The Sentimental Feelings

Author: Ciissi
Fandom: Star Ocean III: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Albel Nox x Fayt Leingod
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean III. It belongs to Square Enix, may they do lots of more good games. Because I am not Enya, it means that I do not own or created or preformed the song Wild Child. I am just borrowing some of its lyrics to point out my thoughts.
Warnings: Eventually NC-17. Contains yaoi meaning at least two boys having sex together but not in first few chapters. Possible child abuse but not in sexual manner. In this chapter there is a little bit of confusing (and possibly religion related) ramblings and things that are not worded out. Those sections are not marked but I have warned you. It is not my fault if you do not read my warnings.
Author's Note 1: There is something wrong with the title... I am positively *sure* of it! ... Darn... February is *definitely* too short month! I am too lazy for my own good. And March is my favorite month because of my birthday. Not that anyone wanted to know, but who cares? I do not. Lots of metamorphic things... decode them as you like. Can help you there but do not want to. Sorry. And also my apologies for late posting of this chapter. It took me a long time to notice that it is possible to post new chapters again.

Answers for Reviews: Due to some problems that I am having with logging and such... not all those who have reviewed are answered. I am so sorry that my ignorance for warnings has caused this to you. Also... I have prepared to give a kiriban (a picture made especially for this fiction) whom ever writes the 50th review.
To Seraph: I think that Albel had by any means had an easy childhood. Or rather teenage. I can not imagine how awful it would be if *I* would loose my father who is very important to me. The loss of the beloved father without doubt has left some kind of mark and even if it is not worded out clearly, I think it still affects how Albel does and deals with different situations. I think that it is Fayt's nature at this point of game (in the beginning he is very selfish) to care of his companions, friends.
To DarkRoseDamael: Once a month is my rule and I am sorry, but I am not going to change it. I thank you from the praise I am receiving. It is kind of hard to think that this fiction is liked.

*****

Part One - Chapter Eight: The Playfulness (Is this supposed to be a JOKE?!)
Ever close your eyes
Ever stop and listen
Ever feel alive
And you've nothing missing
You don't need a reason
Let the day go on and on
~Enya: Wild Child~

In the morning, when Fayt looked around himself inspecting his friends, their behavior, their moods, their movements, he found his eyes constantly fixing on Albel's small form again and again. It was like he could not let the other out of his sights, like something bad would immediately happen to the other one if he would do so which as it self was a strange occurrence. If this would have been the grown up Albel, Fayt would have never dared to watch over the swordsman like a hawk or a mother hen. There was also the fact that the memories he shared with Albel, the memories centered on Albel were not really that numerable. But they were the ones he could remember most clearly.

Fayt did not know when his beloved memories with Sophia, whom he had once thought he might marry in the future, had faded into a background noise without meaning, without shape. A tune of voice that once had put the extra emphasis to words was no longer there in Fayt's memories. A lack of gesture he saw every day his childhood friend using. Faces without names and identifications. Names without face or shape or sound. Mouths moving, but he could no longer hear voices or recognize them. A sweetest sound of friend's voice was now even inside his memories a high-pitched squealing that tore mercilessly his ears giving him no rest, no place to escape.

Once all those persons, that Fayt tried to remember and failed, had been his good friends, dearly beloved and eternally cherished. But no longer and he could only wonder to himself if things, that he could not remember, had ever really happened in the past...

There were times when Fayt openly wondered - but only when he was alone and there was no fear of anyone hearing him to speak out loud alone - if he was being delusional, if this entire ordeal with the Creator, Luther, had somehow started to have an effect on his ability to comprehend the reality around him. There were times when he was absolutely sure that he was not as sane as he pretended to be. And yes, he pretended. When he talked to Maria and Mirage about their plans and routes. When he laughed with Nel and Cliff. When he played with Roger and Peppita. But when reminiscing with Sophia or sparring with Albel... he put up an act that might have fooled even Fayt himself. Because Sophia had known him longest, because the way he wielded his blade showed his every motive, thought to Albel.

