Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction ❯ Perpetual Thoughts ❯ Feelings That Can't Be Described ( Chapter 17 )

Kissing and hugging and all the slow, gentle things eventually took their toll on Milphey and Marron, and after both of their quite emotional outbursts died down, the two managed to fall into a light slumber, still vaguely entwined and both warmed by the sun that shone down from the window beside them. Milphey had been right, it was a lazy day, lazy enough to take as many naps as was necessary. Marron had admittedly fallen asleep first, Milphey wondering what was on the young mage's mind... but the situation itself was all very delicate, and Milphey knew that he shouldn't force anything. If there was anything Marron was going to tell him then he'd tell him in his own time and not before.

 

Before he too had dropped off, Milphey had been watching Marron's sleeping face. He really was a peaceful person when he slept... Milphey felt licks of drowsiness throughout his body, but he wanted to be able to watch Marron sleep for just as much as he wanted to, which he felt could never be enough... and indeed, that wasn't enough and the desire for sleep became too great, and he fell into a comfortable nap still upon Marron's slowly-breathing chest. The thoughts of earlier could be worried about later.

 

By the time the two of them awoke, the afternoon was marching on quite solidly. He'd fallen asleep first and he woke up first; Marron realised that he was still in that bedroom, still with Milphey, still naked. Perhaps it was a product of the sleep weighing on his mind, but it felt as if he'd been there with his present company for a lot longer than his mind told him he'd been there... only since the night before? No, it felt much longer than that...

 

Looking around the room, there didn't seem to be a clock anywhere. Marron sighed impatiently, and the movement disturbed Milphey, who flickered into wakefulness.

 

"Uhn...?"

 

"Oh-... Milphey, good... afternoon, I suppose it is now."

 

"Ummn... nnn... oh yeah... we never got out of bed, did we..."

 

Milphey sounded sleepy still. He made a show of stretching and yawning as if to show just how incredibly tired he was, then rolled over onto his back, beside Marron. He blinked himself awake, shielding his eyes from the sunlight... he smiled at Marron.

 

"Maybe we should have some breakfast?"

 

"I should think we've long since missed breakfast by this time, Milphey..."

 

"Oh, that's a shame. I could really go for some toast and marmalade right now... oh, and butter. Mm-mmmm. That sounds so good... I'm sure nobody would notice if I made some, as long as I don't use it all I'm sure nobody minds me making a midday snack. Not many people seem to like the marmalade, anyway."

 

"If only there were a clock in here..."

 

Milphey sat up, looking out of the window.

 

"It'd tell us that it was some time between lunchtime and dinnertime. Your point is?"

 

"I-in any case, we should get up now. I'm sure the others might be wondering where we are..."

 

Marron made as if he were about to get up, but was prevented by a suddenly smirking Milphey rolling back onto the bed and pinning him gently by his shoulders. He frowned his confusion.

 

"Milphey?"

 

"If the others were wondering then they would have probably found us already."

 

A kiss.

 

"Now, didn't I say earlier that we should take things gently, take things slowly...?"

 

"Yes...?"

 

Milphey's hand dropped down to Marron's lower stomach, tickling against it and threatening to move lower. Marron blinked; this was Milphey's idea of taking things slowly?

 

"Milphey, I-... surely this is hardly the time... the others could find us suddenly...!"

 

Despite seeming as if it were going to, Milphey's hand never actually reached Marron's groin. He'd tickle along the line of Marron's stomach, tracing idle patterns with a finger... he'd brush his fingers against Marron's hips, run his fingertips along Marron's inner thighs, but never quite where Marron would have expected Milphey to touch. Despite his hurried plea, Milphey seemed just as calm as he had previously.

 

"On the contrary, Marron-chan... I would have thought this exactly the time! On a day when you don't have any missions or prior commitments... by now the others are likely busy with their own activities, they won't come looking for us. We have as much time as we need and the chances of us being disturbed are so very small... and after all, when every day starts off with that meditation of yours, perhaps we need a day that didn't start that way to try and turn your mind and body back onto the right path. So we need to be gentle and slow, but also... there's no time like the present, is there?"

 

Marron seemed to flinch slightly, "We... you wish for us to... do that which we did last night... at this moment...?"

 

Milphey shook his head, "I think you'd agree that last night was a prime example of things being rushed into, conscious decisions or not. No, I think we need to be a little more basic than that, concentrate on things we know are possible for you. I'm sure you might be a bit hesitant at the idea of sex, but even I know that you've masturbated before. So let's start with that."

 

"A-ah..."

 

"No objections? We don't have to if you really don't want to."

 

"I... I'm not sure if it'll... if it'll work..."

 

"Can't know until you try, can you?"

 

"U-un..."

 

From Milphey's stroking gestures Marron had assumed that Milphey would be the one attempting to bring him to his climax, but on that vaguely agreeing noise, Milphey nodded and moved over onto his side, shuffling down the bed a little.

 

"Right, then."

 

"Mi-Milphey...?"

 

"It has to come from you, Marron-chan! Just do how you normally do it, if you remember."

 

Supposing that that was an easy enough request to answer, Marron lifted one hand in preparation to take it down to his crotch. He hesitated. Milphey was watching him so intently, watching his hand and his eyes darting to his crotch... he clenched his fingers momentarily, as if he couldn't actually remember the act he was being requested to do. On that movement, Milphey shook his head with an expression of mock annoyance that melted back into his usual smile.

 

"Is it really that embarrassing?"

 

"Somehow... indeed."

 

"Marron-chan. Last night, a certain person in this bedroom fucked another certain person in this bedroom quite roughly into the bathroom floor, and it wasn't me doing the fucking. After that, is there any point in being shy now?"

 

"Ah..."

 

Milphey's expression softened, "It really is like two different people... alright, I'll help you. Only a little, mind! Come here."

 

Despite the request, Marron remained where he was as Milphey was the one moving closer even as he spoke. Milphey hugged himself against Marron's side, his arms over Marron's shoulders both in front and behind; he brought one hand up, sweeping over Marron's face and forehead, any stray hair now out of the way... he moved his hand back down to Marron's forehead and eyes, lightly covering them.

 

"You have a capable imagination, don't you?"

 

"I... don't know how you'd describe one as such..."

 

"Well, just work as hard as you can to picture what I'm saying. Do you think you can do that?"

 

Milphey's voice carried no hint of talking down to Marron. Marron's mind momentarily drifted back to a few hours earlier, where Milphey had been telling him about his past lover. It had been easy to listen to Milphey's nostalgic voice, and he'd felt he'd been able to picture the silverhaired youth quite vividly in his mind... if now was going to be anything like that, Marron didn't feel he'd have any sort of problem. The only problem would be with what kind of images Milphey was now going to suggest, but... Marron didn't feel he had any reason to really refuse.

 

"Yes, I think so."

 

"Alright then, I'm glad. Just relax for a bit... don't worry about anything that's going to happen, or that might happen... don't think about things that have happened before this, or might happen after this. Just concentrate on what I'm saying, and go with your feelings of this, the current moment."

 

"Ah-hahn..."

 

Already, there seemed to be something vaguely hypnotic about Milphey's tone of voice. The mere tone of his voice... just the suggestion of relaxing seemed easy and wonderfully possible. Milphey could feel Marron's body rest against the bed just a little more than it'd been doing before... the hand and arm around the back of Marron's shoulders could feel tensed muscles relax. Confident that Marron was going towards a more agreeable state of mind, Milphey continued.

 

"... It's night-time. The Great Hall seems quite empty, looking over it. The windows to the side are only showing the darkness outside, darkness occasionally dotted by a few shining stars... the windows on the western side of the hall are letting in the moonlight, and it falls so definitely and silently over the floor, cutting the room into light and shadow.

 

In your mind, it's silent, isn't it? The hall is as big and empty as it always is, seeming moreso for the all-encompassing darkness of the night, and the strange separation of the moon's light. There's nobody in the hall, not that you can see. By now, everybody in Eden should be asleep... even Big Mama has retreated to her private chamber, leaving the hall in the trust of the sturdy locks on the doors. Nobody will even think about leaving or entering our church until the morning.

 

After all, it is a place of worship, isn't it...? Helpless Parsoners coming to Big Mama, requesting her help, requesting the assistance of her Sorcerer Hunters, or sometimes even her Haz Knights... some Parsoners just wish to come for guidance, or the mere reassurance of Big Mama's presence. They'll kneel before her and offer their prayers and thanks, and she may bless them as the mood compels her. Some people she knows more than others, but all are children under her in her kingdom.

 

Nobody kneels on the carpet now, nor is the throne at the head of the hall occupied. However, ah-! No, the hall is not empty. It contains two people. Such a contrast to the hall in daytime, but... could it be that they are praying? One of them seems to be speaking in such an enthusiastic whisper, eager to speak but scared to be caught... 'oh god... god...- oh... OH GOD...' they say. I wonder what deity it is they pray to so energetically?

 

Your movements are continual and feral and powerful; you are in there, in that great empty moonlight-streaked hall. You are there, and your brother is there with you. The moonlight cuts over the floor and splits a pillar in two - he is against the darkness of the pillar, but his hands are clutching against it and clawing against the light. Were you not behind him, you might see the moonlight in his eyes.

 

But as it is, you are indeed behind him. You are clothed, but both your trousers and his own are gathered around your ankles. You're joined to him by the crotch, shoving him against the pillar, and every movement you make causes him to cry out to a god, his god, you.

 

'He's so very tight', you might think to yourself. For he is. You're pounding into him quite brutally now, the sound of his moans and slapping flesh the only sounds in the hall... and my, don't they sound amplified? Your hips against his, his body being jerked back and forth as he holds tightly to the pillar, the only thing that prevents him falling to the floor and truly being a slave to your ministrations. You're holding onto his hips, holding quite hard. He doesn't mind.

 

You're moving in tight, upward-circular motions, only moving in and out of him very slightly, but the movement is enough in itself. He is tight and his tightness could be squeezing your brain for the effect it's having on you; you want more of him, all of him, you wish for him to be claimed, and for him to be yours. You want to leave your mark inside him and never let him escape from that. Your movements are quite brazen, and every forward thrust hits your balls against him, can you see that? From that point outside of his body to the furthest reaches at the end of where your body meets his, you want to claim him.

