Friends With Benefits

by Gwynhafra86

For years, L-Elf had a plan to liberate Dorssia and rescue his beloved princess. Anyone or anything which got in the way of his plan was swiftly disposed of, and allies were pawns until their usefulness ended. Having a physical relationship with Tokishima Haruto was not part of his calculated schemes, nor was the birth of a silver-haired, blue-eyed child. HaruEru. MPREG

6. Chapter 6

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: M for this chapter (because of the chapter extra).

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

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.

I apologise for the delay in the fic this round. On the bright side…here is a (ridiculously) long chapter as an update~

The results for the "L-Elf's reply to Haruto's marriage proposal" poll in the previous chapter are as follows:

Aye – 8

Nay- 5

Abstain – 2

lol. That's a pretty close fight there (though when I first started plotting this ficcie, I went with the super bitter "nay" route. I guess "aye" is fine too. Poor Haruto is bullied enough as it is)

This chapter will be written in reflection of that result…but eh…it's not going to be in a way most of you will expect. I think I'm going to get killed this chapter. *hides*

Please take note that this chapter is written in a way where it's almost like L-Elf having flashbacks. I've tried to put in certain years as guidelines to when certain events took place, but do drop me a message if there are parts which are still confusing. I'll try to amend them.

Guest, ooh yes. L-Elf was pretty honest when he confessed to Lieselotte, but as to the question of whether L-Elf would ever accept Haruto's feelings…it's almost as hard as "Will Valvrave ever get a Season 3?" XD. Thanks for the review.

BumpityBump, no problem. I do love long-ish reviews too. You'll see L-Elf's response in this chapter. It's…very much like L-Elf to do so… XD. (Come to think of it, when you say role-reversals, does that also count HaruEru instead of the common EruHaru? L-Elf is definitely more seme material, usually. XD). I'll try not to make Haruto too far off from canon, but yeah, if he's with people he loves he can become quite dorky. When he gets angry, however, he will most likely react like a teenager. He wasn't exactly taught to be mature (and the anime definitely didn't convince me otherwise). L-Elf will be the person to teach him mental maturity (through snide remarks.) Thanks for the review.

nekomimi, lol. I like your phrase "bitter to the point of coffee without sugar". I agree. With L-Elf's personality, writing the "nay" route is a lot easier. Well, it was fun writing this particular route too, to be honest. Thanks so much for all your reviews.

mimikitty, as a response to your request in chapter 4…please read the chapter extra after this chapter ends. Thank you so much for your review.

Anonymous Anon, I'll have to put your review down as a "nay". Will L-Elf ever be ready? :p . Thanks so much for your review.

Guest, counted your vote as an aye. So sorry for the delay in an update. I'm glad you're fine with L-Elf's characterization. Thanks so much for your review.

anon, I'm glad for that. Thanks for much for your review.

XXX

Note: For this chapter, please also include if you prefer a "boy" or a "girl" in your reviews. Read the chapter for the rest of the details. XD. So far, only one voted, so "girl" is dominating for now.

To the story then…

Friends With Benefits

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 6

The Garden of Lieselotte, an area covering about 30 acres of rare trees and plants from Dorssia, JIOR and ARUS, was a sacred land closely linked to being a symbol of unity among the alliance, one tended to by a staff of 50-strong, professionally trained gardeners. It was an immaculate land strictly reserved for outdoor events or ceremonies of national importance, and there was a legend spread among citizens of Neo-Dorssia that the spirit of a beautiful pink-haired princess resided there, with her monument gracing the centre of the Garden. So far, most ceremonies were not considered to be of that major an occasion, and were carried out within the Regent's Residence. The Garden remained, for the most part, untouched.

That day, however, Lieselotte was to bear witness to an event which would change the lives of two individuals.

"I, Tokishima Haruto, hereby swear fealty to my Regent, L-Elf Karlstein. I pledge my life to him upon the title bestowed upon me, as Leader of the Silver Knights…"

The audience watching on stood at attention, taking in the sight of the two individuals on stage. One a member of royalty, the other a nobody. The latter would not remain a nobody for long.

"…and I swear to love and cherish him, until this body returns to dust, as his spouse."

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"Marry me."

L-Elf stared at his lover after the brunette made his proposal, even as his mind, which was in the middle of planning out their next mission, stopped functioning the minute the meaning of the words registered itself in his head. This reminded him that he still owed Haruto a response for actually embarrassing them both in public earlier. That, and for interrupting his thoughts.

He punched the JIOR-ian.

That was five years ago…

A lot happened in these five years. Too many to remember, actually, but L-Elf still kept in mind those which had significant historical impact, according to chronological order, of course. He would start with events which occurred right after Renboukouji Satomi and Ninomiya Takahi's wedding

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He punched Haruto, and settled what would have been an extremely ridiculously contract. Moving on to the next phase of the plan then…

Ever since the fight on the moon with Haruto, L-Elf's initial hypothesis that Artificial Magius were able to utilise Runes to produce similar abilities to actual Magius was confirmed. If the Artificial Magius pilots at his disposal were to be of any use in future combat, especially if Cain threw his full force at Dorssia, he needed to know the full extent of what Haruto and the others were able to do, and the limitations of their former humanity binding them.

L-Elf eventually had a meeting with one of the Magius leaders who was among those seeking refuge in Neo-Dorssia. The leader – Kirko, an ex-member of the Council of 101 as he introduced himself, pledged to abide by L-Elf's Neo-Dorssian rule, especially since the Dorssian seemed to be pretty adamant with his plans to unite the Magius and humans. As it was, the small group of Magius who took the chance to reveal themselves to humanity and reside in Neo-Dorssia acknowledged L-Elf's willingness to be submissive to one of their kind, and that he was also the mother of a Magius hybrid. L-Elf mused that he was the one in control in the relationship, with Haruto wrapped completely around his finger, and Mikhail was also part of his calculations to ensure Haruto's loyalty did not ever waver from him. He didn't tell Kirko that, of course.

Magius training was included in a compulsory schedule for the Valvrave pilots, who were all so much more inferior to the actual Magius, and of course, to Cain's forces. By agreement with L-Elf, Kirko promised that the Magius would treat the Artificial Magius as one of them, and would teach them everything they needed to know to cope with their immortality. He made it quite clear that he drew the line on some training though, like teaching them how to use the resonance of Runes to detect the presence of another Magius, or teaching them a Magius' weak spot. L-Elf agreed to those terms. It was only natural that for the Magius, who had lived so long and had been persecuted by humans over the centuries, probably betrayed repeatedly too, did not trust him fully. It would be foolish to reveal all of their weaknesses to L-Elf, the one known as the One-Man Army. He'd try to negotiate for further skill training after he had further earned more of their trust.

The pilots had no room for argument, for they still had their own free time, and they had their weekends off, just like back in their schooling days. Training was conducted 3 hours a day, five days a week. By the end of each week, Haruto, being leader of the pilots, had to report their progress directly to L-Elf. If L-Elf wasn't happy with his progress, he'd cut Haruto's playtime with Mikhail short, knowing that it was one of the worst punishments he could give his lover.

Speaking of school, L-Elf had one more issue to settle. For all their fame as peaceful, formerly-human-now-turned-Magius who managed to liberate Dorssia, it didn't change the fact that this bunch of young people all flunked out of school, even if it wasn't actually their fault. Only Renboukouji Satomi and Inuzuka Kyuuma were sensible enough to check out schools in Dorssia on their own initiative, and to make enquiries as to whether they could at least complete their final year of high school. The former did this because he had long been drilled on being result oriented thanks to his upbringing, the latter did this because he still had his ambition of making money and getting rich…but then he needed to be qualified for a job first. Being a Valvrave pilot just wasn't getting him paid well. They eventually got their high school certificates, and both went on to get themselves enrolled into universities. L-Elf recognized their efforts and made Renboukouji Satomi his Secretary of State, while Inuzuka Kyuuma was appointed Minister of Finance.

The rest of them were whiling away their time being carefree, living the dream of not having to go to school. Rukino Saki was busy being a celebrity, getting invited here and there to make appearances on talent shows and to produce albums. Renboukouji Akira had holed herself somewhere and was now keeping tabs on everyone in Neo-Dorssia (and probably even Dorssia, if she had things her way) without actually having to meet people unless absolutely necessary, and Yamada Raizou was…being himself.

