| ※ SUBMISSIONS >> NOVEL Tell No Secrets By Batpig and Mastress Alita ~~~~~ Title: Tell No Secrets Author's Notes: Be warned, this is definitely not for those with weak hearts. If seeing an uke go seme and vice versa causes you to go into a seizure, then by all means skip this one. A special thank you to Firestorm for saving our headaches and coming up with a great title. ~~~~~ "Oi~! Carrol! Sanbou-dono! Come and and join us! It's soooo nice and cool!" Carrol gazed down towards the sea, uninterested. "No, Lhodo. I really would like to pass..." He tugged slightly at his robe, letting some air in, though the warm and humid wind did not come in as useful as he'd hoped. He leaned back against the palm tree near where his party had set up camp and sighed. Summer was really not a favorite season of his, especially when he needed to keep that many clothes on. Being a half-angel hiding in the world of demons was really problematic. "You really should join them, Carrol, you'll probably die of heatstroke otherwise," Jade muttered from where he laid on a towel beneath a canopy not far away. "Or is it that you don't know how to swim and are too embarrassed?" "I'm really not interested in swimming, Sanbou-dono." Carrol tried to fan himself with his book, which he ended up not reading; the weather didn't allow for him to concentrate on the contents. "How about you, why won't you go? Leaving one person to watch over things should be enough. Normally I'd expect you to dive into this sort of activity." "Well... I sunburn easily," Jade said casually, hoping this would be a fitting excuse. He really had not wanted to take this trip in the first place, and had tried to convince Platina otherwise, knowing full well that fallen angels and locations that require one to be half-clad did not mix. Of course, once again Platina had stubbornly objected to his protests, and now he was stuck on the beach, hot and uncomfortable. Carrol glanced towards the green-haired man, fully dressed and sweating in his garment like he was. "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself too much... I'm guessing the beach is not your favorite place to be." Looking down at his lap, Carrol mumbled, "But Ouji is enjoying himself, and that's all that matters to you, isn't it?" "Hmm, well if it were my choice, we wouldn't have taken a vacation here. But Platina-sama has worked hard, some rest and relaxation will probably be good for him." Jade sighed, watching the others enjoying the surf. "I just wish he could've picked any /other/ place in Naraku to vacation..." "You are complaining, yet I see you didn't make much effort to stop him. Seems very atypical of you to spoil him like this." Carrol glanced into the horizon, a dazed expression fixed on his face. Suddenly, he noticed an unusual movement in the water. "A-- Sanbou-dono, isn't that Ouji--?" "Hmm?" Jade stood, looking out into the ocean, noticing the floundering figure which seemed to be caught in the waves and his own hair. In alarm, Jade immediately ran down to the coast, diving straight into the water, making his way toward Platina's struggling body. Carrol stood up slowly, his body nearly frozen in shock. He stumbled quietly across the sand and watched as Jade pulled the flimsy looking body of Platina out from the water, followed by Lhodo and Zil who seemed as equally stunned as he was. "H-- How is he?" he asked when he was near, his hand clutched on his robe. Jade smoothed the silver hair back away from Platina's face, feeling for his pulse on the side of his neck. "Not good," he said, strickin. He knelt down, pinching Platina's nose shut as he sealed his lips over the prince's, breathing deeply. His eyes wide open for a brief moment, Carrol stood still and watched the events unfold in front of him, as Jade lowered his mouth time after time onto Platina's. A few more breaths later, the pallid face began to color and a series of coughs emerged from the prince's gaping mouth, his eyelids opening slowly to reveal his exhausted blue eyes. "You idiot! You wouldn't listen to me when I protested this trip from the start!" Jade said, shaken. He gathered Platina into his arms, holding him there, stroking his hair. "Imagine the embarrassment if you died before the final battle because you drowned on a vacation!" "Mmm..." Platina could only manage a soft groan from his parched throat. "Water..." As Zil and Lhodo breathed a sigh of relief before rushing to fetch a canteen, Carrol snuck away, backing out from the small crowd that formed around the commotion. As if the weather wasn't already killing him... He made a low grumble as he dragged his feet to their camped tents. Even though it'd be much more humid in there, at least he could hide away and think things out... He reached his hand out to open the flap of the nearest tent, not caring whose it was. ~~~~~ After helping Platina up to drink and silencing his half-spoken apologies, Jade had taken the prince to his tent and made sure that he had been changed to dry pajamas and put to bed. He'd realized then how soaked his own clothing was; as much as he didn't want to leave Platina's side, he'd have to go change first. He headed back to his tent, feeling exhausted from the events, and the minute he had entered he quickly went about unzipping his black clothing and peeling the wet cloth off his body. Tossing it aside, he turned toward his dresser, opening it up to search for towels and dry clothing. Carrol hunched up quietly in the corner, unable to move as he noticed the green-haired man walk in. So he happened to pick Jade's tent... He grunted softly in his throat, bemoaning his luck. Then, as Jade began to strip the drenched clothing off himself, Carrol could feel his cheeks become completely hot as he tried to cover his eyes. Or rather... His eyelids lifted up cautiously, his face getting redder. Well, he really didn't mean to... Carrol thought, battling his conscience, glancing through the space between his slightly parted fingers. Suddenly, a sudden image caught his attention from the corner of his eyes. It only lasted a second, as Jade pulled up his shirt to cover it, but the shape and the look of it was so similar to the image imprinted in the back of Carrol's mind that he recognized it right away. He stood up, mouth wide open, forgetting completely his status as the intruder. "S-- Sanbou-dono... Those scars... You are an angel, aren't you!?" Jade jumped, turning around quickly, his fresh clothing still half-unzipped in the