Sans Raiment

Author’s note: I do want to thank everyone who’s left a review. I love reviews. They make me happy to know people are reading the story and enjoying it. I hope you leave more reviews!

The ‘delete email’ message flashed on the screen. Cliff’s finger hovered over the enter key. He glared at the screen, focusing his anger on it since there was no other tangible target for him to direct his rage at. After reading the first letter Albel had sent him, he wasn’t sure he wanted the Elicoorian to explain why he had trust and relationship issues. He could probably figure things out for himself at that point. The first letter had said plenty; Albel had described how he had been used by that animal, Vox. Used was too nice a word in Cliff’s opinion; the old fuck had raped Albel. Albel might have agreed, but not because he wanted to. He had been a kid too young and dumb to know he was being blackmailed.

What really made the man angry, though, was that Albel didn’t see Vox’s actions as rape; the man had used him, he consented that much, but Albel believed the bastard’s deceptions could be blamed on himself. Albel believed that if he had been wiser nothing would have happened; therefore Vox was not to blame.

“Bull shit” he mumbled, taking his hands away from the communicator’s keyboard. He read the letter over for about the tenth time. How could Albel not blame Vox for what had happened? He had admitted that the old geezer had taken his virginity and he hadn’t wanted that to happen! Albel really had some messed up ways of looking at things.

Now it was his turn to write a letter. Cliff wasn’t really sure what to write; saying ‘gee, that’s too bad’ seemed way out of line, and he didn’t think Albel would appreciate him raging about what a jerk-off Vox had been and going off on the young man’s bad taste in men. He supposed that he would have to speak from the heart then. It was only fair, since Albel was divulging information he had kept close to HIS heart. Still, it would be awkward.

He started typing. Without thinking, he had written about how poor of an opinion he had of Vox. Cliff supposed he couldn’t avoid voicing those feelings, especially when Albel suppressed his own anger toward the late duke. After a clumsy introduction, Cliff began to express how he had felt reading the letter. He had been upset and curious, but more than anything he felt pity for Albel. He knew the Elicoorian wouldn’t take too kindly to being an object of pity, but he was being honest. The man had long suspected that Albel had some strange, messed up life prior to Fayt and him landing on the under developed planet, but he hadn’t imagined it to be quite as bad as this. And it was only bound to get worse. Cliff imagined that by the end of Albel’s story he would hate Vox even more than he did at the moment.

There was a ringing in the room; someone was at his door. With a grumble, Cliff abandoned his communicator and answered the call. He was slightly relieved to have a distraction. When the door slid open, Mirage smiled at him.

“Do you need something?” He asked, a bit touchy.

“Are you busy?”

“A little.”

She smiled and handed him a thick packet of papers. “We’ll be at Klaus in another few days. We’re going to rest there and then gather our troops. This is the mission report. How is Albel?”

She stuck the question in without missing a beat. It caught Cliff off guard.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“You’ve been communicating with him, haven’t you? I imagine he’s worried about you, going on this mission.”

“Albel? Worried about me?” He laughed. “Albel doesn’t waste his time worrying. Besides, we’re kind of in a…rough area right now. We’re trying to work it out, but he’s come up with some strange game that we have to go through before he’ll even let me go back to Elicoor.”

“Sounds serious.”

“What can I say; it’s Albel. Nothing is ever simple with him.”

Mirage smiled again; she always seemed calm and capable of a sweet smile. “I’m sure you’ll work it out. Albel has his reasons for what he does.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Cliff thought, but he only smiled back at his friend.

She left then, knowing that the man was not in a terribly good mood. He went back to his letter and read it over. What was he trying to say? He didn’t know. Was he trying to comfort Albel and tell him that it didn’t matter what had happened in the past? Or maybe he was just trying to approach the subject calmly and remain neutral at this point. He honestly didn’t know. He didn’t want to say anything that would send the Elicoorian into a rage, but, given the sensitive subject matter, that would probably be difficult. Cliff never was good at the concept of walking on eggshells. He said what he wanted, when he wanted, and he meant what he said. His mouth got him into a lot of trouble.

The man grumbled and got up to pace the room for a minute, thinking on what more he could say. He wondered if Albel had had this much trouble when he was writing? All of this seemed so far from where they had begun. It seemed almost impossible that a year ago, when he had first met the cocky swordsman, he had wanted to kill the young man. Now he was desperately trying to win back his affections!

