Categories > Anime/Manga > Escaflowne > Between Destinies
The Battle
0 ReviewsSeven ways Dilandau and Folken communicate. (D/F.)
Between Destinies
Part One: The Battle
by dilly r
An outsider watching Dilandau battle his subordinate would assume that the two hated each other. Though their weapons were unsharpened and not capable of fatal wounds, they both fought with their anger, as if battling to the death. However, Folken was not an outsider, and he knew very well that the blonde Dragonslayer -- Gatti, he believed was the name -- adored Dilandau, and Dilandau returned that adoration in his way.
Their wooden training swords clacked together again and again. Gatti was certainly a talent, but Dilandau was gifted. Gatti did not leave himself open -- he didn't have to. His only mistake was that he was caught with his sword in an awkward position. Dilandau slammed his sword into Gatti's with his full strength, sending it flying. He held the wooden blade to Gatti's throat and grinned.
"Beaten already? You deprive me of my fun, Gatti."
The corner of Folken's mouth twitched. In a way, he enjoyed watching Dilandau spar. It reminded him of the things Zaibach had given Dilandau instead of the things they had taken away.
Gatti was apologizing with the slightest edge of irritation in his voice as he collected his fallen weapon, but Dilandau seemed to have already lost interest in him. His attention was upward, toward he observation platform.
"Leave us," Dilandau said, interrupting Gatti in mid-sentence.
Gatti paused. He didn't seem to notice Folken above, but he was used to obeying Dilandau's orders -- whether they made sense or not. "Yes, Lord Dilandau."
Dilandau rubbed his hair dry with a towel. He waited until Gatti was gone to speak. "I don't suppose you're here to spar, Strategos."
"No," Folken said.
Dilandau laughed. "Too bad." He hung his towel about his shoulders and put his hands on his hips. "Is it about Fanelia, then?"
Folken pressed a button, and the platform lowered slowly until it was level with the sparring floor. "Perhaps."
"Our technology is superior to theirs. It will be easy." He smiled and tilted his head. "We have you to thank for that."
"Mm." Folken walked toward the exit, but he found himself stopping when he reached Dilandau. "Don't underestimate them. They are raised to be aggressive, violent, and warlike. It gives them an edge."
"Hah!" Dilandau's voice echoed off of the bare metallic walls. "And what do you think I was raised for?"
"Zaibach is not the same."
"So you say." Dilandau ran his hand through his hair, a languid look in his eyes. Folken was sure that Dilandau would bore of the conversation and leave, but he was wrong. Dilandau moved closer. "I don't think that the upcoming battle is why you're here."
Folken arched an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."
"You watch me all the time." Dilandau raised himself up on the balls of his feet so that the two of them were nearly eye level. "Since I was given this long term assignment to the Vione, you follow me. I look over my shoulder, and there you are."
"You are mistaken," Folken said.
Dilandau chuckled lowly. "Am I?" He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Folken's. It wasn't quite a kiss. Folken allowed. it. Dilandau did not move away from Folken when he said, "I have a few hours before I prepare for combat."
Folken lifted his chin slightly. Dilandau lowered himself back down to his heels, smiling as though he had accomplished something.
"As charming as your implied offer is--"
Dilandau interrupted with an angry groan. "I know that it's your nature to be dull and haughty, but this would be an excellent time to loosen up. You know I'm attractive. And you're attractive for a man your age."
"You know nothing of my nature, Dilandau."
"Perhaps not. But I know something of a man's nature. You are still a man, in part." Dilandau's hand slid as quickly as a viper into Folken's cape and between Folken's legs. The touch was surprisingly gentle.
Folken drew in a hiss of breath. He grabbed Dilandau's wrist -- metal against flesh and bone -- and pulled Dilandau's arm up between them. Dilandau's smile was gone. His expression was blank as he tried to ignore the pain Folken inflicted.
"Your advances are not welcome," Folken said evenly.
"Felt like they were to me."
Dilandau cringed as Folken squeezed his wrist tighter. But he was right. Folken could feel the familiar heat growing in the pit of his stomach.
