Title: Duel
Genre: Romance/Humor?
Warnings: None, just mild kissing here, PwPish
Comments: Fic for the Yaoi challenge on LJ. This is PG-13 and not the complete version, to accord with this site's rules (The other version is NC-17). Thanks goes to RinoaRed for beta-ing it. If you want to see the full version of this fic, you can visit Ao3 under 'Starza'.
Spoilers: Albel/Fayt's paired ending, no main game spoilers

"You're impossible!"

"You're not exactly easy to deal with either!"

Fayt sighed for the umpteenth time tonight as he crossed his arms. Why was it that the only way he and Albel seemed to communicate nowadays were through verbal arguments?

It was only a few months before Fayt had decided that he wanted to stay on Elicoor II. It wasn't received very well by some of his companions, especially Sophia. And he knew from the mixture of shocked expressions when he announced his traveling companion was Albel didn't earn him any positive points. In fact, both Cliff and Sophia had raised their voices asking Fayt if he had lost his mind.

"No, I haven't lost my mind, and no, I feel quite fine. It's just... something I need to do."

Mostly, everyone seemed to trust Fayt's decision. Some people had their doubts, but weren't hard to convince. Nel had a frown on her lips the entire time, but she didn't protest, she simply said that she trusted his decision and clearly made it known that if he was ever in trouble, he knew where to find her.

However, there were some people were harder to convince.

Cliff was one of them, a scowl on his face, his arms crossed the same way Fayt's were now. Perhaps it was the fact that he didn't trust the company that Fayt would keep. Or perhaps he was genuinely worried. Whatever the reason was, it took a few minutes for Fayt to assure him that he could take care of himself, that he trusted Albel, and that he was going to be okay.

"I'm not going to talk you out of this, kid, am I?"

Smiling, Fayt had shaken his head. Cliff sighed and resigned to the fact that Fayt was going to do what he was going to do.

Sophia was harder to convince on this matter, especially when she kept asking him what they were going to do. When he looked into her disappointed eyes, he almost changed his mind. Especially when he handed her a letter and told her to deliver it to his mother. With each corner of her mouth twitching downward, he could feel the guilt piling up inside him even more.

"Sophia, if I don't stay... I may regret it forever... It may seem selfish, especially since I haven't seem my mom in a long time, but... I can't go back. I just... won't be happy."

After he had said that, like a calm in a storm, her frown simply vanished. Instead of a scolding he had expected, she gave him a hug, whispering that she understood.

"I promise I'll give this to Aunt Ryoko. Just... promise me that you'll visit me one day?"

"I promise." He wasn't even sure if he could keep that promise, but he had a feeling he would see her again someday.

And after that began their travels. They had no real destination in mind, neither of them familiar with the continents outside of Gaitt, and just wandered aimlessly.

And for a while, they seemed to get along relatively well. At least, in Fayt's opinion. Albel was less hostile for a few weeks than he had ever been before. The sparing practices they had on occasion were good lessons for him. In fact, they sometimes were able to carry on civil conversations.

However, it was a brief moment in time. Maybe it was Fayt's fault, since he had gotten them lost and they had to spend many nights outside in the rain. Or it could be said it was Albel's fault. Although he seemed less hostile towards Fayt, he seemed more prone to verbally attacking others; especially important pompous people, who more times than most chased them right out of town. Fayt never thought that they didn't deserve it, but sometimes, you just had to tolerate others. When Fayt had started warning him about it, Albel turned his attitude towards Fayt and another day of fighting would come about.

Maybe again it was his own fault, because instead of letting the insults and banter go, like he had done in the past, he fought right back. The first few weeks had taught him that Albel could carry on normal conversations. Besides, Fayt noticed that when they traveled together with everyone else, much of what Albel said he really didn't mean, even if the words carried a sting of venom on it.

Fayt was just tired of it all, mostly due to the way Albel didn't watch what he said, they were thrown out of town or ended up in a lot of needless fights.

Shaking his head out of past thoughts, he looked straight into smoldering red eyes. "I'm not the one picking fights where ever we go!"

"The fools only got what they deserved."

"I highly doubt that just because someone looks in your direction means that they wanted to fight."

"They didn't just look, they stared at me!"

"Looking at you for five seconds doesn't count as 'staring'!"

A knock on the door interrupted his companion's retort. The hot glare that was so focused on Fayt just a moment ago had now turned its attention towards the door and Fayt almost expected the door to burst into flames. "What!?"

"Um, sir, could you please keep it down? We have other guests..."

"They have pillows, they can cover their heads with them if they don't like the noise!"

Sighing yet again and not wanting to sleep outside again, Fayt answered, "I'm sorry about my friend here. We'll try to keep it down."

"...Thank you." Was it Fayt's imagination or did the pitch of the innkeeper's voice sound a little higher?

"Hmph, fools..." was the murmured reply from Albel as he sat by the small table in their room.

Okay, that was the last straw for Fayt. This time, he wasn't going to be pushed around. "Albel, you need to stop picking fights everywhere you go. This is getting ridiculous now." When all he got was a silent stare in return, he continued on. "I tolerated it up till now, but there's really all I can take and all I can do to get us out of trouble. I can't keep making excuses every time someone stares at you or asks you a simple question."

