to her, they hadn't resolved the tension between them. It did not help one bit that shortly after that, rumours of L-Elf's pregnancy were spread like wildfire on WIRED.

He knew she would bring the topic up sooner or later though. She looked up at him and smiled. "Are you currently happy, Haruto?"

Haruto returned the smile and nodded. "Yes. I am." There was peace among the Magius and humans, he had a place…no, a country to call home, and also he could return to his beloved son and also…

Haruto suddenly found himself having to put some effort into maintaining his smile. He wasn't fooling Shoko though. They have been together far too long for that. "You're not speaking the truth." Haruto could not refute her.

Silence fell again. "Is L-Elf treating you well?" She asked again.

Haruto hesitated for just the barest fraction of a moment. "He's all right." He finally replied.

Shoko frowned. "That doesn't answer my question." She retorted.

"It's not necessary." Haruto cut her off. He looked away. "L-Elf…he's got a lot on his mind right now."

Shoko looked at him, her gaze filled with a hint of sadness. "You love him, don't you?"

Haruto closed his eyes, even as he evaluated his feelings for the silver-haired Dorssian. After a while, he opened them. "I do…I guess. He's important to me." He sounded almost tortured at having to say the words aloud.

Shoko understood his pain. "But he doesn't feel the same." She stated the obvious.

Haruto looked absolutely broken at that. It was one thing knowing, and keeping it to himself. At least he could still escape reality by not thinking about it. It was another to have reality pointed out to his face. Sighing, he turned away. "…he's willing to stay with me. Also, he had my son. I'm not going to complain."

"Why, Haruto? This isn't like you at all!" Shoko finally couldn't keep calm about it anymore. She had always been vocal whenever she felt that someone was compromising Haruto's welfare. Already, some of the old Shoko was coming back.

Haruto shifted awkwardly. "I've done something unforgivable to him. It's only natural if he'd never have feelings for me. Still, I will take responsibility for my actions. I'll consider these one-sided feelings my punishment." L-Elf was a person who was far beyond Haruto's reach. There was too big a difference in their abilities and standings, and even in the looks department, L-Elf pulled far ahead of him. Haruto was a nobody, just a regular student struggling to get through classes, and one who had no ambition in life. For him to violate such a strong, untouchable young man…it was an act which would haunt him forever. Frankly speaking, there were times he could not quite understand L-Elf, who voiced out his dislike for Haruto all the time, but still remained with him. Still, if this was the only way he could possess the Dorssian, even if just physically, so be it.

Shoko sighed and held her head. "Haruto…you're still too easily manipulated. Why must you go through this? You do not need to maintain such a relationship if you are going to suffer from it. It's not like you're married or bound to him by contract."

Haruto gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I have a promise to keep, Shoko. A promise with him."

Shoko seemed to want to say something, noticed the expression on his face and fiddled with the hems of her skirt with both hands. "I…I want to help you in some way."

Haruto gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Shoko. Your feelings are enough for me."

Shoko gazed at him, then took one step towards him, followed on by another. She was soon standing right before him, meeting his eyes directly. "…if we hadn't both been so stubborn…if we had been more honest with each other…things might have turned out differently."

Haruto stared back. His thoughts went to a silver-haired beauty. A very, very bitter, beautiful young man. "…Perhaps…" He admitted quietly.

XXXXXX

"Traitor against humanity! Enemy of the human race!"

L-Elf's attention was taken away from the conversation between Haruto and Shoko, as he found himself facing a young lady, one whose face would have been quite pretty, if she weren't directing such a look of hatred at him.

"Kitagawa Iori. It is good to meet you again." He responded with businesslike politeness. It wasn't easy, but he did manage to keep sarcasm out of his voice. Their last encounter was not pleasant in the slightest, as she had been the one who tried to deliver both he and Haruto into enemy hands. If he hadn't been in a slump that time, he could have knocked all their captors out easily and pointed out some common sense to the teenager. He missed the chance though, and she had, if anything, become an even bigger ball of hatred.