front. "W-- What are you doing in /my tent/?!" he demanded, his face red in both embarrassment and anger as he tried very, very hard to resist the urge to kill the mage. Carrol stepped in closer, gulping. "You... What is an angel doing, working under the prince of Hell?" He nearly choked at the irony of his own question, but he tried to keep his composure. "W-- What?! You are talking nonsense, you must be seeing things!" he said defensively, still obviously flustered. "I saw those scars. The shape and the length -- they can't be anything else but wing scars." Carrol took a deep breath to control himself, relishing the sudden emergence of his luck. "If you think I am mistaken, would you care to let Ouji see your back?" He came over, grabbing Carrol sharply by the shoulders as he hissed, "If you tell /anyone/ I will personally see to it that you will never be able to speak again." "You know you can't do anything. What will Ouji think if he finds his follower dead, supposedly while on vacation away from where there are angels... Oh." Carrol shook Jade's grasp away and stared at him intensely. "I suppose I can't help but question your motives, Sanbou-dono, though..." He paused and took a sharp breath. "Right now, I won't tell anyone..." "'Right now'? /Right now/?" Jade clenched his fists involuntarily, biting his lip a little. "I'm not going to play games with you about this, Carrol!" "But what do you expect me to do? As a follower, I have to do what is in Ouji's best interest, and I'm not sure allowing an angel to be his advisor would qualify as that. Though I really have no basis in suspecting you for malicious intentions, as today you have shown..." Carrol clenched his hands. "You have shown your loyalty to him, but I still am not convinced." "And what would convince you?" He narrowed his eyes and looked away, fidgeting slightly but hoping it wasn't noticed. This was /not/ how things should turn out. He knew he should've trusted his instinct about staying away from large bodies of water. "Hmmm... I do wonder..." The words came softly through his lips. Carrol grinned slyly, satisfied to see the normally patronizing Jade looking so uneasy. It was obvious now who had the upperhand. "Sanbou-dono, how much are you willing to do to prove to me that I can trust you?" Jade let out a deep sigh, running his hand back through his wet green hair in frusteration. "Depends on if the terms are completely ludicrous or not." He grumbled under his breath, "What do you have in mind? I cannot... I cannot lose Platina-sama's trust to something like this." Carrol bit his lip to control his surfacing emotion provoked by Jade's last comment. "First of all, until I feel more assured, I do not want to see you be too close around Ouji. I must be around or nearby if you get too near to him. This is for his safety, I'm sure you understand. This is so I can see to it that you won't do anything... funny... to him. Can you accept this?" "Hmph." Jade did not look too happy about this, but muttered, "Fine. If you want to play baby-sitter, go ahead." "In addition, you must obey my commands. If you don't, I will assume that you are not serious in trying to earn my trust, thus not earnest in your claim of loyalty to Ouji, and I will have to regretfully reveal your identity. You will also not take orders from Ouji unless I approve of them. You may have influenced him through your education, and I can't risk the chance that you might have manipulated him into doing exactly what you want." "/What/!? Oh, now that's absurd!" Jade protested. "I'm Platina-sama's sanbou, following his orders is my job!" "Like I said, I wouldn't know how much of what Ouji thinks has already been manipulated by you -- you raised him since he was born, after all. You are an angel, I don't believe you have genuine good will towards him. It's necessary that I help Ouji make his judgment to ensure his safety... or else..." Carrol looked up, staring at Jade with his piercing eyes. "For instance, you could have told him what a wonderful place the sea is, making him want to come. Then you go along with his order, saying that you are his sanbou so you have to follow his will. But in your mind, you know too well that his weak body would not last in the heat of the sun, and he would have a high chance of drowning in the water... Am I right?" "But I did nothing but discourage this trip from the very start. For these very reasons." Jade crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. "But you weren't so convincing when you were discouraging him, were you? Normally, you wouldn't spoil him so much. Don't look so offended, Sanbou-dono. I'm just worried about Ouji's safety like any loyal follower would. At any rate, would you agree to my deal, or should I regrettably break it to Ouji what his sanbou really is?" "Nnnn... Don't do that." He looked pained to say those words. "Though I still think it is absurd, if I intended danger to Platina-sama I wouldn't have saved him earlier, thus soaking my clothing and causing this whole mess to begin with. Of course, not like I expected a voyeur in my tent, either." His purple eyes narrowed at Carrol. Carrol darted his eyes away from the glare, scratching his head. "Well... suppose you did all that just to make him grateful to you, making him more susceptible to your control?" He thought about Jade's accusation against him, trying to figure out a way to divert from it, until suddenly it gave him an idea. "Also, as an extra safety measure, I request for you to sleep in my tent. This way, I could always keep an eye on you when everyone else is asleep." Jade was silent for a long moment, before replying, "Carrol, you are /really/ pushing it. If you really didn't trust me that much, you could always seal my tent with magic at night. Something /I/ should've done when I left to keep peeping mages out." "Ah, are you saying that because you know that your magic is more powerful than mine and you can break my seal any time, Sanbou-dono? After all, you are an angel, and I'm..." Carrol paused, catching himself. "I'm just a lowlife demon, isn't that so?" He let out a mocking sigh. "Well... You've probably made a good point on that though, it's for my own safety as well that I seal your tent." "The way you come sneaking into my tent and then demand I stay in yours gives the impression you are trying to catch me naked, Carrol." Jade smirked and then turned to leave. "Are you done? I need to go check on Platina-sama." Carrol sneered to himself. <For now...