COMPLETED - Aion and Chrno

[chrnologic.livejournal.com]

When; BACKDATED - to before this log with Fiore.
Rating; PG-13 for slight language and some insinuation
Characters; Chrno chrnologic, Aion zaigoukan
Summary; Aion comes to tease Chrno "talk" with Chrno about taking Fiore back. Chrno refuses to be toyed with. Fun times.
Log;



Chrno sighed. It had been more than a week since he'd seen her. And he was worried. Joshua throwing Fiore away like that - surely that would have some nasty repercussions? Of course, Joshua was hellbent on blaming Chrno for everything, but, well....

He sighed again, and leaned against the railing at the edge of the balcony. He let his mind wander a little, but in the end, it always came back to her.

Rosette. I'll save you. Even from your own brother, if I have to. I'm so sorry....

He was glad that no one seemed to live in this hall. He'd asked Fiore to leave him alone for now - and he was pretty sure she would listen - and there wasn't anyone else around at the moment, so far as he knew - not even that creepy masked guy. He was grateful for the solitude. There was really only one person he wanted to see, and he didn't know how to go about doing so without upsetting Joshua. That was about the last thing he wanted after the fiasco last time.

Aion. This is all your fault. You better not follow us here. Or I'll kill you. Again.


All my fault is it...?

He could see Chrno's familiar form leaning over the balcony. He never did understand why the demon had chosen to look so weak. It made Aion laugh to think about it. Chrno, his former second, one of the first of the Sinned, looking so tiny and harmless. He was far from that.

The sun glinted off Aion's glasses as he looked up at the little demon.

Oh, Chrno...don't look so sad...no harm will come to her. Joshua wouldn't be so quick to discard her. If he knows what's good for him...

He could catch only the faintest snips of Chrno's thoughts. Not the connection they'd had so long ago. He blamed it on Chrno's weakness. Blamed it on the loss of his horns. Blamed it on that woman.

He caught Chrno's blame, but he was already far too aware of that. And what else would he be pining over? Boo-hoo.

Chrno was sure to see him, but he said nothing. Not yet. He wasn't one for public spectacles unless they were spectacular and yelling up to balconies didn't fall in that category for him.


Chrno felt goosebumps crawl up his spine. He felt almost cold.

There was only one being he could think of that could make him feel like that.

NO.

He looked down, red eyes wide with a mix of anger and apprehension.
AION.

He couldn't see the other demon's eyes through the glasses. He didn't need to - he could see the smile on Aion's face. That was more than enough.

His eyes narrowed. Flecks of gold glowed at the edges, moving slowly inward. He couldn't change, as far as he knew. And not that he'd want to. He wasn't in the mood for a fight.

But seeing Aion standing there with that infurating smile on his face....
He had to bite down on his tongue to keep from yelling something. He didn't need anyone else to hear.
There was nothing else that could have made the rage run through him like this. Nothing else.


Contact.

Aion's smile widened slightly, as Chrno spotted him.

Just the eye contact made a thrill run through him. Pefect. Come down here, Chrno. Let's play.

He didn't wave or shout. There was no reason for it. Chrno needed no further acknowledgement. The smile would suffice.

...and then he was gone from view. Moving a little too fast for sight to follow, just out of vision's reach. Would Chrno come to him, or would he have to go and fetch him, Aion wondered.


Chrno felt his jaw clench, his fists clench, his whole body clench.

Hatred. Anger. Fear.
A million emotions screaming in his head, and not one of them was pleasant.

Well, maybe one, in the darkest corners of his being - the corners he liked to pretend he didn't know about anymore.

He forced himself to let go of the railing and go back inside.

He had two choices, now. He could stay here and risk Aion coming in here to find him, or he could go out there and face him.

He didn't like either option.
But he couldn't let anything happen to the people in here, either.

That guy with a mask had a temper on him, but if he got into it with Aion, he'd lose. No questions asked. Chrno knew.

So he'd have to go out there.

Damn you.

He kept his hands in fists at his side as he made his way downstairs and outside. He kept his head down, not talking to anyone. No sense in dragging anyone into this other than himself, was there?

He finally came to stand in the dark area behind the Opera House, watching for the other demon. He wasn't sure why it was dark here, but it seemed like some places in this city were always dark....


And wasn't darkness best for this sort of encounter anyhow?

Despite his white clothing, which should have shown like a beacon in the dim, Aion blended in almost flawlessly. He would be seen when he chose to be seen. No sooner.

He observed Chrno from where he stood far back in the deeper shadows.

Angry. No, furious. But not yet enraged.
That, too, would come in its own time. Aion would see to that personally.

There was a dark gold fire lurking still in the back of Chrno's eyes, and it made Aion feel almost giddy. To touch that corrupted darkness deep inside Chrno again would be simply sublime.

All things in their own time, of course.