Thinking of the past reminded him of the first time he and Albel had had a civilized conversation. It had been after the defeat of Crossell, wherein they had made a miraculous discovery that they, for once, agreed with each other. Just realizing that they agreed on one small, trivial point had opened the door for everything. First it had been ‘we can’t reason with this dragon; we have to just beat his ass to get him to cooperate’. Then it had been ‘we have to stop this lunatic from destroying our world’, and it had all lead up to ‘you should stay, Cliff, because I actually like you and we could have a nice life together, which consists of fucking, fighting, and more fucking. Our two favorite things.’

But it took a while to get to that point. They had been screwing around for some time before they admitted that there was some form of mutual affection that went beyond carnal attraction. And even then, they only admitted that to themselves; they didn’t admit those thoughts until just before the battle with Luther.

Cliff laughed suddenly. He never would have believed that it would have taken something as simple as agreeing with Albel to get the Elicoorian to warm up to him. But after fighting the giant dragon, they had begun to talk. Albel even refrained from calling him scum and maggot most of the time! That was something to take pride in; very few people got the privilege of speaking to Albel without getting degraded every few sentences.

After bringing Crossell back to Aquaria they had all gone their separate ways, but providence seemed to send both he and Albel in the same direction. Even after a short period of recovery, Albel was not so fit as to simply walk out of the Airyglyph dungeons, fly to the Barr Mountains, fight numerous dragons and an annoying child sprite, only then to fight a giant dragon, and walk away feeling fine. The young man had wandered away from the courtyard silently, betraying no weakness, and gone to rest in one of the spare rooms. Cliff had had a similar idea; Fayt had tried to talk to him, but he hadn’t been in much of a mood, so he sent the kid off to go talk to the others.

He had wandered the halls for a few minutes and then considered taking a nap. He wasn’t feeling so fresh after fighting Crossell either. There was plenty of time to kill before the cannon would be properly fitted onto the beast’s back, so he decided to take that nap. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the room he walked into was already occupied.

Albel looked up when the door swung open. His face was devoid of the usual scowl he wore. He was too tired to wear it.

“Oh,” Cliff looked at the young man, “I didn’t know you were in here.”

“Well now you do.”

For some reason Cliff had felt the need to say something else. “Are you going to rest too?”

The Elicoorian looked at him critically, brows drawn together, as if confused as to why the man was still in the room, talking to him. “I was going to rest.”

The captain’s concise answers were annoying. “Me too. After bringing that dragon down, I feel like I should try to catch some sleep before we run off into who knows what other madness.”

Albel stared at him blankly. “So sleep.”

“You aren’t much of a conversationalist, are you?”

“No. Why, do you want to have a conversation before you sleep?”

“Maybe. It’s not like I talk to you that often.”

“Don’t you have, what’s the word, friends for that type of thing?”

Cliff noted the sarcasm and grinned a little. “I’d rather not talk with them. Besides, they’re all off doing their own things. But here WE are.”

The young man turned away, as if his interest in the intruder had disappeared. It probably had, Cliff thought, knowing how insignificant the Elicoorian thought of him and the rest of their party. Without invitation, he stepped further into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I did want to say something to you, actually.”

“So say it.” Albel hadn’t turned to look at him.

“I guess I wanted to thank you.”

The oddness of that statement caught the young man’s attention. He hadn’t been thanked for anything in a long while. And to have a former enemy give thanks was…suspicious. At last, he turned to look at Cliff.

“Why are you thanking me, worm?”

The man laughed. “Why are you acting like being thanked is a bad thing? Only you would consider politeness a thing to be questioned. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for having my back when we were in the cave.”

Albel snorted and then laughed haughtily. He turned away once more, as if looking at the Klausian was debasing. “The only reason I helped you is because I have to. And more importantly, you are all so weak in comparison, I had to step in. If I let you all die because of your pathetic feebleness I wouldn’t gain my rank and title back. I did nothing for your group, and especially not for YOU. I did it for myself.”

That declaration had crushed some of Cliff’s amiable feelings towards the young man. But even if Albel had acted for himself, he had still helped, and it was proper to thank someone that had aided them. He thought of ways to communicate his gratitude, regardless of the captain’s attitude. Really, he didn’t know why Albel couldn’t just take a compliment and be content, he always had to refute it. Maybe he was trying to compensate for something, like having been locked in prison. Or maybe the young man saw it as an insult to receive thanks from the people who had landed him in a torture chamber.

“You don’t have to pretend, you know. I know you like having company around. You aren’t as unreadable as you like to think. But that isn’t what’s important, what’s important is that I know we would have had a problem taking down all those dragons and monsters if you hadn’t been there to guide us and help. So just take the compliment, jackass.”

Albel whipped his head around to glare at the man. Cliff could see the anger boiling beneath the surface of the Elicoorian’s pale skin.