 

He's already slick from the lubricant of earlier and you pull back easily, your movement matching his moan so perfectly as if connected. It's dark, but you are not invisible; as you pull back you look down, and you can see your hard cock emerge from his backside. You see it and you feel it, pulling back until you've fully withdrawn... has this displeased him? He's letting out small groans that could almost be whines should his throat comply with his voice. You don't want to leave him waiting, do you? You push against him again, and watch with satisfaction as you disappear inside slowly him again, unable to see but so able to feel... he's tight and he's hot, and while he's slick from the lubricant you would wish him lubricated by something else, wouldn't you?

 

Your movements are slow now, and this seems to frustrate him further. He wants to be pounded as he was before, but no... you want to feel every inch of your brother, feel the places on the inside that he only lets you visit... you want to somehow brand him, say 'only I have been here' and allow for everybody to know this.

 

You know you're being shameless. It's dark and you know you are unseen - even the person on the receiving end of your actions cannot see you, being in front of you with his eyes half-closed. Even if he were to open his eyes full, such is the hazy corruption of his mind that no thought can link with another. You wanted to take him, and oh, you have. There is nothing quite him left, and nothing quite you; you are easily joined together physically, but you take an altogether greater joy knowing the psychological impact... if he were coherent enough perhaps he would take joy in it also, but all he can know is what you grant him, and as you move deeper, push further, grip harder, all he knows is the forbidden unity of his and your flesh.

 

So do others. Others are watching you. You might consider the hall entirely empty, but if you were to look closer behind the pillars, you might see a pair of watchful eyes, or several... the darkness renders them invisible but you are close enough to the moonlight to see you. They can see you. Their eyes are affixed to your hips as they slide your hot erection inside your brother and out of him. Maybe they wouldn't have suspected it of you, maybe they might have done, but nothing can be questioned now. You are shameless, and everybody knows it.

 

Wouldn't you like them to know it? All of them seeing you like that, nothing being hidden anymore... you don't care and your brother can't, far gone as he is. Nobody says anything, all just watching you... your movements are so fluid and so mesmerizing, they cannot help but watch you... even those who think the intent of your action disgusting can't help but be entranced by the physical. Even something so disgusting can become something so beautiful when controlled by you."

 

The atmosphere in the bedroom was so very different to how it had been just a few minutes previously. A few minutes... Marron had lost complete track of time, and he was hooked on Milphey's every word unquestioningly. Almost as if Milphey had hypnotized him, his eyes were closed behind the shield of Milphey's hand and his mind was visualizing everything with a tantalizing clarity. Oh god, and Milphey's voice was like velvet, feeding such perverted images into his mind with a voice so untainted by anything like that... if anything, Milphey's voice was sensual, not sexual.

 

The silence left in the room by the absence of Milphey's voice seemed too terrible to bear when it suddenly arrived. Marron let out a slight cry at being denied his fantasy and opened his eyes, thus breaking the trance. Milphey felt the flicker of Marron's eyes on the skin of his fingers, he pulled his hand away and smiled gently at the radiantly blushing boy beside him.

 

"Did you enjoy that?"

 

Marron's voice was strained and desperate, "Why-... why did you stop-...?"

 

Milphey seemed annoyingly unruffled, "Well, to go on much further would be to relate how you eventually came in your brother's ass, and I don't think that that's something words alone can simulate. Now, you were embarrassed before... ah, you're quite hard now, aren't you?"... Milphey ran a finger up Marron's now-hard arousal, smirking slightly. "So now, with all of that in mind and this thing hard and ready, maybe we can go on with the slow and gentle. Now, as I was saying... show me how you masturbate."

 

Feeling displaced, Marron's mind tried to keep hold of anything Milphey had said in the past five or ten minutes; why couldn't such things be captured? He wanted it in memory, he wanted it in writing, he wanted to be able to recall those words and that feeling and now he had permission to touch himself, and it didn't seem like a moment too soon. He hadn't even been able to move while Milphey had spoken to him, and now his body was shaking, but so differently to the tremble that had worried Milphey so the night previously...

 

He gingerly wrapped one hand around his cock, moving his wrist in quick movements to stimulate himself. Milphey watched with interest, "That's how you do it? You could be a little more, I don't know, adventurous, couldn't you? Here, like this-"

 

Milphey reached for Marron's groin, placing his hand alongside Marron's hand. He moved his fingers more slowly, teasing more than directly touching... surely that was more pleasurable? It seemed to have some kind of effect on Marron, who let his hands drop to the side in an attempt to feel more of Milphey's touch. The touch of another could easily be transported into another dream, after all...

 

There was a slight 'poc' sound, and Milphey had withdrawn his hand quickly. Marron looked up at Milphey, "A-auh...?"

 

"Hmn? Oh, I... I think I just got a static shock, or something, sorry. Anyway... you see... if you move slowly, then-"

 

The second sound was more of a 'ptz-zat' sound, and caused Milphey to sit back and really look at Marron's position on the bed. He was naked on his back, his legs were straight and his arms were... one was parallel to his side, the other was tucked behind his back. Drawing Marron's wrist away from his back revealed his fingers caught in some kind of gesture that didn't please Milphey.

 

"Marron. We won't get anywhere if you're consciously flouting my help!"

 

"Consciously-"

 

Marron looked to where Milphey was holding his wrist up. He himself seemed quite surprised to see his fingers in that position, quickly stretching his fingers out then letting his hand fall limp in Milphey's hold; he looked at Milphey with a kind of desperation, "I... I didn't mean-... didn't mean for that..."

 

"It's alright, it was only a little pzzt, my hand isn't going to drop off just because of that. Though... this could be difficult. I don't want to try to teach you by torturing you, that's the last thing I want to be doing to you..."

 

Marron glanced off to the side, "There may be nothing else left..."

 

Milphey frowned, "Are you saying that because it's true or because you hope it true...?"

 

The pitch of Marron's silence told Milphey that perhaps he didn't know the answer to that question; there wasn't any point in getting angry with Marron, though Milphey was feeling frustration settle into his body once more; sometimes people just wouldn't let themselves be helped, but... why the hell not? It'd been going so well until the physical contact...

 

He sighed.

 

"Marron-chan?"

 

"M-mhh?"

 

"Get on all fours. I'm going to try holding one of your hands down this time, you can't make the gesture without that hand, right? So if I'm stopping you from doing that then you can't have any more allergic reactions. Okay?"

 

"A-alright..."

 

Marron rolled over slowly onto his chest, leaning up on his knees and picking himself up with his hands. Milphey took the hand that had made the sign previous, and worked his fingers between Marron's own. A kind of gesture in itself... he held Marron's hand firmly, could feel little muscles under Marron's skin twitch as he was answered, fingers pressing back against his hand almost desperately. Milphey's expression softened, was it really that terrible, that embarrassing, that scary? Marron was staring down at the bed, now. Milphey tipped his head up gently, "Come on... as I said, I'm not forcing you into anything... I just want you to be okay, right? Maybe some strange things have happened in the past, but you're not strange, are you? Just confused... let's clear up that confusion."

 

His voice was still comforting, and Marron supposed there were worse situations he could be in. Milphey really was concerned about his wellbeing, after all... and it was better to be with somebody who understood and was aware of the situation, rather than trying things with somebody he just couldn't tell...

 

After all, after last night... had Gateau actually consented to the things Marron had asked, Marron couldn't help but wonder... he'd always assumed that that would work, but after last night with Milphey, who could say if it actually would have done? Surely it would have been even worse had he given himself to Gateau and still failed...

 

Trying to recall the heady warmth of the fantasy imagined, Marron looked away from Milphey's gaze, finding himself unable to meet those eyes for too long just at the moment. He dropped his hand back down to between his legs, tensing slightly as his hand wrapped around his erection once more. No strange reaction as to when Milphey had touched it (or tried to), but that didn't prevent his hesitation... his other hand held tightly to Milphey's still, hard enough to leave crescent-moon imprints between Milphey's knuckles, but nothing was said about that. Milphey wondered if it was alright for Marron to still be so tense, but also supposed that it couldn't be helped. After everything that happened before, things with Gateau, things with Carrot, things with he himself, it was natural that Marron might be a little nervous.

 

"Is that... alright so far...?"

 

"U-hn..."

 

Milphey gave Marron's hand a reassuring squeeze, "Just remember... it's all really only a biological process, isn't it? There's stuff in your body, and it re-e-ally wants to get out. You're just giving it a helping hand in getting out!"

 

"... 'Stuff'...?"

 

Marron spoke with amusement, looking back up at Milphey. Pleased by the relaxed tone of Marron's voice, Milphey nodded.

 

"Yes, stuff! What else do you want me to call it? I know lots~ of words for all kinds of things, mm, mm."

 

"You... you don't need to tell me... ahn..."

 

Admittedly, it didn't feel too unpleasant so far. Marron's hand moved with gentle strokes, mostly at the same pace but then occasionally with more speed... his hips gave the tiniest jerks along with each of these movements, and both Milphey and Marron wondered if, actually, this was all that it'd take to reach the eventual climax. If it was gentle and understanding, if they did start off with slow, familiar things... sometimes it was better to just go back to basics, this situation didn't seem an exception. Marron didn't feel especially close just yet, but his body had settled into an acceptable rhythm, and nothing strange seemed to be happening, for the moment.

 

The situation was having it's own effect on Milphey too, of course. He was resting on his front, watching Marron and making sure his hand's hold was still tight... he couldn't deny his own arousal, though. Who would be able to resist? Marron, jerking himself off for Milphey's benefit... well, it was for the boy's own benefit first and foremost, but it had been at Milphey's request. Then there was that little fantasy he'd cooked up earlier... Milphey had been quite pleased with that. Things like that were always fun to say, especially to somebody like Marron-chan... it'd certainly worked as well as Milphey could have hoped for. Worked on Milphey as well as Marron... Marron's mind wasn't the only one to be swayed by shameless mental images.