L-Elf frowned at seeing how Haruto gave himself a self-proclaimed position as a stay-at-home dad, and was content with just going along with the flow. His time was spent mainly with caring for Mikhail, and being a frequent visitor at L-Elf's office as his walking coffeemaker. In terms of parenting, Haruto was still the better one at being more expressive to the child, talking to him and letting him pick up his language. In terms of being practical, however, L-Elf was better. Haruto couldn't change diapers or feed Mikhail without making a mess of wherever he was in. L-Elf didn't think Haruto's absence from home would change their routine, and pretty much ordered him and his fellow pilots (sans Inuzuka) to go to school, and made completion of their education a priority. It wouldn't do for the Regent's lover to lose out to even any Dorssian commoner.

So it was, with Haruto out of the house most of the day, L-Elf was the only one remaining in their residence with their child. L-Elf alternated between working in his office at home, and occasionally paying a visit to Neo-Dorssia's military headquarters to request for updates, and to give them new mission plans to carry out. Cain was, for the most part, still quiet, but L-Elf sensed unrest at certain parts of Dorssia. He frowned, knowing that the Magius on Cain's side had more human supporters than he initially calculated. With them being so well shielded, it was extremely difficult for even L-Elf to weed out the enemies. It didn't help that both Dorssia and Neo-Dorssia were temporarily tied down with other concerns, and could not pool full resources into the finding of Cain's forces. Dorssia still had rebuilding to do, and stating clear lines over administrative power given to the royal family and military units. They learnt their lesson from the previous military takeover to not put too much power into just one side.

As for Neo-Dorssia, being a new independent state of Dorssia, L-Elf had to work tirelessly to establish relations with the three powerhouses, and to fortify contracts and check for possible loopholes. Renboukouji Satomi, being his Secretary of State, was a near permanent resident in his office sometimes whenever they had to work round the clock to pour through endless paperwork. L-Elf didn't trust anyone else aside from Satomi to do this. No one else could be nearly at his level of meticulousness. People close to them knew that the situation in Neo-Dorssia wasn't exactly that stable, since the state was barely formed years ago, but only L-Elf and Satomi knew the real gravity of their current standing.

Neo-Dorssia was not a country of its own, but rather a dependent of a larger country. The state harboured peaceful Magius, but not all humans were willing to accept their existence. In return, these peaceful Magius, who were willing to take the chance to reveal their identities in public (especially since WIRED users hid practically nothing), were indirectly also offering their lives up to L-Elf. Neo-Dorssia had the responsibility to keep them safe, as promised on paper. The last major issue L-Elf had to address was the upkeep of the pilots and the other Magius. They required a rather large import of Runes from other countries too, and this import required a lot of resources and strict protocols. Right now, there was a Rune bank which kept the state's reserves, as daily activities did not require much of their use, but if the war did strike, they'd need every bit of that energy for the pilots and Magius to be able to use their full abilities.

All in all, Neo-Dorssia had yet to reach a stable point, and it was already a state under heavy observation, and a lot of controversy. A-Drei, thanks to his friendship with L-Elf, was using his larger nation to shield L-Elf's smaller state, but L-Elf didn't want to count too much on friendship alone. A-Drei did not hesitate to point a gun at him back then. He could do it again if the fragile bonds all nations shared snapped. If he wanted full freedom to carry out his plans, he needed to make Neo-Dorssia an actual country in its own right too.

It wasn't easy though. Neo-Dorssia's economy wasn't strong enough to be independent. Their Finance Minister Inuzuka managed to keep the economy running by cashing in on the popularity of the pilots (among Valvrave worshippers). L-Elf mused that the guy had the face of an angel, but was adept at manipulating people into surrendering their money to him. It was not a permanent solution though, as popularity would wane with time. L-Elf had to wrack his brains in order to come up with another plan to allow Neo-Dorssia to be recognized as a country.

Chance came to him sooner than he thought…in the form of Rukino Saki.

L-Elf had observed, ever since back then when he attended Renboukouji Satomi's wedding, that his friend A-Drei seemed to have some kind of affection towards the JIOR-ian idol. It probably started when she was captured, but L-Elf recognized the signs, the way A-Drei seemed to keep staring at her when she wasn't looking, or averting his gaze when she was. Haruto showed the exact same signs towards him, so L-Elf knew his poor friend was smitten. L-Elf once pointed it to his face, but A-Drei simply spluttered and denied everything before turning red at the sight of Saki passing by.

A year after Satomi's wedding, however, Dorssian nobility began pressuring him to take a queen. A-Drei seemed quite insistent in trying to court Rukino Saki, but somehow, his attempts were completely unnoticed. Rukino Saki had given her heart to one man, and she did not look anywhere else. The girl was as stubborn as she was intelligent. It reached a point where A-Drei begged L-Elf, on account of their friendship, to write him a plan. L-Elf decided to take a gamble when he received that request, as he agreed to form a plan for A-Drei, provided the Dorssian Fuhrer was willing to provide enough resources for Neo-Dorssia to reach its independence as a country. It was a high risk, for he could not fully calculate the possibility of Rukino Saki being worth a country in A-Drei's eyes.

Apparently…she was though. There was little hesitation in A-Drei as he took the contract L-Elf presented before him, read through it briefly, then scrawled his signature below it. L-Elf raised an eyebrow, then walked over and put his signature neatly on the line next to A-Drei's. Once Satomi took the contract away for safekeeping, L-Elf had to hide a smirk. He should be flattered, for A-Drei to value his plans that highly. That, and Saki had no idea exactly how strong an impression the Fuhrer had of her.

Rukino Saki was not an easy fish to catch. Put simply, she was not easy in the first place. Till that day, she remained devotedly loyal to Tokishima Haruto, holding on to her one-sided feelings for a guy so dull, he never noticed the beautiful young lady throwing herself at him. Still, technically speaking, nothing could go wrong if L-Elf was the strategist. His plans were flawless, bordering prophetic. A-Drei was a miscalculation though. He was so nervous and acted so clumsy around Saki that the plans just couldn't be carried out as L-Elf envisioned them. If he wasn't missing important steps in the plan, he was stumbling and forgetting necessary lines. It reached a point where L-Elf merged his "Court Rukino Saki" plan with one of his battle plans, and A-Drei had to use his Ideal-class Mechanized Annihilator to rescue Saki in what would have been a clichéd movie scene. He was so nervous that he struggled with the controls, and the huge mecha he piloted ended up wiggling about in space in an odd parody of a courtship dance, then propelled into Unit 04 and almost collided into the very person he was trying to court. It was a good thing that Saki herself was a highly capable pilot, and moved Camilla out of the way. Still, one of the cables from the Ideal was detached prematurely, and got stuck to one of Camilla's rear legs. Saki ended up getting dragged for about 100 feet, watched on helplessly by A-Drei's subordinates, who were trying to come to the aid of their Fuhrer.

A-Drei spluttered apologies through the intercom, thoroughly mortified from showing her his embarrassing display of piloting skills, or lack of. L-Elf gave a sigh and massaged his temples, suddenly getting the urge to hold his son, who could at least cure his headaches with his innocent smiles. Saki remained absolutely quiet, unresponsive to A-Drei's desperate apologies. For a moment, everyone in the battlefield was sure that their Fuhrer managed to provoke the wrath of the JIOR-ian idol. All of a sudden, however, her cockpit erupted with the sounds of her uncontrolled laughter, causing the other combatants to be rooted to the spot, confused.

"Are you an idiot?! What on earth was that? I've never seen a man even more helpless than you are!" She exclaimed before dissolving into more laughter. "Oh gosh…I can't breathe…I give up… I'll go out with you…just…stop…stop all these… You're going to get us both killed at this rate!"

She continued laughing at the Fuhrer being inept, and while her words seemed unkind, A-Drei couldn't stop grinning. He was probably the only person who would be so happy to be insulted. L-Elf folded his arms and gave a soft laugh. While his plans didn't quite turn out as he pictured them to, at least his friend got what he wanted.

"Now get back to the mission. A-Drei, Tokishima Haruto, proceed with Plan A14." L-Elf instructed. He noted Carmilla moving a little closer to A-Drei's Ideal, and gave a slight smirk.

The couple dated for a year, realised that they had chemistry, and got married. Rukino Saki struck gold, literally, as she finally got the spotlight she had always been seeking for. From just a regular student to a reinstated idol, she got herself a major upgrade to the position of Queen. People had to literally call her "Your Highness", and she had all the resources she needed to get her albums sold and distributed. It was truly turning the tables on those who had wished her dead during her pre-Valvrave piloting days.