"How long's it been?" Dilandau asked. "Probably a long time, if this is the way you treat your suitors."
Folken let go of Dilandau's wrist and stepped away from him.
Dilandau frowned as he rubbed his injury. "You should be glad I'm so understanding, or you would be dead now."
"You speak a good battle, Dilandau. Let us hope you are as capable of fighting one in Fanelia."
Dilandau laughed. "How pathetic. I know you felt it when I touched you. The fire. I could be giving you a spectacular orgasm right now." Dilandau took his wooden sparring sword and walked nonchalantly toward the equipment closet. "Instead, we're trading insults while you act as if you're not hard underneath that big cloak. I wonder how many times you've hidden an erection under there when you're following me around." He smiled at Folken over his shoulder.
"You do not hold my interest in that way," Folken said, keeping his voice smooth.
"Ah," Dilandau closed the equipment closet and leaned back against it. "Then, why haven't you left yet, Strategos?"
Folken had no answer.
Dilandau laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, still damp and a bit wild from his sparring with Gatti. "You've managed to lie about everything else so far, but you can't lie about that? I'm disappointed." He stretched and stood straight. "Oh well. I suppose if you won't leave, I will."
Folken watched Dilandau walk toward the exit. He was nearly taken aback by his own voice when he said, "Dilandau."
Dilandau stopped his in tracks and looked at Folken. He had the unsettling appearance of an predator preparing to pounce.
"You were right. I did feel something when you touched me. Perhaps it could even be described as a fire. But it was not what you think."
Dilandau stared at him, a strange smile curling his lips. He began to shake, his teeth locked in an eerie smile. He threw his head back, and his laugh filled the room. The sound cut through Folken.
"Oh, Folken," Dilandau said, catching his breath. He continued to the exit, still laughing quietly. He stopped at the door. "I think I'll find Gatti. Give him a chance to make up for his incompetent sparring with that very competent mouth of his. Live with that mental image when you're alone."
Folken watched the door slide open and Dilandau stalk out of it. He had the sense that Dilandau had defeated him as soundly as he had Gatti.
Part One: The Battle
by dilly r
An outsider watching Dilandau battle his subordinate would assume that the two hated each other. Though their weapons were unsharpened and not capable of fatal wounds, they both fought with their anger, as if battling to the death. However, Folken was not an outsider, and he knew very well that the blonde Dragonslayer -- Gatti, he believed was the name -- adored Dilandau, and Dilandau returned that adoration in his way.
Their wooden training swords clacked together again and again. Gatti was certainly a talent, but Dilandau was gifted. Gatti did not leave himself open -- he didn't have to. His only mistake was that he was caught with his sword in an awkward position. Dilandau slammed his sword into Gatti's with his full strength, sending it flying. He held the wooden blade to Gatti's throat and grinned.
"Beaten already? You deprive me of my fun, Gatti."
The corner of Folken's mouth twitched. In a way, he enjoyed watching Dilandau spar. It reminded him of the things Zaibach had given Dilandau instead of the things they had taken away.
Gatti was apologizing with the slightest edge of irritation in his voice as he collected his fallen weapon, but Dilandau seemed to have already lost interest in him. His attention was upward, toward he observation platform.
"Leave us," Dilandau said, interrupting Gatti in mid-sentence.
Gatti paused. He didn't seem to notice Folken above, but he was used to obeying Dilandau's orders -- whether they made sense or not. "Yes, Lord Dilandau."
Dilandau rubbed his hair dry with a towel. He waited until Gatti was gone to speak. "I don't suppose you're here to spar, Strategos."
"No," Folken said.
Dilandau laughed. "Too bad." He hung his towel about his shoulders and put his hands on his hips. "Is it about Fanelia, then?"
Folken pressed a button, and the platform lowered slowly until it was level with the sparring floor. "Perhaps."
"Our technology is superior to theirs. It will be easy." He smiled and tilted his head. "We have you to thank for that."