 

Milphey shifted around on the bed, moving to lean on his side, still holding Marron's hand firmly, while exposing his own hard erection. Perhaps that could be used as much as anything else... Milphey reached down to stroke his own, smirking softly.

 

"Né... Marron-chan..."

 

"Uh-huhn...?"

 

"See... I'm hard too, aren't I? Naughty Marron-chan, turning people on like this..."

 

Marron's eyes darted away from where they'd been momentarily fixated on Milphey's crotch, his blush seeming to deepen somewhat.

 

"I-... I'm sorry..."

 

Milphey shook his head, "No, no, don't be, don't be... I want Marron-chan to watch. After all, maybe if you watch me, it'll remind your body what it's supposed to be doing, hmm? Surely you should be glad that just the mere sight of you can generate such powerful feelings in people..."

 

"It... it's not... something I think to take pride in..."

 

"You're too modest, Marron-chan. If you can't be proud of the fact that even the slightest curve of your very delectable backside makes people want to throw it and the rest of you against a bed and grind you into incoherence, what can you be proud of?"

 

"... against... a bed... and...!"

 

Milphey nodded, his smirk quite self-assured.

 

"I'm sure you test everybody's willpower, Marron-chan. Of course, I wouldn't even think of doing anything like that unless you expressly asked me to, but oh, if you did ask me to, then, well... mhmhmhm, my, we'd see just what would happen when one abandons their willpower in exchange for their carnal satisfactions. Though... even you're not invincible from such things. Last night you were quite, quite feral yourself, weren't you? Did I test your willpower so greatly?"

 

"Uhmnn--!"

 

Marron's noise was barely in agreement or disagreement, more a higher-pitched tone of frustration... Milphey's smirk didn't vanish, this was fun. Watching Marron like that, the thought of a change in position was attractive... perhaps they could help each other somehow, Milphey's hands on Marron while those slender fingers gave their own comfort... of course, while Marron still had such a problem with such things that was hardly a viable course of action to take, but it didn't stop the mental image pleasing Milphey.

 

"I know that you only really wish for Carrot-chan, but... we could have fun too. There are lots of things that you can do before even considering sex... perhaps we don't even need that, though it is nice. Lots of different ways that hands and fingers and tongues can be used, and we can discover them all, can't we?"

 

"U-uhn..."

 

"My, can't you even speak at the moment? Well, that's a good sign. Maybe I should say more things that can make Marron-chan speechless."

 

Not, Marron thought, that that would be too hard. Speech was the last thing on his mind as it was... his mind and body seemed to be working together in the heat that spread throughout his body, the heat which always seemed to work against him... things were a little hazy now, and his hand continued work on his arousal almost automatically... there were too many things to try and concentrate on without thinking of the exact way his fingers were moving, or anything. At the moment it was enough to hold them in a light clench, moving fractionally back and forth like that; his mind was too busy still thinking of the Eden-at-night scenario, and Milphey's terribly self-assured voice wasn't helping things... but so far, it all seemed, plainly, good. His body felt numb, his mind felt the same, he was flushed and the world had half-devolved into something that existed only for Marron to have a setting to his arousal and eventual climax. Surely that was good? Surely that was a normal kind of thing to have happen? Milphey continued his lazy conversation.

 

"I have a thing, you know."

 

Marron attempted an upward glance, "... a... a thing...?"

 

"Un! I got it a while ago from a shop in Raeditz, but I don't know if the shop is still there. Anyway, if Marron-chan wanted, I could perhaps find it... it's in a drawer, somewhere... fingers and hands are fun, but surely toys can be used also, né...?"

 

"T-... t-toys?"

 

Another nod, "I don't mean like toy soldiers or anything. No, this toy is about... mmn... I used to have measurements for it but after a while you tend to forget the particulars... it's quite big, though. Marron-chan would have to be well-prepared for it. Anyway! Have you ever seen those toys, Sorcerer children usually have them, they have mechanisms that let them move? Little walking things, or whatever..."

 

"U-nnhn..."

 

"Well see, I think this toy has one of those in. It moves, too! Quite powerfully, as well. My, though... you're such a slender person, it'd stretch you quite terribly!"

 

Milphey's tone of voice didn't sound like he thought it was something too terrible.

 

That was certainly something Marron didn't have much to say about. Did anybody suspect that Milphey would have such a toy, at all? Where in Eden would one keep such an item? Did Milphey use it? Was there someone from the past he'd ever used it on? It was an easily acceptable idea to believe that Milphey had already had sex, given his tendencies it would have been stranger if he hadn't, but... such perverted things! He'd consider using things described as toys in the bedroom? Obviously so. Nothing like that had ever really cropped up in Marron's mental images, usually the binds and the whips were about as far as his imagination ever strayed...

 

Thinking about he himself using Milphey's toy was embarrassing. He wasn't quite sure what it looked like but he wasn't stupid and had a good idea... would it be something used while alone? Might it be something used while tied up, to torture and tease with?

 

It seemed that the same idea occurred in Milphey's mind around the same time it worked it's way into Marron's mind. Marron would never have vocalized such a thought, but Milphey, of course...

 

"Ah, and what if Carrot-chan were to use it? Né, how about thinking about that! So totally filled by that vibrating thing inside him. Would you have put it there? Would you be watching? Maybe you could tie him up and let it at him, then just sit to the side as he struggled against his bonds, so frustrated... you could watch and stroke yourself as you're doing now, couldn't you?"

 

"Gy-yHHNNHnn..."

 

"Oh my, is Marron-chan getting closer?"

 

'Closer' was not the word. The state Marron was in was around the one that, had he just been masturbating by himself, he would have decided to stop at. His body felt numb and each movement, even from his own hand, seemed light-years away... surely, surely it was time to stop... to carry on now would be to risk pushing his body that bit further...

 

Oh god, and how he wanted that. For his body to be pushed further, to be pushed as far as it could go, to be able to come and cry out while doing so, to have brought himself to orgasm for the first time in what seemed like - what surely was - so long... his body shuddered even now, how much more so would it do so at climax? Perhaps after this, other things could follow... Carrot was a far-off hopeless dream. Milphey was much closer, much more accessible... Milphey would have sex with him. He had had sex with Milphey. Once he proved he could come, then... perhaps more of that could follow? Just the mere thought seemed deliciously exciting. Mornings spent resting lazily in each other's arms, nights spent together and wonderfully... to be able to come would be the first step to that, to be able to come would be just to prove that he could... that he and Milphey might be possible... to be able to do those kinds of things... to even want to be able to do those kinds of things... the frustration in Marron's body was more than just the physical.

 

He was making such continual little noises, now. Milphey watched with curiosity, hand still stroking at his own erection... Marron made such nice little noises. Little desperate noises... the desperation was quite visible on his face, his eyes now screwed shut, his jaw clenched... even his breathing sounded like it was difficult in coming to him. Was it alright like that? Surely it was better to be relaxed? If Marron felt that this would help him reach his climax then fine, but...

 

Milphey's ears twitched again on hearing Marron's voice; almost inaudible at first, but then Milphey realised that Marron was in fact trying to say something.

 

"... must... must... have... have to... got to... got... to...!"

 

"Marron...-chan?"

 

Marron's hold on Milphey's hand suddenly became an awful lot tighter; Milphey was used to the boy's tight grip, keeping hold of Marron's hand was something he hadn't stopped doing, but... Marron's fist was now clenched, almost as if he wasn't aware of Milphey's own hand at all. Nails digging harder, Milphey winced but didn't say anything. Marron really would draw blood at this rate, not that he likely cared nor could even notice... he seemed so tense, all of a sudden! Even more so than he had before. His breath came as snarls... was he really alright? Milphey didn't know how to make sure, but Marron was rapidly becoming something quite worrying...

 

"Marron-chan, are you alright?"

 

"D-don't... don't understand..."

 

"Marron-chan?"

 

"... you... you can't..."

 

"I would if you'd just tell me! Marron-chan, stop if you want to... speak to me, here!"

 

"... not... stop... Mi-... Milphey..."

 

Suddenly Marron lunged forward, twisting Milphey's arm back and pressing him against the bed. Milphey was momentarily shocked by the action, but even moreso by Marron's following action... something about him seemed to be... glowing, almost? At first Milphey passed that off as impossible but then Marron was and he couldn't stop it... the power of before came into play, that bit the worse for Marron being lying full-length along Milphey at the time; there was a sharp kind of sound and Milphey was the one who cried out, surprised and bodily shocked.

 

Silence in the room.

 

Milphey found himself staring up at the ceiling. He frowned, feeling a little frazzled somehow. He blinked to himself That had hurt, just a bit. He'd get over it, but... what had just happened there? Of course, the first priority was to find out just what had happened to Marron... that hadn't been normal, something like that was not normal by anybody's estimation. Once thoughts of Marron occurred Milphey's own pain was virtually forgotten, he leapt up into a seated position, mind only telling him that the sight of Marron might be more worrying if he did so once he'd done it, and by then it was too late.

 

As for the sight of Marron, he was on the other side of the bed now, close enough to the edge to risk a meeting with the floor if he moved much further, but in this state Milphey really wasn't sure if he'd be conscious of such a thing even if he did... he was in a tight crouch, his body shuddering constantly and occasionally giving a more violent twitch but body not seeming alert to anything more than that. Was he conscious? Again, what had just happened... did even Marron know? Was it something that could be explained? Milphey's concern grew and quickly, "Marron-chan?"

 

No reply.

 

"Marron? Marron, speak to me."