His left arm, which held Mikhail, tightened minutely around his son, holding the baby against his chest. The fingers of his other hand hovered lightly above where a small blade was hidden in his right pant leg. He knew that in nearly a year, Iori had, using a video of her father's death which she managed to get from the media, gathered anti-Magius supporters. What was initially a small group of protestors grew in size, and in no time it became a non-profit organisation supported mainly by like-minded sponsors. Iori became its founding chairperson, and videos of victims dying aboard the Phantom Ship from Rune drain were played daily in their headquarters just to remind them of the dangers of what the whole organisation dubbed as human-eating monsters. Her policy was the total opposite of his. He wanted the coexistence of Magius and humans. She wanted humanity to be free from any fear of getting their bodies possibly possessed by these monsters, and was still trying to convince JIOR-ains, Dorssians and ARUS citizens alike to aid her cause to eliminate all Magius, be it those from earth or Dyson Sphere. In fact, if it weren't for her friendship with her former student council president, she wouldn't have set foot on Neo-Dorssia's lands, the only place where the Magius were protected by the country's laws to be treated with respect and equality.

The look she directed at him at that moment was nothing compared to the look she threw Mikhail. If L-Elf left the baby unattended, she probably might be capable of smothering him with a pillow. Well, if she lunged at the child or tried anything funny right now, L-Elf would put a blade through her chest with the same accuracy with which she put a bullet through Haruto's.

Her face twisted further. "I never thought that you'd fall so low as to submit yourself to a monster, and to give birth to a soulless bastard like that!"

"I'd appreciate it if you do not use such language near my son." L-Elf responded calmly, not letting her get a rise out of him. His mind could not refute a part of what she said though. His son really was born out of wedlock. It didn't mean that he was going to allow anyone to degrade his son with such a term though, especially not to his face.

"I say whatever I want to! That thing is a monster!" Her hands balled into fists. "I'll never forgive Tokishima Haruto…he killed my father… I will never forgive you, or that bastard son of yours! I'll make sure that…"

"Do you really want to continue this conversation? I believe you have not forgotten the occasion. Do you want to ruin it for Renboukouji Satomi?" L-Elf spoke calmly, even as he recognised faint footsteps drawing closer. They belonged to the groom, most likely drawn by the sound of Iori shouting, and who was trying to investigate the commotion.

Iori threw him one last glare, then stormed off. Satomi emerged from around a corner moments later. "What was all that noise about, L-Elf?" He asked, sounding a little alarmed.

L-Elf gave a soft huff. "Nothing of importance." Just someone he had filed under the categories "easily influenced" and "spiteful". He'd still keep an eye on her though.

XXXXXX

The ceremony started shortly after that. Seating arrangements were straightforward. Immediate family members took the front row, on the right side of the aisle. V.I.P. also took the front row, but this time on the left. Everyone else sat in the remaining rows.

Shoko sat on Haruto's left, L-Elf on his right, and A-Drei sat on L-Elf's right. Baby Mikhail slumbered, completely oblivious to his surroundings, in his maternal parent's arms.

L-Elf hadn't said a word to Haruto after he returned with Shoko. When Haruto came back to his side earlier, the silver-haired Dorssian noticed a sort of awkwardness between the two childhood friends. He last saw the same behaviour when Haruto was trying to hide his feelings for Shoko the year before.

Everyone paid close attention when the service started. L-Elf remained expressionless and unaffected as the couple exchanged sappy vows - lip service which was easily broken, and a wedding contract wasn't going to change that. Haruto had an almost dreamy look in his eyes when they exchanged rings. L-Elf noticed the JIOR-ian stealing glances at him from time to time. When his glances became so obvious that even those of the next row were giving them funny looks, L-Elf lowered his voice, so that no one else could hear him except Haruto, and spoke threateningly. "If you even think of anything ridiculous, like try to propose marriage to me, I will punch you."

