This is such a bore. Dias thought from his place at the foot of the staircase. From here, he could watch Rena and the guest, but he was making it clear from his stance and gaze that he wasn't at the party to have fun and that he didn't want to be approached. Thus, guest and servants alike were ignoring him. Just the way he preferred it. The other guards knew better than to bother Dias at an event like this. There had been only one person that could have approached him when he was in this kind of mood, but that person here today.

Dias' eyes ran over the crowd, doing his usual check for anyone that might pose as a threat, and they came to rest on Rena and the people she was currently talking to.

There's that Ashton kid. He must really like Rena if he keeps coming back after what I've done to him. He didn't have to sic his pet dragons on me, however. Strange. He's unarmed. I thought he didn't believe in having his own guard. So what is he doing here without a weapon? Don't tell me one of these; so-called 'guards' is in charge of protecting him? I thought his parents cared about his safety. While Dias was lost in his train of thoughts, a timid servant was gathering up the courage to speak to him.

She was afraid of the icy cold personality of Misses Rena's personal guard. All the non-veteran servants were. The older ones often talked about a time when Dias wasn't the way he was now. They claimed he used to be very friendly, if quiet, and you could easily approach him. The girl had a hard time believing that when she looked at the man standing before her. Taking a deep breath, the girl walked slowly up to Dias and tapped him on the back.

"E...excuse me, Mr. Flac?" she squeaked. "I, I have this note to give to you."

"I don't accept dance offers," Dias replied without turning to look at her.

"It's not from a lady Mr. Flac," she managed to get out without stuttering. "It's from a fellow guard."

That caught Dias' attention. Dias turned to her with a raised eyebrow. Very few, and he did mean few, guards knew how to write and read. Dias could probably count the number of guards he knew that could read and write on one hand, he himself included. Curious, he took the offered note and the girl scurried away. No doubt to go and watch the party with the rest of the female servants and to gossip about how she had talked to the ice-cold Dias Flac.

The note was short and it wasn't signed, but it didn't have to be. There could only be one guard with that small, neat, block-type handwriting. But that person had disappeared, most likely died, a few years ago. So, he couldn't be here, ....Could he?

Dias,

Meet me by the tapestry. Don't worry.
You'll still be able to do the job you love so much.
Dias pocketed the note and quickly made his way to the far wall with the tapestry of Rena's favorite fairytale on it, The Warrior. It was the only tapestry where one could have a private conversation and still watch the party, but to know that meant that you had to know the structure of the building and had to know how these types of parties worked. Dias hadn't stood on duty there since the murder of his lover. It held too many painful memories for him to be there. But now.... Maybe he would get his chance to make his peace. When he got there, Dias felt like all-rational thought disappeared from his mind.

There, standing with a relaxed hand on his sword hilt, was Claude! He looked almost the same as the last time Dias saw him. There were differences, of course, but overall, he appeared to be the exact same person who disappeared a few years ago.

When Claude noticed Dias' arrival, he swallowed nervously and gave him a shaky smile. Dias quickly strolled over to where the blond was standing. Capturing Claude's face with steady hands, Dias stared at him in disbelief. Even though he was touching the other man, he still couldn't believe his eyes. This had to be an illusion or a dream. If it was, Dias never wanted to wake up.

"Hi Dias," Claude greeted softly. He wasn't sure how to judge the older man's emotions. That question was quickly answered for him as Dias lowered his lips onto Claude's and gave him a gentle kiss. Claude's hands reached up to grab Dias' arms and he closed his eyes. The kiss was long and sent messages through the two warriors that couldn't be expressed in words easily. When they finally broke apart, the two men were just a touch bit breathless and overcome with emotion.

"I thought you were dead," was the first thing that came out of Dias' mouth.

"No. I survived, though sometimes I wished I hadn't," Claude replied. His voice held no cry for pity. It was more of a statement of a fact that Claude did not enjoy, but something that he wouldn't deny. Dias didn't have any sort of logical reply for that. The only thing that he could think of doing to possibly help the situation was to kiss the blond again. This time, it was to try and convince the blond that that time was over and wouldn't hurt him now.

"Don't you ever say anything like that, Claude. You know how much I hate people who want to take the easy way out of life." Claude nodded and reassured him that he wasn't thinking about ending his life so soon. It was just something he had thought about before the recent turn of events.