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Three years since Renboukouji Satomi's wedding, a year since A-Drei's, L-Elf had one more matter to settle. Tokishima Haruto's current standing in Neo-Dorssia, and also in his life.

Haruto was the first Valvrave pilot to be broadcasted on WIRED, and gained fame as de facto leader of the pilots as a result. He was also poster boy for those who considered the Magius and Artificial Magius monsters.

He'd start with Haruto's standing in his personal life. Everyone knew that L-Elf and Haruto were lovers, or that was what he announced verbally (to anyone who asked). He didn't think it was anything to hide. Mikhail was literally walking proof of their twisted relationship, with him bearing some resemblance to L-Elf especially. Everyone also knew that there seemed to be a lack of love between them, at least on L-Elf's part. From the silver-haired Regent's observation, there were many who secretly looked down on Tokishima Haruto, the under qualified lover of his.

Being a technically single, good-looking Regent with high specs, it was no wonder that his own state's people, and even some of his subordinates, tried to seduce him. Haruto had no black and white claim over L-Elf anyway, so he had no right to complain.

Those people weren't small fries either. They could all stood at nearly his equal, with some being brunettes way more handsome than Haruto, or others way more intelligent than Haruto, or someone with significant power and influence in the state…as compared to a powerless Haruto.

His relationship with Haruto brought about a bit of an inconvenience. Having Haruto as a lover…gave everyone the impression that he was born with a preference for males, and every single freaking one who came to seduce him had flat chests and a package between their legs. Some went one step further, assuming that L-Elf was a natural bottom. He definitely bottomed, after all, or it would have been Haruto delivering Prince Mikhail. It wasn't so much a preference as it was for convenience in a loveless relationship, by letting Haruto do most of the work. Not that he needed to enlighten anyone about this.

He knew, however, that every one of these males, however highly qualified they were, stepped into his office with less intention to love and care for his welfare and more intention to get hold of his weaknesses. All of them had some kind of expectation from him. It was only natural. Gain the king's favour and the whole of Neo-Dorssia could become their plaything. Some, probably trying to appeal to his maternal side, tried to approach little Mikhail instead and use the child to worm their way into his heart. They were playing with a high risk there, for L-Elf did not permit anyone to go anywhere near the child without him, Haruto or any of the child's godparents within the vicinity. That, and Mikhail had very protective godparents. The last time someone forcefully tried to pick up the child, Yamada broke bones.

L-Elf frowned as one of the housekeepers knocked, sashayed into his office, and then set some biscuits down on his table without him asking for them. All the housekeepers who have been in his employment for at least a few months to a few years knew that his office was off limits, and only very select few housekeepers were allowed to enter his room and clean it. Even so, none of the housekeepers gave him any kind of food or snacks as his lover was always the one to do so (not that L-Elf asked him to). For this guy before him to do so, he must be new.

The housekeeper approached his table, then lowered his voice in what he must have hoped was a seductive tone and offered to give L-Elf a massage.

L-Elf's eyes narrowed. Ah…so that was what he was here for.

The man leaned closer, hand hovering dangerously close to L-Elf's thigh. Next thing he knew, he was staring literally into the barrel of a gun. "Do close the door on your way out." L-Elf spoke smoothly.

The guy couldn't leave the room any faster.

L-Elf sighed, mentally adding that to the list of men who had tried to hit on him so far. He'd insist on stricter screening of housekeeping staff. He was still glumly trying to calculate the number of days before women would hit on him instead when there was another knock on his door, signaling the next interruption.

Haruto entered the room with a cup of tea. Unsweetened. "You busy?" He asked the obvious.

L-Elf turned his attention back to the contracts on his desk, but lent an ear to Haruto all the same. "As you can see." He responded.

Haruto entered the room and closed the door behind him before approaching his lover's desk. He continued smiling, but L-Elf could tell that he wasn't happy about something. His smile did not reach his eyes. "That was…" Haruto began. He cleared his throat before continuing. "…one of the new housekeepers huh…"

L-Elf's expression remained unreadable, but he smirked inwardly. Haruto was never good at hiding emotions from him. L-Elf could see the jealousy in his tone, further reinforced in his body language.

"Not somebody you should concern yourself with." L-Elf spoke flatly. He reached for the tea Haruto brought and took a sip. Not exactly the brunette's best work, but passable. Proficiency grade C. He took another sip and set it down.

Haruto seemed like he wanted to continue on the conversation, but L-Elf's nonchalant attitude convinced him that he came in at a bad time. Haruto's shoulders slumped a little at his lack of response. "I…guess I shouldn't disturb you then." He turned to leave.

"Tokishima Haruto." His lover stopped at being addressed. L-Elf gestured to the biscuits on his desk, the ones the man brought in earlier. "Get rid of those on your way out. They are an eyesore."

He didn't know why Haruto was so cheerful for the rest of the day past that point. His lover was just strange sometimes…

XXX

The next interruption came scant minutes after Haruto left. There was a knock, a soft one, and the door slowly opened to reveal a silver-haired, blue-eyed child. The child's eyes, wide and filled with childlike innocence, lit up further at spotting him. Without missing a beat, the three-year-old made a beeline towards him with arms outstretched. "Vater!" He chirped.

"Mikhail." L-Elf gave him a stern stare. "I said not to enter my office when I'm working."

The child stared up at him, puzzled, then went all smiles again and raised his hands once more. "Vater, carry me!" He demanded with childish insistence. The young boy was way too young to really understand the meaning of "no", or to know that L-Elf's orders were absolute.

Looking down at the child, who was so much shorter than him even though L-Elf was seated, he couldn't help thinking that none of his plans were as prophetic as before anymore. There were just too many uncertain variables thrown in. Of course, this child was one of them…

He did not plan on having children, or at least not as the child's bearer (and especially not Tokishima Haruto's), but somehow his plans were screwed up thanks to Pino. When he was carrying, he took a gamble for the possibility of training his child to both take over Lieselotte's legacy as a princess, and to also use the child's Magius powers. His gamble, too, failed miserably. There was no progress at all, not since the child was born, and not even when he was growing up. He knew Mikhail was not fully human. Amadeus, the Magius who took over the body of the former Fuhrer of Dorssia, was able to detect the child's presence in L-Elf's body back then, even though the unborn was barely a speck. That meant the child had hidden Runes in his body, probably coursing through his veins.

The child showed no signs of any Runes at birth, and even under L-Elf's keen observation, Mikhail grew as a completely normal human child. From a tiny little baby moving weakly in his maternal parent's arms, he learnt to roll, crawl, and eventually toddled about on unsteady little feet. Even with L-Elf as one half of his parents, Mikhail didn't progress any faster than any of the other kids his age. All in all, there was absolutely no possibility for L-Elf to use him as a weapon. Rather, he was a weak, defenseless target he needed to protect, and all of L-Elf's plans had to be made in consideration of that fact.

The child came to him, placed both hands on his knee and looked right up at him unblinkingly. "Vater?" He asked in a childish, enquiring voice.

L-Elf closed his eyes and sighed. He opened his eyes again at some point and reached out, his hands easily closing around the child's tiny ones. "As long as you promise not to interfere with my work." He warned, cutting back on any malice in his tone.

The child nodded eagerly, even though he probably didn't fully understand what L-Elf said. Lifting the child up, he placed him on his lap and kept one arm around him, just in case the child decided to play with any of the important contracts on the table. The child looked curiously at all the papers on his parent's table, but understood none of it and eventually lost interest. L-Elf tolerated the child's poking and prodding about, probably the latter trying to get him to play with him. Haruto usually occupied the child's playtime, but the brunette was now busy with his Magius training, and would not return till around dinnertime. Mikhail's pilot godparents went through the same training, or he would have been coddled by Rukino Saki, especially. A-Drei was busy, as was Renboukouji Satomi. L-Elf was the only one remaining who would hold the child, but he too was preoccupied.

When his son stopped trying to tug on his shirt, L-Elf looked down at the lack of movement. Mikhail had, most likely in an attempt to imitate him, turned his attention to the contracts too. The words were too deep for him though, as the child had barely started reading yet, and the number of words only served to confuse the silver-haired toddler even more. He ended up yawning and nodding away. L-Elf gave a soft laugh and readjusted his hold, so that his son could rest his head on the crook of his arm. Mikhail held on to L-Elf's sleeve tightly as he dropped off for his daily nap.

