A Little Help for his Friends

A/N: this story is set a while after the end of the main arc, and doesn't take in account the events of L&L.

It absolutely had to stop.

When Lambda accepted Asbel's offer to inhabit his body, he hoped for peacefulness. The boy simply seemed too foolish and naive to be able to feel any serious concern - and a carefree mind, a polar opposite of his previous host, was exactly what Lambda needed.

And he did have peace, initially. The being entered a dormant state; his mind, separated from Asbel's, fallen into a calm and blissful sleep. Yet all good things come to an end, and Lambda eventually awoke. It wasn't so bad at first, but as time went by his mind grew closer and closer to Asbel's, and his host's thoughts quietly began seeping into his own. It was not the process itself that caught Lambda by surprise - it had happened with Richard, so he expected it to be the same with his new host - but the contents of Asbel's mind were what surprised (and very deeply disturbed) him.

And finally, Lambda could no longer bear it. Something had to be done.

Asbel had no idea that Lambda had awakened inside him, much less that the alien being knew what was going on in his thoughts. His first contact, therefore, came as a shock to him.

The morning started as any other: the Lord of Lhant was struggling to get out of bed, wishing he could go back to his dreams instead of facing the mountain of paperwork which never seemed to shrink, when a deep voice resounded in his head...

"As usual, all you wish for is to return to sleep and dream of him. Pitiful."

For a long moment, Asbel was completely speechless. His mouth opened and closed, unable to conjure a coherent sound, until he finally managed to burst out loud, "Lambda?! Y-You woke up?!"

"Regrettably, I did. And if I knew awakening meant being bombarded by your pathetic thoughts of lovesickness, I would have done everything in my power to slumber for eternity."

"You... I mean, I have absolutely no idea of what you're talking about! I'm not lovesick!" said Asbel, turning into a shade of red that betrayed his words.

"You do know it's unnecessary to be so loud, don't you? I'm inside your little head. Though it's so terribly empty in here, I'm not surprised you would forget that." Asbel's embarrassed flush grew deeper as Lambda continued, "It's also pointless to attempt lying to me. As I just mentioned, our minds are connected. But I'm certain that your ridiculous endeavor at deception would fail even if they weren't. Has anyone ever mentioned what a terrible liar you are?"

Asbel opened his mouth as to speak, but swore he could hear Lambda's mocking chuckle when he did so. Even redder than before, he pressed his lips together and tried to send his words to the being in his head. "That's not the point! And my personal feelings are none of your business!"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't have the slightest interest in your love life, and I'm certainly not concerned with your worthless human feelings. But while you remain obsessing over my previous host, the distress in your mind involuntarily affects my own, so I must urge you to just go ahead and confess to him."

"I- I'm not- I'm not obsessing over Richard!"

Lambda was amused at how Asbel managed to stutter even without actually speaking. "Please. Your thought pattern basically consists of Richard Richard Richard Curry Richard Richard Curry Richard."

Asbel fell back into his bed, feeling defeated. Denying would definitely be useless.

"I'm glad that you've finally acknowledged my accuracy," Lambda continued, "Now, do something. Immediately."

The boy sat up, agitated. "...And what the heck can I do? We're both guys! And he's the King!" In his distress, Asbel was unconsciously speaking out. "I'd just ruin our friendship."

If Lambda had a body of his own, he'd be covering his face with his palm. "Has it ever occurred to you that he might return your feelings?"

Asbel's eyes widened. "Do you really think so?"

Heavens, he's more idiotic than I could have ever imagined, Lambda considered. Couldn't Asbel realize that the being had lived inside Richard's mind for long enough to be sure of that? Lambda felt the impulse of simply stating exactly what his former host felt, but his respect for Richard's privacy kept him from doing so. Besides, Asbel was so credulous that Lambda knew he wouldn't need to go that far to convince him.

"I do. May we head to Barona now?"

It took longer to get to the capital than Lambda hoped. First, Asbel insisted on sending a letter asking to schedule a meeting - as if Richard wouldn't beam at a surprise visit from his dear friend. Then, when the king's answer came, stating that Asbel's presence in the castle would be welcomed at any moment, the young lord kept delaying his departure, claiming that he couldn't leave too much paperwork behind when he left for Barona. Eventually, as the pile in his desk only seemed to grow taller each day, Asbel realized that he was completely unable to work in that situation - and was finally convinced that it was time to go.

Upon Asbel's arrival at the castle, Richard was in the middle of holding court. It wasn't the first time he watched his king performing said duty, but Asbel still felt a deep admiration for the smooth way through which Richard handled the citizens' various problems. The young lord was wondering if he himself would one day be able to be so efficient and appear so imposing while dealing with the people of Lhant, when Lambda interrupted his thoughts:

"Staring at him and sighing - aren't you just the lovestruck prepubescent lady?"