> he thought. "Well, I suppose I should go with you too. You mind, Sanbou-dono?" "Oh, of course not!" Jade said in a sarcasticly enthusiastic tone. "Please, follow around the angel, for he may just breath wrong!" "As you wish," Carrol smiled fakely, before following Jade out. ~~~~~ Night gradually fell, and as the sky darkened, the once bustling beach was slowly vacated, until there was no one left besides the silver prince and his followers, seated casually around the crackling campfire. There were merry noises of bantering and laughter coming from the five seated around the fire, except for Zil, who quietly in his corner twisted the stick in his hand gently to make sure that all sides of his marshmallow were coated with even, perfect brownness. As Lhodo teased Zil while drinking from her bottle, Carrol turned to Jade, a cynically cheerful smile painted on his face. "Ah, Sanbou-dono, I'm out of water. Would you mind getting some more from the supply tent for me?" Jade sighed; he'd just sat down and gotten comfortable next to Platina. His eyes narrowed as he stood up, wordlessly heading to the tent. He almost wished he had something nasty to put in that water, and it hadn't been the first time that day he had thought such things about the blue-haired mage. He could hardly stand following Platina's orders; this was simply killing him. Lhodo and Platina's eyes followed Jade curiously, before turning to Carrol, expressing a confused silence. As Jade returned, Carrol grinned. "Thank you so much Sanbou-dono, you are too kind... kind as an angel." Jade pulled up a hand as if to cast a spell, then painfully forced it back down to his side. "Please do not make such comparisons to our enemy," he forced out through gritted teeth, seating himself beside Platina once more. "Sorry, I was only repeating an old saying. I hope I didn't offend you." Carrol took a sip from his glass before setting it down behind him. "Though it must be very old as I've... yet to come across a real kind angel, seeing that most are out to murder us. What do you think, Ouji? Could there be such a thing as a kind angel?" "Well, I think so... There are cruel demons, and kind demons, so I don't see why there aren't kind angels as well as cruel ones," Platina said as he pulled back his spit, looking annoyed that the marshmallow on the end was engulfed in flames. Jade looked over at Carrol with gleaming eyes and a smirking expression brought on by Platina's response. Carrol stared up at Jade blankly, before he coughed. "You think so kindly of others, Ouji. Sanbou-dono must have taught you well." Jade coughed back. "Actually, I've always told Platina-sama that he shouldn't be so naive and compassionate. Isn't that right?" Platina nodded, looking between the two, wondering what was up with their strange expressions. Carrol cast his eyes down, hiding a smile under the shadow of his hat. "At any rate, don't you think that our night here is a little dull? So far we've only sat and talked. I propose we do something more entertaining, you would agree, right, Lhodo?" "Che, I've been waiting for that!" She giggled, tapping Zil's back lightly. "Come on! How much longer are you going to spend roasting that piece of marshmallow? Speak up and have fun! We're at the beach!" She turned to look at the other three quizzically. "What should we do though?" "I propose..." Carrol tried his best to suppress the coming bursts of laughter. "That since Sanbou-dono is the planner of this trip, he should put on a show for us." He could take it no longer. Standing, he went over and grabbed Carrol by the front of his robe. He leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I'd rather die as a treacherous angel." Carrol's heart began to race, a mixture between surprise from the sudden attack as well as the fact that the green-haired angel's face was so close to his. He gulped, pushing himself away from the grasp. "No need to be so serious about it, Sanbou-dono. It was merely a suggestion." "...Jade, are you alright?" Platina asked, his eyes expressing a mixture of bewilderment and confusion. He released Carrol, turning around and putting on his best innocent expression. "Ah, fine, fine, Platina-sama!" He returned back to his place. "You should tell your subordinate to not make such a horrible joke, it isn't funny." "Speak for yourself," Platina grumbled. "At any rate, well..." He scratched his head embarrassedly, not sure whether or not to speak his mind. "I rather think it's a pretty good suggestion..." "I second that!" Lhodo stood up, excited, clearly getting tipsy from the sake she snuck in. "Come on, loosen up a bit! I'll go after you." "Hmph, seems everyone else agrees with my little suggestion." Carrol smirked. "Why don't you sing us a song? I'm sure your voice is very... angelic." Jade hissed. "/No/." "Aww come on, can't you do it? It's only a little request from me. Look, even Ouji wants you to do something too." Carrol patted Jade's shoulder. "Don't good loyal servants always follow their master's command?" "How about we have a magic contest instead? The one left alive wins," Jade said bitingly, glaring. "That wouldn't be too good for our cause, would it, if everyone dies?" Carrol moved his hand to rest it on Jade's shoulder, pulling the back of his collar slighly away from his body. "What do you say? Can you accomplish this little request, or not?" "I was referring to me and you, because I think one of us is going to get killed here, and I don't plan on it being me," Jade muttered quietly to Carrol. "Alright, stop," Platina broke in, separating Carrol and Jade. "I don't know what you two are doing, but it doesn't look good to me. If you really don't want to sing, Jade, it's okay." He yawned. "Besides... I think I'm getting tired..." "If Ouji wishes, I won't press him any further." Carrol backed away, smirking a little. "A pity, though, his singing voice must be heavenly." Platina turned to Jade's direction, blushing slightly as he tugged at the sanbou's sleeve. "I want to go to bed now... Can you come with me?" "Of course, Platina-sama. You must be exhausted after what happened earlier today." He turned, throwing Carrol a triumphant look over his shoulder as he started to guide Platina back to his tent. "Wait a second," Carrol coughed. "Sanbou-dono, don't you remember that you can't do that?" "Carrol?" Platina's eyes lifted. "What do you mean?" "If I remember correctly, Sanbou-dono has other duties tonight, and he won't be able to accompany you