L-Elf set his pen down, deciding that he too could use a short break. He stroked his son's hair, running his fingers through the locks. Haruto was right when he said the child's hair was soft. The child was going to be defenseless for quite a few years more, and right now, L-Elf mused darkly that his son looked so breakable. He was definitely an irregularity in his plans. He was weak.

He was also L-Elf's greatest weakness.

L-Elf took pride in being cold and calculative, being able to detach himself from emotions and choose the most logical course of action for the best results. Parenting changed some of his priorities, even though it was all done at a subconscious level. He didn't expect to be emotionally attached to this child. He didn't expect emotions in the first place. Period.

It still happened though. As L-Elf turned his attention back to his work, he knew that he could never bring harm to Mikhail, and he would never allow anyone to do so either. If anyone hurt his Mikhail, he would demolish them personally. He wasn't called the one-man army for nothing. Mikhail was his weakness, but also his main motivation to get stronger, just like Lieselotte was. He had to get stronger, get Neo-Dorssia stronger to protect his new light.

XXXXXX

Coming back to the issue of Haruto's standing in the public eye.

L-Elf realised that he had not given an actual position to Tokishima Haruto. He was leader of the Valvrave pilots, but there was no clear line over the scope of his duties yet. L-Elf set the issue to one of low priority as he still wasn't able to be certain of how he felt about the brunette yet, but in terms of political rights, he could see that Haruto had no real power of his own. The guy wasn't ambitious, didn't seem to care if he wasn't given a position, and seemed pretty happy as long as L-Elf allowed him to remain by his side. However, it was highly inconvenient whenever L-Elf requested for Haruto to carry out official duties on his behalf, and people kept bullying the latter, usually requesting for direct proof for clearance. Sometimes, even with a written order from L-Elf, Haruto remained the butt of jokes. The situation wasn't that bad in Neo-Dorssia, where L-Elf had direct governance over, but it was pretty bad outside the state. Numerous delays later, L-Elf knew he had to really put his foot down. His plans couldn't move fast enough if he had to always be the one to head down and personally oversee things. He had a lot of capable ministers helping him out, but L-Elf knew better than to trust someone fully in the political field. He trusted Renboukouji Satomi completely, though according to his calculations, he had already put too much on the poor blonde's plate. The guy was going to get overworked at this rate. He couldn't risk losing one of his best subordinates.

Haruto was one of the few who, while less efficient than most people under L-Elf's employment, had his full trust. He needed Haruto as his official representative and spokesperson. Haruto didn't need extraordinary intelligence or charisma for the job, since L-Elf was going to write him a script anyway if he were to be sent out.

L-Elf was well aware of the people's impression of Tokishima Haruto. Neo-Dorssian citizens, out of consideration for Haruto being L-Elf's lover and Mikhail's father, remained politely neutral towards him. Only those who have been through combat alongside him truly respected him. Out of the independent state, he was a nobody. L-Elf was also aware of what people called Haruto, circulating nicknames around WIRED. The more harmless ones included "The Regent's pet, human-eating monster and Harutard". The vulgar ones far outnumber the more polite version, with some being "L-Elf's personal sex toy" and the worst being "The one who tapped the royal arse". L-Elf ordered for any demeaning titles towards Haruto to be removed. (The guy who posted the last one was found sleeping at the bottom of some lake somewhere. There were rumours, but there was no evidence linking L-Elf to the deed.)

All in all, he needed to give Haruto a proper rank, one which could not be contested by anyone else. As the brunette was currently, even his own three-year-old son outranked him, being a member of royalty by blood.

The next time L-Elf had time to breathe, he summoned Renboukouji Satomi to his office, and both spent days pouring through the state's laws to see if there was a suitable administrative position in L-Elf's office which Haruto could qualify for.

"Minister of Finance…no…he has no accounting background… Minister of Public Relations…"

"Tokishima Haruto isn't good at dealing with cunning people. They'd trick his naïve brain into binding himself with unnecessary agreements." L-Elf vetoed it immediately.

Satomi gave a weak laugh and continued on. "Minister of Defense…"

"Yamada Raizo is more suited for that position. Tokishima Haruto lacks the thirst for blood. We cannot be complacent and hope only to build diplomatic relations when this state is still young and weak." He paused for a moment, bending over to reach one of the lower drawers before producing a stack of bound documents, handing them over to the blonde. "I will formally announce a title for the Valvrave pilots. Here are the necessary papers. Read through them and have them processed immediately."

Satomi nodded. "I will set to it swiftly, Your Highness." He skimmed through quickly. "Tokishima Haruto will be officially named leader…and given independence in the judgment regarding dispatch of the Valvraves?!"

L-Elf seemed calm. "He may be a fool, but he has taken on the curse of the Valvraves willingly. He has his rights to decide if he wants to lead the Valvraves into battle and to decide which units to take with him. Of course, if he chooses to disobey my orders, he will need to report his reasons or he will be punished severely." It was still a lot of leeway given to Tokishima Haruto though. He could only hope he wasn't doing a miscalculation.

Satomi went back to looking at all the positions. An idea came to his mind, and he brightened up before turning his attention to the Regent. "Perhaps appoint him to a position of your choosing? As Regent, you have the right to give honourary titles"

"Tokishima Haruto will still be looked down upon. He is under qualified, and lacks experience for every position available in this list. Creating a new position just to avoid the problem is not going to benefit him in any way." L-Elf frowned, irritation written in his expression. The difference between them really was too great. "He needs a position of significant governmental power in this state, especially when Neo-Dorssia becomes a country. Being leader of the Valvrave pilots will only grant him military powers, but it does not allow him to intervene with administrative affairs."

"That is true…" Satomi continued to rake through his brain for ideas. "Perhaps…wait until he graduates then?"

"He's adapting poorly to the Dorssian education system. It's taking ages." L-Elf replied coldly.

Satomi went silent again, trying to look for possible loopholes and job openings for Haruto. The silence was broken when L-Elf spoke abruptly.

"I am going to marry Tokishima Haruto."

Satomi was taken aback by his words. "Urm…congratulations, Your Highness, but why the sudden change in topic? I mean, I think Tokishima will be delighted, but…"

"I didn't change the topic." L-Elf corrected him calmly.

"Oh." Satomi went quiet at that as he tried to process the Regent's words. It took him a while to get L-Elf's meaning. "Oh!" Haruto was not qualified for any position of significant power, but there was one still possible for him. "Tokishima is going to cry." He spoke in a voice expressing his condolences. L-Elf didn't say anything. He just gave the order to Satomi to draft out a contract for the position immediately.

Three months later, after repeated editing of the contract, L-Elf was finally satisfied with the terms set, and he summoned Haruto to his office. The brunette raised an eyebrow at the formality L-Elf treated him with, then raised his brows further at seeing Satomi also in the office, fidgeting uncomfortably next to the silver-haired Dorssian. L-Elf beckoned Haruto to him before sliding a thick set of documents across the table. "Please read through the contract, then place your signature at the bottom of the page if the terms are agreeable with you."

"What is this?" Haruto took the hardbound papers and read its title. His expression changed as he flushed. "This is…"

L-Elf relaxed, placing his hands lightly on the armrests of his chair. "We're getting married, Tokishima Haruto."

He had a number of scenarios in his mind, with most of them having Haruto bursting into happy tears, or throwing his arms around him and declaring as to how happy a man he was for L-Elf to finally say the words he had been hoping for so long.

Haruto's reaction was different from what he pictured though. The flush spread on the brunette's face, though it wasn't out of happiness. The pilot looked absolutely livid. He threw the contract onto the table and slammed a hand onto the hard wood. "Don't joke around with me! Marriage is not something to be taken lightly!"

"I didn't. I spent months preparing that contract." L-Elf responded calmly.

Haruto pulled his up by the collar, instantly drawing protests from Satomi. L-Elf could easily snap his wrist in seconds, but he was curious over what could have sparked off such anger in the usually docile brunette, and kept still. Haruto's hand was shaking. "That's not my point! How could you turn marriage into something so cheap?"

"I do not see room for complaint, Tokishima Haruto. Over the span of 3 years, you have proposed to me on five different occasions. The only difference is that this round, I'm the one proposing."