Dias let go of Claude's face and moved to stand next to him, leaning against the wall in a casual fashion. Any observer would have thought they were just two guards standing watch like all the others out there. In truth, however, Dias had an arm around the back of Claude's waist and they were standing much closer than necessary. This situation reminded the two of past times where they were doing exactly the same as they were now. There was nothing to suggest anything to anyone, but the two swordsmen were able to enjoy the company of each other's embrace.

"But, I think you would have said the same thing if you had to deal with what I did," Claude said softly. Dias squeezed him comfortingly and Claude was tempted to lean his head on Dias'shoulder, but that would have given too much away. That was the only flaw in their situation. They had to remain within their act and not let anything slip.

"What happened after we were separated?" Dias inquired. This was the question that was most predominant on his mind. He was watching the party, but occasionally, Dias he stole glances at the younger man besides him. Claude was watching the party, just like Dias was, but he too, sometimes looked elsewhere. Namely at the swordsman besides him.

"I was sold," the blond stated plainly. One hand was unconsciously griped his sword tighter as if he was seeking protection from the past. Claude had to use a great deal of everything he'd learned on keeping his voice level and not letting his emotions get the better of him before he was able to speak again.

"I was sold to a sex slave owner named Shin. Even though I fought back and cost him a great deal in bandages and drugs, Shin still was able to make a profit from me. He used the drugs he bought to make me more 'acceptable' to his clients. The bandages were to patch up the soldiers that I fought. That's where I've spent the last few years. Switching between fighting, being fucked, healing my wounds, and getting pumped with drugs."

"But how could you have been sold?" Dias asked. His brows creased in frustration as he tried to figure out how someone could have gotten away with that. "It's supposed to be illegal to sell a guard into slavery if they're captured."

"Dias, I can't believe I'm saying this, don't be so naive," Claude scolded. "Do you really think the law cares about one measly guard? Sides, haven't you said it yourself? I don't really look the part of a guard. I'm too much of a pretty boy to be taken seriously for anything other than......" He trailed off, unwilling to finish his sentence. But that was all Dias needed to put the pieces together.

"Let me guess," Dias' jaw tightened and he felt a wave of anger and disgust come over him. "You were the bribe?" He'd been offered things like that before and so had Claude, but the two of them never accepted any of the 'gifts.' For Dias, it was beneath him to accept something like that. For Claude, it was a matter of honor.

Claude nodded. "Something good did come out of everything. I made a friend. His name's Bowman Jean and he runs a pharmacy at the town I 'worked' at. I think you know him, don't you Dias?"

A light, pink blush spread across Dias' nose and he had to clear his throat before he could answer the grinning blond. "I think I remember him. There's Noel." The last was said to try and draw the conversation away from where it was heading. Claude took the bait, but still kept teasing Dias.

"Has he finally gotten the nerve to ask Rena out yet?" Dias let out his breath in relief until Claude began talking again. "I met Bowman when he saw Shin selling my stuff. He offered to buy the things and, of course, Shin accepted. Later, while Shin was away on an errand, Bowman stopped by. He just strolled into the building like he owned the place and asked to see me like it was no big deal. That's when he explained his reason for buying my things."

"Why did he buy them? I should tell you that Noel and Rena are dating now."

"So he was finally able to ask her out. Tell them I send my congratulations. Bowman said it was to return a favor he owned me and my 'partner.' One of the places we saved during that attack from the Wise Men bandits was the town where Bowman had his store. We saved his livelihood, to make a long story short."

"I remember that town. It was the place where you left me to take care of everything outside, while you rushed in and tried to play 'hero'. As I recall, you were forced into my care for over a week after that."

Claude cleared his throat and refused to rise to that hook. "Y, Yeah. He thought I might need them again someday. Who knew that he would be right?"

"It looks like you're not a sex slave anymore. Sex slaves aren't allowed to carry weapons, and since you're here wearing your old sword. Now my question is, how did you manage to get away? The type of people who deal in male slaves tend to be a bit more cautious and protective of their, shall we call it, merchandise."

"The way anyone gets out of slavery. Someone bought me out. The person's here at the party right now. His name is Ashton Anchors. I think you might have heard of him during the time that I was gone," Claude informed him.