to your bed, Ouji. Am I right, Sanbou-dono?" "You really expect me to deny the wishes of the Prince?" Jade looked incredilous, hoping Platina would notice the expression. "Well... You said you were going to do it, didn't you? If you don't act upon your words, bad things may happen. Bad things you don't want to happen..." "Urgh." Jade turned to Platina. "Platina-sama, may I request to retire early tonight?" Platina frowned, clearly disappointed and crushed. "It's fine Jade, if what you need to do is really important..." He turned away. "Zil, can you come with me instead?" he requested, to which the silent man nodded in reply. As the area became vacated, and only Carrol and Jade were left standing next to the gradually dying campfire, Carrol whispered, satisfied, "He seemed disappointed. You really shouldn't break his heart like that." "You /made/ me. And if Zil ruins his hair, I'll just have one more reason to kill you," Jade replied back angrily. "Waking up with bad hair is still better than letting an angel poison him in his sleep," Carrol pointed out, turning away from him. "Though I suppose perhaps I shouldn't question you so much... You being so devoted to him and all..." He let out a heavy sigh. "You really don't trust my intentions with him, do you?" "No!" Carrol turned back abruptly, raising his voice unintentionally. "And until I can figure out your intentions towards him, I will not let you have it easy. You will have to do what I say... until I say so!" Jade sighed. "If your mind is set, it isn't like I can convince you otherwise. Goodness, such a burning hatred of angels you have. Which is interesting, considering you wear the mark of one around your neck." Jade reached over, grabbing Carrol's cross and yanking on it, pulling Carrol toward him with the motion. "A special bounty, I suppose?" "My hatred for angels began since the day I was born." His face red, he snatched the cross from Jade's hand. "What this is... Is none of your business." "I believe the scars on my back were none of your business, too." "I agree. They should be more of Ouji's business rather than mine. Would you prefer to show them to him?" Jade grabbed Carrol by the arm, his purple eyes piercing those of the other. "It isn't his business either." "Oh really? It isn't his business that his closest advisor is an angel? Pardon me, but I think that is rather absurd." Carrol glanced downwards. "I'm actually doing you a favor here... Normally, anyone else would have turned you in, but I'm giving you the opportunity to redeem yourself. Instead of being hostile, shouldn't you be thankful?" "Hmph." For once he couldn't argue; Carrol was right, had it been Lhodo or Zil, they certainly would've revealed his identity. But it still didn't make sense that Carrol would not do so immediately either... "If you don't mind me asking, if you loathe angels as much as you have said, why didn't you turn me in, then, instead of making me go through this torment?" "That is..." Carrol's face turned completely red, trying to suppress his urges. "Because... Because I'd rather see you suffer, that is why," he hissed. "That's what you deserve." He paused to take a deep breath. "Now please return to your tent so that I may seal it before I retire to my own tent." "As you wish," Jade said, giving an overexaggerated, mocking bow. Carrol pushed Jade in the direction of the tent, his eyes lingering as Jade walked through the entrance and closed it behind him. "Don't try anything funny now..." He sighed as he sealed it. "Otherwise," he stuttered, scratching his blushing cheeks, "I will really make you sleep in my tent so that I can watch you." "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Jade shouted behind himself to be heard outside of the shut entrance. Carrol did not answer. He only cast his head down and lowered his hand to his side when the spellcasting was done and headed silently back to his own tent. ~~~~~ "Good morning Sanbou-dono!" Carrol poked his head into Jade's tent, flashing an unusually cheery smile on his face. "Please get up!" Jade let out a grunt from the bed. "If you haven't forgotten, we are on /vacation/. Vacation means sleeping in. Go away." He turned over, his eyes still closed. "But Sanbou-dono, the sun is up!" Carrol pointed out in the horizon where the sky was slightly reddened from the rising sun. "I'm surprised, you are usually the one who would get up at this hour and force everyone else awake. Vacation shouldn't be an excuse to slack off." Jade rolled back over, opening his eyes, propping himself up in bed slightly. "Carrol, the very definition of 'vacation' is 'time away from work granted for rest and relaxation.' I definitely have not gotten any relaxation yet, at least let me get some rest." Carrol smirked. "Don't forget the vacation can be called off anytime. I'm sure everyone will be all alert if I tell them I found an angel lurking in our camp." "Mph." With a grumble Jade pulled himself from the bed, brushing his messy hair back with his hand. "You just aren't going to stop rubbing that in over and over, are you?" "Ah, but it's the truth, isn't it?" He grinned. "Say... Though it's my turn to cook breakfast today, would you mind taking my place? I feel a little sore today." Jade glared at him. "I don't cook breakfasts. I have to wake Platina-sama up and brush his hair, and breakfast should be ready and waiting for him when I'm done." "Zil could do that for you. He didn't seem to do too bad last night... I think. Or if you really are worried about his hair, Lhodo can probably do it as good as you can. But if no one cooks, Ouji will be hungry. Right, Tenshi-dono?" "If /I/ cook, Ouji will die," Jade replied flatly. Carrol scratched his head, realizing that perhaps that statement may not be an exaggeration of Jade's cooking abilities. "Perhaps you are right. I never know what you could be poisoning the meal with. A shame, I've always wanted to see what you would look like in an apron." Turning his face sideways, he let out a soft chuckle. "Well, perhaps you could help me go buy some ingredients then? I believe we are out of salt." Jade dropped his face to the palm of his hand. "You /completely/ missed the point." With a deep sigh, he waved his hand at Carrol in a shooing gesture. "Fine. Whatever. Just leave me be so I can get dressed." "So eager to get rid of me? It's not like I have not seen everything... Or perhaps I haven't. Are you hiding a tail somewhere too? Maybe you are not only an angel, but also an