'Dearly beloved, eternally cherished' were not phrases that Fayt should have accompanied with the name of Albel the Wicked, because the Elicoorian captain was not changing into something sweet, cute and obedient. Not that he wished for something like that. Not that he had need for something like that. Words like 'sweet' and 'cute' made Fayt feel more than a little nauseous, like his stomach was going to fall off, and to him they were always accompanied by words 'pink', 'girly', 'pastel' and 'clingy' meaning that his brains connected them with Sophia and everything in her that Fayt did not like or understand.

The body that was pressed against his legs was warm and small thus gaining Fayt's attention immediately. He glanced downward and met Albel's ruby-eyes, which had raised to look at his face face. If Albel had facial expression that imitated the one of concern, one right now on his face must be the one. Fayt's eyes did not linger long in those pools of liquid of life and transfixed onto the collar that encircled Albel's neck and throat. The ruby and the sapphires were twinkling like to belittle him and tell that what ever he was up to it would not bode well.

When Fayt raised his eyes, picked up the moods that were present over the campsite and took Albel's small hand into his own, it is very likely that the first step that he then took toward the city of Aquios was one of the most difficult once he had ever taken.

Because now Fayt realized that memories were not eternal, that he himself altered them. He wondered... if he had ever said a truly kind word to Albel or Cliff or Nel or anyone in their group instead of his mind altering those memories to suit to please him and his ego...

*****

The all present duality of everything. The gods, the planets, the lives, animals, plants, the humans, the galaxies, games, memories, weapons, smiles, the religions, gifts, truths, stories, the universes and everything that was there and was not. There was not a thing that could have said that duality did not exist in them, inside every thought and idea. The wars, the peace times. The body and the spirit. Males and females. The partnership in its every possible form.

It was a pointless thing to say that Albel Nox and Fayt Leingod did not rise above this entangling duality which had begun to twist the very reality of their forms and endless reasons and unchangeable regrets and unmoving mistakes of the past, present and future. It was a pointless thing to show that they were like two sides of the coin reflecting on each other. Tied together forever. Needing the other, leaning to other for support without ever realizing it. Co-existence. Harmony. Life and death circling around and around those two swordsmen whom still were tortured by their past, by the deaths of their father. Because both of them still believed that they could have prevented those deaths.

The saint and the sinner.

The demon and the angel.

But which one of them was pure enough to be the saint? Which one of them was tainted enough to be the sinner? Which one of them was clean of dirt to be the angel? Which one of them was covered with blood to be the demon?

The Swordsaint Albel Nox and the Defier of Creator Fayt Leingod.

The Bloody Devil Albel Nox and the High Order Seraph Fayt Leingod.

The holy demon and fallen angel. Both covered with blood and core and cruel reality that had shattered their minds, leading them into destroying light that washed over the worlds and realms and dreams. The insanity. No way back and *no* turning back. Both cleansed by their drive of truth and grief and passion to live on without loosing their beliefs which would lead them to paradise they had created themselves. The loss. No way back and *no* looking back. The holy demon and fallen angel tangled together into a web of kismet and Creator, their wings broken and torn but their will to fight and defy untouched, unbroken. The holy and unholy embracing each other in the protective darkness that allowed everything that they were being sheltered and shielded against the destruction that light always signaled.

The all present circulation of everything. Birth, life, death and rebirth. The suns and the moons dancing in the sky in a ballet which beginning no one could remember because no one had seen it. The phases of the moons controlling the waters of the oceans. The galaxies... forming and then disappearing in nothingness that was the Space itself before starting to take a form once again.

Like galaxies the human connections and relationships formed and dissolved. But unlike galaxies... the things between humans were possible to maintain until the death claimed the other side of the bound. Often it was so that the most unlikely friendships, companionships, connections, bounds were the ones that stayed alive until the death claimed one or the other.

