Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

The Great Below	By : Lennith Category: +S through Z > Star Ocean 3 Views: 3839 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
Title: The Great Below
Author: Lennith
Rating: Probably NC-17. Anyone who knows my work knows I am a lemon-monger and Cliff and Albel release inner kinks in me XD
Pairing: CliffAlbel
Disclaimer: Although I am a huge fan of all the Star Ocean games and manga, I have nothing to do with their creation! I make no money off of this! The only purpose in writing this fic is to release my own demons. So sue me if you want. I�ll only plead insanity XD
Warnings: This fic is YAOI! Man on man action. Chances are, if you don�t know the term yaoi just leave now. Although I enjoy throwing my crazy ideas out there into the fiction world, I don�t want to be responsible for melting the brains of innocents. This fic has mature themes: violence, nudity, possible gore, definite language, and SEX.
A/N: Gyah! I�m sorry, this is a Star Ocean: Til The End of Time fic! But there�s no category for it! Agh agh agh, sorry. I guess if it makes someone angry enough I�ll take it down. Wow! I�m finally leaving my comfort zone of Scryed yaoi! Ahem, anyway! I�ve been a fan of Star Ocean for a loooooong time! I was utterly hooked on SO2 for a very long time. I think I played the game over at least 3 times, and I hardly ever play video games. I was hesitant at first to play Star Ocean: Till the End of Time because I was afraid it wouldn�t be as good as SO2, but I was wrong and loved it! Now, I know that there are a lot more hardcore slash canon for CliffFayt and AlbelFayt, but I am a big fan of subtleties, and there is most certainly subtle yet strong hints at CliffAlbel in the game. Rather than write a whole essay on what I�ve noticed, I�ll shut up now XD If anyone wants me to tell, just ask in a review or contact me. This is what would be classified as a song-fic, I guess. The song is �The Great Below� by NIN. There�s also a great deal of flashback material in this story. Flashbacks will be typed in italics!
ixi
The Spoils of a Wasted Life.
Staring at the sea

will she come?