Aprasas?" Snickering to himself, Carrol left the tent. ~~~~~ Several minutes later Jade emerged, looking as immaculate as always. "You really need to stop trying to be funny. You are terrible at it," he said, giving Carrol a look as he replied to his earlier statement. "Merely a taste of your own medicine, Sanbou-dono." With a grin pasted on his face, Carrol curtsied. "By the way, it seems Lhodo couldn't get up. Zil was already up so I told him to wait on Ouji in your place. I hope you don't mind me making that decision." "Carrol, last time I checked, Zil was not Platina-sama's sanbou." Not that his words of protest would make any difference anyway. "I believe Ouji should be awake in an hour or so. If you don't hurry to the market there won't be food for him." He produced a shopping list and pushed it onto Jade. "Besides salt, we need a little bit more vegetables, meat, and sauces. I hope you don't mind buying those as well." Jade sweatdropped, grabbing the list forcefully, wrinkling it in his hand. "Look, I'll do your shopping, but I'm not cooking." "Oh, I understand. Thank you for being so generous and helping me, Sanbou-dono. I shall eagerly await your return." Carrol gave a little bow before sitting down leisurely. Jade let out a sigh, thankful for an excuse to get away. He'd just barely woken up and he already was ready to strangle a certain someone. He seriously wasn't sure he'd make it through the day at this rate. Carrol watched as Jade became out of his sight before breathing a heavy sigh. Perhaps what he was doing was too much... Effectively, he had driven Jade away from him more than ever before. But what else could he do? He blushed deeply as he let out another long sigh. The two of them... They were so close. Nothing he could do could ever break them apart. For as long as he held this power over Jade, Carrol wished to make him suffer as much as he had. There was a sound of a clearing throat behind Carrol, breaking his thoughts. "Carrol, have you seen Jade? I haven't seen him all morning." "Ah, Ouji, you are up?" Immediately, he rose and gave the prince the customary bow. "Good morning, Ouji. As for Sanbou-dono, he is away right now." Platina let out a long sigh. "What is he doing that is so important? ...He didn't even come brush my hair this morning." "Oh... since we are out of groceries for cooking, Sanbou-dono went to the market. But Zil brushed your hair in his place, right? He did a... pretty nice job. An interesting change of hairstyle you have, Ouji." Carrol sweatdropped. He could never understand Zil's artistic visions. Platina's reddened cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "He is my sanbou, it is his job to attend to such things." A sinister thought crossed Carrol's mind, but he covered it up with an innocent smile. "Well... I guess he assumed anyone else could do it." Platina looked a little put-out. "Do you... think so?" Carrol shrugged. "I don't know. Though he did say Zil could take his place." "Maybe... Maybe he's just tired. I guess I probably am a bit demanding, and this is a vacation... so I suppose he needs a vacation from his sanbou duties as well," Platina said softly, trying to ascertain some reason for Jade's sudden odd behavior. "I suppose so..." Carrol intentionally dragged his voice, observing Platina's uncomfortable expression. "I mean, why else would he start neglecting his duties to you...? Ah, pardon me, I think I should go and start on the breakfast preparation." He stood up and brushed some sand off himself. "W-- Well... I guess I'll let him enjoy his vacation then," Platina stated, though he couldn't quite hide the pout on his face. "I guess since he isn't here to keep everyone in line, I should go wake Lhodo..." He turned to leave, obviously not too happy about the absense of his sanbou. Carrol turned to watch the prince leave, his heart heavy. Ouji was clearly hurt, and he really didn't want to do that to him. He sighed as he headed towards the campfire area, which he would use as a makeshift kitchen. In the past, he did nothing but lie and cheat to get what he wanted, and this was no different. Perhaps, once Jade was back, he could try to be a little nicer. Afterall, though he took advantage of Jade for it, the fact that Jade was also an angel filled his heart with a glowing feeling of warmth. ~~~~~ A few hours later Jade finally returned with the food in tow and a sour expression on his face. He'd actually gotten extra so that getting groceries would not be something that would have to be done for a long, long time. He placed it all on the table with a loud thud, then sat down, taking a deep breath. "I do hope you give me at least five minutes before you send me to do some other chore during our vacation period." "Ah, thank you..." Carrol smiled to himself as he began to pick through the contents of the groceries. "Unless you'd like to help me prepare the meal, please just relax and do whatever you want." Jade arched his eyebrows suspiciously. "All right, what are you up to?" "Eh? Nothing. I sincerely want you to relax and enjoy your vacation, that's all." "...You think I'm going to believe that? You didn't..." he trailed off, his eyes widening in alarm. He must have revealed his secret when he was away, and was now playing nice to further rub it in when the others noticed his return... Carrol let out a heavy sigh. "If you think I've exposed your secret, no, I have not. I wouldn't resort to such a low after you have cooperated so well with me. Can't you believe that I can be sincere too?" "Sincerity, when you have taken such sadistic pleasure in causing me anguish this entire trip...?" Jade grumbled, dropping his head down to the table. After pausing for a long moment, Carrol frowned and turned away. "Well then, if you don't seem to want to relax, perhaps you'd really like to do chores for me? I'd really need help with chopping the onions." "Nnn... No, please... that's okay." He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'll savor the small amount of time you'll allow me." "In that case, please go ahead and enjoy your free time. I highly recommend you to see Ouji's new hairstyle. Zil did a rather stunning job, I'd say." "/What/?" Jade shot straight up from the table at this news, giving Carrol a "this is all your fault" look as he did so. "...Though I don't know how much he'd appreciate seeing you." Carrol grinned deviously. "He seemed a little upset that you've been neglecting him. Last I heard, he's been bonding quite well