Claude removed his hand from the hilt of his sword and scooted a step closer to Dias. The party was in full swing and some of the nobles and rich merchants were getting just a bit tipsy. Nothing was going to happen, so he was free to relax. Even if the two of them should get caught, the person would most likely blame it on too much to drink and forget all about it. Dias glanced at the blond out of the corner of his eyes. He knew Claude was attractive, but Ashton didn't seem to be the kind of person interested in a slave. In fact, Dias had never seen the Anchors heir interested in anyone other than that small crush on Rena he'd shown a while back.

"Ashton? Ashton Anchors?" checked Dias with one think eyebrow raised.

"He wanted to piss off Shin and Yarou," Claude replied as if that was the most natural thing in the world. The blond seemed to be able to take everything in and not be bothered by it. That trait had attracted Dias straight off to the younger man.

Claude cocked his head to the side and nudged Dias in the side. "Dias, that girl is looking at you strangely."

I think Ashton just raised my opinion of him, Dias thought. "She's probably heard the rumors about my availability. You know, the fact that I'm back on the field, so to speak."

"Girls. I will never understand them," Claude commented, shaking his head. "Well, anyway. I'm now Ashton's hired guard and I intend to repay my debt to him. Once I do that, I'm going back to Shin's place and getting rid of him. I don't think the world will miss him too much."

"Then?"

"Then...." Claude sighed. "I'll probably work for Ashton some more." The glint in Claude's eyes told Dias everything he needed to know.

"I take it you feel the same way I do?" Claude nodded in silent agreement. Dias began to slide his hand away from Claude's waist, but Claude caught it before he could slide it all the way off. Dias eyed him carefully.

"We're still friends?" There was no mistaking the hope and worry in Claude's voice. Dias would always be his first and he wanted to keep their friendship, no matter what happened between the two of them. Dias squeezed the blonde's hand in assurance. He gave a little half-smile at the thought that the blond could be so accepting of other things, but not of the mere thought of losing someone he cared about.

"Now that I know you're alive, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ashton paced back and forth in his room, almost wearing down a rut into the floor. The moon was high in the sky and everyone else in the household was asleep. Only the wild animals were awake during this time of night. Normally, Ashton would be asleep as well, but there were simply too many things on his mind for him to rest. The largest things troubling him were events that had happened at the party. A few days had passed since that night, but things Rena and Noel had said to Ashton still repeated in his mind as if they had just spoken them.

"So Ashton, it looks like you've finally decided to join us and hire a guard," Rena remarked. She looked very elegant in her dress. The body was white with flower patterns in the material and the skirt was a light shade of blue that ended at her ankles. The style was very simple, but on Rena, it fit her very well.

"I wasn't planning on it," Ashton admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "It just sort of happened."

"So, what's his name, and is he any good?" Noel asked. Noel was the one person who you could not get to dress up, no matter what the occasion. That was because his normal attire was rather dressy within itself. Right now he was wearing dark brown pants and an off-white sweater-shirt. Over that was a hunter-green vest that complemented him overall very well. The cut and the style were of a well-made material that suited Noel's position in life.

He and Rena made a very nice and cute couple. Both being of the same race and having similar powers, they were very well suited for each other. But there were questions as to when the two of them would chose to get married. Rumors said that Rena refused to marry until she had found peace with someone and that that person had been a former boyfriend of hers.

"Honestly. I don't know how good or bad he is. I hired him on a recommendation from a pharmacist. But I do know his name. It's Claude, but I don't know his last name.," answered Ashton. "He never told me and I never asked. It didn't seem like it mattered too much."

Rena and Noel both nearly dropped their glasses and they had the exact same expression on their faces. Ashton blinked a few times in confusion. He couldn't understand why they looked so shocked.

"Does this 'Claude' person have blonde hair, blue eyes, wears a red bandana, and owns a bluish-purple pendant?" Noel asked hesitantly.

"As a matter of fact, he does. How did you know that?" Ashton asked incredulously.

"Because if we're talking about the same Claude, then the person you hired used to be a guard of mine until recently," Rena explained. "He disappeared after an attack by a group of unknowns. We thought he had died. I think the person the most saddened about the disappearance was Dias."

