Cloths of Heaven
(i)
The gathered noblesse of the court of the Nemesis gathered for the poetry reading. It was to be Aya’s first encounter with the Nemesis but he was surprised to find his throne shrouded in a black shawl. He sat next to Chloe who was amiably playing with the end of his braid in a distracted manner as Free sat to the other side of him, shuffling his deck of cards.
Sakura sat, with her hair veiled by black silk and her face framed with golden coins, glaring at Aya for reasons he couldn’t be sure of. Her hands were clenching and unclenching in her dress, and Aya didn’t know because he had always been kind to the girl. She sat next to the veiled throne and her eyes promised murder.
Chloe just smiled at her and continued to play with Aya’s hair.
The poet was a woman Aya thought he might have seen before, but he wasn’t sure. He recognised the set of her head more than her face or hair. She wore a long blue gown fastened here and there with silk roses in the Atzaran style. She had blue silk roses in her hair as well, and a beautiful silver comb fastened with sapphires.
She stepped into the center of the circular room that they called the Camera, and bowed at the empty throne. Her name was Rex.
She began to read in a crisp clear voice.
“I may ask for nothing just now
But soon I'll be sick with memories
Thoughts of them, their cries as I left forever
All I'd like is one last chance to say goodbye, but
Stinging tears are wasted time and
My own needs are cast aside
I'm trained to be ruthless, and yet
These tears of mine won't stop flowing
Though I try, the stains of my sins won't leave me
Defiled, though still clean, their screams will linger, always
Trembling, I turn away but
I can never see redemption
Stinging tears are wasted time and
My own needs are cast aside”
Aya lowered his eyes to the onslaught of her words but it obviously angered Chloe because he tightened his grip around the end of Aya’s braid, but he said nothing as the noblesse clapped slow appreciation for the poet who had come so far to read to them.
“My lord,” she said to the empty throne, “I am at your command.”
“Another,” Sakura said, “something beautiful, for Aya.” There was venom in her voice, jealousy he supposed.
Rex looked around the room and then looked directly at Aya, there was something in her gaze that suggested that maybe she had seen him before too, but he didn’t know where or how. “Your eyes,” she said softly, reaching forward with a cold and claw like hand to pull up his jaw, “they are like the dark hearts of pansies but your hair is the colour of a rich red wine, what poem could compare with such beauty. Tell me, Chloe, Is his skin really as milky as it seems?”
“It is like porcelain,” Chloe answered coldly, “can you find something to compare in the cold halls of the old capital?”
Rex looked for a moment like she might sneer but she said nothing before she turned away and smiled graciously at her audience.
“Get in the cradle of the moon
You have that swaying feeling
Don't fall; endure it
Show me the small star inside
Might as well give a harmless kiss
There's nothing to lose.
Secretly...
My little star
Protecting you through everything...
Good night
Good night.”
As she turned on the finish her skirts flared revealing a pair of navy silk stockings but Aya’s attention was fixed on her hand, she pulled the comb and threw it. Aya saw the movement even as Rex shouted “Michel for Nemesis,” and lurched in front of Chloe.
The comb had been specially sharpened for it burned as it entered his hand.
Then Free was moving and quickly, something Aya never expected of someone so tall, and he had Rex in a headlock with her arms behind her back as Chloe could only look on in horror. “Why?” He asked, “You were honoured here?” He asked, his voice wavering in shock.
“Because a true Nemesis wouldn’t abandon his empire for a boy,” she spat the words out, “he wouldn’t condemn us to a needless war with Esset over a boy, no matter how lovely.”
“I’m sorry, Rex,” Chloe said as Aya reeled from what was being said, “that your poetry will be no more. Free,” With a sickening crunch Free broke her neck and then lifted her carefully, as if she was his lover, and carried her from the room.
It was only then that Chloe saw Aya clutching his hand, “A chiurgeons,” he hollered, “Now!”
Then as the court milled about trying to do his bidding, he looked at the girl beside the empty throne, “Are you happy now, Sakura, or will you only be happy when I am dead and Michel sits on my throne?”
“You are a lousy Nemesis.” Sakura answered, secure that he wouldn’t harm her.
“Nevertheless I am Nemesis.” He answered, then turned to the court, “Remove her from the Seraglio, place her in the west wing under guard, she is not to leave there except by my explicit order.”
“But I did nothing.” She protested.
“You did enough.”
Aya was pale but Chloe mistakenly attributed it to shock from the wound.