 

Hefting himself over onto all fours, Milphey quickly crawled over and tried to shake Marron out of whatever the hell he was now in; even trying to touch his shoulder brought about that strange reaction, that bizarre kind of electrical impulse... Marron was still crying out, little whimpering sounds, but he didn't seem aware of... of anything at the current moment. He at least didn't seem to be hearing Milphey's voice, or if he was, he didn't seem in any mood to respond... after that touch, Marron's cries got louder for a moment, then died down. He fell to his side, still shuddering occasionally, but not as violently as he'd been doing previously. Milphey watched him nervously, as if watching something delicate and broken. Somehow he was put in mind of watching a bird that had just flown into a window, that kind of hope that it would get up and fly away but knowing awfully that it probably wouldn't... Milphey shook his head, metaphors like that were impossible to think about, or at least, they didn't help in the slightest. Marron wasn't a bird and he hadn't flown into a window, though it seemed like there was certainly something blocking him and that wasn't metaphorical... Milphey couldn't think of anything to do or say other than Marron's name. Could Marron even hear him?

 

"Marron?"

 

The only reply seemed to be Marron's quick breathing. Was he unconscious? Had he somehow managed to knock himself out? Milphey was reminded of occasional battled the two had had together, Marron managing to exhaust himself into almost passing out more than once... the way things worked in Marron's body, it seemed easy for him to overexert himself and end up exhausted like that, but... that was usually in battle, with magic, with strength and the stress of the knowledge of what would happen if he didn't... this was something different entirely, surely? Sex wasn't focused with gathering up all of your energy to shoot at the enemy in order to destroy them, or anything...

 

Milphey blinked. Well, not usually.

 

Reaching over to touch Marron again, Milphey shook at his tensed shoulder; there still seemed to be some kind of strange feeling on Marron's skin, but not powerful enough anymore for Milphey's hand to be pulled away on reflex. Similar to battle, similar to things that had happened in the past, but... the battlefield and the bedroom were two different things, and Milphey didn't understand the crossover.

 

"Marron... what... is wrong with you...?"

 

Of course, still no reply.

 

There seemed something horribly fragile about Marron at that moment. His knees were tucked to his chest and his hands now held tightly around his shoulders... his head was buried behind his arms, but his tightly-clenched eyes were all too visible. From the movement of his shoulders his breathing was still quick, he'd seem to take several tiny breaths then a sudden hurried larger one... on his side like that, his hair strewn around him... Milphey's expression fell. Just what the hell was Marron trying to do to him? Acting the seducer, acting the innocent, suddenly having strange near-allergic reactions to anything sexual... what was wrong with him? Okay with the psychological, but even psychological reasons didn't make people have weird shining fits at people, even if they were on the brink of orgasm.

 

Milphey tried to pull Marron's arms away from him, try to get him into a more comfortable position. He was holding his own shoulders just as tightly as he'd been holding Milphey's hand, and Milphey still had the nailmarks from that.

 

Still, those would heal.

 

Sitting back on the bed, Milphey bit against his forefinger, attempting to assess the situation. Looking back on it, it had actually been quite scary, in a way... Milphey knew from personal experience that, when people started suddenly glowing like that, it wasn't usually a good sign. This glowing hadn't ended up with Marron dying or disappearing or anything like that, which was good, but it had ended up with Marron suddenly seeming unconscious or close enough to, which wasn't so good. After all, if something like this was enough to knock Marron out, then what other things might Marron's body be capable of, with possibly worse effect? Something really really had to be done about the young mage, but Milphey had no idea of anything that that could be, now.

 

He sighed deeply.

 

"Seemed so easy, didn't it... 'oh yeah, you're angsting! Well, I'll have sex with you! Sex obviously solves everything!'... idiot... dammit, why can't Carrot just fuck the boy already... though would even that solve anything... maybe Marron's just not cut out for sex. Mmm. Gosh, but that's a shame..."

 

The sound of somebody walking past outside. Milphey's ears flickered, and the implications of the situation ticked over in his mind. He'd said so confidently to Marron earlier that they wouldn't be disturbed, though honestly he had no idea if someone would decide to walk in or not. Actually, given the people in Eden it was more likely that someone would, but he'd been confident and Marron had believed him, that had been enough.

 

What if someone walked in at that moment? What if Gateau or Carrot or anybody walked in looking for Marron, and found him and Milphey there and naked, Marron in some weird state of unconscious?

 

How incriminating would that look!

 

"... Marron... just what are you trying to get me to do...?! We've got to do something about this...!"

 

Milphey crawled back over to the far end of the bed, where Marron was still curled. Feeling at a loss, Milphey leant over and curled himself around Marron as best he could. He wrapped his arms around Marron's upper shoulders, leaning in close to the boy's ear. Milphey wanted to whisper something that he thought would help, something comforting, something uplifting, just something that might drag Marron back into the real world! Just what was going on in his head at that moment, anyway...? Was it something Milphey could even contemplate?

 

Marron's body still felt warm against his own. Milphey lifted one leg to nudge over both of Marron's, holding him closely... Milphey could feel each shuddering breath as Marron gave it, each uncertain tremble his body seemed to give... if he leant in close enough he could hear the tiniest cries, unconsciously made under Marron's breath...

 

Having often prided himself on managing to keep a calm head in even the most dangerous situations, Milphey had told himself that he wouldn't panic. He wasn't sure if he was exactly panicking, but... just on hearing those little cries, just on feeling Marron's body but knowing that he was not waking up... Milphey held Marron tighter, seriously worried.

 

"Marron... Marron, just wake up!"

 

He didn't.

 

"God, you don't even know how painful it is to wake up and have the person sleeping beside you not... Marron-... Marron, don't do this to me-! Please!"

 

Despite the barely-restrained emotion in Milphey's voice, Marron still failed to respond. Milphey closed his eyes tightly, wishing he hadn't said those words even to an empty room. Too many painful memories.

 

Besides, this was only temporary, surely? Marron would eventually snap back out of it. Of course he would. Marron was strong, Marron was powerful, there were lots of really bad things that Marron had effortlessly survived in the past, this - whatever this was - in comparison... it was nothing, surely!

 

Either nothing in comparison or something worse in comparison. There was a world of difference between deflecting an attack and coping with something that came from within... it had come from within, hadn't it? There wasn't anything acting on Marron to make him behave in such a fashion, was there?

 

Milphey realised where the slight feeling of deja-vé he'd been carrying with him came from. Wasn't this similar to another situation...?

 

The Hamato, Tenrinoh's sword. Currently safely locked in one of the vaults below Eden, should Marron ever require it again. That wasn't the point though, the point was - hadn't something similar happened back then? Milphey, trying to take hold of the Hamato. That kind of reaction - maybe it was something to do with Marron's Eastern Magic? Given that it came after Marron meditating for so long over who knew what, given that Marron was so in his element with that magic, given that Marron did have the dormant God who even created that style of magic within him... it was a distinct possibility.

 

Weak though the comparison sounded, Milphey couldn't help but make the connection, while thinking about magic... it was almost like a matter of sealed magic, wasn't it? Whether the magic of the comparison was representative of Marron or his sexual drive or his ability to get close to others or whatever, there definitely seemed to be something playing itself on Marron's body. Had a magic lodged itself within Marron's body? It wasn't impossible, and certainly with the forbidden magic the Sorcerer Hunters dealt with, it was almost quite likely... Marron was the one who dealt with forbidden magic more than any of the others, perhaps something had happened? Though, if something had happened surely he'd know of it, surely he'd know how to deal with it, how to cope with it, and besides, what kind of forbidden magic would there be that was like this? What kind of name would you give to a magic that prevented sexual activity, if there even was such a thing?

 

At times of such curiosity, Milphey was inherently glad that he was so acquainted with Kahlua. Of course! There was barely anything about magic that the older Haz Knight didn't know; surely if he was asked, he'd have an answer...!

 

Suddenly bursting with the hope of having an option to try, Milphey picked himself up from the bed and immediately searched the room for something to wear. He found one of the nightshirts that either he or Marron had discarded, that would do. Eclair and Gateau often walked around in just their bikinis and thongs, surely nobody would begrudge him walking around in the middle of the afternoon wearing a nightshirt...

 

The only problem would be if someone were to return while Milphey were gone, and find Marron. Anybody would be worried, and Milphey didn't know if he exactly wanted to explain himself, or even worse, explain his comatose young charge.

 

****

 

"Mille Feuille, I can't keep bailing you out of every untoward situation you somehow manage to get yourself into!"

 

Kahlua had eventually been located on one of the lower levels of Eden, in one of the expansive libraries that existed there. Looking around before he'd seen Kahlua, Milphey couldn't help but wonder if Marron-chan would consider such a place a paradise... and indeed, the thought of bringing Marron to the Haz Knights' library was a tempting one, but Marron was also not a Haz Knight, and a lot of the books on the shelves were kept in such a protected room for a reason.

 

So Kahlua had been sitting there, quietly sitting at a desk with one hand held over a book's open pages. He didn't seem to be looking at the book, if his gaze was directed anywhere it seemed to be at the bookshelf opposite to him, but his hand glowed faintly and he seemed to be absorbing something from the book. Was he in the middle of something serious? Milphey had stepped quietly forward, his fingers tightly linked, trying to make himself noticed without disturbing too much.

 

Currently, Milphey was now on his knees next to the desk, making a pleading gesture up at Kahlua.

 

"And I don't ask you to bail me out of every untoward situation! It was just scary, okay? You're the one with all the magic and everything, I figured if anyone in the building could say what happened, then it'd be you! Come onnn, please? What if it's something real dangerous? What if something's got inside Eden? What if something's threatening Mamu-sama at this very minute? You wanna just sit and read a book while all that happens?"

 

The book slammed neatly shut, and Kahlua turned to face Milphey in a way that made him wish he hadn't spoken quite so lightly.

 

"Mille Feuille, need I remind you of your own abilities as a Haz Knight?"

 

Kahlua stood up, taking the book with him and placing it back on a nearby shelf.

 

"If there were anything inside this place that was not meant to be here, then we would be aware of it already - even you. Mamu-sama is currently safe, and nothing has managed to breach our protection."

 

"So what the hell's happened to Marron, then? Having all twitchy things and glowing and stuff... people don't glow just for the fun of it! Come on, just come up with me and check it out? If it's nothing then it's nothing and I'm really really sorry for disturbing you when you were quite obviously in the middle of something really really important, but if it's something and you can help me with it, then can't you just help me with it? Bail me out one more time. Please?"