Haruto made an odd, choking sound and started coughing, effectively getting Shoko's attention. She rubbed his back, and when he got his breath back, he hissed back at L-Elf. "I…I wasn't particularly…thinking of that…" He looked away, obviously not wanting to be caught lying.

L-Elf kept his eyes on the Renboukouji couple ahead. Satomi looked shyly at Takahi, who held his arm firmly, grasping on to give him a cheeky, but confident smile. He gave a soft huff, unable to stop a wistful smile from making its way to his face. Perhaps, had things been different, it would have been him and Lieselotte standing there instead, with Lieselotte smiling shyly at him, and L-Elf making a fool of himself due to nerves from finally getting to marry her. A dream would always remain a dream though. He was painfully aware of the not-Lieselotte standing by his side, someone else who couldn't end up with the person he actually wanted to…

"Do whatever you want." L-Elf spoke abruptly.

Haruto stared at him at that. L-Elf didn't look at his lover. "You are not bound to me by contract, or by any agreement. What we have is purely a verbal promise, and our relationship is based on nothing but sex. You are free to do whatever you want. Be with Sashinami Shoko or whoever else you feel like sleeping with."

Haruto's jaw dropped. "Wha- where is this coming from, L-Elf… wait, were you eavesdropping on me? Why are you bringing up Shoko's name all of a sudden?"

L-Elf continued on calmly. "I do not see why you would have any objections to whatever I'm suggesting. You have feelings for her. Comparing your compatibility with Sashinami Shoko, in contrast to your feelings for me, the conclusion is…"

L-Elf didn't manage to finish his words, for Haruto had seized him by his collar and pulled him over. Their faces were mere inches away, their noses nearly touching. Up close, L-Elf mused that Haruto's glare was a little intimidating. He didn't know the brunette was actually capable of that. "Don't decide that for me, L-Elf! Are you trying to make light of my feelings? If you were eavesdropping on me then do so properly and listen to the end! I don't care about what you think of me, but I've told you that I want to be with you, and I have no intention of cheating on you!"

The silver-haired Dorssian narrowed his eyes. Haruto was too loud. In fact, the ceremony was temporarily halted from his outburst, as most people had their eyes on them, including the to-be-wedded couple. Takahi smacked her to-be-husband on the arm. "Satomi, I want a vow as passionate as that!"

If L-Elf didn't have his arms full of one sleeping Mikhail, he would also have socked Haruto upside the head. For now, he gave him a stare promising punishment once they went home. Haruto wasn't going to like it.

Satomi looked like he had been put in a spot, as was Haruto. Haruto realised quite belatedly that people around them were giggling. "Sit down." L-Elf ordered with quiet disapproval. Haruto mumbled an apology to those around him and sank further into his seat, as if wishing that it could swallow him. Shoko gaped at him, as did A-Drei. Saki raised an eyebrow. "Are you an idiot?" She huffed. Inuzuka gave a low whistle and thumped Haruto on the back. A few rows away, Iori narrowed her eyes at Haruto and looked like she wanted to gag. Amazingly, despite all the noise, Mikhail remained asleep.

The whispering around them continued for quite a bit, at least, until Takahi threw her bouquet of flowers. The unmarried girls gave a loud squeal and stretched their hands out, all eager to catch it. The elusive bouquet landed rather unceremoniously in A-Drei's hands, and he caught it out of reflex. It took a couple of heartbeats before he even realised he was holding it, and when he looked up, he found girls staring at him, their gazes varied from looking hopeful to looking as if he had just crushed their dreams. Kriemhild crossed her arms, and Saki tilted her head a little as she stared at him with raised eyebrows. L-Elf had to hide a smirk at seeing A-Drei gulp minutely under all that attention. He knew his friend fancied somebody, but would probably poke out his remaining eye than admit it.