"S-Shut up!" Asbel retorted. "And I wasn't sighing!" …Not consciously, at least.

Their brief and silent dialogue was interrupted at the announcement that court was over for the day, and as the crowd began heading for the castle's gates, Asbel tried to make way towards his friend. A guard attempted to intercept and question him, but as soon as he was close enough to recognize the Lord of Lhant, close friend of the King, he was left in peace.

By the time Asbel caught up to Richard, the latter was in the corridor that lead to his quarters. Hearing the hasty footsteps, Richard turned, and smiled as he saw who it was. Asbel's heart skipped a beat at the sight, and he cursed Lambda for making him feel so self-conscious.

"Asbel! You're finally here!" Richard exclaimed, moving towards his friend and pulling him into a tight embrace. "I've been expecting you for days."

"Ah... Um... Some stuff came up... You know, work and all..." Asbel scratched the back of his head. "Sorry for making you wait."

"Oh, it's perfectly fine. I'm glad you're dedicating yourself so thoroughly to your lordly duties." Richard tilted his head, smiling. "Besides, you're here now. How did the expedition go? Are you hungry? Would you care for tea?"

Lambda's mocking voice resounded in Asbel's head, "Just listen to his eager inquiries! You can feel the concealed longing!"

"Don't even bother! I'm not confessing to him in the middle of a corridor!"

"Fine. Take him to his bedroom, then. You could also work on getting rid of your sexual frustrations while you're at it."

"I- I'm not- I'm definitely not- W-Where the hell did you even learn this kind of language, anyway?!"

"Asbel?"

It was Richard who spoke, sporting a concerned frown. Asbel finally realized how strange he must have looked during his hidden debate with Lambda, and that his friend's questions were still unanswered. "...Tea! Tea would be great! Th-Thanks, Richard."

The worry washed away from the king's face, and his smile returned. "I'll have it served immediately. Come, let's head to a more pleasant place." Richard took Asbel's hand, gently guiding him through the corridor. "The veranda has been especially lovely these days, with the refreshing breeze that blows this time of the year." Feeling those slender fingers around his own, Asbel couldn't help but grin as he followed his friend eagerly.

Gods, please make this as quick as possible, was all Lambda was thinking of.

A while later, Richard and Asbel were seated in front of a small table covered with tea and pastries. The veranda was indeed as lovely as Richard claimed, and now that Asbel's stomach was full - and, above all, Lambda was silent - the young lord finally felt relaxed enough to be able to chat normally. They spoke of many different subjects, from political affairs to their dear friends. Asbel was in the middle of narrating Sophie's recent gardening adventures when he heard the familiar nagging of Lambda's voice; "Won't you get to the point?"

Asbel finished recounting his story before turning to the being in his head. "I can't just bring it up out of the blue!"

"You two are alone, in what any would call a romantic setting, and you still think the moment to be improper?"

Asbel started munching on a chocolate croissant, as not to make his situation too conspicuous. "Of course! I mean, I can't just say, 'and so she used monster dung as fertilizer, and by the way, I'm in love with you'!"

"Then change the subject. Tell him about how handsome he looks with his hair being blown by the wind. I'm aware that this is what you've been thinking about during this entire conversation, anyhow."

The young lord tried his hardest not to flush. "L-Listen, let me handle this, okay? I'm just waiting for the right time."

"Fine," Lambda seemed to sigh, "but don't wait for too long."

"Long" was an understatement.

It had been nearly a week since Asbel arrived in Barona. During that time, Richard had done everything in his power to free as much of his schedule as possible in order to maximize his time with his best friend; even so, Asbel hadn't moved a single step closer to confessing. In answer to his protests, Lambda had been quiet, hoping that the promised "right time" would eventually arrive, but it never did.

Instead, a letter came in its place; a very distressing letter from Lhant.

It told of the mess the town's administration was going through, having to manage without its Lord for so long - especially considering the amount of work Asbel had left unfinished before departing. He absolutely had to return in the next morning, before matters became even worse.

"You can't delay this any further. It has to be now."

Asbel was lying in bed, wishing he hadn't read that cursed letter. "But Richard is having a conference right now, and it won't be over until late afternoon! And then he will attend some sort of feast at night!" Why couldn't the message have arrived earlier? They had spent the morning together...

"He should have a couple of free hours between the two events. Do it then."

"B-But how?! It's not long enough! I can't set the right atmosphere in such a short time!"

"Stop fretting so much over 'the right atmosphere'! You don't have the luxury of postponing this any longer. We must return to Lhant tomorrow - and you know both of us will go mad if this is left unsolved."