Because of the circulation and rebirth of everything, it was logical that eventually the saint and the sinner, the demon and the angel meet again. Once again they are tangled into silk threads of their minds, hearts and body to embrace each other. Once again they seal off rest of the world and look for their own truths. Some killing each other and dying together grieving for their loss and helplessness because they are no longer sure what is 'good' and what is 'bad'. Some finding the peace and acceptance they have been looking for within each others arms because 'good' and 'bad' had loose their meanings.

*****

When they entered under the gates of the city of Aquios, the whole group was dead tired. Fayt even more so than others. It seemed like Albel had taken as his mission to mess around and test Fayt's reaction time by running towards every damn monster he had seen and as soon as he had sensed Fayt on his heels he had trailed out of monsters' way and had snickered evilly as Fayt - and with him rest of the party - had crashed into the aggravated monsters. It had been like Albel had now found out what it truly meant to be a child. Play and toy and jump and such. Unfortunately, he was a child with adult's mind, which drained every possible aspect of innocence from his actions. So everything childish turned into a camouflage covering the adult's, the sinner's, the tainted one's way of jesting, hoaxing, sneering, toying with others.

Fayt wanted to be childish and tell Albel to stop tormenting him or do it to others. He was damn too tired to play this new game Albel had come up with. It ate his nerves. It ate his tolerance. It ate his fucking *patience*! Fayt had a lot of other things he should have attended to but thanks to your truly Albel inside-a-body-of-a-child Nox he had been to tired on the evenings to do them. He had been only able to watch over Albel eating his evening snack and changed into night clothing before collapsing beside the child and drifting into a dream world of his own.

It was as always when they entered the city, Fayt forgave any hardship that Albel had created for him, because Albel was Albel and Fayt did not want him to change just because Fayt was feeling a little irked. And besides... Yelling to Albel and telling him to stop being childish would not help anything and would only point out to Albel that Fayt was useless and softie.

After being safely proceeded inside the wall of Aquios and getting a child-formed Albel there too, Fayt relaxed visibly. Quickly he told the others to proceed into the castle of Aquios and Nel to explain to the Queen as privately as possible that Fayt and Albel would be staying in the inn of the city and the reasons for that. Fayt had reasoned with himself that it was easiest and safest - for the personnel of the castle - if he and Albel would not stay in the castle but in the inn instead. Fayt reassured the others that it would be alright if there would be a room in the castle for him and Albel where they would be able to stay if something requested their constant presence inside the castle walls. With those words and promises Fayt sent the others off to the castle and turned to Albel. Who was no longer there for Fayt's horror.

It took about ten minutes for Fayt to process fully Albel's absence. During that time he just stood there and stared at the spot on the street where Albel was supposed to stand. Then... something inside his mind just... well... *snapped*...

"ALBEL NOX!!" The shout shook even the very foundations of the Ruins of Mosel but the after tremors of Fayt's destruction gene activating were far more worse and widely known.

Not that Fayt knew of them. Or cared for that matter.

*****

As soon as they entered the holy city of Aquios and stopped in front of the inn, Albel had noticed them. A group of children was playing happily in the nearby alley. He had no real recollection of his early childhood, but who had. It was mix of curiosity and scorn, interest and arrogance that forced him to watch them playing. Albel did not think that children - even less the Aquarian ones - could teach him something, but nevertheless he found himself engrossed by their play that in very naïve aspect imitated the lives of adults. So when he noticed that Fayt's attention diverted to somewhere else, he sneaked off towards the other children clutching at his tiny katana of Crimson Scourge.

It was Albel's intention to stay away from the real children and just to watch and exam them but he was able to do it only for so long. It came to him soon that those foolish ones were more aware of their surroundings than he could have imagined because very soon they stopped their plays and games and turned to face Albel, who stood on the mouth of the alley looking at them and hugging his little katana. As he felt several studious eyes measuring him, Albel could not help but become very self-conscious and wonder, what did they see. He was wearing dark grey, almost black, clothing that consisted from snuggly fitting trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, that covered his claw almost entirely. Both of those pieces of clothing were rimmed with red and his shoes were quite simple ones. Dust and sand from the ground gave the gear old and worn-out appearance.

Albel really did not seem so much different from those children if his clothing was any indication.