A-Drei flushed. "Here! Since you girls want this so badly!" He tossed the bouquet again in a random direction, and this time it hit Saki in the chest before she managed to catch it. While that sparked a mini altercation between A-Drei and Saki, the rest of the girls applauded. The commotion finally woke Mikhail, who started crying. As one, almost as if they were trained to coordinate their moves, Haruto and L-Elf pacified their son, with Haruto softly hushing the baby, and L-Elf rocking him silently. Their gazes met for a while, though for a change, it was Haruto who turned away with a slightly angry glint in his blue eyes. L-Elf meant it exactly as he said it – that Haruto was free to be with Shoko, his longtime friend and love. Haruto, however, seemed to have taken the suggestion as an insult. The silver-haired Dorssian turned his attention back to his son, who was starting to calm down. He really could not understand JIOR-ian mentality after all.

His son's fussing got the attention of the young ladies present there. L-Elf wasn't too surprised that young ladies their age would show interest in babies around them, but were too afraid to approach him, having known his combat abilities firsthand back when they were in JIOR. Their eyes did not leave the tiny baby as they continued whispering to each other.

Takahi was the one who approached him first. "L-Elf…may I hold him?" She asked.

L-Elf had already foreseen the question coming. Takahi and Satomi went through the more proper steps of dating, then marriage. If everything followed the natural order, there would only be one mission which followed next. It wouldn't be a surprise for her to suddenly show strong interest in people smaller than the length of one's arm.

The silver-haired Dorssian did not have any problem with her holding his son though. From his observation, she was a fairly sensible person…sometimes. By extension to her marriage to Satomi, who was one of Mikhail's godfathers, she too was Mikhail's godmother.

Wordlessly, L-Elf passed the child over to her, and her eyes gleamed as she held the child awkwardly. Like Haruto, she cooed over the child, gushing over his looks (or cuteness, as she put it). It further confirmed his initial thoughts of JIOR-ians being generally soft towards children. Then again, they had all the peace in the world to be raised that way, or at least back then.

The girls inched over to poke and prod the baby once the child was out of L-Elf's hands, and some of the guys joined them too. Takahi wouldn't let the child leave her hands though, just as L-Elf didn't let them leave his sight. Mikhail, for the most part, did what normal babies did. He whimpered, cried weakly and threw everyone into a panic. L-Elf huffed softly and smirked as he watched the girls being all flustered and trying to calm him down. At some point, Satomi went to his wife's side and also tried to hush the baby. He only managed to make things worse, as the baby flailed his arms and continued wailing, struggling in his hold. Haruto, hearing Mikhail's cries, came over and immediately tried to calm the baby. Mikhail was fairly fussy though, especially if he got woken from his sleep, and even Haruto couldn't fully calm him. Child caring skills – Proficiency Level B.

At some point, Takahi figured to pass the child back to L-Elf, who held Mikhail tight against his chest and rocked him lightly. L-Elf always wondered about it, but somehow his son tended to sleep better if he was put next to someone's heartbeat, especially his. The girls made an "ooh" sound the minute the child became quiet and fell asleep, with his hands clenched tightly into fists. There were clicks from mobile phones, though after the last viral spread of his son's newborn pictures, and after he dealt with anyone who still had them posted around, he doubted they would have the guts to circulate pictures of the baby this time. They know very well what L-Elf could do to them.

The Dorssian could feel his partner's eyes on him as he held Mikhail. Looking up, he could see traces of affection in the brunette's blue gaze, some envy for being able to pacify Mikhail perfectly, and also lingering anger from their disagreement earlier. Haruto looked away again, reverting slightly to the childish teenager L-Elf remembered him to be from their first encounter. L-Elf turned away from him and instead focused his attention on Satomi. "So, the Virgo Islands, you said?"

Satomi blushed, as did Takahi. The blonde man rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "We've looked through some pamphlets and decided that, in terms of budget and distance, it would be a practical place for our honeymoon. We have wanted to visit the islands in ARUS. Of course, I'll be sure to come back to the office in a week…"

"Two weeks." L-Elf spoke calmly. The couple blinked at him. "You have two weeks off. Consider it my wedding present to the two of you." Satomi could go have his honeymoon and do whatever he had to do. He would need the break for now, for L-Elf was going to work him hard after he returned.