Asbel rolled on his stomach, burying his face in the soft pillows. He did know it had to be today - but he had no idea how to do it. Since he agreed to confessing his feelings, he always hoped that Richard would simply somehow catch up to them - he seemed so perceptive, after all. Once this refused to happen, Asbel couldn't help but think it was because his friend did not feel the same about him - and that was what always kept him from blurting the words, even despite Lambda's encouragement. And now, after so long, what could he possibly do that he hadn't already tried?

"Take him to the hill in the north road," was the answer from Lambda, "the one you visited as children."

Asbel's eyes widened. How did he know about it? When that had happened, Lambda was still asleep in the Barona Catacombs, far from both his and Richard's minds. "You can also see my memories?" The idea wasn't very pleasant.

Lambda didn't answer straight away. The truth was, he couldn't - and probably never would - be able to come in contact with Asbel's memories of the past. Their minds would never be close enough for that to happen. However, this hadn't been Richard's case; when Lambda inhabited his body, their consciousness came so close to fusing that some of his previous host's memories - the strongest, most vivid ones - became available to him. And that event had been one of them... along with many others that involved Asbel.

Nevertheless, this wasn't something Lambda could reveal to the boy. He didn't want his new host inquiring about his previous one's private matters. Therefore, he resorted to lying. "I can't normally touch your memories. This one in particular seems to be an exception. I suppose you've been thinking a lot about that occasion - subconsciously, you may have managed to find a solution to the problem. All I've done is bringing it to light." Asbel was gullible enough to believe in that - and he could probably use the encouragement, as well.

It did seem to work, as the young lord slowly got up and clenched his fists in determination. This was going to be Asbel's last chance, and all Lambda could do was cheer for success - and hope to keep his sanity.

The sun was low by the time Asbel heard the knock on his door. He lunged out of bed to open it, too anxious to care about how flustered he might look.

"Richard! You're finally here!" Asbel burst out, before even checking who his visitor actually was. Luckily, he wasn't mistaken.

"Where did I hear that before?" Richard chuckled, and then grew serious. "I apologize for taking so long. I wanted to fly out of the meeting as soon as I got your note, but I truly couldn't. Why did you want to see me so urgently?"

"Ah! D-Don't worry, it's fine! I only had it sent so that you'd come here when it was over, anyway!" Asbel paused, trying to prepare for his next words. "I... I was just wondering if you'd like to go watch the sunset in the hill with me. Y-You know, that one from when we were kids, where you told me of your dreams and... Um, you know what I'm talking about, r-right?"

Richard smiled. "Of course. I could never forget that day, Asbel. And I'd be more than happy to go there with you once more."

"Great!" He grabbed Richard's arm and made for the corridor, practically dragging the king behind him. "We'd better hurry, or you'll be late for your next appointment!"

And hurry they did, for after quite a short period, they had left the castle, passed through the city, cruised through the road, and finally sighted the hill.

"Asbel, could we slow down? Your pace is a bit... frantic," Richard gasped.

"But we're almost there!" Asbel himself was panting, mostly due to how incredibly anxious he felt about the upcoming ordeal. He had to keep running, or Richard might find his flushed face and shortness of breath to be strange.

Few moments later, the duo arrived and fell to the grass, trying to slow their pounding hearts - though Asbel knew that his was a lost case. "S-So," he started, sitting up and attempting to draw his attention elsewhere, "the view is worth it, right?"

"Well, the view would still be the same even if we arrived a couple minutes later," Richard chuckled and moved to sit next to his friend, "although I guess I can appreciate it more after the exercise."

Asbel blushed, feeling guilty for straining his friend over his own lack of control. "I'm sorry for rushing you, Richard... I have to go back to Lhant tomorrow, so I... I want to make the most out of the little time we have left together."

"You're returning to Lhant tomorrow?" There was no mistaking the disappointment in Richard's voice.

"I really wanted to stay longer, but I got a letter today, and... they kind of need me there." Asbel's stare fell to the ground.

"It's understandable," said Richard, placing his arm around the young lord's shoulder in order to comfort him, "just make sure to come back as soon as your duties allow it." Even without looking at his face, Asbel could feel Richard's smile. He shifted his gaze upwards, but instinctively turned away as soon as he met Richard's eyes.

This was Lambda's cue to protest. "What are you doing, you fool? This is your chance! Look into his eyes and say it!"

Asbel knew it. He knew this was the perfect moment, but he was completely frozen. The feel of Richard's warm breath on his cheek seemed to suck all his ability to think. On his cheek! All I need to do is turn, and...

But it was too late. Richard was getting up and walking closer to the cliff. "The sunset is looking beautiful. Come and see it, Asbel."