"You shot me down all those times! And now you're proposing because of-" Haruto gestured to the contract. "-this?!"

"Yes. It's a practical solution." L-Elf stated as a matter-of-factly. For some reason, right next to him, Satomi was hiding his head in his hands.

Haruto gave a laugh of disbelief. "Do you even want to be married to me?!"

"I do." L-Elf responded immediately. That seemed to take the air out from under Haruto's wings, and he deflated.

Haruto released him and stepped back. "This is just like you though, L-Elf. I should have expected it." His gaze was cold as he stared at the contract. "I decline your proposal. L-Elf Karlstein." With that, he marched out of the room, closing the door not too gently behind him.

L-Elf turned to Satomi, who was positively groaning on the spot. "What was he displeased about?"

Satomi sighed. "Forgive me for saying this, Your Highness, but for someone who's most likely the most intelligent man in the whole of Neo-Dorssia…you're awfully dense."

L-Elf stared, and Satomi lost his courage as he panicked and bowed. "Forgive me! I have overstepped my own boundaries…"

"You're the second person to tell me that, Renboukouji Satomi." L-Elf spoke quietly. From his expression, Satomi already knew who the first was. L-Elf reached out and gathered the contract, browsing through it once more. He could not see Haruto's reason for contention. He needed Haruto as his representative or ambassador, so his only option was to marry him. Anyone could badmouth an honourary title if they thought that the person was ill suited to the position, but badmouthing the king's spouse was like a direct insult to the king personally, and punishable by death (especially in formerly military-strong Dorssia and Neo-Dorssia). Haruto, by accepting the proposal, would not just be getting a lot of power as a member of royalty, but also a lot of political immunity. For him to be that angry… it defied L-Elf's logic.

"A marriage of convenience…that was what you were offering Tokishima." Satomi seemed to finally take pity on L-Elf, and voiced the issue aloud.

L-Elf turned to him. "It's commonly used among royalty - marriages of convenience and arranged marriages."

"Yes. However, that is not what Tokishima wants." Satomi responded quietly.

There was a moment's pause. "I cannot offer him a love marriage." L-Elf spoke bluntly.

Satomi gave a light laugh and sighed. "I suppose not. Still, perhaps there could be a compromise. Tokishima has his own expectations from a marriage, or he wouldn't be proposing to you so many times."

"He wants love from me." L-Elf didn't sound cold about it anymore. He merely sounded tired.

Satomi shook his head. "That is not all." At L-Elf's stare, Satomi straightened up. "I'll go talk to him. You two need to discuss this."

XXX

A week later, L-Elf found himself facing Tokishima Haruto in his office again. The brunette seemed to have cooled off a bit, for his blue gaze was calm. Before L-Elf could say anything, Haruto placed a sheet of paper onto the table, one in his own handwriting.

"I will consider your proposal. However, I do have some terms of my own." Haruto spoke in all seriousness.

L-Elf browsed through the messy lines. A lot of them were crossed out hastily and rewritten, especially ones which required emotional commitment from L-Elf. He read through the remaining lines and looked back up at his lover. "So basically…you're not expecting much out of me…except my fidelity?"

Haruto flushed a little, but nodded anyway. "I request for your absolute faithfulness throughout our marriage. You will not engage in any other romantic relationship with anyone else. You will not look down on our marriage, and you will not make any request for divorce for at least…10 years, unless it was due to some kind of heavy crime I have committed against you. As your spouse, I have the right to take care of you as I see fit, and any request I make as your spouse may be taken into your consideration."

L-Elf raised an eyebrow and turned to Satomi. He had a feeling his Secretary of State might have a hand in some of the wording of those terms. He turned back to Haruto. "Very well. In return, I expect the same kind of loyalty from you. You are not permitted to declare your love to anyone else. Not even Sashinami Shoko."

Haruto's eyes widened with surprise. L-Elf could see conflicting thoughts running around his mind, but Haruto eventually stood straighter and nodded. "Very well. If the terms are agreeable with you, then will you do me the honour of marrying me, L-Elf Karlstein?"

At long last, Haruto received the answer he had been waiting for. "Yes."

XXX

L-Elf told his fiancé that the latter had to prepare his own lines, and not so subtly ordered him to come up with ones which could convince him.

Haruto felt like he was in a dream. While not exactly like what he had originally planned, he was still getting married to the person who was most important to him currently. His face heated every time he thought about it.

His friends heard about the news from Satomi, who couldn't keep it to himself for long, and later from Haruto, and eventually through a formal announcement by L-Elf.

Inuzuka gave a laugh and punched Haruto playfully in the arm. "You really did it this time, Haruto! Congratulations!"

"You're slow. What took you so long to reach this stage?" Saki scoffed as her way of congratulating him.

Yamada blinked. "Uh…you're getting married huh. Good for you."

Inuzuka nudged him. "Now then, you just have to make up some lines for your speech during the ceremony? You'll be speaking on our behalf too as our leader. Make sure you say something good."

"Why Silver Knights though? It sounds like we're only second best. Why not the Golden Knights?" Saki complained.

Inuzuka gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head. "Our current financial standing is in a bit of a pinch now. It won't do to spend more money painting the Valvraves gold. Let's hope L-Elf allows us an upgrade once our economy gets better." His ringtone went off at that moment, and glancing at the screen, he showed it to Haruto and gave a wink. "Sorry, but your dear fiancé needs me to calculate the budget for the ceremony, so I can't help you with your lines. Work hard." He jogged off right after saying that.

Haruto did try to write something. It reached a point where his Magius-training teacher pitied him and chipped in with suggestions, but all the lines sounded too romantic, like what vows were in a regular wedding ceremony. Granted, that was probably what he should be writing, but L-Elf hated sweet things. He'd end up turning off the silver-haired Dorssian instead.

As a last resort he ambushed Renboukouji Satomi, right when he was leaving the royal residence with the full intention of heading home. He begged the blonde to help him cough out something. Satomi gave an exhausted sigh. "First L-Elf…now you too?"

"What?" L-Elf got Satomi to write his lines too?

Satomi shook his head. "Sorry. Forget I said that. Are you sure you're fine with me writing it?"

Haruto put his hands together in a begging motion. "You're my only hope left. If you do this for me, I'll take you along for a ride in the Valvrave cockpit."

Satomi backed off at that. "I…don't want to become a Kamitsuki…"

"You won't be. That only happens to those who pilot the Valvrave. L-Elf's been in Unit 01 plenty of times, and he's still human."

The blonde seemed to consider it, but he eventually gave a nod. "All right. It could be good to know what it's like in there. I can have another topic to talk about with Akira."

XXX

There was a buzz of excitement in Neo-Dorssia the day of the ceremony. Important guests from their allied countries arrived, along with their aides. Haruto was both so happy and so nervous that he thought he was going to die. He lifted Mikhail into his arms and held him tightly, trying to calm his nerves.

"Otou-san…hurts…" The child complained.

Haruto apologized and quickly set him down again. He knelt down, so that he was around the child's level, and held his hands. "Mikhail, it's a very important day for your vater and I. Do you still remember what you have to do?"

Mikhail beamed and nodded. Haruto laughed and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll see you then. Stay with your godmother Rukino. I love you."

Satomi had briefed Haruto on what he had to do. The ceremony for appointing the Silver Knights and the wedding ceremony would run concurrently. They were both men, so there was no walking up any aisle. Rather, the two parties would meet on stage with their respective witnesses, and Haruto would have to be the first to give his vows before L-Elf gave his response.

Haruto gave a nod. He was ready.

On his way to the stage he met Shoko, who approached him immediately. She gave him her congratulatory message, then looked at him with her feelings reflected in her eyes. He inwardly wondered if L-Elf would have a fit if he saw them together, and gave a bow to formally thank her for her presence, then excused himself, walking away from her. Hardening his heart, he pretended not to hear her sniffle behind him.

XXX

When the trumpets played, there was no hesitation in Haruto's pace as he ascended the steps to the stage, the place where the ceremony would take place. Inuzuka was his witness, and the Finance Minister followed a few steps behind him. The other Valvrave pilots lined up nearby, standing before their Valvraves, which were parked in a row behind the stage.

L-Elf approached from the other side of the stage, with A-Drei as his witness. The to-be-wedded royal couple's ceremonial attires were of a military design, with L-Elf's being white, and Haruto's being black. Both had a gold-red sash crossing from their right shoulder and ending at their left hip. They met in the middle, and Haruto got down to one knee and placed his right fist against his chest.