The difference lied in their eyes and the air that surrounded them.

The innocence and the experience. The purity and the bloody. The joy and the misery. The world of black-and-white versus the world of shades of grey.

The silence between Albel and the children grew longer and heavier as they regarded each other. Then... it was not clear if it was even an exact gesture of retreat... Albel began to turn away and leave them be. There was no reason why he should stay here now that the children had quit their actions to stare him. Still hugging his katana as close to his chest as he could.

There was a sound of ruffling heard from the group of children. "Umm...", a faint voice unexpectedly hummed unsurely. "You're not from around here", a voice of young girl's stated and Albel stopped turning his head to look back. A girl dressed into a reddish brown dress stood in front of the others. "So... Where're your mom and dad?" she asked shyly and tried to smile warmly to Albel.

Albel turned around entirely and his old, blood-red eyes locked with the girl's brown ones. He idly thought how compared to Fayt's those eyes were almost ugly and dead. Albel could see a shiver run over the children as he opened his mouth. "My parents are dead", he said matter-of-factly without realizing that a three-year-old did not talk like he did.

It might be that Albel did not realize the difference in the way he formed his sentence, the way he used his tune of voice to sharpen, to emphasize his words. But the greatest difference was that he without doubt completely understood every meaning behind his words and even if those children could not understand those implications perfectly themselves, they noticed that Albel did. It made them uneasy and to glance at each other with unrest.

A child's body. An adult's mind. The combination of unnaturality that only children could really sense and question after. A child's body. An adult's mind. The pain of loss of something precious which lead adults to try to reason against the agony and children to cry. The reasoning led nowhere and crying led to healing, to slow but sure understanding that nothing was permanent. A child's body. An adult's mind. A circle of play and acting, stories and lies, game and work. A child's body. An adult's mind.

After a long moment, the girl in a reddish brown dress was able to produce a faint smile. She knew the pain of loosing one's parents, sisters, brothers, family. The war between Airyglyph and Aquaria had bestowed many losses on civilians. Lives had been lost. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunties had been lost and never seen again. She could tell by the looks of the younger child that he was not originally from Aquaria but rather from Airyglyph. Whatever had brought the charming child, baby to her hometown was a mystery to her, but she did not allow it to confuse her. She knew that this new boy needed a place to stay and because he did not have parents, the best place to stay - according to her logic - was the place where all the other children without parents were staying. The place that she too called now her home.

The girl nodded happily to the other children and they encircled Albel while chattering lively. The girl took Albel's flesh hand on her hand and pulled him with her. "Come on. I know a place where you can stay and if you're lucky someone will take you as their new child", she explained and tugged, forcing Albel to walk quicker.

Albel tried vaguely to protest, but other children filled the air with their chitchat so no one acknowledged his words. Sighing, he gave up and glanced over his shoulder but he could not see Fayt or anyone else from his group because of the corner. So he settled it with a shrug of his shoulders and went with the flow.

Not soon after that Albel had left the side alley, the air was pierced with the scream that formed from his name and he knew that Fayt had found him gone. Albel just huffed while other children looked around themselves with horror and fear embroidered on their faces. He snarled under his breath for all that weakness these maggots were openly showing to everybody.

It took about five more minutes or so before they arrived in front of a house that Albel soon identified as an orphanage and his face fell. //What the Hell?!// he thought so surprised that it must have almost showed on his face. Albel came to the conclusion that he could not understand children's trail of thought. Just because he had answered to that girl's question honestly - for once! - she had decided that he belonged to the orphanage.

It had been a long time since someone had insulted Albel Nox openly like this. He opened his mouth to let his foul tongue to slash out on the girl and whatever she thought she knew better than him. His intentions were purely malicious and harmful. He wanted to be hostile, taunting, mean, heretical. He wanted to humiliate the girl and tramp over everything that was important and dear to her. Because he could. Because he dared. Because he was able. Because he had the talent and the ability to do so. Because he wanted to do so.