I can see it just fine from here! he thought. Damn it! He had been so close! How could he have let that opportunity escape?! It's over. All over. I can't do it. Not anymore. Asbel felt every bit of his strength leave his body. Everything had led up to that moment, and now that it was gone, there was nothing left he could do. Nothing.

"You... Pathetic, useless... Don't you dare give up! Not when you've come this far!" But there was nothing Lambda could say that would get Asbel to move. Only one alternative remained... "Give me control."

The command was so unexpected that Asbel snapped out of his trance. "What?!"

"You understood me. Give me control of your body. Now."

Asbel was at a loss. "What are you going to do?"

"You'll see. Be quick, Richard is waiting."

Asbel hesitated. He trusted Lambda and believed that he had no intention of harming either Richard or himself, but could the creature's judgment be sound? What if he did something reckless? It could ruin everything...

"Do it, Asbel."

He had no choice, had he? He knew he couldn't do it anymore. He was desperate. This was his last chance. "...Take over, Lambda."

And so he did. Asbel felt a completely alien sensation - a presence overwhelming him, spreading through his entire body, and he had to resist the urge to fight against the engulfing power. When it was finally over, he moved to stand... No! It wasn't him. He could feel his legs stretch, his face turn upwards, but he had absolutely no control over the motion. It was Lambda's work, entirely. All Asbel could do was observe.

Richard was still by the cliff, watching the dancing colors in the sky. Asbel saw him grow closer as Lambda commanded his body to walk in his friend's direction, until they reached his side. Then, Asbel felt his hand move until it rested on Richard's shoulder. In response to the touch, the king turned towards him... And their eyes met.

Asbel knew that, if his body had been under his command, he would automatically turn away, unable to sustain Richard's gaze. But Asbel wasn't in control, and what Lambda did completely terrified him...

He was staring right into Richard's eyes.

There was no looking away; Asbel couldn't escape from those two hazel irises. His heart was pounding violently in response to his mind's involuntary orders, but there was nothing he could do to react. His body just stood there, still and unresponsive... Until Lambda finally moved it, and Asbel honestly thought his heart would give away.

His face was getting closer to Richard's.

"Lambda, what the hell are you doing?!" Asbel wanted to scream, but all he could do was desperately try to send his words to the being in control of his body. "Stop! Don't... Don't get any closer!" No, no, it wasn't worth it! The risk was too great! What if Richard steps back in shock? What if he pushes me away in disgust? The overwhelming fear of rejection was consuming him. Asbel couldn't think of anything other than please, please don't let any of this happen.

His eyes had been forced shut now, and the only indication that Richard was still a fraction of an inch from him was his soft breathing on Asbel's face. Until he finally felt their lips touch.

And, at that exact moment, Lambda's hold washed away from his body.

Asbel was taken aback for a moment, but he knew there was only one thing he was supposed to do: move away and beg for forgiveness.

Except that he couldn't.

He couldn't, because Richard's hand was in the back of his neck, holding his head in place... And Richard was kissing him back.

Asbel found himself incapable of producing a coherent thought. His world was reduced to Richard and Richard alone, the calming warmth of his breath, the sweet scent of his perfume, and above all, the blissful touch of his lips. Asbel took it all hungrily, because in case it was only a dream, he'd have to enjoy every bit of it while it lasted. But it was reality, and real minutes passed as the two stood intertwined, lost in themselves.

The sun was halfway gone by the time their lips finally parted, and Richard guided Asbel's head to rest on one of his shoulders, gently stroking the messy auburn locks. "Asbel..." Richard's voice was so soft, it was almost a whisper, "I love you."

Asbel's grip on his best friend's back tightened at the words, and he felt his eyes water. "I was supposed to say that first," he said, and the two of them chuckled in unison, "but I'm always so slow." Asbel swallowed, his heartbeat increasing. "I love you, Richard." It was so easy now. There was no longer any hesitation, any fear. The phrase rolled through his tongue effortlessly, as if it was the most natural thing he could say... Probably because it was the most natural thing he could say.

The duo sustained the embrace until all of the sun had sunk in the horizon. Once the last rays were gone, they started their journey back to the castle, fingers interlocked. And, as soon as Asbel made his first step, he heard a familiar voice echo in his head:

"You're welcome."

A/N: I still can't believe that I'm publishing this. Although I've been an avid fanfiction reader for quite a while, I've never, ever, even vaguely considered writing anything. However, I did always cook quite a few ideas in my head, and this one just ended up getting out of the oven and into my computer.

Being not only the first fanfiction I've written in my life, but also the first piece of fiction I've written in over 6 years, this is definitely far from perfect. But I hope you all enjoyed it, and thank you very much for reading it! :) Reviews will be much appreaciated!