The young man stood suddenly. Cliff watched him carefully, unsure if Albel would strike him for saying such impudent things. The young man stood before, looking down at his face. He wasn’t going to give Albel the satisfaction of seeing him move from his spot on the bed; whether he was struck or not, he would not be cowed by a show of intimidation.

Criff grinned, a smug, cheeky grin. “We were right you know. All we needed to do was smack that big ham around for a bit before he would listen.”

“I know we were right. You should agree with me more often.”

He had a mind to say something back, some retort about how Albel was not always right, but his words were cut off by demanding lips smashing against his own. Cliff reeled backwards, startled by the action. He didn’t get very far; Albel knelt down onto the soft covers and leaned forwards, closing the distance between them again. The second kiss was not as harsh, in fact, it almost seemed like a desperate plea. The Elicoorian pushed against him gently while nibbling on the man’s lip, trying to gain entrance into his mouth.

Cliff was stunned. He had guessed from the guy’s odd fashion sense that Albel was probably more interested in men, but he hadn’t suspected that the Elicoorian would desire him of all people. He had been certain Albel hated him. What stunned him more was that the young man, in sharp contrast to his public persona, was a gentle lover. Well, he couldn’t be completely sure of that yet, but Cliff would find out soon enough.

He grabbed the young man by the waist and pulled him close, parting his lips and plunging his tongue into Albel’s mouth. The captain attempted to pull away, startled by the sudden yielding of resistance, but the Klausian’s grip was strong and unrelenting. Eventually, the struggle ceased and they were consumed with the need to taste one another. A shiver went up Cliff’s spine when he felt Albel’s tongue lapping at the inside of his mouth and stroking his own tongue playfully.

They fell backwards into a more comfortable position, and Albel settled nicely between his legs. As they kissed more, Cliff slid a hand up the side of the young man’s leg and slipped it beneath the soft fabric of his sarong. There was a soft gasp from Albel when the man grabbed his ass and proceeded to fondle him through his clothing.

They were both hard in minutes, as hands wandered and groped. Albel began to buck against him softly and Cliff grinned, leaning in and biting at the captain’s neck, leaving a delicious looking bruise in his wake. There was an appreciative hiss and then a claw was pressed to his collar.

Albel pulled back to look down at the man. He growled, eyes dark with lust. “Get inside of me. Now.”

It was not a command to be ignored, but Cliff did not intend to disregard it. He grinned. “You get pegged by men a lot?” A confused looked was sent his way and he laughed. “You get fucked by men often?” he restated his question.

There was another growl. “That’s none of your business, maggot. Now do it or be prepared to be castrated.”

The man held up his hands in defense, even as a laugh left him. He tugged at the young man’s clothing, and Albel quickly shed his sarong and slid his thong down his slim legs. Cliff felt a rush of blood go to his groin and he hurriedly unbuckled his pants. He wasn’t going to fight to get them off, but he managed to shuck his shirt off at least. Abel glared at him, not happy that he had to wait.

In a single swift motion, Cliff knocked Albel backwards on the bed and flipped him onto his stomach. There was a low growl of protest, but it broke off into a moan when the man got behind him and pressed their bodies close together.

“Is it alright like this?”

“It’s fine, worm. I’d rather not see your ugly face.”

“Well, if that’s all you care about…”

Cliff grabbed the captain by the waist again and pulled him backwards, until he fell into the pillows with Albel in his lap. The Elicoorian made a strangled sound as they landed, perhaps a noise of confusion. Cliff hid a squeak of pain at having someone land on him when in such an aroused state; he had not thought that action out well. After shifting accordingly, getting more comfortable, they were in the desired position. Albel might not have wanted to see his face, but Cliff had no problem with looking at Albel’s ass as they fucked.

He pushed the young man forward some so he could run a finger between the boy’s legs and circle his entrance. Albel shivered at the feeling, but he pushed back against the man’s hand for more. Cliff took his hand away and sucked on his fingers urgently. When they were dripping wet, he went back to circling Albel’s soft pink entrance and pushed a finger in. He had expected the young man to tense, but Albel accepted the intrusion with only a slight tensing of muscles. He worked a second finger in without much difficulty, but the third finger elicited a sharp intake of breath. After a moment of allowing the Elicoorian to adjust, Cliff began to work his fingers in and out of the youth’s body, pumping slowly at first, but as the body opened to him his pace quickened.

The breathy moans of pleasure that Albel began to let out told Cliff that he was doing well, but neither of them would settle for a finger fucking. He pulled his hand away and took hold of his cock, stroking it several times to relieve some of the intense pressure. Albel looked over his shoulder in interest and pushed down some, wanting to have that hard flesh buried deep inside of him.