"And what are you going to do?" A smirk crossed Albel's lips. "Are you going to leave?"

A challenge. Every voice in Fayt's head said, 'Don't fall for it. He's just baiting you.' Just ignore it.

But, instead, he lifted his chin up and answered, "Maybe I will."

"And what if I tried to stop you?"

That wasn't a question Fayt was anticipating. He also didn't expect Albel to rise out of his seat and walk right up to him, staring at him like a hawk to it's prey. He took one step back for each one of Albel's steps forward and soon enough, he found himself backed totally against the wall. A hand to one side and Albel's metal claw to the other prevented escape as he continued to stare at him.

At that moment, Fayt knew he was trapped.

"Well?"

"I..." All the confidence that Fayt had built up a moment ago had vanished under the scrutinize gaze of one man. He could play stupid and say, 'Well, what?' but somehow, he knew that wasn't a good idea. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked up at the bemused expression on Albel's face, trying to avoid looking into his eyes. "I... I'd fight you..."

"Really?" That cocky attitude was starting to get on Fayt's nerves now. That smirk on his lips, the way Albel's eyes kept staring at him, daring him to try...

"Yes."

The smirk didn't falter for a second. It seemed that every answer only amused Albel even more. His body froze when Albel leaned down closer. He could feel the end of Albel's bangs brush against his cheek.

"You're a bad liar, Leingod."

Fayt didn't know whether to feel insulted or to go into shock considering this was the first time Albel ever referred to him by name. "W-what do you mean?"

"You're not fighting me now, are you? You could push me away right now, but you're not."

The tone of Albel's voice was no longer amused and when Fayt's eyes finally looked back up, the mirth had vanished from red eyes. Albel just continued to stare at him, as if an answer lied somewhere within him. Fayt knew he should say something now, but every time he tried to move his lips, nothing would come out. The longer the silence went on, the more ill at east he felt.

Albel was the one who eventually broke the silence. "You should hate me." He paused for a moment before he spoke again. "And I should hate you. You're nothing but trouble. You slow me down. You get in my way. You annoy me with your happy perky outlooks. I should kill you right now, and be done with you for good.

"But..." He put a finger under Fayt's chin and lifted his head up, the predatory smile coming back. "Killing you would just cause more trouble. I'll decide when it's time to kill you. Your life is mine, you are mine..."

"I... I'm not a piece of property..."

Albel didn't even seem taken aback when Fayt had finally spoken after a long time of silence. "I never said you were my property. You are mine..." The tint in Albel's eyes seemed to darken to Fayt. Or perhaps it was the faint light in the inn room that was playing tricks on him. "I think it's time you learned that. Let me prove to you that your boast a few minutes ago was a lie too."

When he felt cold steel trace up his arm, Fayt felt afraid. But it wasn't because he feared Albel's threats of bodily harm. It was something else, those strangely colored eyes scanning him from head to toe, the faint tickle of the other's breath, the way he was leaning closer and closer, those warm wet lips on his own...

Wait a minute.

Of all the things he expected Albel to do, kissing was not among one of them. In fact, that was the farthest thought from his mind. Okay, so he had thought about it before, what it would be like. But it was just a fleeting thought, a passing case of a sudden burst of hormones. Pigs would fly before that happened.

He glimpsed out the window briefly, perhaps for a sign of pink.

A tongue brushing against his lips brought him back to the present. Since when did Albel know how to even kiss? He didn't even let people come within a dozen feet of him, and here he was, kissing him without hesitation.

Fayt wasn't sure what to do. It's not like he didn't know how to kiss and it's not like he didn't know what Albel wanted. That was pretty damn obvious. But shouldn't he push him away? Should he just stand there and pretend not to be the least interest? Or should he just not respond at all?

Apparently, Albel's patience for a response was at an end. He suddenly bit down on Fayt's lower lip. Hard. Hard enough to draw blood.

His yelp of surprised was lost as a tongue made its way through. Apparently, standing still was not going to work so well. And not responding wasn't going to work either, he couldn't prevent the little shiver as a hand made it's way under his shirt, and it took most of his willpower to suppress that whimper building up at the back of his throat. If it took that much energy to stop that, what would happen if...?

"See?"

When did Albel stop kissing him? Fayt had to stop spacing out like that. "What?"

There was that smirk again. "You're not fighting back. Although, I wouldn't have thought you gave up battles so easily, Leingod."

A duel. That's what it was to Albel. Just another method of fighting. For some reason, that really pissed him off. That Albel only thought of it as some sort of game. Or perhaps he was pissed because Albel's words had a sting of truth to it.

Whatever the reason though, he was determined not to lose this fight. Briefly, he wondered if he had lost his mind by even considering challenging Albel to this... sort of battle. He reasoned that he probably was insane just by deciding to stay by Albel to begin with.

"Who said that I gave up yet?" He looked up, his eyes meeting the challenge that awaited before him. "You just caught me by surprise, that's all. There's no way I'm going to go easy on you now and I'm not going to give up without a fight."

"Big words, Leingod, big words." The smile on Albel's lips clearly showed that he was pleased with the response from Fayt. "Let's see you put them to action."

This time, when Albel's mouth descended on his own, Fayt was ready. The duel had officially begun now.