 

A deep sigh, "And how long will it be before the next time?"

 

"I- I-"

 

"The one you mentioned is the Eastern Magic user, is he not?"

 

"Y-yes, yes, he is."

 

Kahlua nodded, "Let's go, then."

 

Milphey jumped to his feet, somewhat surprised at Kahlua's sudden change of heart.

 

"Ah, ah, you will help, then?"

 

"If it's just this one time, then I suppose it's alright. But let's not take too long."

 

"O-okay!"

 

Unease he'd felt at the possibility of Kahlua not lending his skills evaporated, and Milphey shot quickly past his elder and out of the room. It was a little frustrating that Kahlua would only move at his own steady pace (especially when he'd been the one wanting to hurry things up in the first place), but Milphey trusted him to catch up eventually. Perhaps he'd wait outside the bedroom in order to point it out just in case Kahlua didn't know which room it was, but as Milphey reached the top of the staircase that looked out upon the corridor of the bedrooms of the Sorcerer Hunters, waiting outside the room seemed to be the only choice. After all, Gateau was walking along the corridor and he seemed quite close to that door... Milphey put on a sudden burst of speed, "GATEAU-CHAN!"

 

Gateau looked up in surprise, "Eh? Oh, ah, Milphey, morning... afternoon... yeah... um..."

 

Not a moment too soon, it seemed Milphey had caught Gateau with his hand on the handle.

 

Why would Gateau be going into that room, anyway? Unless he was Marron's superstalker then surely he didn't know Marron in there already (and if he did then that meant he could have - would have - seen Marron in any kind and number of embarrassing or incriminating positions, sans clothes and avec Milphey)... Milphey decided to play things from that angle, laughing in a way he hoped was light and genial.

 

"Ahahaha, why would Gateau-chan be going into that bedroom?"

 

"I was looking for Marron..."

 

Gateau noticed the moment of unease on Milphey's expression just as much as Milphey himself was aware of it. This didn't encourage Gateau any; even just a tiny reaction like that, Milphey would have something to hide? Well, if it was something Milphey didn't want to mention, then Gateau wouldn't mention it either. It just made it that degree more interesting that Milphey would choose to hide something like that... after all, he'd been so quick to tell of his and Marron's (lack of) activity the previous time, though... that had been after Gateau had outright accused him, to be fair. But even so.

 

"... thought he might be in here. Been lookin' for him for a while. Haven't found him. You seen him anyplace?"

 

Smiling with an expression he didn't feel, Milphey put his hands to Gateau's shoulders and turned him around into the direction of the longer end of the corridor.

 

"Well, no, but don't you think that, on a day like this, Marron-chan might be doing a little meditation? You know what he's like... nice sunny day, lots of nice fun things he could be doing, and he just sits around and goes ommm. Silly child. You should go get him and take him down to the city or something!"

 

"That's the plan, and I've already looked in there, he's not there."

 

Milphey's pressure on Gateau's shoulders fell for a moment, "... oh. Well, um... I certainly haven't seen him, maybe he's out in the gardens? Oh my, look there! See! Out the window!"

 

"What?"

 

Running over to the other side of the corridor, Milphey pointed enthusiastically out of the closest window.

 

"There! Wasn't that him just now?"

 

He turned to face Gateau, smiling still. Gateau walked over hesitantly, "I don't see anything..."

 

"No, but see, see, just there! Wasn't he... I'm sure I saw him walking off towards... towards... towards the... oh, you know. That bit down there."

 

"The hedge?"

 

"Yes! I mean... yes, the hedge! Maybe he's looking for a plant, or something. Maybe he has a headache. Maybe you could go and help him look, hmmm? Ag-"

 

Kahlua was walking quietly up the corridor. Milphey replenished his push on Gateau's shoulders, this time in the direction of the staircase.

 

"See, there's Kahlua, and Marron's definitely not going to be in that bedroom because I was there all night and until just recently and I haven't seen him all morning. So unless he went in there in the few moments I went to find Kahlua...! Anyway, me and Kahlua need that room to... to... to have hot sex in. Yes. Rumpy-pumpy!"

 

Milphey made an odd hand gesture at that; Gateau just stared at him, eyebrow firmly raised. Milphey could almost feel himself physically wither under that tight glare. Was he really so transparent? He pushed again at Gateau, a little more desperately this time.

 

"Sooo, we don't want to be disturbed! And I'm sure you don't want to watch, do you?"

 

"You don't have to broadcast things like that to the whole damned building."

 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Still, I wouldn't want to lie to you, would I? Ahahaha..."

 

"I wonder..."

 

Sounding unconvinced, Gateau wrested Milphey's hands from his shoulders and headed back towards the staircase. From the sounds of it, Gateau seemed to be descending... Milphey wiped his hand over his brow and breathed a deep sigh of relief, how had that been for an awkward situation... Kahlua was standing a few paces away from him, staring at him blankly.

 

"Need I ask what just took place?"

 

"Relationship politics, you really don't wanna know. Anyway, he's in here..."

 

Milphey held the door open, allowing Kahlua through before making a final glance toward the staircase, then following himself when he was sure that their actions were unobserved. Whatever Gateau did or thought, he couldn't really help... after all, the current focus was definitely on Marron.

 

Marron himself was in much the same position Milphey had left him in, curled up tightly on the end of the bed, eyes closed and his breathing quick. Milphey remained quiet as Kahlua walked forward, feeling awfully aware of Marron's breathing as the loudest sound in the room... his panting would have almost been tantalizing in another situation, but... it was worrying that he seemed to be finding it hard even to breathe at the current moment. Milphey put a finger to his chin, not quite sure what to say, how to explain... presumably Kahlua would require some kind of background information to be able to come up with any kind of solution to the current problem, but...

 

"May I enquire as to how he came to be like this?"

 

... there it was. Milphey winced briefly, then stepped forward to sit on the edge of the bed.

 

"Well, um... we were just, you know, sitting around, chatting-"

 

"Mille Feuille, you may enjoy concealing the truth with those less used to your ways but I have known you for most of your extended life. Withholding information that could be useful is always a dangerous way to go about business, is it not?"

 

Milphey sighed shortly, "Okay, okay. See, Marron's always a bit... well, he's really uptight when it comes to, well, sex. So last night I tried to stage a thing between him and the person he's all obsessed with, but then it ended up with him pretty much pouncing me, and," Milphey waved his hand to indicate his intention, "we... y'know, things led on from each other and, well, we had sex."

 

"I've spoken to you before about relationships with mortal beings."

 

"Yeah, and how many eligible immortal beings are there out there just gonna wander up to the front door with sex and relationships in mind? I don't want another argument about how I have a libido and you don't."

 

"You have to apply your emotions in the correct fashion...! You serve an important part in the protection of-"

 

"With all the respect in the world, I didn't disturb you just so I could have an argument with you! You said before you couldn't bail me out of everything, right? I'd like to think I could at least maintain a little control over my personal life. I can handle it, okay? Yes, they die, I know, I don't want to think about that at the moment, but talking of at the moment, this particular one really made me think he was going to die about half an hour ago and I was actually quite frightened, so can you please do something about it for me?!"

 

Having been caught about to start a lecture on the importance of duty, Kahlua paused. He seemed to consider something to himself for a moment or so, Milphey's self-righteous tone of voice almost amusing him somehow. His lips curled very slightly, "... You and I are very different people, indeed."

 

Milphey wasn't sure whether to take that as a victory or not, so waved that off and tried to bring the attention back to the important matter.

 

"Yes, yes we are. Anyway, as I was saying... Marron and I ended up having sex, and I thought it might help loosen him up a little, since he's been having some strange kind of inability to reach orgasm thing going on for a couple of months now. Last night wasn't any different, and it was like... what can I do to help him? It's a shame otherwise. So I thought that maybe it'd be best to go back to familiar things... don't wanna go into too much detail, but basically I tried to touch him after a while, and there was a strange physical kind of reaction... then he went quite heated and emotional, did his shiny thing, and he's been like this ever since. I don't get it... ever since the first time it's reminded me of-... well, it's probably not, but..."

 

Kahlua was knelt next to the bed now, his hand extended in some kind of gesture in front of Marron's forehead. He said nothing, then eventually looked up, evidently curious on the path that Milphey's sentence had trailed off on.

 

"What does it remind you of?"

 

"It's probably not it at all, but... it's like when you try to touch something that's sealed. Sealed magic, or something. You probably don't remember, but... a while ago, quite some time ago now, Mama's children got sent off on a mission to the East, and that was where that Hamato in the basement came from, it's Marron's sword. The magic and protection bestowed on that thing was supposed to make it impossible for anybody but he with Tenrinoh's blood inside to touch, and damn if I didn't have some painful burns on my hands for weeks after that one."

 

"I seem to remember those burns, they were quite elaborate..."

 

"They were agony! Thank the heavens for Shiffon and his healing salves, you know? But... it's not as violent as that, but trying to touch him, the way his body just repels touch... I don't know. Is it some sort of magic that's got inside him? Is it a magic he's brought upon himself? Is it a weird manifestation of psychological difficulties? Could be anything like that, and I don't know what. I wondered if maybe you could tell me."

 

His brow twitching with some unidentifiable emotion, Kahlua turned again to face Milphey.

 

"Psychological difficulties?"

 

"Well... the boy has issues."

 

"Many people upon this Continent have such problems, some of which are difficult to bear. You presume that something like that could be responsible for his present affliction?"

 

"I'm not presuming, it's pretty damn certain!"

 

"What kind of trouble would a boy take upon his shoulders to lead to this..."

 

Surely Kahlua knew of lots of applicable troubles, but he didn't need to try any harder to dress that one up as a request. Milphey closed his eyes, collecting his thoughts momentarily. The matter of Marron's love (and it's many directions) was a deep secret that obviously Marron didn't want anybody else knowing, but... surely it was safe to tell Kahlua? It wasn't as if he was going to run around Eden telling anybody and everybody of Marron's guilty secret, and he had asked, it could shed some light on the situation, just perhaps... Milphey looked at Marron, watching him. His eyes still seemed painfully closed, but he seemed a little calmer than he'd done previously... letting his voice drop to a whisper in the fear that Marron may be aware of his voice even in an unconscious state, Milphey continued.