Since it was the wedding of the Regent's head representative, he and Takahi had a send-off in a military helicopter. Once the newly-wedded couple left the area, the excitement began to settle, and everyone made plans to head back home.

XXXXXXXXX

Haruto didn't speak to him the whole journey back, and even after they reached their joint residence, Haruto busied himself with putting Mikhail in the nursery. L-Elf wondered if he really did touch that big a nerve there. Still, it wouldn't do to not clear the air, especially with that very much still a teenager JIOR-ian. It might affect his performance. How troublesome…

He ordered for Haruto to come into his office. Haruto obeyed, though he remained unsmiling. L-Elf gestured to a chair placed opposite his, and after some hesitation, Haruto took a seat before him. He blinked when L-Elf pushed a cup over to him, one filled with coffee, specially sweetened.

Haruto took the cup and held it in his hands. "I'm still mad at you." He said bluntly before taking a gulp, his actions more aggressive than necessary.

L-Elf frowned. "I do not see why you should be. It was a logical deduction. You love Sashinami Shoko. You've always wanted to be with her. If you get together with her, you will be happier than in your current arrangement with me. You're with me out of your own personal sense of responsibility for having slept with me, and also because we have Mikhail. You forget that we are not bound together legally. You're free to do whatever you want. I merely pointed that out to you."

Haruto set the cup down on the table, using so much force that a dull 'thunk' could be heard. He looked up at L-Elf with his eyes narrowed. "For someone so intelligent, you could be quite dumb sometimes too." Before L-Elf could say anything to that, Haruto reached out and seized him by the front of his shirt. "I know very well that we're not bound in any way. If I could, I would already have done so. Only anything written in contracts has any value to you after all." Haruto gave a huff and a humourless laugh. It made L-Elf wonder where the naïve idiot went to and who this suddenly mature young man before him was. "You're right when you said repeatedly life does not always go as planned. I had no intention to attack you, and I definitely didn't plan on falling in love with you. It happened anyway, and the past is not going to change." Haruto's fingers were crinkling L-Elf's shirt at this point, but L-Elf didn't pull away. "I see you as family, L-Elf, even if you don't feel the same. Considering what kind of a life you have had, I don't blame you. Still, as you said, I am free to choose my own path. I will walk on the one with you by my side."

L-Elf frowned. "You love Sashinami Shoko-"

"Yeah, I still do." Haruto admitted, knowing that there was little point in hiding that since he could never fool L-Elf anyway. L-Elf had the strange urge to punch the table. "I choose not to be with her though. I have already missed that chance. It's you I'm with now, and I'm keeping it that way, no matter how painful that choice is going to be. I told you I have no intention on cheating on you. I will only feed from you, and I will only sleep with you, so stop being jealous of Shoko."

L-Elf's eyes flashed angrily. "Of all the most ridiculous lines to come out of your mouth…" His words were cut off when said mouth sealed his.

"You're too impossible sometimes, L-Elf, so just shut up." Haruto murmured before kissing him again.

At some point, Haruto moved over to his side of the table instead, and bent over to continue kissing his lover. There was quite a bit of frustration built on both sides, both from all the miscommunication and unresolved tension between them. The frustration exploded outwards as a rather angry make out session between the two, with Haruto pinning L-Elf to his chair, and L-Elf pulling quite unkindly at his hair. It wasn't so much a kiss at some point as a clash of tongue and teeth, with occasional painful bumping of noses. Had an outsider walked in, the poor soul might be confused by the scene, as to whether they were trying to actually kiss or fight. Probably both, if death by kissing could be a legal reason put down in either of their death certificates.