But before Albel had time to do anything at all, one of those children, who had not been there to drag Albel to the orphanage, gasped loudly and pointed to the sky. That effectively drew everyone's attention to the clear, blue sky where they all could see something or rather someone rapidly coming down from the heavens illuminated by its inner light and beams of radiance of the sun itself.

It had to be a celestial being, the Messenger of Apris descending towards them from the skies engulfed by the light of purest white and brightest icy light-blue, pair of large wings spreading from its back. A beautiful *male* with the pain and the distress and sadness fixed on his face highlighting their unique shape and form.

Albel swore inside his head, staring at the descending angel and just *knew* that he was going to be soooooo in trouble now... Fayt was really, really, really upset and it had never before resulted anything good for those that agitated him. Albel was so screwed...

The Aquarian children and adults could not do anything else but to gape at the celestial being as his feet touched the ground gracefully and his eyes opened, revealing a pair of most beautiful green emeralds to the view of those that stood near by. Slowly he turned his head from side to side before his glare fixed on Albel's small form. The immediate reaction of the celestial being when he saw the Airyglyphian male was astonishing as every bit of worry, agony and sadness was swept, drained away from his gentle face and replaced with satisfaction, happiness and relief. His eyes did not allow the crimson rubies of Albel's eyes sway from their grip, as he took a single graceful step forward and raised his hand towards the young child.

The lips of the celestial being moved and the voice the Aquarians heard was nothing like those of the human's. Even Albel was amazed although he heard that voice every day - now the ring, the tune was so different. Almost echoing through the mind and the body and the soul, tearing all those walls that were there to protect humans from themselves and other humans.

"Albel..."

It was questionable whether or not it was a word, a name, an identity that slipped from the celestial being's palest of pale pink lips, because it was clear that he was saying more that that one word, if the movement of his lips was any sign. But those that looked at him... They could not hear. They could not hear the words that celestial male was speaking. They heard the rustle of the wings, the breathing from his lungs, the soft swish of his bright blue hair, but none could hear his words.

The Fallen Angel... Fayt Leingod.

"Albel..."

Albel shivered. Not because the weather would have turned chilling or something like that. Oh no. It was a shiver born out of reminiscing. The stories that he had heard from old man Woltar, Arzei and the soldiers that had been there on the Warfield when Fayt had triggered his destruction gene and destroyed the Vendeeni ships. The reports he had read on board Diplo.

The Defier of Creator... Fayt Leingod.

"Albel..."

The record in the Moon Base laboratories.

The Merciful Destroyer... Fayt Leingod.

"Albel..."

All the stories telling of the pain-filled road to fulfil one's destiny that the 19 years old boy had to walk. All the reports reminding of the bitter losses of friends, family members, trust, belief. All the nightmares haunting and no one willing to soothe and stay in guard through the twilight, the darkness, the dawn and the light. None being the Earth-born young man's Dream Catcher.

The Holy Sinner... Fayt Leingod.

"Albel..."

A hand raised and extended towards Albel Nox. A person willing to save him but not thinking that anyone would do that to him. A beckoning gentle gesture of delicate fingers. A person that did not want to make any of the choices for Albel, but was willing to bow in front of his decision.

The free spirit bound by duty, chained by karma... Fayt Leingod.

"Albel..."

The Aquarians were now staring at *Albel* in amazement. They did not know exactly what was going on, but they understood that the Messenger was there for this young child who did not talk or act like he was supposed to. All that gentleness the celestial Messenger was radiating was directed to this boy-child. Some of them had heard him saying that his parents were dead and they wondered if that was the reason for the celestial being calling out him, being here.

Albel realized that Fayt was calling for him even if he could only hear his name from the other's lips. The beckoning of the hand, the expression of the face, the radiation of relief... Everything in the blue-haired one convinced that he was not angry at Albel, but was very glad to see him and would not ever turn away from Albel because of a minor thing like this. For a long time, Albel had not received such a display of truest. He could not resist it and stepped forward, towards the extended hand to be engulfed by the ever-blinding light of Fayt's wings and magic.