 

"He harbours a love he feels is... not natural."

 

"Could this be in any way related to the relationship you and he share?"

 

"Not in the way that you're thinking. I don't think - at least, I'm not aware - that Marron has any problems with the thought of pursuing men, but... it's just, the one person he feels most strongly for, he... that person is forbidden to him."

 

"Somehow I recall you telling me of this one's devotion to his brother..."

 

"That's it exactly."

 

"I see."

 

Following that, Milphey expected some kind of come-back, some kind of reaction... the one he received wasn't quite one he was expecting. Strangely enough, Kahlua's expression seemed to take on a kind of wistful feeling as he touched his fingers to Marron's forehead for a reason Milphey wasn't aware of.

 

"Surely any other time would have been far easier upon this child. Their growth and identity is always so haphazard during these times... and given the fate and destiny bestowed upon them... given the magical power born into him with his blood... the human body goes through so many changes during these later teenage years - he's still a teenager, is he not? So many changes, and he more so for the power within him. Given his problems and powers, we should be careful he does not allow his powers nor his pain to envelop him."

 

"They could do that?"

 

"Any kind of power has the potential to swallow up people within it, to pervert them to it's own inanimate way. How many Sorcerers do you know of who've discovered lunacy and madness through their misguided paths to power?"

 

"Far too many... but I mean, Marron?"

 

"Any kind of power can corrupt and enslave any kind of person. This child is strong and powerful, I know enough of him to be aware of that, but now, it seems too obvious... he is strong and powerful, but with a weakness he is allowing he himself to exploit."

 

Milphey's expression was tense as he listened to Kahlua's words, keeping a steady eye on Marron. It seemed strange to talk of him in such ways, talk as if he wasn't even in the room... talk about such dangerous things... Milphey tapped his fingers against the bed, echoing Kahlua's words in his questioning tone.

 

"... Allowing he himself to exploit...?"

 

"We would all have our own problems, issues and insecurities, would we not? I'm sure you as much as any other person would know how easy it is to fall back to thoughts of things that are inadequate. Essentially, Marron is very aware of his weakness and feels helpless and powerless against it. The power of understanding and reasoning is as powerful an influence on the human mind as any kind of magic could ever be, and surely his feelings are only compounded for his magic ability. There are many ways to punish oneself, and given his power... if there were feelings he honestly wished to seal away, then perhaps he might have the ability to do so... but how deeply can something be sealed inside the human heart? For something to be sealed is still to retain knowledge that it exists, just that it is inaccessible. That can only lead to further frustration, which... I fear this boy is learning quite painfully for himself."

 

During the silence that followed those revelations, Milphey could only stare at Kahlua.

 

"... That all makes far too much sense."

 

"I only speak things as I see them. However, I feel we should keep close watch on this boy. If his emotions are enough to move him so deeply... if he is in any way putting himself in danger with his magical practices, then something has to be done. Their fate is tied too closely to the fate of this world, and for the sake of that, they must remain alive."

 

"It's all very well to say that, but... okay, something has to be done, but what? I can't exactly go out there, grab Carrot, drag him back in here and say 'have sex with your brother for the greater good of mankind' now, can I?!"

 

Kahlua stood up, "To gain control of his emotions does not necessarily mean that his dreams have to be requited. Indeed, that could almost lead to a further descent into helpless emotion..."

 

Milphey couldn't help a little smirk, "There's this little thing called 'love', sounds a bit like that. You might wanna check it out sometime."

 

"Would you recommend that this child indulges in such things?"

 

"Would you want to forbid him that?"

 

That seemed to be a question that Kahlua didn't want to answer. He turned his back on Milphey, "I have eased his most immediate pain as far as I could manage for the time being, he should wake up within the hour. However, further actions will have to come from his own sensibilities... and I trust you to guide him with that. You share a connection with these children that I, for example, do not. I would wish for you to watch him closely, and to please inform me if his condition takes any other negative direction. In a desperate situation, I'm sure there is something more that could be done."

 

Milphey nodded, "I hope so. Thanks, Kahlua."

 

Wordlessly, Kahlua left the room, retreating back to the library where he had been originally. Being disconnected from the situation, he didn't think anything too strange of Gateau loitering around the staircase, seeming caught between going down to the main hall and up to the bedrooms, caught in his own thoughts. Gateau, however, noticed when Kahlua left, and stepped one step closer towards the bedrooms than he'd been pacing... then went back again, walking back and forth. Marron really didn't seem to be anywhere in Eden, but it wasn't unrealistic to think that perhaps they'd just kept missing each other. Or perhaps he was in Facade, and Gateau had been too late to ask him?

 

No, but then there had been earlier... he and Carrot had quite definitely seen Marron and Milphey in bed with each other, mostly naked, sleeping... by that, surely Milphey had to have been lying about not having seen Marron? Unless Marron had left the room before Milphey had woken up... not impossible, but... if he had left, where had he gone? Why had he been in Milphey's room in the first place? Would either Marron or Milphey tell of this, or was it a secret tryst that they didn't want anybody to know about? If it was that, then... what did that imply?

 

Taken by his thoughts, Gateau scaled the stairs again, careful to tread as quietly as he could. His boots still made a 'tak tak' sound against the floor... he looked at his feet, then at the door where Milphey presumably still was. It wouldn't be bad just to take a peek through the keyhole, would it? Strictly speaking, he only wanted to know Marron's location, and after speaking to Milphey earlier, if that information was being withheld then that was hardly fair...

 

Gateau was in the process of taking off his boots (socks made far less noise on the floor, after all), when the thought of his intentions and actions crawled over his mind.

 

Just why was he getting so righteous over this? What Milphey chose to do, what Marron chose to do... in all honesty, it wasn't really anything to do with him, other then the things that Marron and he had shared in the past... and those had been strange enough. Marron had frustrated him like nobody else, and they acted so strangely to each other... if Marron was sleeping with Milphey, then surely the predominant feeling should have been more sympathy on Milphey's part than anything else - poor guy, getting saddled with such a manipulative little psychopath. However, it wasn't those feelings that created that ache in Gateau's chest, and that was annoying him quite markedly.

 

It seemed an eternity ago that he and Marron had talked easily that one night where they'd decided to relax things for the time being... thinking about it, that had probably only been about a month or so ago, maybe a little less or a little more, but... since then... since then not a lot had happened, and indeed they hadn't really ended up tempting each other or anything, aside from the odd snide comment from Marron they'd been getting along quite well, but... at that time, Marron had definitely decided he wanted to go back to his meditation, and had been quite adamant that he and Gateau didn't tempt each other, and that even if they did, they mustn't take each other up on said temptation.

 

All fine and good, but where did Milphey come into that? What if Milphey had tempted Marron? What if Marron had tempted Milphey? If anything, Milphey wouldn't know to refuse...

 

If it was what Marron wanted, it was what Marron wanted. Obviously, if that was the case, there were things that Milphey could offer that Gateau himself couldn't. Everybody was different, if Marron had discovered something he wanted that he could have, then surely that was all for the best.

 

Maybe Milphey was the person Marron loved after all?

 

If that was the case, why be so secretive? Why not just come out and say 'Milphey and I are entirely in love, celebration!'... or maybe they were just having casual sex, and somehow Marron could accept that from Milphey but not from Gateau...

 

Sighing, Gateau continued on along the corridor, supposing that, before anything else, his curiosity had to be sated. Try to find out the facts before coming to any conclusions, or at least find as much to support his theories as was possible.

 

Taking a glance up and down the corridor to make sure he wasn't too obvious, Gateau fell to a swift kneel next to the door he'd been about to enter. The keyhole hopefully wasn't blocked... ah, there. Looking directly through the keyhole, he could make out Milphey sitting on a bed in the room. Moving a little upward... yes. Marron was still in there. He seemed to be sleeping, or something? Milphey and Marron were in there together, and Kahlua had been in there also... obviously Milphey and he hadn't been having hot sex or whatever it was he'd suggested, but... for him to come up with such an obvious lie to cover up his actions, what was Kahlua's purpose for mixing with the people of Eden? Gateau stood up, not understanding.

 

He walked off towards Marron's little meditation room, supposing that that was as good a place as any to go and be, and plus the cat would likely be in there. The cat wouldn't suggest anything strange to him, or talk back... for the time being Gateau thought it'd be best to be a little bit alone.

 

On the other side of the door, Milphey watched Marron intently. He still slept, though now he really did seem to be sleeping as opposed to caught in some strange haze or anything. His expression looked more peaceful, and his position was more languid. Indeed he probably would wake up within the hour as Kahlua had said, but... any minute, any second Marron chose wouldn't be a moment too soon. Milphey sat stroking Marron's hair, waiting for any kind of sign... a little noise, a twitch, a flicker... just to prove that he could wake up, and that he would...

 

Milphey's expression fell as he thought back over Kahlua's words. Indeed, both senior Haz Knights had had many words with both Milphey and Cinnamon on the subject of love and relationships; Milphey never got the feeling those two quite had any idea what they were on about, really. Shiffon was friendly enough but Milphey couldn't really imagine Kahlua in a loving and/or sexual relationship as much as he could imagine a large inanimate statue taking part in the same... but those Haz Knights were older and likely they'd experienced a lot of things before Shallot did his own glowy thing, all that time ago. Whatever it was he'd done. It seemed that Shiffon and Kahlua had only wanted to protect Milphey and Cinnamon, but... whatever it was they said, it always seemed to be patronizing somehow. It was all well and good enough to say 'you shouldn't have relationships, you'll get hurt' and 'if you have sex you'll be preoccupied with things that are not important', but what did they know about things? While they may indeed have been teenagers once, that thought was probably long back in the dusty past of the Famille Empire. After all, Kahlua and Shiffon had seemed reasonably adult back when Milphey was a comparative child, from what he could remember...