Noel nodded and added his two cents into that comment. "Yes, the guy was even more moody than usual. There wasn't a person in the manor that would dare approach him."

"He got over it eventually," Rena recalled. "But it did take him a while. I heard he met someone and that helped him get over his pain over Claude."'

"Why would Dias become so emotional over a fellow guard? The man doesn't seem to care when other guards die in front of him, so why did he care so much about one person disappearing?" There was a hollow sinking feeling in Ashton's gut. He knew the answer was going to describe some kind of close bond between the two, but he was not expecting the answer that Noel gave him.

"Dias and Claude were a couple. To be exact, they were lovers. That's why Dias was so upset when Claude disappeared," Noel stated in-a-matter-of-fact tone. "If you really did bring the Claude that we're talking about to this party, then most likely he would be at Dias' side. Or at least, he would be making his presence known to the man."

"L...lovers?!" Ashton stuttered. He hadn't really heard anything else Noel had said. His brain registered it and filed it away, but he wasn't focusing on it yet. The only thing he was registering and focused on was the blunt statement of Dias and Claude's past involvement.

"Dias and Claude," Noel reminisced. "When they first met, they were the worst rivals that the world's ever seen. But there was something that suggested that they were hiding something from each other. So, we all knew that the two of them would get together eventually. We just didn't think that they would announce their feelings for each other during a practice session. Remember when it happened Rena?" Rena nodded and a light blush covered the tip of her nose.

"How did it happen?" Ashton questioned. He wanted to know as much about Claude's history as possible, but this was something that was completely unexpected.

"Well," Rena began, tapping a finger to her lips in thought. "One minute they had their swords at each other's throat, and the next minute Dias had his lips on Claude's in a kiss that suggested that, maybe this wasn't their first kiss. But, by the look on Claude's face, it was. And it was completely unexpected on his part."

"But it didn't mean that he didn't enjoy it," Noel chided. "After that, the two of them could almost be found together."

"After Claude very nearly took off Dias' head for that stunt," Rena added, giggling softly. "As it stood, Dias did get a messy haircut."

"You know, a week or so after that, Dias became very protective of Claude," Noel recalled. "It was like he wanted to protect him from something. But what could Dias protect Claude from that he couldn't take care of himself? Those two are among the most skilled guards in the world." "Well, the only people who know are the people from Claude's past and Dias," Rena concluded.

"What about Dias' new love interest?" Noel reminded his girlfriend.

That got Ashton's attention. There were two things that statement could imply. One was that Dias had really thought Claude had died, so he moved on. But now that he was back.. The other was a bit more hopeful and promising. It was that Claude and Dias had broken up. And that maybe... But that was hoping too much. Besides, why was Ashton so interested in his friend's love life?

"Ashton, are you all right?" Rena asked. Ashton had paled considerably and hadn't spoken a word in over five minutes.

The Anchors heir paced back and forth, not really noticing that his pacing was mostly centered on the area of Claude's door. To give their employer the most protection, a guard slept as close to them as possible without getting into the same bed as them. Luckily, Ashton had a room connected to his that had been used for storage until recently. Ashton's mother had it cleaned out and quickly made it into a room suitable for Claude. The blond guard had protested that he didn't need much more than a bed, a single chest for his clothes, and not much else, but she had been insistent in getting him all kinds of things. She had claimed that she was doing all of this because Claude was Ashton's first guard. Claude had no choice but to accept what she wanted.

Making one final round of his floor, Ashton huffed and glared at the door adjoining Claude's room to his.

There had been some embarrassment and adjusting when Claude moved into his new room, but, like everything else, they quickly adapted and had become familiar to their new situation. There were a things, however, that Ashton couldn't cope with, no matter how hard he tried.

Like the way he was spending more and more time staring at Claude when he was training, when he wasn't fighting the blond himself. He claimed it was to test his skills out. Or the way Rena's little announcement kept popping into his head at the most annoying moments. Or the question that formed in his head when he let his mind wander. The ones that kept coming back were the questions that gave him the most trouble.