For a moment the amazed on-lookers saw a black image of tall, slender man carrying the evil-looking katana in the light that the celestial being was giving off. The black, long-haired man stepped closer to the celestial male and it seemed for a moment that he wound his arms around the holy person and kissed him deeply, like trying to savor the other one and drown the holy one into his darkness and evilness.

Then neither the light nor the image were no longer there. In place of the Messenger of Apris was a young, blue-haired man who was kneeling on the street and hugging the black-and-gold haired child who had put his hands around the man's neck and was leaning as close as he could. The man had buried his face between the child's neck and collarbone and the child had done the same on the man's neck.

Fayt looked up and pushed Albel to the arm's length so he could check him out. "Dear god, Albel!" he finally huffed out. "Don't disappear like that again! Do you have *any* idea how it felt to know you're here but next moment you're not?!" Fayt's voice broke down and he squeezed his eyelids closed. "I know", he continued with his strained voice, "that you're strong, you're capable of taking care of yourself, but for now, *please*, consider my feelings over this matter too." The emerald-eyes opened and stared deep into ruby ones. "You're my dearly beloved friend and companion. I couldn't stand losing any other friend of mine."

Albel could not do anything else but *stare* the Earthling youngster. He crooked his head to the other side with plank eyes and tried to make sense of Fayt's blabber. //'Dearly beloved'... What's that supposed to mean?// he asked from himself and flipped his head to other side, still staring at Fayt's face. So many feelings reflecting on his face, washing over them, changing them, marking them and giving no proof, no answer to what the other male truly felt for Albel.

Aberrant. Abnormal. Acceptance. Acrimony. Admiration. Affection. Allurement. Animosity. Annoyance. Anomalous. Antagonism. Attachment. Atypical. Care. Carnality. Closeness. Coldness. Concern. Concupiscence. Covetousness. Craving. Cupidity. Delirious. Denial. Desire. Detestation. Deviate. Deviative. Devious. Devotion. Disgust. Disrelish. Distaste. Distress. Divergent. Endearment. Enthrallment. Enticement. Eroticism. Exasperation. Excitement. Fascination. Fervor. Fondness. Frenzy. Friendship. Glee. Gratification. Gravitation. Greed. Hate. Heat. Heretical. Horror. Hunger. Impatience. Inclination. Indignation. Inducement. Infuriation. Interest. Invitation. Irascibility. Irritation. Kindness. Liking. Loathing. Longing. Lust. Magnetism. Malice. Need. Paradise. Passion. Perverse. Predilection. Preternatural. Propensity. Provocation. Rapture. Ravishment. Rebuff. Refusal. Seductiveness. Teasing. Temptation. Tenderness. Thirst. Trance. Twisted. Unrepresentative. Untypical. Vexation. Wandering. Want. Warmth. Wayward. Witchery. Wonder. Wonderment. Worry. Worship. Yearn. What ever feelings there were and several others. All mixed up so well that it was impossible to say which was which and which ones did not exist at all and which ones went unnoticed. Albel could not know. He could not understand. He could not imagine, only hope that what ever Fayt was feeling, what ever he was feeling... would become clear rather sooner than later...

Albel said nothing and Fayt let it slide. There was nothing to it. Fayt could not say it and Albel could not understand it... yet. Fayt just lifted Albel to his arms and without acknowledging the residents of the street he left, deciding firmly that it was best if he and Albel would stay in the castle and not in the inn.

Wrapped in the warm and comforting embrace of Fayt's arms Albel sighed and once again surrendered, yielded a little bit more to the other male. It was no longer only this child's body that made him want to gloat and bask in the glow of Fayt's warmth and presence. This had gone beyond something that simple some time ago. He sighed once more and drifted somewhere close to the sleep.

The beloved fool... Fayt... Leingod...

"Albel...?"