 

He'd said to Kahlua that he could handle it, whatever 'it' happened to be. It wasn't as if he hadn't had lovers from this side of the Continent to the other and he liked to think that most of those had been good for their duration, all of that and he was certain that he balanced his duties as a Haz Knight alongside that... of course, he hadn't had much chance to get out and find a far-off sweetheart since the Sorcerer Hunters Big Mama had wanted him to keep an eye on had taken up base in Eden itself, but that was alright, it made a change to be able to stay at home for a couple of decades, and that was a nice change in itself.

 

They would all die eventually, though.

 

Milphey paused in his stroking of Marron's hair. They were young now, but times when they were younger seemed all too fresh to Milphey's mind, and either they would grow older with just as much speed, or, even worse to think about, they would have their lives snatched from them, and that would, unfortunately, be that.

 

Shiffon had said to Milphey once that he seemed to have an interest and enthusiasm for other humans that he and Kahlua lacked. Milphey had often wondered over that... certainly Milphey got involved with a lot more people, knew more people, loved more people, then the inevitable conclusion to that, lost more people too... but, Shiffon had said that with a kind of sad smile. Milphey had always wondered what that had meant, what that had been implying... perhaps Kahlua and Shiffon preferred not to get close to other humans for precisely the reasons they warned Milphey and Cinnamon away from the same things? After all, those two were so devoted in their servitude to Big Mama... perhaps she was really all they needed, or maybe she was all that they chose to need...

 

Those two aside, Milphey wasn't sure how his third companion managed it, though. Indeed, many had been the times the elder Haz Knights had tried to make ineffectual pushes to bring the two younger Haz Knights together, but while the thought was a sensible one (after all, they both had the same infliction of life upon them), it'd just never worked. Marron's current leanings notwithstanding, Milphey supposed he saw Cinnamon, for all their years together, as the sweet kind of sister he'd never had. Back in the distant past she'd indeed annoyed him, but then again he'd probably annoyed her too, both of them had been young and hot-headed in their earlier teenage years.

 

One time they'd even ended up in bed together, again, prodded in that direction by the influence of their elders. Milphey allowed himself a small smile as he recalled that night, and he could still recall it so clearly; at that time Milphey had been occupied in the aftermath of losing his first lover (his erratic behaviour after that event having been what persuaded Shiffon and Kahlua into finding - or at least coaxing him into - some sensible partnership. Milphey didn't want sensible, Milphey wanted tanned and beautiful and deep and sultry and not dead, but that wasn't really an open option) and the thought of sleeping with a girl, letalone Cinnamon, had been the last thing he wanted.

 

So they'd stayed up that night and had a nice long talk, nothing more than that. If anything, they'd never really talked like that before that night and so to that length it could have been seen as the birth of their still-ongoing friendship, but... only friendship, only an innocent trust and love, like that between brother and sister.

 

As far as Milphey was aware, Cinnamon was content with that. She never seemed to go out of her way to find lovers, Milphey wasn't even sure if she'd ever had previous lovers... he didn't know how she coped, but then, compared to some of the moods and emotions she'd seen reflected in his own relationships and actions, she'd often told him that she didn't know how he coped, either.

 

Milphey's expression tightened somewhat for focusing back on Marron once more. Some days, he himself wasn't really sure, either. The circle of birth, life, living, death... the cycle that he was so alien to... how did he cope?

 

"Hnnn... nn..."

 

"Oh! Marron-chan?"

 

A louder noise from Marron startled Milphey from his thoughts. Nevermind musing deeply on matters of life and death, there were more immediate things to be concerned with. Marron's eyes were twitching, now... he made another little sound, then his eyes opened, a blank expression revealed with them. He stared forward at the bed, his eyes open but not seeming to see anything... Milphey leant down and cupped Marron's cheek in his hand, "Marron-chan...?"

 

"Uhn... nn... n?"

 

Marron looked up. He retained his blank stare for a few moments longer, then on looking up at Milphey seemed to blink himself into some sort of coherence. Recognition dawned on his face, his expression softened, and he suddenly found himself back against the bed with Milphey wrapped tightly around him.

 

"... Mi... Milphey...?"

 

"Dammit, don't do things like that! You really scared me there!"

 

"... Like... like that...?"

 

Milphey pulled back quickly, supposing he might have been rushing things. If Marron found some things difficult to remember... he hadn't suffered any kind of memory loss or anything, had he? Milphey replaced his hand to Marron's cheek and gently tipped his head from side to side, inspecting him for something Marron wasn't sure about.

 

"You feel alright, don't you?"

 

Marron took a moment to consider this, "I feel... quite tired... a little displaced, I suppose. It..." Marron frowned, "... What day is it?"

 

"Surprisingly enough, it's still the fourteenth. Today really does feel a bit disjointed now, doesn't it? You need to get a decent amount of sleep tonight, bring yourself back into a suitable sleeping habit. I suppose you'll sleep well tonight if you keep this mood up!"

 

Confident that Marron was alright (apart from his understandable lethargy), Milphey sank back down onto the bed, his arms tight around Marron's chest. He really did feel warm, and there were no reactions to his skin or touch now. He was awake, and Milphey couldn't fight the warm relief inside him on knowing that fact... one arm remained around Marron's chest, the other reached up to hold the back of his head, his fingers holding in Marron's hair, feeling it's softness... there was a feeling there that Milphey couldn't put into words. At that moment, it was enough to be able to hold Marron like that, to feel his breathing and feel his warmth and he leant his head just a little closer to Marron's own, pressing his face to the top of Marron's head and inhaling the soft scent from Marron's hair. From that, Milphey fancied he could identify just the kind of soap Marron used... but that was a silly enough thought, soap tended to be soap wherever you were on the Continent and surely that was the end of it, but... well, it was only really that Marron's scent enough was pleasant rather than it's origin. Something delicate and warm about it, and about him.

 

To think that this delicate youth had dominated him so fiercely the night before was a surreal thought in itself. Marron had more issues than a weekly publication, and such delicate balances within his quite stunning body... it was quite sad to think about the lengths the boy would go to to literally prevent people being or becoming close to him.

 

Then despite that, the night previously, there had been sexual contact...

 

The thought of 'oh my god, I had sex with Marron Glacé' seemed to be dawning suddenly upon Milphey's conscience. Marron, the person so dedicated and devoted to his brother, who'd indeed devote every emotion possible to his sibling... and last night, he'd chosen to inflict his feelings to Milphey.

 

There were many more layers of meaning that could have been picked apart, but essentially... even if it was just for the brief moment it'd taken to lube up and slip it in before he could change his mind, he'd wanted that contact, that closeness, had wanted to do that, with Milphey.

 

Milphey wondered if he should feel so awed at that as he did. Probably not.

 

Marron lay so still and silent, still... he seemed to have little to say, seemed to be perfectly contented just to rest there with Milphey on top of him, hugging him surely just a little too tightly... if he was uncomfortable with the situation, the position, the contact... surely he'd say something about it, wouldn't he? Marron seemed to have almost endless patience, but... he didn't mind, did he?

 

Pressing a kiss to the top of Marron's head, Milphey tried to reign in the silly thoughts shooting suddenly around his head. If they had a relationship then it was one purely built on trust and possibly sexual release. Primarily Marron needed somebody he could trust, and trust about the feelings he had for his brother who was the person he was quite sure that he loved. Yes, that had to be kept in mind; physically Marron was having teething troubles, but as far as the mental went, Marron was as good as gone, and given to that confused brother of his.

 

Oh, and if Carrot were to ever reject Marron... Milphey closed his eyes, nuzzling Marron's hair. If Carrot were to ever end up hurting Marron, then, despite the duty placed upon him by Big Mama to protect her Sorcerer Hunters, all of her Sorcerer Hunters, Milphey wasn't sure if he could bring it upon himself to ever forgive the elder Glacé brother.

 

That was jumping ahead of the situation though, of course.

 

Still... tumultuous thoughts led to him speaking his train of thought, and Milphey found himself talking before he was even sure that was what he meant to do.

 

"... Marron... do you ever have feelings that you don't feel can be expressed in words?"

 

No response to that.

 

"Sometimes you get that feeling... and you just want to say something, do something, anything... but words aren't enough and you don't know quite what you wish to do with your body to express it... and it's just... there, and you're thankful for it, even though it's so mysterious... and you don't want it to go away, ever..."

 

"I don't express many of my feelings in words as it is..."

 

"No, but you know what I mean. Like if you're hungry, you can stand there and say 'I could really go for a steak right now'. Or if you're tired, 'I really need to sleep right now'... something that's not like that. Something where you look at the blue sky, and it's almost upsetting, but you're upset because you're overjoyed... something like that..."

 

Marron closed his eyes, a gentle smile that Milphey couldn't see in his current position alighting his face.

 

"Usually any similar feelings come about from my brother... those feelings need no more words than 'he is my brother'... it's something I feel I can still say. Despite all of the other feelings, when it's something so simple... it's as if he represents everything that I feel, and to see him happy and contented... that's the description of those feelings inside me, written on his body."

 

A momentary pause.

 

"A-at least, that's how I would currently describe it... it's something that sounds strange when you tell it to another person."

 

Milphey shook his head, feeling a slight wistful pull inside of him.

 

"No, no, it's alright. I was the one who started talking about things that are difficult in the first place. I envy you in a way, though... you're so contained in your feelings and you can easily look to Carrot-chan and say that he is what you feel, who you feel for, and why you feel... whoever would argue that, well, it can't be argued with. It just is. Right?"

 

"Mm."

 

"So... when I would be moved so greatly by feelings that are both small and wonderful... who's the person that moves me?"

 

Marron wasn't sure if Milphey's question was rhetorical or not, "You have somebody who you'd also think of in that fashion?"

 

Shifting on the bed, Milphey moved over so he could face Marron with a little more eye-contact. Looking into Marron's eyes, there was no light of recognition there... and indeed, things were too early to tell anyway. There wasn't any use in making a bigger deal of a situation than needed to be... Milphey just smiled and shook his head, still stroking his hand and fingers up and down Marron's neck and jawline.

 

"I couldn't say."