The questions ranged from: "What's his last name and why won't he share it with anyone?" to "He and Dias aren't still together, are they?" to "What does he taste like?", and "Smell like?" Those questions drove him nuts. Claude had become his best friend and you don't think about your friends like that. But he couldn't help it! So the only thing he could think of to do was to pace back and forth in front of Claude's door and throw it a glare from time to time.

Giving the door another vicious glare, Ashton paused in his pacing and thought for a moment. I wonder if he sleeps with anything on? ARGH!!! GET A GRIPE ON YOURSELF ASHTON!!! You have no interest in Claude in that way!! He mentally yelled at himself, flopping his form upon his bed. Normally, he would stop his current train of thoughts right there and then, but tonight was not going to be a normal night. Both his heart and his subconscious wouldn't let it be.

~ Yes you do, ~ a voice from out of nowhere argued. Strange. It sounded a great deal like himself, only is he voice was about two octaves higher and slightly feminine.

What the hell?! He shouted inside his mind, bolting straight up. His eyes scanned the room for signs of another person, but came up empty.

~ Give it up Anchors. You can't keep doing this to yourself, ~ the voice instructed.

"Who the hell are you?! And where the hell are you?!" Ashton exclaimed in a hushed tone. For some reason, he knew better than to call for Claude's help though that didn't stop him from playing with the idea just to see if Claude could find something he had missed.

~ Calm down Anchors. You don't need to worry your head off. I'm just a voice inside your head. And no, you're not going insane, but you don't have to talk out-loud to have a conversation with me. Consider me as your inner voice that can hear your thoughts. ~

My what!?! Ashton had to be given his due. He had quickly accepted what was happening and started talking in his head.

The voice sounds like it was sighing as it answered him. ~ Fine. Let's say that I'm what you're hiding from. ~

I'm not hiding from anything! Ashton protested. The gall of this voice to think that he would hide from anything.

~Anchors, I'm your inner voice. There's no chance in hell that you could lie to me! ~

........ How could Ashton reply to something like that without making a fool of himself?

~ That's a good Anchors heir. Now, what are we going to do about Claude? ~

We are going to do absolutely nothing about Claude. How the hell did HE end up in this conversation anyway? Ashton questioned.

~The simple answer? That blond warrior is the reason that I'm here talking to you right now. You've got too many strong feeling for him to let this matter lie dormant. ~

I do not! Ashton protested with a vengeance.

~ Oh? Then why do you wonder what it would be like to kiss him? ~

.......... Simple curiosity, Ashton tried to cover.

~ Ashton, I know you're a little inexperienced, ~

A little?

The voice blanched. ~ Okay! Very inexperienced in matters like this, but I can tell you a few things. ~

What?

~This is way more than simple curiosity, or a first crush. If it were, I wouldn't have felt the need to say or do anything. ~ The voice was so serious and collected that Ashton didn't know how to argue. He was silent as the brunette tried to come up with an answer. Finally, he came up with something that didn't sound too stupid.

Alright, lets pretend that everything you're saying is true, and I do feel something for Claude. What is it? What could be so strong that you feel the need to come out? Love? Ashton asked.

~ I'm not going to tell you. Probably. Even if it didn't work out, you might actually get the chance to lose your.....� Um....... shyness. ~

Wha? What in the world are you talking about? I would never! If that's the only reason you're here, then why didn't you appear when my mom gave me all those chances?

~ Well, you weren't interested in any of them. So, I didn't really want to come up. But Claude has been the only one who has made you think things like this. ~

An image of Claude panting and worming from below, wearing nothing except a flush and his bandana popped into Ashton's mind. His throat went dry and Ashton shook his head to try and clear his mind. How had his mind come up with that?! But it did prove something.

Fine! Claude's handsome! He's hot! I want to have him! Happy!?!

~ You said it. Or thought it, to be more correct. Not me, ~the voice said with an arrogant smugness that irked Ashton to no end. Once he had calmed down enough to realize what he had said, Ashton paled and flushed at the same time. His eyes widened and he propped himself upon his elbows to stare at Claude's door. His mind raced and his heart was beating rapidly.

~ I knew it. ~ The one thing that voice never seem to lack was arrogance and an assurance that it knew what it was talking about. "I want Claude," he whispered to no one. "But I'm scared of losing him, plus I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. Oh Tria.... What the hell's going on with me?" For once, the little voice was quiet.