is there hope for me

after all is said and done
Anything at any price

all of this for you

all the spoils of a wasted life

all of this for you
Cliff lounged lazily in the shade of a tree overlooking the sea. Although his mind slowly spun with thoughts and anxieties the day was drowsy and warm. It was good to be back on Elicoor II again, especially since for once it was at peace. He had been fairly certain that he wouldn�t see it again. As head of Quark again he was an indescribably busy man. This was the first time he�d ignored all his duties and simply run off on his own to give himself a break. He simply had so many requests that he had to ignore many of them because he couldn�t be everywhere in the universe at once, even with new improvements on space travel.
The clouds passed through the sky serenely, unburdened by responsibility. Cliff raised his eyes from the sea to watch them. Why had he chosen Elicoor II? He could have gone to some deserted planet closer to where he�d been. The answer he�d been trying to repress rose to the surface again, unbidden.
***
�So, you�re leaving then, worm?�
Cliff looked up from his packing, uneasiness settling like a brand upon his chest. Albel was standing in his doorway, glaring at him through lidded lashes. His body language spoke of only indifference, but Cliff new better. He could feel the anger and hatred focusing on him like twin laser beams.
�I have to. With Maria gone I have to take my place as leader of Quark,� Cliff said, tucking a shirt into the bag and abandoning the packing. He rose to his feet with a fluid movement to meet Albel on equal ground. �You don�t want to come this time?� He toed the ground nervously. He�d been expecting some sort of confrontation since he�d first made the decision to leave. He�d rather Albel simply insulted him and started a fight. Fighting was about the only thing the two could seem to agree on.
Albel snorted with indignation. �And what purpose would I serve in Quark? You think I�m going to take orders from you and be your soldier? Keep dreaming, ox.�
Cliff smiled broadly, though he could feel his spirits steadily sinking. �Well, you could. You have good instincts and I could use someone with your talents.�
Albel�s eyes narrowed. �You know I�m more needed here. I can�t leave and simply let the Aquarians overrun the continent.�
Cliff nodded mutely in agreement. �Nel�s a good woman, but pretty sneaky. Keep an eye on her for me.�
Somehow this made Albel angry. He lunged forward and grabbed Cliff by the collar, thumb grazing over his Clausian tattoo. �She�s special to you, huh? If she comes my way I�ll tear her pathetic heart out of her chest,� he hissed, eyes flaring dangerously. Cliff smirked easily. They both knew Albel was no match for Cliff when it came to brute strength. The lanky warrior of Kirlsa depended on speed, agility and his sword in a fight. Without warning Cliff grasped Albel�s shoulders and closed the distance between them to place a fierce kiss to the wide mouth before him. Albel struggled violently at first, as he always did, but eventually succumbed. Well, succumbed is a strong word. No matter how much effort Cliff ever put into it, Albel�s body remained stiff and wary. When Cliff finally pulled away he was rewarded with a stinging slap to the side of his face.
�You�re absolute filth, you know that?� Albel hissed to him. �I should castrate you where you stand! How dare you do this to me and then leave!�
Cliff rubbed his cheek tenderly. The man was slight, but he certainly packed a good wallop. He wasn�t sure exactly what Albel meant by �do this to me� but he allowed his optimistic spirits to hope. �And what have I done to you, Albel? You�ve caused just as much injury to me as I have to you.�
�Just shut up and go already!� Albel yelled at him. He attempted to flee but Cliff caught him by his slim wrist. �Let me go,� he demanded icily.
�Remember that place? I�ll be waiting for you there,� Cliff said steadily though his feelings were anything but.
Albel gave him an accusing glare of disbelief and broke out of the grip. �Just leave my sight,� he said in a very low and broken tone.
Cliff sat on his cot as Albel left the room in a blur of violet and a swish of bound hair. He felt oddly numb. He wanted the pleasure of simply punching the wall, but it would be impolite to leave the room with holes in it. He cursed under his breath, kicking the bag at his feet away. As he stared at the ceiling he wondered how it had come to this and what had come to pass at all. The ceiling offered him no new answers.
When the time came for Cliff to leave, Albel stood alongside the other Elicoorians but refused to even look at the Clausian, standing still and cold and unearthly as a marble statue.
***
Leaving that day had been difficult. It had been different when Maria, Fayt and Sophia had gone. He knew Maria and Fayt could take care of themselves and Fayt would protect Sophia. Peppita had gone back to her family and Roger to his. Mirage had left before him, annoyed at his delay in returning to command and gone to take care of things herself. But what would Albel do? The closest things to friends he had were all leaving him behind with a broken country to help string together. Even that wouldn�t be able to occupy him, since the King and Queen of Airyglyph would be doing most of the work. He was simply a tool, a sword to lead an army.
Cliff flipped open his communicator and checked the time with obvious boredom. It�d already been two hours and he had no idea how long he intended to simply laze about under the tree, the Eagle hidden in a copse of denser forest a couple dozen meters away. His eyes wandered back to the glittering water and he had to grin at himself. What the hell did he think he was doing, ditching his position on the Diplo and spending hours doing absolutely nothing on a backwater planet like Elicoor II? He tousled his blonde hair with a low chuckle. �I guess I had to admit I wanted to check on him,� he said to himself.
A slight scuff of earth betrayed an otherwise silent approach. �� Only a sentimental fool like you would actually be waiting here,� Cliff heard a familiar but long-unheard voice taunt from behind him and to his left.
�And only an arrogant jerk like yourself would assume I was waiting here,� Cliff returned the insult, though it lacked venom. He got to his feet slowly, brushing the dirt off his black chaps before turning around.
Albel only snorted. He stood stiffly as ever, his arms crossed over the flat planes of his chest. Cliff noted with the raise of a bow that he wasn�t in his usual purple spandex getup. He was wearing instead a full bodysuit of sandy colored, closely tailored gold cloth with a fluttering white scarf shielding his face and another bound tightly around his waist. �I was about to set out on a mission to Mosel, but the approach of a spacecraft seemed far more interesting,� he explained at Cliff�s obvious surprise to the outfit. �Now I see that I was wrong.� He started to turn away, but never finished. He just stood there, one eye pinned on the Clausian and standing perfectly still.
�And here I thought you�d come to this place hoping I�d be here,� Cliff sighed with a teasing lilt in his voice. He walked a few steps until he was standing in front of Albel, the two men regarding each other silently a moment. �You don�t have to look so pissed off, Albel. Can�t an old friend drop by from time to time?� he finally blurted out, growing more and more irritated with Albel�s obvious distaste for him by the minute.
�When were we ever friends?� Albel asked back with nearly acidic coldness.
Cliff pulled up his right hand as if strike the shorter man but checked himself. He reached it out as if to touch him, but restrained himself before he could again. With a frustrated growl he let his hand drop to his side. Albel�s smirk of triumph was only slightly veiled by the light linen bound around his face. It was only meant to ward off sand, after all.
�Damn it, Albel,� Cliff finally managed in an broken but restrained voice, �I just needed a little time off and thought I�d check in on you. If you don�t want my company, which you certainly don�t seem to, I�ll happily hitchhike to Aquaria and stay in a comfortable room in the castle.�
To only fuel his fury Albel�s response was to continue to glare at him, still unmoving. �Follow me,� he finally said, relaxing his arms and finishing the turn he�d started before. Cliff gaped at his back, mouth hanging open. He wasn�t sure if he should be gloating that he�d won or pounding Albel to a pulp for being such a cold bastard. Figuring that either of these responses would have probably left him bruised and alone, he settled for a small smile before following Albel, who obviously had no intention of waiting around for him.
�Where we going?� Cliff asked conversationally, using his longer stride to catch up and walk next to the shorter man. He knew perfectly well that the nearest town was Aria, but Albel wasn�t heading its direction.
Albel spared his companion a lazy glance. �We�re going straight to Kirlsa,� he muttered, continuing his quick but easy pace.
Cliff raised a brow. �Why not stop in Aria first? You�re welcome enough in Aquarian territory.�
Albel looked annoyed at the question but didn�t care to provide an answer. Of course he would be welcomed there, it almost irritated him the way that the Aquarians doted on him whenever he stopped in one of their towns. He was more concerned that if Cliff were spotted there that he�d be immediately invited to meet with Claire. And then the stupid Aquarians were sure to have some dire situation or another and needed Cliff�s help. And that would be the end of their time together. Not that Albel wanted to spend time with Cliff, mind you. He glanced again at Cliff�s profile. He hadn�t seemed to have changed at all. All Albel wanted was some answers first before handing him over to those pesky females. That seemed to be a good enough excuse to settle his mind and convince himself he wasn�t avoiding giving Cliff up. The whole situation still annoyed him though, so he wasn�t going to pretend he was enjoying it.
Cliff, on the other hand was beginning to doubt his impulsive visit. So far his hunch hadn�t led him to much. But he�d found Albel and he could be a very patient man.
To be continued�
A/N: Gyaaaaah. This is harder than I thought XD Albel�s such a hardass *lovehugshim* It just awkward writing about these two because they�re so complicated! Haha, I hope I did alright. Any comments or suggestions are welcome
- 1
- 2
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Great Below