Comments are more than welcome. 'Hint Hint' <//_^)>

    Lord Allen bore the knowing glances from his men as he neared the girl's chambers. Hitome, of the mystic moon. She had been growing steadily more attatched to him and he had to stop it. Nothing could come of a union between them. //I hope she can understand.//

    He knocked and slowly opened the door, "H. . . hitome?"

    "Allen!"

    Her smile made him nervous but he entered with an equally bright greeting.

    "We need to talk." He sat beside her and took her hands, "I need to straighten some. . . mistakes."

    "Allen?"

    "I do care for you Hitome, but only as the sister I lost. As a good friend and confidant. Nothing more." He squeezed her hands slightly, "Do you understand?"

    Hitome nodded and smiled at him softly, "I know."

    That caught him of guard, "Then why. . .?"

    She hugged him and laughed softly, "I love you like a brother too. I hadn't realized what it would look like to you or your men."

    He let out a great sigh and relaxed, "I was afraid I may offend."

    "Not me." She shook her head. "Besides I was looking at the cards, and they point you in a different direction."

    Now he was interested, beautiful blue eyes touched hers and shined in curiousity, "Do they now?"

    "We have some time before we reach the Zaibach's ship, would you like me to read your fortune?" She smiled, "We can ignore your past and look into the funture and present."

    He nodded and smiled, "I would like that very much."

    She consentrated and lay out the first set. "See, this is aphrodite, the love card. You have found your match."

    "Go on."

    She frowned slightly, "The knight shows up where your match should be but. . . Allen, your match is a boy."

    He nodded.

    "Um. . . a boy who is held against his will, but holds great power and possition. . ." She gasped and her hand trembled as she faced him in a new light, "It's Van."

    He frowned. "This was a bad idea."

    "No! I. . . It's not a bad thing, I was just shocked, I mean you've known eachother such a short time. . . and he didn't. . . oh, I see."

    Allen nodded, "He dislikes me. doesn't trust me. Over all I am nothing to him but competition."

    "Oh Allen."

    "Go on, what do you see."

    She brushed her tears away. "Betrayal. Someone close to him has come forward and announced a betrayal of trust. He's hurting inside and out."

    "Van. . ."

    "We'll save him." She assured the worried knight. "Don't worry."

    He nodded. "Please, continue."

    "Maybe we shouldn't. . ."

    Allen stood, "Perhaps you are right. The future is to be discovered, not fortold."

    "What are you going to do?"

    "About Van?"

    Hitome nodded.

    "I will fight beside him and for him. Protect him with my life and honor until he is back safe in his restored kingdom."

    "Then what about you?"

    The blond smiled saddly. "King's do not take pirates like me as mates Hitome."

    "But you're a king!"

    His smile bacame ruefull, "Why do you think we were allies of Zaibach? Why are my knight's so creud? We are a kingdom of theives and naives. The most frowned upon kingdom of Gaea. Even if he felt for me, he would never lower himself to take me as his."

    "Allen I. . ."

   "It's alright." He turned away, "I would be content to serve him until my last breath. It is all I can wish for and it is all I desire."

    A knock on the door announced their approach to the Zaibachian ship and Allen stood quickly, "We're here."

    "Allen, you should at least give him a chance to say yes or no."

    "If I did tell him my feelings I would be asking him to give up all he has been raised to believe." Allen shook his head, "I can't ask that of him."

    "But. . ."

    "I'm needed on deck."

    Hitome watched him go saddly, "Oh Allen."

________________

    Van sat in his cell, waiting for his brother, his jailer, to come finish him off. He ached with the knowledge that he would never see Allen again.

    //Soft, teasing blue eyes, hair the color of the sunset's gold, strength and surety and kindness. A man who is everything I wish to be. All a king should be. And so much more inside.// He shivered and curled up tighter, //I am sorry I left him, but I had to, to save him. It is the code he lives by. Such a strong code, and a strong knight too." He felt his face blush as he realized his own thoughts. "This is not good." //I'm falling for him! Him! He's probably had every woman on Gaea! His reputation is enormous! He even kissed Hitome! How could I fall for him!!//

    //Strong hands, heart, bright, laughing eyes. . .//

    "Not good at all."

    A sudden impact and he lept to his feet as the wall crumbled, "Allen!"

    "Well, come on."

    He followed the knight gladly, //He came for me! He didn't forget me!//

    "Escaflowne is that way, I'll go this way, and hold them off."

    "Hai." He nodded and hurried to his ship. //could he lile me? After the way I treated him?//

    "Van! Behind you!"

    //Hitome!// He struck out with all the rage he felt and his would be assailent fell like a crying child after the first blow. //I wanted that to be Hitome! Oh God what's wrong with me!// "Come on!"

    When they were back aboard and safe Van stood among the men who had risked their lives to save him. He faced Allen with a slight blush, "I tried to save you and you ended up saving me again."
//Thank you.//

    "It's thanks to Hitome."

    "Oh." //Hitome! Always Hitome! Kami-sama why do you tease me like this?!//

    Hitome frowned, Allen's feelings were writen in his eyes, and Van still didn't see them. //This is gonna be harder than I thought.//

_________________

    Hitome was trying so hard to see Allen's wish come true, but Van spent the rest of the trip to Palas mourning his brother's betrayal. And when they landed. . .

    "Allen!"