It left one thing absolute. Aya had taken the blow for him.
(ii)
Aya sat as the chiurgeons tended his wounded hand; he was still despite what must have been terrible pain. Chloe was busy in his role dealing with the aftermath of such a betrayal, he wasn’t sure if Sakura had been involved but there was a lot of supposition that she would have had to be. It was she who had pressed for Rex to come, and it was she that pressed Chloe that Aya be invited where even as favourite of the Seraglio he wouldn’t have been.
But the details kept running over and over through Aya’s head, he had saved the Nemesis, no he had saved Chloe. But Chloe, who he loved, was the Nemesis, who had destroyed his home.
When Yuki came in to see if he was all right he waved away the chiurgeons and then opened his arms to the boy, who was wary of such open displays but still wrapped his arms about Aya’s chest, and wept like a child.
(iii)
Chloe sent for Aya that night, not to share supper as they always did, but to share his bed. Aya wiped away his tears, and sliding a long piece of glass into the bandage on his hand honoured the summons.
Free was characteristically silent as he led Aya through the corridors but before he opened the door to Chloe’s private suite he reached over and kissed Aya on the forehead, it was a fraternal gesture and Aya thought his heart would shatter into a thousand pieces receiving it.
Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, with his head cast down so that all Aya could see of his face was his nose peeking through his golden bangs. “He burns like the sun,” Aya thought to himself, “but even suns must die.”
His decision made he went to Chloe as he once had for Crawford and sat at his feet with his cheek resting against his thigh. Chloe reached down and placed his hand on Aya’s head, “I love you,” he said softly, “even enough to send my empire to war for you.” He paused then. “I never wanted to be Nemesis, I never wanted this, Aya, please understand that. I used to respect Rex so much, she said what no one else would say.” Aya said nothing, “she used to call my father a braggart and war monger and she was right.” Aya looked up at him, he wore only a robe for bed. “I wasn’t going to send for you tonight, I thought I wanted time on my own, but I was wrong, I just,” he stopped and Aya reached up and put a finger to his lips.
“Let me,” Aya said and then turning so he knelt before Chloe he kissed him. Chloe’s lips were heavy and reluctant but Aya slipped his bandaged hand around Chloe’s neck and pulled him closer, “give me this.” He whispered against those fruit soft lips, “please.” Aya never begged so Chloe relented.
He gave himself over to the kisses and the warm fingers that toyed with his robe, and the bandaged palm flat on the back of his neck. Aya never pulled his mouth away from his, even as his fingers flicked across a nipple, squeezing it gently and pushed him back unto the bed as he came to his feet. Chloe was despondent but he returned the kisses and pushed Aya’s robe from his shoulders with clumsy hands.
He gave himself over to Aya in a way that he had never done before, there was complete submission in the way he lay there, but Aya never pulled his mouth away from those wondrous kisses.
“Aya,” Chloe said after an eternity of touching and kissing, “please, fuck me.”
Aya pulled back perplexed, “I’ve never,” he said, “I don’t know how.”
“Then let me show you, love,” Chloe said reaching across for the oil and slathering it on his fingers, “watch me.” Chloe pressed his finger against his opening and Aya was unprepared for the erotic shock of watching his body seem to swallow it. When Chloe was ready he slicked his hand with oil and ran it over Aya’s erection slowly, making Aya gasp at the sensation, and then pressed against him with his slicked anus and pressed inside.
(iv)
Afterwards Aya watched Chloe sleep with a terrible longing he couldn’t quite understand as he slid the shard of glass from his bandage and held it above Chloe’s throat. Chloe opened his eyes and looked at him, there was no recrimination or anger in the gaze. In fact it was dull. “Do it,” he said, “just do it.”
Aya dropped the glass to the floor beside the bed with a sob, “I can’t,” he said, “I can’t.”
“The sex wasn’t that good.” Chloe said coldly, “do it, do it for Inabayama, do it for your family, Ran Fujimiya.”
“You knew.” Aya asked, shocked even as he wept against his will.
“I always knew,” Chloe said, “Free told me, your history wasn’t hard to find.”
“Then why didn’t you kill me?” Aya asked.
“Because you were beautiful.” Chloe told him, “because I love you.”
Aya cried harder, he could barely see, “I can’t, Chloe, I can’t.” He protested, beating the bed with his fists.
“I know,” Chloe said wrapping his arms about Aya with no fear, just love, “I know, love, I know.”
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