with Zil now. Earlier, Zil was taking him out to sketch the scenary. They'll probably be back just about in time for the meal." "You're making me neglect him!" He slunk back down to the table with a sigh. "You should just tell him; it'd be about the same difference at this rate." Carrol paused, glancing at Jade silently. "Is it really that important for you... to be with him?" "It's my job. He depends on me," he replied simply. "Very devoted to your job, aren't you?" Carrol remarked flatly. "I wonder what it could be that would make an angel like you so committed to the cause of the Prince of Hell." Jade thought for a moment about what would be the most convincing lie, then decided on, "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps by doing so it might create a better future for the angels here? That we are not trusted, and must hide our identities just to keep from being hunted by the demons... That maybe we would like that to change?" It sounded pretty damn good, he thought. Carrol choked, nearly dropping the knife in his hand. Of course, that must be it. All angels and half-angels who were stranded in the Abyss must only think of the same goals. He nearly slipped out a smile. Ah... so Jade was definitely on his side. In other circumstances, he would have revealed himself. In this case, it would mean giving up his advantage, so all Carrol did was chuckle lightheartedly. "I guess that does make sense." "Does this mean you will trust me now?" "Hmmm," Carrol mused, dragging his voice. "Isn't one of the golden rules of Hell to trust no one but ourselves? Especially angels, Sanbou-dono, because these creatures do nothing but lie and cheat here. While you make an interesting point, I'd rather keep my guard up and be safe than sorry." Jade made an incoherent grumble as he hid his face down into his arms on the table. He wondered just how long Carrol would drag out this agony... No, he didn't want to think about that. "Though I suppose, as long as you keep doing what I say obediently, I'll eventually let the matter slip... Maybe." "You say I must be evil for being an angel, but I think you are proving to be the evil one," Jade said as he looked up slightly, glaring with his purple irises. "I'm just doing my duty. Isn't that normal?" Carrol shrugged, before scooping the vegetables and meat he was chopping into a bowl. "I'd better go cook this soup now, or we'll never get any food today." As he lifted the pot, he turned to Jade, his face colored lightly as he gave a tiny smile. "In all honesty, though you are an angel, your ideal seems noble. Perhaps I may be pushing things a bit far... Perhaps we can talk about it sometime in a civil manner, Sanbou-dono." With that, he quickly turned around and sped away. ~~~~~ Jade had had enough. He'd finally been granted to fix Platina's hair, but Platina had been very cold to him, and it was obvious he wasn't happy, and it wouldn't do for him at all for the prince to be unhappy with him. And to make matters worse, Carrol was constantly poking jokes with subtle hints about him and demanding him to do menial tasks, as if just to enjoy getting to tell him to do them. When the blue-haired priest had sat down to read a book after giving him yet another silly request, he had taken the opportunity to slip away for a little while. He leaned back against the tree from the branch he had gotten comfy on and let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps he'd finally have a chance to rework in his head how he could regain Platina's attentions. "Sanbou-dono! Where are you?" The loud call preceeded sounds of footstep heading towards Jade's direction. Out from the shadow stepped Carrol, turning in different directions in search of the runaway officer. His ears caught the sound of breathing coming from behind the tree off to his right. He stepped up to it quietly, grinning. "My, do angels always like to lurk in trees?" "Eeeh... I just wanted to relax for a moment, I found it a nice view!" he defended, looking down at Carrol a bit annoyed. There just seemed to be no escape. "I'm sure the view of darkness through those leaves must be gorgeous. I'd hate to interrupt you, but please come down and return with me." Jade bit his lip, then reluctantly slid down from the tree, choosing to not make a comment for a change. Carrol started in the direction of the camp, before turning to face Jade. "Something bothering you?" "You mean other than the fact my entire life is turned upside-down because a certain someone was hiding behind my bed? No, of course not," he replied back tartly. "It was your own doing, Sanbou-dono. If you have a secret you want to keep, you should hide it better." Carrol bit his finger in thought, a question lingering in his mind. "Say, Sanbou-dono... Why are you so worried about being found out anyway? Ouji has so much trust in you he'd most likely not care what you are." "I kept that secret well, it isn't like I normally have unexpected visitors in my tent. Had I not been so distracted due to Platina-sama's near-fatal condition, I would've thought to seal it." He paused, sighing. "But... any angel would worry about being found out. It would only make survival in the Abyss even more miserable than it already is. And it would only look bad for Platina-sama if somehow it was found that his own sanbou was the very scum of Hell; no one would support him for the throne then." "Hmmm? Then the fact that I found out about it is not helping at all, is it?" Carrol stopped, his head bent down. "To me, it seems so strange that you are so devoted to him. Even as you say it is for the benefit of your own kind, I can't bring myself to believe that it is the only reason." He sighed, biting his tongue. "Don't lie to me, Sanbou-dono. There's more than that to it, isn't there?" "No, there isn't. I stay close to the prince to achieve my own needs." "Really?" Carrol asked, his voice raising. "Really, Sanbou-dono? You're risking your life in the territory of those who think of you as an enemy. You routinely participate in the hunting and murdering of your own kind. And to protect your identity, you are willing to follow the commands of a person who knew your secret, not questioning at all why those commands needed to be followed. For a shrewd and calculating man like you, I honestly can't believe you are doing all this just to benefit others." He stopped to take a breath and, hiding away from Jade's view, clutched his burning chest. "Something more important for you is at