    The Earth child looked the princess over and found no flaws but her rudeness, Allen did seem to like her a lot. //The knight and the princess.// She glarred, //But he loves Van, can't any of them see it?! Oh of course they can't , if I didn't know I wouldn't either! He is way too good at hiding what he feels. I wonder what happened to make him that way.//

_________________

    Allen faced his darkest fear when he reached the castle. The king had been bought by Zaibach and Van was to be handed over to them. He refused any part of it and stood his ground, but Van had to pay for his silence. The fight was a foolish one and lasted but a minuet, //but he might have been hurt because I didn't warn him. What a fool I am.//

    That night Van was doing his kata on the palace wall. Allen watched in secret. //He's so strong, so graceful, but so very rash.// He sighed and stepped from the darkness, "I will be your sparring partner." //Ask and I will be so forever. Whatever you wish I will accomplish.//

    The shine in Van's eyes was enough to kindle good dreams for months to come and Allen took up his position with a glad heart.

    //I can show him how I've improved. He'll be so proud.// Van attacked with all his heart, to impress the man he was losing his heart to. The pleasant surprise in his partner's eyes was fuel for him to go further, but he took to many risks and in the end was back against a pillar, Allen's sword to his neck.

    Allen smiled at him and Van smiled back, but neither moved. "You are improving."

    "Thank you."

    Allen stepped closer, never removing the sword, "but you take to many useless risks."

    His eyes fell. "I always did."

    Allen's breath on his face made him look up in surprise. They were almost nose to nose.

    "I. . . Allen. . ."

    The sparkling blue eyes slid closed and perfectly sculpted lips touched his with a slow reverance that made Van feel as if he were an angel! A divine creation who was being worshiped by this beautiful siren before him. When they parted Allen's sword slowly lowered untill the point of it touched the stone, "I offer my sword to your fight."

    "Allen you don't need. . ."

    "I want to." He looked up and drown in the honey brown eyes that touched his.

    "Why did you. . ."

    "Kiss you."

    "Yes."

    "Because I found out today that I almost lost you. And I was more scared than ever I have been to think that I had lost you before I had a chance to kiss you, just once."

    "How about twice?" He breathed softly.

    Allen smiled and leaned in again, "My pleasure."

    Van closed his eyes and let himself be carried away on pure emotion. He touched the stars as his body arched into the one making him feel so whole. Suddenly though, the feeling was gone and Allen gasped, eyes wide. "Allen?"

    "I shouldn't have. . . I didn't mean to . . ." He turned and ran, his beautiful mane flying out behind him.

    Van almost cried. //What did I do wrong?//
 

    Allen hurried to another part of the palace before collapsing under the moon light, "Van." //What have I done. You should not have known. I should not have told you.//

     He burried his face in his hands and grit his teeth to keep from swearing. //I all but threw myself at him and begged him to give up his kingdom for me. How pathetic! How could I give in to a base desire and almost ruin Van's chance to restablish his kingdom?! Am I so weak?!//

    "Allen?"

    He stayed hidden.

    Van walked by, shoulders slummped, "Allen. I don't understand. What did I do wrong?" He went to stand by the rail and the blond man stared in disbelief as two large white feathered wings ripped out from his back. //He. . . he's. . .//

    The boy must have heard his gasp because he turned and looked straight into the shadows, "Come out Allen."

    He stepped forward and a tear fell over Van's cheek. Without thinking he reached up and wiped it away with his thumb, then licked the tear trail clear. The boys sharply taken breath reminded him what he was doing. "Van forgive me. I couldn't help myself."

    A long fingered hand touched his face gently, "Why do you try to stay away?"

    "It can not be. You know I am only a pirate king. Nothing compaired to you. We can not be together for the sake of your throne. The king can not mate a man, especially not one like me."

    "I am fighting for my country, not my throne. If I had my way I would stand down this instant."

    "But you can't."

    "For you I would try."

    "Then you're a fool as well as an angel."

    "I am no angel. My mother's people destroyed Atlantis. These wings only prove I am a monster."

    Allen nuzzled on soft appendage and ran his hands over the silken feathers, "Not a monster Van. They're beautiful."

    "I wish I believed that."

    "A knight never lies."

    "Does a knight kiss only the beautiful damsels?"

    "You mean the princess."

    "She loves you."

    "She's a child."

    "Older than I am."

    "And infinatly more sheltered."

    "She kissed you."

    "Yes. But it was a chast kiss and meant something only to her, as all of her kisses do."

    "Have you kissed her?"

    "As a brother kisses a sister. Closed lipped and soft."

    "So you don't love her?"

    "No, I don't love her."

    "Could you love me?"

    "Easily." He closed his eyes and knelt before the winged boy, wrapping his arms around his angel's waist. He rested on soft cheek on his hard abdomine and allowed a tear to fall. "So very easily that it scares me to realize I can't control these feelings."

    "Maybe they aren't meant to be controled."

    "You can't mean that."

    Van's answer was to kiss him again. Full and deep and endlessly. "I mean it."

    "Then know I will never leave your service, no matter what happens."

    Van pulled his wings back into himself and hugged Allen back, "Something is going to happen soon. I can feel it."

    The blond swordsman nodded, "I too. It's not good."

    "We will be seperated."

    "I will find you."

    "Are you frightened?"

    "Completely terrified." He smiled, "And you?"

    "Completely."

    "But also. . ."

    Van knelt and took his hands, "Yes?"

    "Completely in love."

    "Me too."

    "I didn't mean for this to happen."

    "I'm glad it did."

    Allen closed his eyes, "Then you are a fool."

    Van held onto him tightly and nodded, "As long as I'm your fool."

    "Yes."

    "We will meet again soon."

    "True love never allows long seperations."

    "Then we will be together very soon."

    Another hug and Allen found himself alone on the wall. "Was it all a dream?" He looked up into the night and something white shone at him, falling to his lap. A single, perfect feather. "Not a dream." He closed his eyes and let the feather touch his cheek softly, "We will be together again."
 
 
 

~Owari~