 

He leant forward and briefly pressed his lips to Marron's own, sealing that conversation silent with a kiss. His smile relaxed for the topic change he introduced with his next sentence.

 

"We should get out of this bedroom. We've been here all day, and you've had all kinds of naps and things, no wonder you don't even know what day it is anymore! We should maybe get some fresh air or something, don't you think?"

 

It seemed ironic for Milphey to be the one to suggest leaving, but Marron couldn't help but nod his agreement. It just didn't do to sit around naked all day, remaining in bed, napping... those things were lazy luxuries he didn't particularly want to get acquainted with. Leave sleep for night-time, then it would be that much sweeter when it could be savoured. Staying in bed and napping all day sounded more like something his brother would do than he himself... plus, aside from anything else, Marron couldn't deny that the air of the bedroom was just a little stuffy. Fresh air sounded a wonderful suggestion at that moment in time.

 

Milphey smiled, "It's tricky to come here without clothes, isn't it? Still, we have these nightshirts... it's not far to your bedroom, is it?"

 

"No..."

 

"Well then, you can pick up something to wear there then, can't you? Thennn, I think we should go down to the city. I haven't been down there for a while, and I feel like treating my cute little Marron-chan!"

 

Marron frowned, wondering to himself, "... 'my'...?"

 

"So, do you want to go? I mean, if you wanted to do something else for the day, then I wouldn't want to disturb you from that, or anything. However, I'm feeling quite partial to a bit of cake, so... perhaps you would want some too? I know lots of good places."

 

Supposing that there was no real reason to say no (and that it'd perhaps be a good idea to at least avoid Carrot for a little while after what happened last night), Marron nodded.

 

"Alright, I'll come with you."

 

Milphey clapped his hands together, "Oh, I am glad! Come now, then... let's hurry up and get washed and dressed and everything. Where shall we meet?"

 

"Ah..."

 

"Outside the main hall? That's as good a place as any, don't you think?"

 

Milphey seemed to be getting quite excited. Still, Marron thought to himself, that was Milphey's style... getting happy and excited about things, that was what he was like. There wasn't really anything there to question, so he allowed Milphey to dominate the conversation for as much as he felt he wanted to. The two of them headed towards the front door of the room, Marron having located his nightshirt from the night before and pulling it over his head as he walked.

 

"Indeed."

 

"So... how long does Marron-chan take to shower? How about we meet downstairs in... saay... about half an hour, is that alright?"

 

A singular nod, "That should be sufficient time."

 

The front door was now open; Milphey walked out of it and then held it for Marron, who followed him. Milphey wondered if Marron had noticed Gateau's head suddenly disappear behind the closest wall of the staircase nearby... Marron seemed to be gazing at the floor, probably not. Milphey's expression tensed momentarily on realizing that Gateau had probably been watching there all that time... what was he waiting for? What exactly was he after? Also, if he'd only just looked away then surely he saw Marron walk out of the room... perhaps it was another awkward situation.

 

Supposing that that couldn't be helped, Milphey allowed his former good humour to claim him once more, smiling back at Marron.

 

"Well, then! I'll see you in half an hour, then?"

 

"Yes..."

 

The two quietly walked along the corridor to Marron and Carrot's bedroom. Milphey held that door open for Marron too, and smiled at him as he walked inside. Seemed that Carrot wasn't in there... well, that was a good thing. If he was then it was quite likely that Marron would get preoccupied and be late... but then, as Milphey closed the door to the Glacé bedroom and heard footsteps along the corridor, he supposed there were things of his own that he might end up preoccupied with.

 

Perhaps Gateau would want a word with Marron first? Milphey purposefully turned his heel, pretending to have not noticed Gateau walking behind him. He carried on along the corridor, ready to take the left turn that would lead him to the corridor his own personal bedroom was contained in, then around that corner, Gateau decided to make his presence known.

 

"... Milphey, wait up!"

 

Milphey allowed himself to walk around the corner, then popped his head back to look down the previous corridor. Gateau caught up with him, Milphey carried on walking.

 

"What is it, Gateau-chan?"

 

"Why are you lying to me?"

 

Keeping his voice level, Milphey walked with his eyes closed and his arms held behind his back.

 

"I'm lying to you?"

 

"I saw you and Marron come out of that bedroom just now. You said you hadn't seen him all morning, but you obviously saw him 'cause he was in that bedroom with you!"

 

Turning to walk backwards for a few steps, Milphey opened his eyes.

 

"By the time we woke up, the morning was arguably gone... so I wasn't lying, I didn't see him all morning. I didn't see anybody all morning, I was comfortably sleeping."

 

Gateau's eyes narrowed, "Then why couldn't you have said 'I saw Marron a few minutes ago' or whatever? And why was that Haz Knight dude in the room? You knew I was looking for Marron, so you coulda just said..."

 

"And risk you jumping to conclusions again? I noticed you came to me first, this time. Didn't want to risk things with Marron again, did you?"

 

Frustrated with Milphey walking, talking and not looking directly at him, Gateau grabbed at Milphey's nearest wrist. Milphey came to a stop, pulled his arm from Gateau, then turned around. Not quite as far as his bedroom, but... far enough away from Marron's bedroom for him to not be able to directly hear if there was an argument of any kind, that would be enough. Milphey watched Gateau with a level stare, twisting a lock of hair between two fingers; Gateau just stared at him, and it seemed that he found Milphey's eyes too hard to keep constant contact with, he looked away.

 

"Yeah, well... what am I supposed to think? If it's not him obviously having been in a bedroom with you then it's you lying about him being there, and it's like... if you're lying about it, then isn't there something you're trying to cover up?"

 

"If it's something that he wouldn't talk about, it makes me consider if I should talk about it either. If you were to ask him he would barely admit that he spent the night with me, would he?"

 

Carrot's whinging from earlier echoed in Gateau's mind. It was alright to consider Marron and Milphey, and maybe it would turn out that they spent the night platonically (or at least, would they admit even if they hadn't?), but... Carrot wouldn't lie about what Milphey did to him, therefore, what was the point in that? Why had Milphey done that, and why so suddenly? Maybe it didn't have anything to do with him being with Marron... maybe Marron had left the room purposefully so Milphey could do those sorts of things, but...

 

None of it seemed to link together.

 

"So if you'd excuse me, I am in a little of a hurr-"

 

"What is your relationship with the Glacé family, Milphey?"

 

"-... That's a random question, isn't it? Well now, that depends on how you mean it."

 

"I mean, what's up with you sucking Carrot off in the night then running off to be with Marron?"

 

"Ah. So Carrot told you about that, then?"

 

"The guy was confused, and I really don't blame him! I mean... okay you're always flirting with Carrot, but it's not like you've ever... that's the furthest you've gone with him as far as I'm aware, and it's like... why? What made you do that suddenly? Then you run off to sleep with Marron whether that's sexually or not, and... well, I don't know. I just don't get it. Why would you do something like that? I mean, I know you're obviously hot for both of them, you've said as much before, but... if you're going to do things with the both of them then you shouldn't do it behind their backs, 'cause... well, I don't think it's so much as with Carrot, but... as far as I ever got with him... if Marron... if you are doing things like that with Marron, then... that obviously means he trusts you more than he ever trusted me, and god knows, it's hard enough to get him to trust anybody. So you shouldn't betray that trust by, y'know, molesting his brother in the dead of the night!"

 

"And if Marron knew of that?"

 

"He'd probably be pretty damn angry!"

 

"No, no. I mean, what if Marron knew of my actions already?"

 

Gateau frowned, looking slightly taken aback.

 

"He knows?"

 

"Oh, yes. He knows."

 

"... oh. Um. Okay... so, um... no, this isn't making any sense. Milphey, just explain things to me in words I understand, would you?"

 

Milphey stretched leisurely, "If you insist. Essentially, after a previous mission, Carrot-chan has been left with quite the amount of urges that can't quite be quietened by the touch of only his hand, if you know what I mean. So he's been quite frustrated, frustrated to the length that even Marron-chan was aware of his frustrations."

"... Right...?"

 

"Now, you're as aware as I am that Marron-chan would only want the best for his beloved brother, but it's not as if he can offer himself to ease Carrot-chan's lusty cravings. Which is where I came in. We were only working in Carrot-chan's best interests, but perhaps I should talk to him if he was indeed confused... I should explain things to him easily, it's just that I'd rather avoid him asking Marron-chan if the things I said were true, because... well, it's a subject that Marron-chan would be sensitive with."

 

"... Oh..."

 

"Now, as I was saying previously... I am in somewhat of a hurry, so... is that alright? There isn't anything else you want to know, is there?"

 

Gateau stared intently at the floor for a moment or two before looking up, "You... you're... sure that you're not the person who... who Marron loves, right?"

 

Milphey blinked then smiled, "Flattered as I would be if that were true, I can safely say that it isn't."

 

"And it's not me..."

 

"I think that's established fact by now."

 

"And it wouldn't be Carrot..."

 

"I couldn't say."

 

"Damn... he's such a confusing guy. Probably never find out just who he's so obsessed with..."

 

With that, Gateau turned tail and retreated back along the east corridor. Once he was confident that Gateau was far enough away, Milphey let out an exhausted sigh. That hadn't been easy. Still, he was quite proud with how he'd managed to deflect Gateau's curiosity, but even so... however, he trusted Marron enough to have the sense to play along with that glossing-over of the truth should either Gateau or Carrot ask about it. After all, it wasn't as if he'd specifically lied or anything, they had been working in Carrot's best interests... just, Marron had a more active role than Gateau or even Carrot would suspect. Then, the whole matter of him and Marron sleeping together... well, that had been a self-admitted accident, that had little bearing on any overall situation at all. Given Gateau's documented behaviour, it was all for the best, Milphey thought, that he didn't know about Marron's feral little urges.

 

Still, that was all in the past. As for the present, he had to take a shower and, more importantly, decide what to wear! A date with Marron-chan... Milphey giggled to himself as he approached his bedroom. It was probably a little forward to think of it in that style, but... on the other hand, it was quite an irresistible thought.