stake, isn't it? Something... that only Ouji can grant you..." "That's... one way to put it." Jade smirked. His words were true, even if the believed reason behind them was not. His identity may have been discovered, but he'd be hard-pressed to ever give out what his "own needs" were exactly. Carrol tried to slow down his breath to control the sudden surge of jealousy welling up inside him. It seemed to him like he had no other choice, but to make his final negotiation. "Sanbou-dono... I will only ask you to do one more thing, and I swear on my life that I will never bring it up again." He took a deep breath and turned around, the determined amethyst eyes fixed on Jade's. "You must back down from your position as Ouji's sanbou." Jade glared daggers at Carrol. "I'd rather deal with your torment for the rest of my days! I will not do that. That was my appointment from the King of the Abyss, and my duty to the prince." The comment only provoked Carrol more. "In that case, I will go tell him what you truly are. See if he will still keep you then!" Heatedly, he turned around and began marching away. Jade had reached his limit. Chasing Carrol, he flew at him, tackling him to the ground. "You will do no such thing!" "Let me go!" Carrol yelled, pushing and hitting Jade to no avail, as the angel's strength was overpowering his. In his rage, he raised one of his hands and started to summon a spell. Jade captured his wrists and held them tight in the ongoing struggle, until he'd finally wrestled the smaller man below him, pinning him on the ground. "You pushed it too far." Carrol let out a low grunt as his body was forced down, his wings mercilessly smashed to the rocky ground. His eyes flared angrily at Jade. "What are you going to do about it then, kill me? You'd really go that far just to be with him, wouldn't you?" "I don't want to see Platina-sama made upset, but it really seems you are leaving me no choice." He released Carrol's hands so that he could wrap his own around the other's throat. "Just what were you doing in my tent, to cause this whole mess in the first place? You have evaded that question this whole time." "Ugh!" Carrol choked. Even though his hands were free, he felt the energy quickly drained from them as he looked up into Jade's menacing eyes. "I..." he gasped. His mind began to feel hazy. It wouldn't matter anymore, now that his life was ending... He stuttered through choked tears, "I... I love you, Sanbou-dono..." "/What/?" His hands loosened their grip as his eyes went wide with shock, his face coloring slightly. "Is... Is that the best you can come up with for a shock-factor distraction to get away?" he asked with a raised voice, though the words shook slightly from the sudden increase to his heartrate. The brief release on his neck allowed air to enter Carrol's lungs, allowing him to breath slightly. He coughed, unable to look at Jade. "Can't you see?" he whimpered. "I can't stand it, you and him being so close. I have no chance but to try every way that my power would allow to separate you two, giving me hope even for a brief moment that I have a chance..." He sighed. "Why won't you just kill me now? If you let me live, I /will/ tell Ouji on you. I can't bear seeing you with him any longer..." Jade blinked, stunned. "I told you that I am his sanbou, nothing more." Carrol spat, "If you're going to kill me, at least you can spare me the lies! Why else are you so concerned about being found out? You said so yourself you didn't want people to look at him negatively because of you. And the way you rescued him that day... you are fooling no one, Sanbou-dono. Blame yourself for it. If I hadn't been so upset that day and had to hide myself away, in your tent by chance, your little secret would never have been exposed!" "So, you'd rather your ouji had drowned then? Would you have not done the same to save him? That has no bearing on romantic liaisons as you seem to be implying." "That's beside the point. Zil and Lhodo were much closer, yet it was you who reached him first..." "He is my responsibility. Not my lover," Jade said simply. "Well then..." Carrol exhaled, shutting his eyes in embarassment as he tried to absorb everything. "I was a fool, wasn't I?" His voice trailed off, his eyes blinked open. "Well, what will you do with me now?" "You tell me, you seem to be liking giving orders... What do I have to do to keep you quiet?" Only one thing came up in Carrol's flustered mind. His face flashed completely red as he struggled to keep himself composed. He said it out in one shaky breath, "Kiss me..." "Eh?" Jade sat back, releasing him. He knew his face must've been embarrassingly red, as he could feel the heat in his cheeks, hear his heartbeat in his head. "B-- But you hate angels! You said you've hated them since you were born!" "I have my reasons. But... That is a different matter." Seeing that he was finally released, Carrol slowly pulled himself to sit up, his face kept downwards to hide his embarrassed expression. "In truth, I can't tell you why, but let's just say I have a strong feeling of attachment to them, regardless of my resentment. What I said that time was to provoke you. I'm sorry." Jade was silent, not knowing what to say; he didn't even really know what to think, let alone try to come up with words. In the course of twenty-four hours he'd been revealed, gone through torment, and now he was being told said torment was caused by jealousy from a secret admirer. It was all a bit much, even for him. "...So, you're serious?" he finally managed to get out. Carrol kept his head hung low. "What else do you think it could be?" he let it out in a whisper. He wished Jade had killed him already so he didn't have to go through this. Jade scratched at the back of his neck, running his hand through the green hair, wondering what he should do at this point. "Well... If it will end my torment... And... yours, then..." He reached over, grabbing Carrol's arm to pull him over. Carrol's eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks growing hotter, as he was pulled in. He kept his confused eyes on Jade's, unbelieving what was happening. Slowly, he took it all in as his eyelids lowered, and he reached out his arms in return. Not one to prolong the moment more than necessary, Jade pushed Carrol's chin up, then pressed his lips against the priest's. His heartbeat sounded unbelievably loud in his head, his face burned, but he knew it was out of embarrassment and being flustered more than