D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Scandalous ❯ Chapter 5

Advance 5:

 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the animes used here, predominantly DN Angel.

 

Warnings: Nothing that hasn't been said already.

 

A/N: Hey there! Thank you very much for staunchly supporting this fic if you managed to read up to this chapter, and I sincerely hope that you're enjoying yourself. I know that the story's probably a little slow, but please bear with me as I'm trying to make it somewhat true to life, and in the Middle Ages you'd be lucky if you got to the nearest village in three days. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you for supporting me this far.

 

Daisuke reached up to gingerly touch the scarf around his neck as he gazed at himself in the mirror. Having just finished glaive training, he remembered the look on Sir Mouri's face when he saw the black scarf around his pupil's neck. A blush crept over his cheeks and he hastily gathered his books, dashing off to the library to meet Master Kakeda.

 

Letter from Viscount Dark Mousy of House Blackwing to Count Duo Maxwell of House Deathscythe. Sent on the sixth day of June, in the Year of our Lord 1639.

 

My dear Count,

 

You did wax poetic about Daisuke upon the night of his 18th name day, and I must say that it was easy to convince my father to allow me to deliver his regards and a gift to the Niwas in lieu of showing up at the ball. I was welcomed with open arms (if there is one thing Lord Kosuke and Lady Emiko are, it is hospitable) and I have been invited to stay for a month. It has been three or four days since I have arrived now, and yet boredom has not seized me in its grip.

Daisuke Niwa, of course, is my chief source of amusement. He is, as you described, absolutely charming and simply stunning to look at. He is naïve beyond belief and had I not met Sir Yuy before you took him to bed, I would not have believed it possible that such a tender virgin could still exist in such a world as we live in. One look at him aroused my deeper passions and I currently occupy myself here by…shall we say, teasing him? `Tis an ignoble pastime, I fear, but one that is like fighting in a battle; once started, cannot be stopped without considerable effort on the behalf of both sides. He, too, has desires; they were what allowed me to do what I have done so far, and his reaction to the mark I left on him was most enjoyable. I believe it was even more vehement than Sir Yuy's when you bestowed one of its ilk upon him. I daresay he nearly jumped a metre off the ground when he saw himself in the mirror, but at the same time he enjoyed the process very much.

I could tell you of my many adventures with him, but rest assured that he has not lost his virtue yet. At least, not to me. I wish to make him come to me, not vice versa. I do not care for taking one by force; there can only be pleasure when both parties consent. Such an action is for the low and vulgar, not for one such as I. In any case, I think that when Daisuke does come to me, it will be a most…enjoyable experience. I hope Sir Yuy is in good health, as I shall not be back for quite some time. I must go now; I believe that Daisuke has just finished his lessons. Please give my regards to your family and of course, Sir Yuy. Adieu, and may fortune be with you,

 

Viscount Dark Mousy, House Blackwing, son of High Lord Evan Mousy.

 

He scowled and fanned his hand over the parchment quickly, hoping that the breeze would help to dry the ink more quickly. He did not want to miss Daisuke and lose him to those Element Knights, who as of late had seemed to be forming even more of a protective circle around him. Dark briefly wondered whether one of them would soon start trailing Daisuke, but then dismissed the notion. The redhead was, after all, just a little too innocent for court affairs. Besides, such looks and such a disposition in one person could hardly fail to win anyone over.

 

Dark thanked the stars above that he just happened to be passing by Daisuke's door as the young lord walked in, clutching an armful of books. The pile swayed precariously as the younger desperately tried to balance all of them and open the door at the same time. The purple-haired viscount smiled and lifted three or four heavy tomes off the top of the pile, gallantly pushing open the door for the younger lord, who staggered in and dropped the whole stack onto the thick rug.

 

“My, my, a scholar's life is not an easy one, is it?” Dark laughed as he placed the books on the large desk near the window. He quickly walked back over to where Daisuke was crouched on the floor and helped him to pick up the books. He ignored the way the younger lord shifted uneasily away from him, turning red every time their hands brushed whilst trying to pick up the same book.

 

After the mess had finally been cleaned up, Daisuke shifted uneasily, not knowing what to do next. He didn't want to stay alone in his room any longer with the viscount by himself, but at the same time he could not see any way out of the situation. He cautiously eyed Dark, only to find that the man was eyeing his scarf. An appreciative little smile danced around the viscount's lips and Daisuke felt himself flushing, hands reaching up as though to hide the scarf from the other man's view.

 

“Do you have anything in mind for today?” Dark mildly asked, eyes still dancing with mirth.

 

Daisuke fidgeted nervously under the other's gaze, heat slowly creeping up the back of his neck and stretching out towards his ears. “My deepest apologies, Viscount, but I am quite…busy today.” He bowed quickly. “I wish to…”

 

He never did get to finish his sentence, because within three strides the other had already crossed the room and was now looming over him. Daisuke inhaled deeply, forcing himself into a semblance of calmness. “Viscount Mousy,” he said, hoping that his voice did not sound an octave higher, “May I inquire as to what you are doing?”