"I, Tokishima Haruto, hereby swear fealty to my Regent, L-Elf Karlstein. I pledge my life to him upon the title bestowed upon me, as Leader of the Silver Knights. I swear to remain loyal to him as my ruler and only master, and will uphold his pride and honour in every mission I partake." There was no change to L-Elf's expression, but from his gaze, Haruto could tell that he was not displeased.

For the second part of the ceremony, Haruto reached out and took L-Elf's hands, feeling those long, callused fingers. Letting go of L-Elf's right hand, he maintained a firm hold on L-Elf's left. He looked to the side, signaling for Mikhail to approach them.

Mikhail toddled over to them, bearing a velvet cushion with two gold rings which were carefully polished to a perfect shine. His godparents have all tried their best to tell him what he had to do, and practised for hours with him, but at the sight of all the men and women seated before the stage, the poor child was overwhelmed, and became rooted to the spot, looking like he was going to cry.

"Mikhail." Haruto called out, the affection apparent in his voice. "It's all right. Come here." He reached out with one hand, while holding L-Elf's hand with the other.

Mikhail managed to make his way to them. Since Haruto was kneeling, his head was around the child's level, and he smiled at the boy, stroking his hair. Haruto took one of the rings, then turned his attention back to L-Elf, looking up at his liege. "I also pledge loyalty to L-Elf Karlstein, from now until the end of my life, and I swear to love and cherish him, until this body returns to dust, as his spouse." Carefully, with shaking fingers, he slid the gold band onto L-Elf's left ring finger. He kissed L-Elf on the hand, lips caressing the wedding ring and sealing both vows.

L-Elf watched him calmly as he gave his vows. When Haruto was done, he declared. "I, L-Elf Karlstein, as 1st Regent of Neo-Dorssia, hereby acknowledge the oath sworn by Tokishima Haruto." He took the remaining ring from the velvet cushion. "I also accept Tokishima Haruto's proposal for marriage, and acknowledge his willingness to bind himself to me for life. I pledge fidelity to Tokishima Haruto, my lawfully wedded spouse, and confer upon him the title Prince Consort. From this day forth, he will be second in power only to mine, and anyone who treats him with disrespect will be punishable by death."

The audience applauded, signaling the end of the ceremony. Mikhail got frightened by the sound and clung on to L-Elf's pant leg. L-Elf carried his son easily in his arms, then turned to look at Haruto, who smiled at him. They were officially wedded, and a family now.

XXXXXX

L-Elf undid the topmost button of his uniform, loosening his collar and breathing a lot easier. He was good at carrying himself through stiff, boring ceremonies, but home was still the best, where he did not have to go through a puppet-like pretense and hold himself up for public presentation.

Plopping down onto the bed, he rolled his shoulders slightly, trying to ease the stiffness out of them. Looking up, he realised that Haruto was also in the room. The brunette fidgeted near the doorway, sneaking peeks at him but at the same time avoiding his gaze the minute their eyes met. L-Elf frowned, thinking that the JIOR-ian was being even more ridiculous than usual.

"If you have something to say, Tokishima Haruto, then speak. Otherwise, decide to leave or stay. You're being a distraction." L-Elf deadpanned.

Haruto slid the door shut behind him and took a few steps towards the bed. At seeing that L-Elf's body language remained neutral, he stopped a few feet away from the Dorssian. The awkwardness returned as the JIOR-ian rubbed the back of his head.

L-Elf continued to stare at him inquisitively. Haruto eventually spoke up. "Urm...we...that is...I'm still trying to get used to the idea...that we're married."

L-Elf kept his eyes trained on his new spouse calmly, though his body language indicated that he wasn't impressed. "Yes. I believe that was the purpose of the ceremony five hours earlier."

Haruto took another couple of steps, shortening the distance between them. "I didn't think you'd finally agree." He admitted quietly. When he finally reached the silver-haired man, he reached out and took L-Elf's hands. "I just wanted to say...thank you."

L-Elf didn't pull back, but showed no other sign of encouraging any further contact either. "It was a contract for mutual benefit. Nothing more. Nothing less." He stated.

Haruto nodded. "I guess so." There was a pause. Haruto cleared his throat nervously and tried again. "So...what do we do now?"

L-Elf stared at him. Were they supposed to do something? Was there a term Haruto put down in the contract which he might have missed?

At seeing L-Elf's expression, Haruto cleared his throat again. "It is…urm… our wedding night."

L-Elf sighed. Ah, so it was sentimental talk coming up. "The wedding night, traditionally speaking the first time a married couple, husband and wife, have sex. It is supposed to signify the official start of their married life, as well as to legally recognise any descendents they produce past that point." He gave a laugh. "Ridiculous. Isn't it just an excuse for the husband to deflower his hopefully-still-virgin wife? Considering most people would have completed that step much earlier, prior to their wedding night, I do not see the importance of this."

Haruto gaped at the coldness in his voice. "All married couples around the world will cry at hearing you take it so lightly…" He tightened his hold on L-Elf's hands. "Even if it's symbolic, it's to signify the start of commitment between the married couples, that they will only be romantically involved with each other. I don't think it matters as to what the couple had done before that, but on their wedding night itself, they renew their promises and feelings to each other once more."

L-Elf continued staring at him. "Words are cheap. If that's the case, there wouldn't be extramarital affairs and divorces. Just how unrealistic are you going to be?"

Haruto would usually take the bait to snap back at him for that, but it seemed that the euphoria of finally being able to marry L-Elf hadn't worn off yet, and he remained in high spirits, enough to let L-Elf's seemingly cold words slide off him. "Perhaps. It's all up to the couple to make the most out of their wedding night, I think." His fingers ran lightly along L-Elf's hand, probably reenacting the scene of him sliding the ring onto his spouse's finger. The brunette lifted L-Elf's left hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to his fingers. "We've always had a complicated relationship. I've done something unforgivable to you at the beginning. Could we start over? I'd like to make a pledge to you."

L-Elf's purple gaze remained unmoved. "So…you'd like to start of our married life with sex."

"Yes…wait, no!" Finally, some exasperation was coming into Haruto's body language, as he ran his fingers through his own hair. "That's not what I meant. The physical aspect of our relationship has always been cold…unfeeling, but I don't want it to remain that way. I'm not expecting you to return my feelings, but tonight, please allow me to make love to you."

L-Elf still did not see a difference between their pre-married or post-married relationship. Sex was still sex, no matter what term people used for it. Haruto was the only one who thought he could differentiate them in his mind, but to the silver-haired Dorssian, they were all the same. Still, Haruto could be annoying when he became persistent though. He thought back of Satomi's words, about Haruto having expectations from marriage. Perhaps first night sex was one of them.

Haruto continued to gaze at him, blue orbs locking on purple. "It doesn't have to involve us going all the way. Could I just hold you?"

L-Elf frowned. Now that didn't quite seem like Haruto. He'd usually be keener to pounce. Wait, there was that time in his office when Haruto didn't take him either…

"Do whatever you like." He was weary from ceremony, and from the preparation of it too. Lying back, he watched Haruto for his next move.

He could see desire in Haruto's eyes. However, the brunette seemed intent on holding back. Haruto climbed in next to him, then, with hesitating fingers, wrapped them around L-Elf's waist and held him close. L-Elf could feel Haruto's hardness poking against his inner thigh, but the brunette still had no intention of taking him. This was definitely going to be the strangest lovemaking ever. It was just one man holding another man in bed without doing anything else to him.

Just like in the office, there seemed to be a message Haruto was trying to convey to him. He thought himself sharp at picking up thoughts of naïve people like Haruto, but when it came to the emotional aspects, he was at little lost. He could still pick up subtle cues though, like Haruto's breathing, which quickened if L-Elf shifted, or the rapidly pounding heartbeat in his chest, which was pressed close to L-Elf's back.

Haruto shifted. One arm remained holding L-Elf's waist, while the other stroked L-Elf's arm in gentle motions. L-Elf subtly felt the brunette's heart rate increase, and knew that Haruto was probably intending to do something else.

He felt it moments later, for Haruto pressed a kiss to his back almost reverently. "I love you, L-Elf." Haruto murmured. It was a phrase L-Elf heard on many occasions, a phrase L-Elf could almost never take seriously, and Haruto saying it again made no difference, even if it was their wedding night.