Showtime.

Aion moved forward from the darkness, the humor still written across his face. His words, when he spoke, were saccharine. Thorns dipped in decadent sweetness.

"Hello, Chrno."

He paused, as though for dramatic effect.

"Have you missed me?"


Chrno glared up at him, fire raging somewhere inside him. He'd never hated anyone with such a passion before.
He'd gone with Aion, so long ago, with the intention of forcing himself to feel. It had worked, too, hadn't it? In a fucked up, roundabout way, Aion had done just that. Though this feeling was far from being a welcome one.

"Of course I haven't MISSED you, you bastard," Chrno said from behind his teeth. His voice was a little deeper than it usually was, barely concealing his hatred of the other demon. "What the hell do you want!?"


Aion chuckled softly.

"Is that your idea of a greeting, Chrno?"

His voice was level. Never raising a single octave. Quiet like death. There was no reason to shout. Chrno's voice lowered, and Aion supressed a shiver.

Anticipation. God, but it was sweet.

"What do I want, what do I want..." Aion placed a finger near his lower lip as though deep in thought. Narrowing his eyes, he parted his lips slightly, tongue darting out to dance over the tip of his finger.


Chrno felt his breath catch. The old reaction to Aion's obscenity was harder to supress than he'd imagined.

"It's more of a greeting than you deserve," he spat, secretly impressed with himself for managing to keep the shiver out of his voice. "So what do you want?"


A small gesture, though it may have been, Chrno's breathlessness did not go unnoticed, and Aion lowered his finger. The smile was back on his face, as perfect as if it had never left.

Chrno...you cannot hide your desires from me. I know you inside and out...

"Only to pick up something that you have of mine," Aion replied, leaving the statement open to Chrno's complete interpretation. Of course, he was referring to something specific, but why not have a little fun?


Chrno's eyes narrowed slightly. He saw Rosette's face in his mind, but....no. He knew what Aion was talking about. The girl who'd been with Joshua's. Satella's sister.

"I don't have anything that belongs to you. I'm not you - I don't keep people prisoner."

There was more behind Aion's words, Chrno was sure. But better to ignore them. Better to ignore his racing heart, his rushing blood. Better to ignore the fact that he hadn't forgotten what it had been like....what it could be like.


So quick to catch on. Charming. Here, I was hoping you'd go for other possibilities. Ah well. No use mourning the loss.

"Now, Chrno, no one ever implied such a thing, but I do believe that Joshua offered you something that he had no rights to. I'll be picking up that package now."

Never any indication that Fiore was more than just a doll. A toy that Joshua had discarded without permission that he, Aion, was now coming to reclaim.

He did not, however, have Chrno's half of the deal in his possesion, and he didn't suppose that Chrno would just let Fiore go without argument. Chrno would lay no claim to her, nor would he hold her against her will. But of course, he was also not likely to gift wrap her and offer to to Aion, either.

Ah, what a predicament.

Aion had one of two ways he could move, if Chrno denied him -- fold, or go for guilt.

As if he would fold.


Chrno's glare intensified. The gold color flickered at the edges of his eyes again for just a second.

"Don't talk to me like you're better than me. You're not," he said. His jaw was clenched again. Part of him actually wanted to change. Wanted to rip that stupid smile right off Aion's stupid face. He'd love to do that.

And since, in the City, you couldn't really die, he could just kill the other demon again and again and....

He realized what he was thinking. What he was doing. He was playing into Aion's hands. DAMNIT!

"She's not a toy! She's a person! And since Joshua just decided he didn't care anymore, why the hell should she go back with you!? So she can get her bones broken some more!? I don't think so!"

Chrno wasn't exactly one to fold, either.


That's it, Chrno. Get angry. You're so much more beautiful when you shift.

The anger hadn't left Chrno's face when he finally spoke, and it laced his voice like blood on glass in a way that made Aion want to hurt him just to watch him bleed.

"No one ever indicated she was any such thing."

Calm. Collected.

"And I don't intend to hurt her."

Intentions, intentions. So long as Fiore was well behaved, and both Aion and Joshua were in fair moods, no harm ever came to her. Of course it was generally Joshua's unhappiness or Aion's ire that got her injured, rather than her behavior. She was perfectly complacent and so well-mannered. She'd taken well to her position and cared for Joshua with all the semblance of sisterly love that Aion had been able to find in her.

It hadn't been hard. It wasn't as though she hadn't had sibilings before. She was just the perfect pet, and after all that work, Aion really hated to lose her services. She made caring for Joshua so much less work.

Aion couldn't be bothered with the trivialities of caring for a sick human child. Apostle or no. He wanted him only when he was useful, and the rest of the time, he had Fiore to care for the boy.

As it should be. He was no one's nursemaid.


