Disclaimer: Most of the characters represented here are property of SquareEnix. I'm just borrowing them for a little while to appease the muses who have taken me hostage. This story is homo-erotic in nature: if you're not a fan of yaoi/slash or you're too young to read this, turn back before it's too late.

---

The official ceremony that legally bound Fayt Leingod as Albel's consort was not made public. The witnesses were few, but in some way close to both of the men. Woltar was there, of course, as he had raised the young lord Nox after the death of Glou Nox. Carianna Vell was there, at Albel's request, for her part in making sure that they had lived for this moment.

Nel Zelphyr was also there, as per Fayt's desire.

Albel was dressed finely, something uncommon for him, but he didn't chafe or behave as he normally would have done. This was, perhaps, testament to his nervousness about the situation. Part of him was concerned that the younger man might change his mind at the last minute. He had no idea what his reaction would be if that happened.

But, such a fear was proven to be without foundation. When they stood before King Arzei, facing each other, Albel could see that the blue-haired man was resolute in his choice. The commander of the Black Brigade chided himself silently for his wavering faith in his lover.

He barely heard the king's words, giving his answers when needed. The entire time, Albel couldn't pull his eyes from Fayt's. Similarly, the green gaze was locked to his. The look in those eyes consumed his world during that ceremony.

There were no cheers when the ceremony was concluded, nor was there a banquet in their honor. Albel did not want or need these things. He suffered through their words of congratulations, showing a surprising amount of patience.

He wanted to go.

As if recognizing this, Fayt diplomatically secured their release from any more formalities. Albel was thankful towards his consort when he was pulled along in the younger man's wake as they were finally able to exit the palace. He was still caught up in his daze of the drastic change his life was taking as they made their return to Kirlsa and his estate.

The swordsman stopped short as they approached the front of his manor, his crimson eyes narrowing. The fear he'd first had when he saw Fayt at the mid-winter celebration was finally realized. A growl rose in his throat.

Cliff Fittir sat, like an uncultured brute, on the stairs leading into his family home.

The Klausian rose when he took notice of them, his blue gaze giving the newly ordained consort a once-over. “Nice look,” he said in a casual voice.

“Cliff!” the younger man exclaimed as he took a few steps away from Albel.

“You know,” the Klausian said with chuckle, “I expected you to be on Elicoor II, but I didn't expect to find you here.”

“Maybe because he didn't want to be found,” Albel snapped at the blond. His selfish possessiveness was showing in the way he addressed Cliff. He only strengthened that by approaching from behind Fayt and winding his slim arm around the younger man's waist.

Blinking, the Klausian looked between the two men, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. When he turned back to Fayt, his eyes didn't hide his confusion. “Albel?!”

The younger man reached behind himself with both arms, lacing his fingers at the small of the swordsman's back. “It's a... complicated story,” he told his friend and former bodyguard.

“I'm not sure I wanna know,” Cliff replied, still switching his gaze back and forth between the two of them.

Albel grew impatient at the small talk between them. “Why are you here?” he asked in a frosted tone of voice.

“Well,” Cliff began, one hand moving to the back of his head and rubbing his neck. “The New Federation Government asked me to find Fayt and see if he'd made his decision yet.”

A thin spike of ice cold fear struck into Albel's heart at the words. It spread throughout his body, freezing him in place. He didn't move a single muscle nor did his unhappy expression change. Truthfully, there was only one person who could give answer to that question.

He didn't know what he'd do if Fayt choose to leave him now after he'd finally given in.

“It's not just my decision anymore, Cliff,” came the younger man's answer. “Give me a little more time to talk about this with Albel. Okay?”

The look on the blond Klausian's face said that he didn't expect a favorable answer, but Cliff gave a slow nod. “All right,” he said finally. “I'll get a room at the inn.

Albel frowned at that but said nothing as he managed to get himself unfrozen enough to start urging Fayt towards the large home they'd be sharing. He heard the young man sigh once the doors were closed and they were alone again. The sound pulled his gaze towards his consort.

“Damn his rotten timing,” the swordsman said with a frustrated snarl.

Fayt's hand moved to his shoulder and the youth shook his head. “I'm not leaving you behind,” he told Albel firmly.

“They'll hound you until you give in,” Albel spat out in disgust.

“Let them,” Fayt murmured gently.

At the words, Albel looked more closely at his lover and lifted his warm hand to the side of the younger man's face. “Part of you wants to go, Fayt.”

“Yeah,” came the unwelcome agreement, “but you're more important to me. I'm not leaving here unless you come, too.”

Albel snorted and rolled his eyes. “I hate my own country's diplomatic functions,” he said with another show of disgust, “I can't imagine these Federation fools would have anything better to offer.”

“True enough... but, there is something I have here that they can't offer me in any way, shape, or form,” Fayt told him with a hint of a smile.

“What's that?”

“The best bodyguard around,” the youth answered.

“You can't be serious, Fayt. I know nothing of those other strange beings,” Albel told him flatly. “I can't see how that would do you much good.”

“Actually, that's better than someone like Cliff,” said the teen. “Because that means you won't have any previous bias for or against them.”

Albel snorted at that. “I don't trust anyone except you,” he told the younger man pointedly.

“Which means you'd be the perfect bodyguard if I did accept their offer.” Fayt teased him just a little. “You have to admit, it'd be better than sitting around here and listening to the old men talking about how the peace talks are going.”

“You're serious?”

“I stay with you,” Fayt said to him in response to his surprised question. “If you don't want me to be part of the Federation, they'll just have to deal with it.”

Albel let his warm fingers lift the teen's chin to bring their eyes into contact. “You're meant for greater things than watching me pull out my hair in boredom,” he said at last.

“Then come with me. There are places I want to show you outside this world... places I want to share with you,” Fayt implored softly.

“Boring places with equally boring people,” Albel snorted, his eyes watching the teen's reaction to his words.

“Beautiful places,” Fayt told him before pressing a kiss against Albel's throat. “The kinds that you'd never be able to see otherwise.”

“Working on your persuasion skills already?” Albel asked with a purr as the teen bestowed another kiss under his ear.

Fayt smiled mischievously at the sound. “How am I doing so far?”

“If you can convince me by sunrise,” Albel told his lover, “Veran's going to be promoted by mid-day.”

There was a chuckle from the teen. “Then I guess we know what I'm going to be doing tonight.”