*****

"I hope you understand that I didn't do it on purpose", Albel pointed out as he walked beside Fayt along the corridors of the castle of Aquaios. He really did not know *why* he had to explain his doings to Fayt, but for some reason it felt important that Fayt would understand that he had not done it out of ill humor or sheer *pleasure* of seeing Fayt squirm from unsureness. Because it had not been anything like it. Albel was quite bitter when admitting to himself that he had not been *thinking* at all, when he had decided to follow the Aquarian children and not say a word to Fayt. Which was now giving him a very uncharacteristic guilty trip, leading to explaining his actions to the other male and almost *pleading* to be forgiven.

Fayt looked down to Albel and smiled tensely. "Of course, Albel." The tune of his voice was flat, meant to reveal nothing to the child-formed one.

Albel was screwed. He knew it instantly after hearing Fayt's answer. //Crap...//

There was a pattern on Fayt's answers that told Albel how upset Fayt really was. 'Nothing to worry, Albel.' 'I understand, Albel.' 'Of course, Albel.' 'If you say so, Albel.' Companied with *that* tune of voice Albel was awfully aware that it would take lots and lots of effort to make Fayt forgive him. Instinctively he realized that *if* he had not been trapped into his kind of body, the blue-haired youngster would have made him eat his katana.

There had to be something Albel could do to ease Fayt's irritation without being maimed in the process. "I..." he started tentatively without knowing what he should say.

"Just... just let it be, Albel... Just let it be..." Fayt's voice was tired and he stopped to lean against the corridor wall closing he eyes. "We both... are trying, I guess..." he sighed and massaged his temples his lids half-closed, eyes unfocused. "Doing... our best... I'm... tired... Need... sleep..." Fayt still tried to make difference, explain to Albel what he could not accept, what he could not take, what he could not stand.

With a fright Albel understood that the activation of the destruction gene had used up a lot of Fayt's energy and now that all excitement had evaporated, the other one begun to feel it. "No, you, you... FOOL! You can't fall asleep *here*!" he cried out and rushed to wound his hands around Fayt's legs in a desperate, doomed attempt to keep the other youngster standing straight. There was *no way* that he could take care of the other if he decided to start sleeping here.

"Huh...?" It was nothing more than a formless, delicate sound of breath that drowsily, unnoticed slipped off Fayt's lips, dissolving into the air before really reaching Albel's ears. Fayt's breathing began to slow down, gaining deepness of the extreme tiredness and sleepiness. His body, his every muscle gradually slacked, loosened and he began to fall over Albel in slowest motion. Somewhere deep down Fayt was painfully well aware of what was going on and he was able to tense, stiffen his muscles, but it did not help anything now that his fall had already started.

Albel looked up towards Fayt's face as the blue-haired young man eventually began to dive towards him. Even then he could not make himself panic. He saw the vital realization flashing over those glassy irises of green, he felt the failing attempt to stop the descent that without qualm would hurt, harm Albel's child-formed body, but he could not bring himself to care. Albel could only watch in sick fascination as the Earthling's face came closer and closer, fell as more and more of the other's weight became supported by his small, useless frame. He allowed his hold on Fayt's legs lighten and took a step backwards as the emerald-eyed one's knees buckled and he fell on his knees.

Hands rose, wrapped themselves around Albel's slim, nonexistent hips and pulled Albel's body firmly against Fayt's, forced him to stand between the other's bent knees. Savoring the warmth. Partaking the feelings. Cherishing the fragrances. Devouring the souls. Igniting the lust.

Hands rose, placed themselves on Fayt's cheeks - being careful not to harm the delicate skin with a claw - and raised that young, old face upwards revealing their planes for the bloody eyes to study. Savoring the warmth. Partaking the feelings. Cherishing the fragrances. Devouring the souls. Igniting the lust.

Albel studied intensively that face he thought he was familiar with. The curves of the cheekbones were not something he could remember even in his sleep. The arch of lips was more than he had imagined. The skin far more transparent, lucid than he had remembered. It was clear to him that Fayt was naturally blue-haired. The longish eyelashes and elegantly arching eyebrows were all the same shade of blue as his hair. Albel *had* seen Fayt naked once and nobody, *nobody* was so vain that they would have dyed oneself even from *there*!