I can't stop hating him! Damnit. I should just walk away right now. I can tell Fiore that Aion wants her to go back. If she wants to, I can't stop her, not with him standing here...

He felt almost helpless. There was no way out of this confrontation now. He had known there wouldn't be, but that didn't make it any easier for him. He'd managed to forget (again) the effects Aion could have on him, how strong his feelings for the other demon were.

Chrno crossed his arms, forcing himself to calm down slightly. He couldn't gain anywhere near as much composure as Aion had, but it was better than just standing there and visibly seething, right?

"You don't even call her by name, and you say you didn't indicate that she's a toy!? Are you serious!?"

His frown deepened.

"Yeah. I'll just bet you don't intend to hurt her. I'll bet Joshua didn't, either. But broken bones are a big deal, whether YOU think so or not!"


Humans have said that a rose, by any other name, Chrno...

"Because I did not tell you "I do not intend to hurt Fiore, you plan not to return her to me? She is mine, you know."

Aion's eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

"You're so particular Chrno. Semantics. Apples and Oranges. You know who I am referring to, there's no reason I need to specifcy."

Aion was visibly annoyed by Chrno's outburst. This wasn't fun anymore, it was tiring. Old. Chrno's morals were just too stifling.

He moved forward, without warning, shoving Chrno back with sheer force of movement. Aion didn't need to shift to call his power like Chrno did. He supposed Chrno's limitations were more from trying to deny what he was than from actual limitation, but that was irrelevant at the moment.

Chrno's back connected with the wall of the Opera House with a satisfying thud.

"And if I just take her, are you going to stop me?"


Chrno felt the shock of the blow run through him. He was still strong, even like this, but he was no match at all for Aion. And the other demon wasn't even trying.

Part of him was actually somewhat satisfied, however - he had gotten a reaction. That calmness was just a facade, and he knew it. And Aion always proved that, eventually. Too bad no one else ever seemed to catch onto it until it was way too late.

He stood up, steadying himself, and glared up at Aion. His eyes went fully gold for just a second as he spoke. It might have been a warning, if he had been younger and stupider. But now, it was just a statement. "If she doesn't want to go with you, then I guess I'll have to."


A warning? To Aion? Chrno was lucky that Aion didn't consider the little Demon quite cocky enough to attempt such a thing.

Rather, he took the statement for what it was: a fact.

If Aion approached Fiore, and she went with him willingly, Chrno would let her go. He hadn't been lying about not taking people prisoner.

However, if Aion approached her and she refused, Chrno would certainly step in, should Aion try to take her by force.

There was no surprise in Aion's features at this announcement, although there did seem to be a slight trace of amusment in his voice when he spoke. As if Chrno could really stop him. As if it would even come to that. Of course Fiore would go with him like a good little doll.

"You will bring her to me," Aion instructed, making sure Chrno was very painfully aware of the wall at his back. Aion moved in closer, as close as he could get without being obscene. His hand moved from Chrno's shoulder up toward his throat. The humor that had tinted his voice never reached his eyes. This was no longer about games and taunts -- this was about dominance. This was about taking back what was his, and reminding Chrno of his place in the greater scheme of things.

Tightening his hand slightly, Aion continued.

"...and you will do it now."

Truly, Aion was running out of patience.

Once he laid eyes on Fiore, and this whole mess was resolved, things could resume. His banter with Chrno, the matter of Joshua ever giving her up in the first place.

Of course, through all this, not a single offer of returning Rosette had been made.

Trading Fiore hadn't been Aion's deal, so why should he offer? Besides, Fiore hadn't really been Joshua's to barter, had she? Even in Aion's absence, she still belonged to him. They both did. Didn't they know that?


Chrno's jaw clenched. His hand came up and tightened around Aion's wrist. He didn't stand any kind of a chance, but he didn't care - he could push almost as far as Aion could. Hadn't he learned from the best?

"You bastard...." he said, his words choked only slightly, "I'm not your property. I won't do what you say. Not now, not ever again."

His eyes completely changed color for a moment. The energy rose around him without his realization, and he pushed back against the other demon - no way was he going to let his throat get crushed.

As Aion's hand fell away from him, he realized what had happened.

What the hell!? How is that even possible?

His eyes cleared again, and the realization that this situation just go a whole lot more dangerous surfaced.


Aion felt the power swell around him and literally shove him back. He stared for the briefest of seconds, visibly shaken, before the mask clicked back into place.

So you aren't completely useless after all. How interesting.

He saw the slight confusion pass over Chrno's face, and quickly came to the realization that before this incident, Chrno hadn't been aware of the consequences of his anger, either. Chrno had no idea what he was actually capable of, here in the City, and he hadn't even bothered to test it.

How quaint.

The smile that passed over Aion's lips was anything but pleasant.

"I'm not leaving without some sort of arrangement, Chrno."