anything else. "Nnn..." Carrol reciprocated the kiss, relishing every second that he had for so long coveted. Taken in by the moment, he wrapped his arms tightly around Jade, pulling the angel's body into a tight embrace. "Mnph!" This he had not expected. He thought he could easily get away with a quick kiss from what he /thought/ was a shy and submitting person. He pulled his bright red face away, but could not escape completely from the iron-hard hold on his body. "W-- What was that?!" "Hmm?" Carrol gave Jade a bored look. "You really think that just a little kiss would help me keep that big a secret? Forget it. Your fault for showing your vulnerability." He pressed up his lips against Jade, more forceful this time. "Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it either..." "You... really are the evil one..." Jade got out between breaths, his head cast down and pushed to the side so his green hair covered one side of his face. "Surely... that is sufficient?" A bit shakily, he made to stand. Carrol watched as Jade stood up. With a smug grin on his face, he pushed himself off the ground. "I suppose..." He turned around and started in the direction of the beach. "For now." "'For now'?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He turned back briefly, chuckling. "You think I'm a fool enough to throw away this advantage? Don't worry, I'll be easy on you anyway, since you were so cute today." "Ahh, wait a minute! You said you wouldn't tell anyone if I kissed you! You can't back down on that!" Jade demanded in a raised tone as he tried to recover from his flustered state. "Did we actually have an agreement on that? I forgot. All I remembered was that I ordered you, and you followed the command like a nice little servant. The only offer I actually made to you was for you to quit from your position, and I don't see you doing that. Well, not like there's much else you could do to shut me up, is there?" Carrol grinned sheepishly. He could feel the anger rising up within him again. "I think you are trying to push me to my limits on purpose." Carrol ignored him. "Ah, it's getting late. Let's get back to the camp or Ouji and everyone else will worry." Jade bit his lip, clenching his fists. He hated feeling like he'd been had. Taking a deep breath, he tried to return to his normal composure as much as possible, stating in an even tone, "After you." Stepping back to Jade, Carrol pushed his face close, grinning as he tapped the officer's back lightly. "You shouldn't be so mad. By now, I'd figure that you'd learn from personal experience never to trust another angel." A minute of silence sunk in between them, before Carrol immediately covered his mouth in shock, realizing too late what he just let slip out. "/What/?" Jade said harshly as he grabbed Carrol by his hair, halting him. "Ow! F-- Forget what I said! It was nothing, nothing!" Carrol cried, trying to struggle free. "Something tells me... I shouldn't /trust/ you on that," Jade said as he yanked back on the neck of his robe. "Ugh!" Carrol grunted, feeling his small wings spring free as they were liberated from the heavy clothing. Bemoaning his fate, Carrol let out a low groan. "Ooooh Carrol~" Jade sing-songed. "What are /these/?" He poked at the miniature wings to rub in the point. "You really need to ask?" Carrol covered his face in his hands. "Ah... I know you are pretty mad but... For all that I've done to you the past couple days, I would like to truly apologize from the bottom of my heart." "'I'll tell them what you are, Sanbou-dono!' 'I hate angels!' Like /you/ are one to talk! Oho, shall we go show these to everyone, see what they think?" he mocked, savoring in the moment. "I told you, I do hate angels... but that will take hours to explain. But... Please don't tell anyone. You of all people should understand how I feel about this, right?" Carrol sweated, exhausting all the possible excuses he could use. "As I recall, you didn't seem very sympathetic of me when I asked you not to tell. Oh no, you made me go through hell, embarrassing me in front of everyone, getting Platina-sama upset with me, and demanding a kiss, even!" He smiled evilly. "I do believe this would be payback time. A good angel should know he needs to atone for his sins, right?" he whispered into Carrol's ear. "How about I swear on my life to never tell anyone your secret?" Carrol asked hopefully. "You already sealed that agreement with a kiss, whether you want to admit it or not." He continued to grin as he released the robe and patted it back into place. "Let's see, since you made me suffer for twenty-four hours... I think the same would be fair. And then we'd be even." "There's no way out for me, is there?" Carrol didn't want to think about the torments that Jade was planning for him. Cursing his carelessness under his breath, he sighed. "I guess it's only fair, isn't it?" "Yes." He let out a laugh. "I wonder if I should make you wear a collar, keep you at my feet at my every beck and call..." He scratched his chin, obviously in deep thought about this. "I've never been /that/ bad to you have I? Be nice..." Carrol protested. "Oh, I'd be /nice/," Jade said, running his fingers through Carrol's hair. Carrol groaned anguishedly as he pushed himself away. "I'll do whatever you say, but I won't take any absurd orders, alright?" "I wouldn't make them any more absurd than the things you asked me, I promise," Jade said as he nodded his head, patting Carrol on the back. "Would you like to make your first order to me now? Or would you rather kindly wait for me to get back to the tent first?" Carrol asked sarcastically. "I'll wait for now, but that will probably be the limit of my kindness. Because this evening you will have to cook dinner, and then do the laundry when I'm brushing Platina's hair in the evening, and then give me a bath..." he listed off on his fingers. "Yes, yes, I can see all that coming. Geez, you are treating me like a housewife," Carrol grumbled as he started forward, before suddenly Jade's last comment hit him, and he turned around to give the officer a sly glare. "Was that an invitation for me to see you naked again?" "Well, it isn't like I could ask anyone else to wash my back, could I?" Carrol turned around and started dragging his feet away. "Whatever you say, Sanbou-dono." Jade let out a little laugh, following after the half-angel. He knew this revenge would be very sweet indeed. ~~~~~ The End
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