The sounds of rapid heartbeats continued to invade his military trained senses. It took him a while to realise they weren't Haruto's.

Damn.

Nothing else happened that night, but for the two men, it took them a long time to drop off to sleep. L-Elf woke the next morning to find that apparently, he did not have his back to Haruto anymore, and was instead facing his spouse, with one arm around the brunette's shoulder.

Withdrawing his arm quickly like it burnt, L-Elf scooted away. The sudden motion woke Haruto, who blinked sleepily before turning blue orbs to him. There was a moment of silence when their eyes met. L-Elf could see the sleep rapidly leaving Haruto's expression, just as Haruto could see that L-Elf had a slightly confused expression on his face. Haruto reached out, touched his face gently, and smiled. "Good morning."

The Regent did not like how the sounds of heartbeats returned. His flawless plans were being changed, going along with Haruto's pace faster than he liked it to. Deciding to bring it back to more familiar territory, L-Elf undid his collar, parted his legs, and let Haruto take him.

XXXXXXXXX

So it was, coming back to the start of his musings.

Five years since Renboukouji Satomi's wedding, three years since A-Drei's, and slightly over a year since his and Haruto's. For the most part, the politics in his nation was stable, and everything had become peaceful.

Satomi knocked on the door and entered his office. As usual, he was here to collect completed paperwork, and give L-Elf new ones. Fortunately paperwork and contracts had lessened considerably compared to when Neo-Dorssia was still newly formed.

"You should get some rest, Your Highness. You've been working almost the whole day." Satomi told him.

L-Elf picked up the topmost copy and browsed through it. "We're close to being a country now. It wouldn't do to let your guard down." He replied. Setting the paper down, he turned to Satomi. "How is your wife doing? Two and a half months, was it?"

Satomi beamed. "Yes. She's hoping the nausea will pass. The book said it will after the first trimester."

Satomi and his wife definitely took their time to have their first child. From what he heard, it was because Takahi had some issues with committing herself to being tied down with a child, but being Mikhail's godmother eventually made up her mind to have a child of her own. "Mine didn't until after the fifth month." L-Elf slid a flask across the table. "Ginger tea. It will help with the nausea." He repeated what Haruto told him five years ago. He owed Ninomiya…no… Renboukouji Takahi a favour for the kindness she showed him during his period of discomfort.

Satomi took the flask. "Thank you, Your Highness." He continued smiling. "I'm really happy for you. You've changed ever since you got together with Haruto. You've become…"

"…weaker?" L-Elf completed the sentence for him.

Satomi shook his head. "Kinder. You weren't exactly a monster, but your actions have become gentler, and your gaze warmer. You're a lot more approachable now."

L-Elf stared at him. "I'll keep that in mind." He responded before reaching out for the ham and eggs Haruto put on his table earlier. He took a bite, then choked.

"Your Highness?" Satomi asked, worried. L-Elf had set his fork down and was now covering his mouth with a hand, waiting for the bad feeling to pass. "Are you all right?" He asked.

When L-Elf could speak again, he waved him off. "I'm fine. The nausea will pass."

Satomi returned the flask to him. "Maybe you need this more than I do for now. I could make the drink for my wife when I get home."

At the mention of Takahi, L-Elf froze, his mind suddenly forming conclusions. At seeing the Regent pale, Satomi too picked up his train of thought immediately. "Oh gosh…!"

Oh shit.

"Are you…again…I mean…does Tokishima know…?" Satomi asked, completely flustered. His gaze kept darting from L-Elf's face, to his stomach, then back to his face again.

L-Elf stood abruptly, keeping a hold on the table for support. He got up and made his way to the door. "You will not speak of this to anyone. Especially not to Tokishima Haruto. In the meantime, I'm leaving all those papers to you." He closed the door behind him and dialed Kibukawa Takumi's number, ordering him to be in his personal ward in 10 minutes.

To be continued…

A/N: Just a mention of some terms here.

Vater – German for father. I seriously don't think L-Elf will allow the child to call him mommy. XD. Or even something as disturbingly affectionate as papa or daddy.

Speaking of which, I've always been confused about something. Just throwing a question to fellow mpreg fans/readers out there (or even to those who have read child adoption fics between male X male pairings), which is the more common term when it comes to "papa" and "daddy". Which is for the seme and which is for the uke? (I tend to make it simple by using the traditional het pairing terms "dad" and "mom". I am deeply ashamed to call myself an mpreg fangirl. :p)

I apologise if L-Elf seems suddenly emotional/out of character here. I do not think that the prince shown 200 years later had a poor childhood, considering how happy-go-lucky he was. He seems a little sheltered, hence my reasoning that to some extent, his parents loved him (and for this case, since I'm totally putting canon into a blender and turning on the switch by writing HaruEru as his parents, I'm putting it in a way where both Haruto and L-Elf loved their son. They just had different ways of showing it.)

I do not take credit for the term "Harutard." This term belongs to Entravity instead (not sure if he's the first to coin it, but I first saw this term in his Valvrave reviews). If anyone wishes for me to remove it, do drop me a message.

In episode 7, about 200 years into the future, the enemy at the start called Saki one of the "Golden Seven". I am a little confused by this though, coz as far as I know, there are only 6 Valvrave units, and Unit 02 is in Cain's hands, so how on earth did he count 7? That, and if the ending of Valvrave is accurate, by right they're left with…2 Valvraves? Did I interpret this wrongly?

I'm going to deviate from the main plot because of this, so instead of Golden Seven, I'm putting them as the Golden Knights.

So yeah…did anyone actually expect L-Elf to give a "yes" that way? XDXD

The wedding night in this chapter is meant to be something like a "restart" of their relationship. Usually that means the couple going at it like rabbits, but for Haruto and L-Elf's twisted relationship, Haruto chooses abstinence as a form of apology to L-Elf, something like "he'd do it properly this time – by not taking L-Elf if the latter wasn't in the mood to". He'd be willing to wait until L-Elf consents, since he took that choice away from L-Elf the first time they were physically involved. Do you think Haruto was successful in conveying his feelings this time? XD

As for the ending…*evil laughter*. Personally, I would want to see a little silver-haired girl… XD

Just out of curiosity, are you in favour of a girl or a boy? I'm not saying what this answer is for just yet. You'll find out in the next chapter.

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NOTE

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A/N: Past this point, there will be a chapter extra in response to a request from mimikitty. Please note that this kink will be written based on the following prompt:

What if L-Elf actually breastfed baby Mikhail?

Be warned that the extra will contain male lactation and breastfeeding, so if this is not your cup of tea, please stop here, and avoid proceeding further. Do still drop a review for the earlier parts of the chapter though. With the current workload/assignments, I could use the encouragement. :p

This chapter extra will take place roughly between chapters 3 to 5. Extra starts after the page break.

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CHAPTER EXTRA

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L-Elf gave a soft exhale, finding sleep difficult as the sounds of crying was slowly, but surely making its way into his consciousness. He opened his eyes, still groggy from being sedated for the surgery, and glanced to his side, blinking in confusion at a squirming newborn, whose mouth continued producing pitiful mewls. He blinked again, and his mind cleared, becoming more awake as he reached out and cradled the infant to his chest.

The baby couldn't be pacified, even though L-Elf was sharing his body warmth. Shifting a firmer hold on the child, L-Elf winced when his arm accidentally brushed across his own chest. When he was still carrying the child, the hormones raging in his body made his chest sensitive. They still felt tender now. Looking down, he frowned at seeing his shirt stick to his chest. He had been sweating quite a bit earlier from the exertion of enduring labour, but the moisture should have dried by now.

His baby continued to wail, and to his surprise, he noticed that the wet spots had, if anything, spread. At further investigation, he realised that the spots on his shirt weren't due to sweat. He was lactating. Giving a mirthless laugh of disbelief, L-Elf felt yet another urge to strangle a certain guide program girl for taking liberties with screwing around with his body.

He wasn't a Haruto though. Averting his gaze and escaping reality were never his options. Debating internally, he pondered his next step. He supposed he had to applaud Pino for her meticulousness in ensuring that just as he could carry and deliver a healthy child to term, he was also equipped to ensure its survival too. Looking back at his newborn son, he knew that the baby was hungry and needed sustenance. His role was clear.