As their lips continued to connect, teeth clashing and nipping, skin broke, and blood flowed. Haruto's healed instantly, of course. A small bead of blood formed on L-Elf's lips, and Haruto, having let off most of his steam, licked at it, his gesture gentle and almost apologetic. The gasps and pants from both of them trying to catch their breaths slowed, and eventually they ended up on L-Elf's chair, with Haruto half on top of L-Elf's lap. It was an uncomfortable maneuver, a cramped one too, but they somehow managed.

The make out session did not develop further, even though L-Elf could clearly feel Haruto's desire prodding him in his thigh. Haruto merely held him, seemingly fully intending to prove yet some kind of ridiculous point by not penetrating him, be it his constant retorts of not wanting to treat L-Elf as a fuck buddy, or not merely wanting a physical relationship. Haruto didn't seem to care that he was totally disrupting L-Elf's work schedule by clinging on to him. For a change, L-Elf did not reject the physical contact between them. The silver-haired rather wished that Haruto had continued. He got the Dorssian in the mood with all that kissing earlier. His pride wouldn't allow him to admit it aloud though.

The minutes ticked by. L-Elf wasn't hard anymore as he got bored with Haruto just holding him, and his mind already wandered off to predictions and strategies. Whatever point Haruto was trying to make by just cuddling him was soon lost on the Dorssian. Only JIOR-ians could work with such indirect methods. For someone of L-Elf's upbringing, Haruto had to say it directly.

His mind was still in the process of formulating Plan G-22 when Haruto spoke up again. "L-Elf…"

"What is it?" L-Elf responded, temporarily setting Plan G-22 aside. His eyes met Haruto's, and instantly, he read Haruto's intentions even before the latter said it.

Haruto took one of his lover's hands, holding it lightly. The JIOR-ian swallowed slightly, a sign of nerves, but got his courage and continued on.

"Marry me."

To be continued…

A/N: I rewatched Haruto's first proposal scene to Rukino Saki when I wrote that, and that had been kind of sweet. This is anti-climatic compared to it, highly straightforward and very unromantic. XD. Well, difference between proposing to a girl and proposing to a guy.

I already have two possible scenarios planned past this chapter, depending on L-Elf's response to Haruto's proposal, an "aye" scenario, and a "nay" scenario, but outcome will depend entirely on your choice. To be fair, I'll do a tally for both scenarios and post the result at the start of the next chapter. Also, ones from private messages will not be counted (because I could very well bluff those numbers, since no one else can see them but me). So yeah, if you wish to see either an "aye" or "nay" scenario, then please do remember to mention them in your reviews.

Outfits for the wedding scene were written with some reference to the last episode of Valvrave. It's a little difficult to describe Shoko's. I think she probably wasn't the president anymore in that scene. There is no way she'd be running around in that if she were.

Rukino Saki's "baka ja nai?" is kind of hard to write out. As much as I'm tempted to actually write it in romaji, I think I'll try to find English equivalents for it. I don't think the feeling (tsundere-ness) is quite the same though. XD. If you think it's better that I maintain it in romaji, then please do mention it in your reviews.

When I first started plotting this fic, I wanted it to be super practical (which was why I didn't even file it under the category of romance.). Haruto and L-Elf have a physical relationship, and it remains there. Focus on plot and continuing where the anime left off instead of their relationship. Period. Reading through the chapters, I do realise that it's gearing more towards romance, in a HaruEru bittersweet (coffeesugar?) sort of way, if that makes any sense (because HaruEru fluffy scenes are addictive to write…). I apologise to those who were looking for more plot. It will gear back to the storyline again next chapter.

That, and my Haruto is severely out of character. The anime puts him as a non-thinking baka who makes all sorts of bad decisions and mistakes, unless L-Elf orders him to do something, and unless he doesn't disobey orders. The Haruto in my fic is a lot more patient and sensible. That's…so not Haruto. :p. I may maintain this version of Haruto though, but if you'd like me to bring him back in character, then do mention it. I'll see what I can do.

I'm not sure if my L-Elf is in char. XD

Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.

-Gwyn86