Cliff wanted the same thing. He guided Albel down onto his cock, sucking in a breath and holding it as he felt the heat and tightness squeeze him. Inch after inch pressed down on him and they both moaned at the intense pleasure of it. The captain’s weight rested against his pelvis, a comfortable feeling now that they were joined so intimately. For a minute they were still, relishing the sensations.

It was not the easiest position to maneuver in, but it did not take them long to find a rhythm. Cliff started by lifting Albel by the hips slightly and then bringing him back down on his cock. He repeated the motion several more times, taking it slow, showing the Elicoorian exactly how he wanted it. Albel took to the motion quickly, planting his hands on the mattress and lifting his weight, only to force himself down onto the man’s shaft. He was a bit rougher than Cliff had expected, but he wasn’t going to complain. It had been awhile since he had been with anyone, male or female, and after all the shit they had been through, it felt wonderful to have another body wrapped around his. Besides, he kind of liked it rough. He gripped the captain's hips and thrust into him with as much force as he could, succumbing to his basic instincts. He lost himself in the rhythmic movement, pounding into the soft flesh riding his cock. The ecstasy was so great it blanked his mind of all sensations beyond the act, and he cared for nothing but finding release.

Albel lost himself in the fucking too, tossing his head back and concentrating on the feel of the Klausian’s impressive cock pressing against his inner walls and striking his prostate just right so that he wanted to scream. He forced himself down on the man as fast as he could, desperate for release.

Their bodies moved together, but their minds were far apart; they were not even thinking of their partner. The bed bounced from the force of their coupling and the room echoed with grunts and whimpers of pleasures. A particularly hard thrust sent Albel tumbling over the edge. His body clenched and the sudden, excruciating tightness finished Cliff as well. Albel slumped forward, resting on his elbows, panting heavily. Behind him, Cliff fell into the pillows on the bed, panting just as hard.

After catching their breath, they rolled away from one another. As they redressed they sent looks at each other’s back, trying to decipher what the other had gained and what it meant. They did not speak until Albel turned and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“For a walk, it stinks in here now.”

Cliff frowned, puzzled by the sudden change in attitude. “I thought you were tired.”

“Not any longer.”

The captain had left then, without glancing back. Suddenly, Cliff didn’t wanted to rest either. He took to wandering the halls instead, going over the situation in his head. It was hard to think critically when his body felt so sated; he was more relaxed than he had been in several weeks.

In the end, he hadn’t had time to come to some sort of conclusion about the incident or Albel. Fayt found him and together they returned to the courtyard; it was time to fight. At the time, he had thought that what had transpired between him and Albel was nothing more than a one-night stand; they had both been tired and confused and desperate and the other was just attractive enough to bed. That notion fell through when they returned to Elicoor the second time and his relationship with Albel started to grow, but right then Cliff had been content to think nothing more had happened between the two than a simple tryst that they both found contentment in.

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Cliff let out a loud, raucous laugh. He had been stupid to think that he could just walk away from Albel without looking back.

That little affair had opened created a bond between them which was impossible to sever. It had planted a seed of care in Cliff, which had sprouted into a full blossom when the young man had been shot. After the incident with Biwig, their relationship changed drastically. Suddenly, their insults were just a cover up and they were sneaking off to share intimate time with one another. At first, their encounters resembled the friends with benefits system, but Cliff quickly found himself growing more and more attached to the Elicoorian. And, to his amazement, the feeling was returned.

With that warm memory in mind, Cliff returned to his communicator, added a few more remarks, and sent his letter. He knew Albel hated lovey-dovey, fluffy things, but after trashing the captain’s ex-lover and trying to talk sense into him (which ended up sounding more like he was preaching at Albel), the man felt compelled to add in some softer words. And even if Albel hated it and wanted to hit him, he signed the letter ‘love Cliff’ He would let the young man scream at him about such useless shows of affection the next time they met if it would make Albel feel better.

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Reading Cliff’s letter brought a bit of cheer to Albel. He had been waiting anxiously to see how the man would respond. As he had expected, Cliff had gone off on a rant about Vox and how the young man had been stupid to let the duke manipulate him like that. But even though he was displeased, Cliff was willing to listen, and that was the most important thing. He had tried to prepare the man for what was to come; there was much more for him to tell and it was far from pleasant.

With new resolve, Albel sat down at his desk, pushed his status reports out of the way, and began a new letter.

~END

I have wanted to see Albel reverse cowgirl for awhile. Now if only someone could draw it, since reading a scene you’ve written doesn’t give you quite the same fix it would if you were an anonymous reader. Be prepared for evil Vox.