Fayt was sleeping. Albel recognized that fact fully because that made this situation so exhilarating, breathtaking. Even in his sleep Albel could not see any decay, weakening in his spirit. Fayt was sleeping. Albel eased his claw-hand and trailed the stubborn line of the other's lips with one finger, bending his head closer. His reddish, hot tongue flicked out of his mouth and hardly touching licked Fayt's lips before adding little more power, but still really not touching. Fayt was sleeping.

The tongue returned back to Albel's mouth and fine traces of Fayt's flavor invaded his taste buds. Fine, enigmatic, frail taste of salt, sugar, mint and something unrecognizable to Albel. For a moment he stayed unmoving before allowing his lips fully on Fayt's lips, his tongue inside Fayt's mouth. Playing with the other's tongue, making it answer. Grip tightening, bodies closer than earlier. A moan forced out of Fayt, Albel. Pleasure of the sound, penetration flaring up and down their spines. The lust hazed whisper of Albel's name from Fayt's lips to Albel's mouth. Mouths pressing closer, faces rising to meet. Teeth scratching, biting the sensitive tip of tongue. Muffled cry of pain and pleasure demanding more of something.

When Albel ran out of air, he removed his lips from Fayt's. He silently, deep in thought examined the face in front of him. Fayt was still sleeping, but now his lips were partly open, his breath uneven. His hold around Albel's waist was almost painfully tight. Sighing, Albel gently, in order not to suffocate pressed Fayt's face against his chest and rested his own forehead against the crown of Fayt's head in frustration. He had enough problems as they were. He did not need something like *lust* towards *Fayt* surfacing now!

But Albel did not deny that it was true. The lust, the want, the warmth, the yearning. They were there, inside his head, spirit. Not necessarily unwanted, but his instincts told him that there would be unavoidable problems later on. It was not a question whether or not Fayt would allow Albel to touch him in a way that friends usually did not touch each other. The problem was what would happen later, after this entire Creator-mess would be over. What would happen then...?

Even if Albel was troubled by his thoughts it did not prevent him from hearing closing footsteps that sounded like those of Cliff and Adray. Albel was - for once - too tired of everything that he could not care less what the position he and Fayt were in would look like to elder males' eyes. So when those two appeared around the corner, Albel only stared blankly into Fayt's neck, his hands resting on the other's back, absently stroking. He was hardly aware of Adray separating them and putting him onto Fayt's lap.

It was Cliff who with Adray's help carried both Fayt and Albel into the room reserved for them. It was Cliff who deposited them into the bed and loosened their clothes. It was Cliff who pulled the cover over them and ruffled their hair wishing them with low voice a goodnight before leaving the room and closing the door noiselessly behind him.

It felt good. Better than anything else before. To curl against Fayt's warm, sleepy body under the shared cover, no matter where they were. Albel was aware of that now. Closing eyes he, snuggled closer to the other one and for once he was grateful of this mess he had been thrown into. It helped him to remember, to live again all those long forgotten feelings of childhood when he had been loved. He asked nothing more from this situation or what ever would follow afterwards.

But Albel would take everything, everything he could get. These feelings, this warmth, this body beside him and he would make them true and only his. He would not wish for, ask for anything but he would take, make everything his.

Every summer sun
Every winter evening
Every spring to come
Every autumn leaving
You don't need a reason
Let it all go on and on
~Enya: Wild Child~

TBC...

*****

Author's Note 2: Well... It is clear that this chapter had a 'theme song'. Sorry for that. I just adore Enya. Can not help it. And no, kismet is not a bar of chocolate...

Aah, yes... I would like all those who have time and review this chapter to choose your favorite paragraph or sentence and write it down to that review regardless the chapter. So it does not have to be from the eighth chapter but if you do not feel like it, I would love to have any kind of critique.

Thank you, god, for copy+paste and thesaurus.com... and please forgive me, that I am still sucker for angels and demons... TT_TT

The next chapter will be updated as soon as my beta has done with her work.

// 8 pages in Word
// 6 258 words