"Mm." Folken walked toward the exit, but he found himself stopping when he reached Dilandau. "Don't underestimate them. They are raised to be aggressive, violent, and warlike. It gives them an edge."
"Hah!" Dilandau's voice echoed off of the bare metallic walls. "And what do you think I was raised for?"
"Zaibach is not the same."
"So you say." Dilandau ran his hand through his hair, a languid look in his eyes. Folken was sure that Dilandau would bore of the conversation and leave, but he was wrong. Dilandau moved closer. "I don't think that the upcoming battle is why you're here."
Folken arched an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."
"You watch me all the time." Dilandau raised himself up on the balls of his feet so that the two of them were nearly eye level. "Since I was given this long term assignment to the Vione, you follow me. I look over my shoulder, and there you are."
"You are mistaken," Folken said.
Dilandau chuckled lowly. "Am I?" He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Folken's. It wasn't quite a kiss. Folken allowed. it. Dilandau did not move away from Folken when he said, "I have a few hours before I prepare for combat."
Folken lifted his chin slightly. Dilandau lowered himself back down to his heels, smiling as though he had accomplished something.
"As charming as your implied offer is--"
Dilandau interrupted with an angry groan. "I know that it's your nature to be dull and haughty, but this would be an excellent time to loosen up. You know I'm attractive. And you're attractive for a man your age."
"You know nothing of my nature, Dilandau."
"Perhaps not. But I know something of a man's nature. You are still a man, in part." Dilandau's hand slid as quickly as a viper into Folken's cape and between Folken's legs. The touch was surprisingly gentle.
Folken drew in a hiss of breath. He grabbed Dilandau's wrist -- metal against flesh and bone -- and pulled Dilandau's arm up between them. Dilandau's smile was gone. His expression was blank as he tried to ignore the pain Folken inflicted.
"Your advances are not welcome," Folken said evenly.
"Felt like they were to me."
Dilandau cringed as Folken squeezed his wrist tighter. But he was right. Folken could feel the familiar heat growing in the pit of his stomach.
"How long's it been?" Dilandau asked. "Probably a long time, if this is the way you treat your suitors."
Folken let go of Dilandau's wrist and stepped away from him.
Dilandau frowned as he rubbed his injury. "You should be glad I'm so understanding, or you would be dead now."
"You speak a good battle, Dilandau. Let us hope you are as capable of fighting one in Fanelia."
Dilandau laughed. "How pathetic. I know you felt it when I touched you. The fire. I could be giving you a spectacular orgasm right now." Dilandau took his wooden sparring sword and walked nonchalantly toward the equipment closet. "Instead, we're trading insults while you act as if you're not hard underneath that big cloak. I wonder how many times you've hidden an erection under there when you're following me around." He smiled at Folken over his shoulder.
"You do not hold my interest in that way," Folken said, keeping his voice smooth.
"Ah," Dilandau closed the equipment closet and leaned back against it. "Then, why haven't you left yet, Strategos?"
Folken had no answer.
Dilandau laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, still damp and a bit wild from his sparring with Gatti. "You've managed to lie about everything else so far, but you can't lie about that? I'm disappointed." He stretched and stood straight. "Oh well. I suppose if you won't leave, I will."
Folken watched Dilandau walk toward the exit. He was nearly taken aback by his own voice when he said, "Dilandau."
Dilandau stopped his in tracks and looked at Folken. He had the unsettling appearance of an predator preparing to pounce.
"You were right. I did feel something when you touched me. Perhaps it could even be described as a fire. But it was not what you think."
Dilandau stared at him, a strange smile curling his lips. He began to shake, his teeth locked in an eerie smile. He threw his head back, and his laugh filled the room. The sound cut through Folken.
"Oh, Folken," Dilandau said, catching his breath. He continued to the exit, still laughing quietly. He stopped at the door. "I think I'll find Gatti. Give him a chance to make up for his incompetent sparring with that very competent mouth of his. Live with that mental image when you're alone."
Folken watched the door slide open and Dilandau stalk out of it. He had the sense that Dilandau had defeated him as soundly as he had Gatti.
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