Aion wanted some sort of guarantee. He knew that if Chrno made an agreement, he'd keep it. Even something as small as an offer to meet up and discuss the terms of Fiore's release back to him at a later date, would suffice. He hadn't really expected to get her back instantly. It wasn't as though Chrno kept her on a leash.

It just wasn't his style.


Chrno noticed the slip. Aion hadn't done it, then. Aion hadn't known any more than he had. It was entirely unexpected.

It made him more capable....but it also gave Aion the advantage. If he just pushed Chrno hard enough, could he really make him....?

He didn't want to think about it. The drain on Rosette would still happen, wouldn't it? And while she couldn't die again forever (as far as he knew), it wasn't something he wanted to do to her. To Aion, sure, but never to her!
Not to mention that he didn't want to play Aion's sick little games. Not ever again!

He straightened, forcing some of his composure to return.

"I guess I'll tell her you want to see her, if you go away and leave me alone."

His eyes narrowed, then. He hadn't forgotten about Rosette. He never would.

"But I won't do anything if you let Joshua keep Rosette prisoner. And I mean it."


No. Aion hadn't done it. But that didn't mean that Aion hadn't filed away the possibility that he just might be able to do it, for future reference.

Might.
Probably.
More than likely.

Chrno's expression looked dark; worried; then cleared again -- the worry replaced with that same scorn from before.

"And how will you relay her answer to me?"

Shall we set another play date?

Damn. He'd put a clause in there that Aion couldn't make any promises about. Certainly he could request that Joshua let the Magdalene go...
But would he?

"A deal is a deal, Chrno," The dance of words playing across the board. "One sister for another. But I cannot wrench his darling sibling from him without an immediate replacement, so it will have to be an even exchange. With Joshua present, of course."

A recipe for disaster.

Three paces, and turn. An even exchange.

The two should just walk forward and change sides.

But there was room for so much treachery...


"Like you won't know what she says?"

He crossed his arms and looked away from Aion, finally, annoyance visible on his face.

"I already know what she'll say. She wants to take care of Joshua, but she thinks she's a traitor. I bet you've got her brainwashed enough to obey you."

He glanced sideways at Aion, watching him from under his hair. He looked away quickly when he noticed that the other Demon noticed him looking, and his frown deepened.

"You don't expect me to believe that you'll keep a deal, do you? Especially since it wasn't your deal. How can I trust you!?"


"And how will I glean this information, if not from your lips, Chrno?"

What a tease.

Aion shifted, letting his hands sink into the pockets of his coat. Seemingly casual; never truly relaxed.

"Besides, we'll have to arrange a time and place for the exchange, now, won't we?"

Aion caught Chrno's veiled gaze and let the ever-present smile drift back into visibility on his face. Far from the wicked look of before, this quirk of lips seemed more tender than outraged or amused. The look in Chrno's eyes seemed to have pricked a tiny corner of that blackest of muscles housed within Aion's chest. One that hadn't lost all it's raw-edged nerves, and could feel something other than hate. A mere shadow; a glimpse and then gone.

"How can I trust you!?"

The smile slipped away, but the emotion seemed still to lace his words, softening them ever so slightly.

"You don't really have a choice, do you?"

Then again, things weren't always as they seemed.

Perhaps this was only an illusion. Manipulation at it's finest.
Of course, it wouldn't fail to touch something within Chrno, truth or otherwise.

Aion was a master at pulling the strings, as it were.


Chrno turned back, partially, and glared at Aion. There was more in his eyes, then - something long forgotten, hidden, buried...denied.

He realized it too late, and turned away.

Damn you.

"I can't take your word for anything. But I guess I don't have a choice."

He turned his back to the other demon, not wanting to see the softness in his smile, or that sickening desire hidden only partially behiind the lenses of his glasses.

"I'm sure you'll be in touch. I'll tell you what Fiore says next time."

There was no concession in his voice, no defeat. He was proud of himself for not betraying his feelings. But there was no choice. And he hated using Fiore as leverage to get near Rosette, but....

But didn't Fiore want to take care of whatever it was that Joshua had become, anyway?
And if Aion didn't deliver - as Chrno was sure he wouldn't - Fiore had already agreed to see what she could do about letting him see Rosette, so....


Walking forward, Aion placed his hands on Chrno's shoulders, and leaned forward, his lips the tip of Chrno's ear before moving down to position his mouth just above the lobe.

"Then perhaps, for now, this is farewell," he whispered quietly. "I have other things to attend to."

With that, he turned and began to walk away before Chrno could push him off.

Everything in it's own time, and everything possible on his terms.


Chrno felt the blush rise in his face and pulled his head away, just a second later than he meant to. His blood raced, and he hated it.

He bit his lip to keep from saying anything - he didn't want the other demon back.

He watched Aion disappear. Finally, satisfied that he was gone, he turned and ran back into the mansion. What a mess this was!