He could, to protect his pride, get Haruto to fetch a bottle. Before the bottle could reach him, he would probably also have to endure another 20 minutes of wailing. Making up his mind, L-Elf decided that he would go with the more practical option as he undid his front. With his skin exposed, L-Elf noted an increased firmness in his chest, but they weren't particularly engorged, and he heaved a silent sigh of relief. Holding the baby closer to him, he offered the child a nipple.

The baby, still weak from being newly introduced to the world and from hunger, struggled to latch on, but he eventually became quiet, with his mission solely focused on filling his empty belly. L-Elf maintained a steady hold on him, watching the child suckle. When the baby slowed, L-Elf figured that he was full, and detached the child from his chest. To his shock, the child made an odd sound, as if he were trying to burp, then threw up on him. L-Elf didn't know why, but an irrational sense of fear gripped him as he checked his child to see if he was all right, or if he might have stopped feeding him too soon. The child, it seemed, had dropped off right to sleep. From his breathing pattern, he was perfectly fine, leaving his less than impressed parent covered in regurgitated milk around his chest and stomach area.

L-Elf grabbed a dust cloth off the table next to him to wipe off the liquid, then held his son against him and slept, at least until the baby wailed three hours later for another feeding.

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L-Elf did not think it important to report this to anyone, and no one was any wiser as to how the baby fed. They just figured that L-Elf prepared bottles on his own since he didn't ask anyone for help. Haruto once handed a bottle over to L-Elf, but the baby rejected the formula and continued crying. L-Elf chased Haruto and everyone else out of the room before declaring that he would deal with the problem. When they returned, the baby was slumbering in L-Elf's arms, while the Regent relaxed and read a book.

The child fed frequently. He did not take long per feeding session, probably ten minutes to half an hour at most. It was the frequency which L-Elf found to be most inconvenient. It was a good thing he didn't have to rely on bottles or he'd be hunting for them at least 10 to 12 times a day. When he recovered enough, he walked about the ward to regain regular movement even with the child held snugly in his arms.

By the time L-Elf returned to his residence, where Haruto had already set up a nursery for the now named child, he had already worked out a feeding schedule for the child, and could easily juggle work and caring for his child - Mikhail. The benefit of working from home was that he had his privacy, and he spent his days in his office with his baby son sleeping in a bassinet placed in his office.

It was around this time also Haruto found out about his schedule by walking into his office without knocking, and the child's sire was so shocked by the scene that he tripped over a random table. L-Elf couldn't be bothered to enlighten him about the situation. He was pretty sure the question of what he was doing with a baby latched on to his chest was self-explanatory.

Haruto, fortunately, had the sense to not spread the word around. He poked his head in often enough after that, but was still rather awkward around L-Elf whenever Mikhail started crying, and L-Elf's fingers moved towards his shirt buttons.

He'd immediately avert his gaze while sneaking occasional peeks at L-Elf, then avert his gaze again when L-Elf frowned at his antics. Sometimes, he'd excuse himself and quickly flee out of the room, at least until L-Elf was done with Mikhail and Haruto could play with the baby again.

As time passed, the child grew, baby fat increasing because L-Elf was meticulous in making sure his son was well fed.

Haruto got used to seeing L-Elf's routine and became less awkward about it. Whenever he left the room, he always returned with proper meals, which he placed on L-Elf's table. "For you, since you're…well…feeding Mikhail. You need to take care of your body."

L-Elf gave a quiet word of thanks and continued on with his task. When he was done, Haruto passed him a cloth, which he placed on his shoulder before burping Mikhail. He then set the cloth aside, knowing that Haruto would take it away, and passed the baby to Haruto. Haruto would be the one to put the child in his bassinet while L-Elf had his meals and continued working.

When the child became older, he grew heavier, and while it didn't affect L-Elf much, since that weight was nothing compared to the prolonged gun trainings he had to go through back in Karlstein Academy, Haruto worried for him. The brunette became a lot more concerned about L-Elf's diet, and was also worried as to whether he was uncomfortable having to hold Mikhail for a period of time. L-Elf didn't think it was particularly uncomfortable when Mikhail fed because the child behaved and remained still. He'd be in the mood to play after he was full, but otherwise, he did not give his maternal parent trouble while feeding. Still, just as L-Elf paid close attention to making sure Mikhail was well fed, Haruto made sure his lover was too.

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L-Elf traced a soft cheek as he lay next to his son, having given the child his share for that night. Next to him, Haruto sat with a freshly laundered cloth on his lap, one which would be given to L-Elf to clean himself up with. Haruto smiled at the two most important people in his life, though L-Elf took no notice of it as he was preoccupied with watching Mikhail.

The magazines did talk about breastfeeding increasing the bond between parent and child, though L-Elf scoffed at the ridiculousness of the notion. Haruto noticed that while L-Elf's words and actions were as cold and calculating as ever, there was a soft edge to his purple gaze whenever he laid eyes on their son. He had every bit the gaze of a mothe- parent.

Haruto supposed with the number of times L-Elf held their son against his skin, even the unmovable Dorssian would grow attached to the child in some way.

L-Elf tore his gaze away from the child, and his eyes hardened again as he turned to Haruto. The JIOR-ian passed him the cloth and tried not to stare as L-Elf sat up, then cleaned his shoulder and chest area. "He's almost ready for solids, so I'll wean him soon." L-Elf informed curtly.

"Mm-hmm." Haruto responded, acknowledging that he heard that. He took the cloth back and held it to his side. "Say…L-Elf…" At having the silver-haired man's attention, he continued on. "Thank you…for all the trouble. For having to feed Mikhail personally." No one else knew about these feeding sessions, not even their friends. It was their own family's private time together.

L-Elf stared at him like he had stated the obvious. "It's my job." He replied flatly.

Haruto nodded and got up, turning to leave. "Tokishima Haruto." L-Elf called him by name abruptly, stopping him in his tracks. A moment of hesitation crossed the Dorssian's features before he straightened up, his expression calm again. "I appreciate your help these past few months."

Haruto blinked, then beamed. That was as close to a thanks as he could get from his lover. Taking chances, he walked back to the bed and bent down, waiting for L-Elf to literally pull punches. At receiving no resistance, he brushed his lips firmly against L-Elf's cheek. When he pulled back, there was no change to L-Elf's expression, no clichéd eyelids fluttering close, or cheeks dusting with colour. The silver-haired beauty just continued to stare at him impassively.

It didn't matter to Haruto though. L-Elf didn't pull back, and that spoke volumes.

"Rest well, L-Elf." He spoke gently before heading out of the room. He did not notice L-Elf watching his back, even long after the door closed behind him.

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"Really, Haruto. Your son is going to be a handful." Inuzuka commented at seeing a ten-month-old royal baby bouncing about on Rukino Saki's lap. Despite Haruto and L-Elf's exceedingly complicated relationship, they somehow managed to create a happy baby together.

L-Elf had an air of boredom around him as he continued signing papers, wondering why Inuzuka, Saki and Haruto have chosen to gossip in his office. He ignored them and concentrated on his work.

Saki giggled and held the baby carefully so that he wouldn't fall off. "He's really active and cute! His cheeks are all pink!"

"He's a little chubby." Inuzuka commented.

Saki frowned at him. "Babies are cute when they're all pink cheeked and chubby like this. It's a sign that he's healthy too. You must really have him well fed." The young lady commented even as she turned to Haruto.

Haruto flushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Ahaha… I appreciate your compliments, but I do not think I can take credit for that. Well, I have to agree that Mikhail indeed has the best nourishment he could ever get."

L-Elf almost broke his pen.

The silver-haired stood up abruptly, then crossed the room and headed over to where the three were seated. "Tokishima Haruto." He cut in abruptly before the two other pilots could get his lover to clarify what he was talking about. "Get these plans memorised by tomorrow."

"Eh? You're such a killjoy…ouch!" L-Elf had apparently, with very minimal movement, slid his foot under the table and trod hard on Haruto's toes, squashing them to silence him.

With watering eyes, Haruto looked at the documents, noticing a slip of paper poking out under the pile. He flipped to that page, and was greeted with L-Elf's neat handwriting conveying a scary message.

'Breathe a word about it and you're dead.'

L-Elf returned to his seat as both Saki and Inuzuka fussed over Haruto. He should hurry up and get Mikhail used to oatmeal soon…

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END OF CHAPTER EXTRA

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Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.

-Gwyn86