 

Dark couldn't help it anymore, He pulled Daisuke to his chest and held him there gently, noting with satisfaction that at least Daisuke did not try to do him bodily harm, unlike the last time they had been in such close proximity. He gently rested his head atop Daisuke, fully aware that they looked like lovers in an embrace. “So haughty,” he murmured amusedly into thick red locks.

 

Daisuke growled something unintelligible into Dark's shirt, squirming uncomfortably almost like a young, restless child coddled by its mother. Unsettled by the purple-haired lord's grip on him, he finally settled down, standing there still, praying fervently that the other would not do anything unorthodox or sinful. Please, he prayed feverishly, I'll do anything. Lord, I don't mean to do this, I'm not committing the act of sodomy am I? Please forgive me, God, I don't want to participate in this act, I don't know what to do…Thoughts whirled around in his head, melding in with the prayer. Sir Mouri's advice came to mind as well as Ryo's cruder addition, but he didn't think that kicking Dark again would be advisable.

 

“Shh,” the other whispered into his hair, one hand slowly drifting down and wrapping around his waist, fingers gently pressing into the small of his back like some form of fine massage.

 

Daisuke slowly looked up at the other's sharp features, taking in the thin nose and the high cheekbones, as well as the wild look that the other man's hair lent to his features. “I don't understand,” he whispered. “Why…?”

 

“Mm.” Then a pair of warm lips descended upon his and Daisuke's eyes widened in surprise. Dark's grip tightened slightly and the redhead, much to his dismay and discomfort, found himself forced to stay still. He trembled, afraid of what might happen should a servant or someone knock on his door; after all, Master Minamino did come up to his chambers now and again to give him more homework or assign another book to read, and nowadays it wasn't odd for Sir Mouri or one of the other Element Knights to visit either. As though in response to his thoughts, a knock sounded through the room.

 

“Lord Daisuke?” Daisuke froze in horror as Dark continued to kiss him, now moving over the side of his face to lap at his ear. A bolt of hot pleasure shot through him and suddenly he was reminded of the incident in the barn, the cause of the large mark on his pulse point. The redhead quickly pushed the other off, breathing heavily with eyes wide and red cheeks.

 

“Um, come in,” he hastily called, hoping that his voice wasn't an octave higher as it was wont to become whenever he became flustered. The door slowly opened as though the person on the other side was afraid to enter, and Dark saw a familiar shock of blue hair appear. He smirked at the Strata Knight, whose smile vanished upon seeing Dark.

 

“Mah lord,” the man said formally, bowing low and making a point to ignore the viscount. This only amused the purple-haired man more and he smiled lightly at the other knight. “I hope you ah-re well?” His accent became even more pronounced as he eyed Dark coldly.

 

Daisuke swallowed hard, wanting nothing more than to leave the room and go train with Sir Mouri, or even try to discuss a philosophical theory he'd just learned about with Sir Date, but he didn't know how to convey this to Sir Hashiba, who was, according to Ryo, `the most oblivious person in the world'. “All right then,” the other replied curtly. “Just checking.” To Daisuke's dismay, he turned his back and shut the door once more. The redhead slowly turned to face Dark, moving cautiously towards the door as though he were facing a rabid dog.

 

Dark sighed and folded his arms, remaining still. He knew that Daisuke was somewhat curious already; his reaction in the barn and in his chambers the previous day had been testimony of that fact; but he wasn't ready to give up what he'd grown up believing in yet. Yet. The viscount smiled and extended one hand to gently cup the side of Daisuke's face, running his thumb over those soft lips. “I'd better go then,” he mildly remarked. “Lest your dog come back too soon. It was a pleasure…being with you, pretty Dai.”

 

With those parting words, he swept out of the room, leaving the puzzled and embarrassed Daisuke to his thoughts.

 

Element Knights:

 

Rowen shot a glare in response to Cye's reproachful look. Although he knew that he should have tried to get Daisuke away from the viscount, he couldn't help but feel that the Torrent Knight was getting just a little too caught up in the personal affairs of their lord. They were his bodyguards, not his nurses! “Daisuke's a big boy now,” he snapped finally, annoyed at the silence.

 

“I never said he wasn't.”

 

“Don't motha him then, yah hen!”

 

“There's nothing wrong with wanting to protect him,” Cye pointed out. He didn't know why Rowen was so tense about the whole affair, but he knew that it could cause potential problems should anything more happen between Lord Daisuke and Lord Mousy in the future.

 

The blue-haired knight rolled his eyes and sat down in a chair, rubbing the cloth over his bow fiercely. “I don't see why you hafta interfere,” he bluntly stated after a moment. “It's his affair, he'll have to learn at some point about what happens in life.” Cye blushed lightly.

 

“But he doesn't have to learn about it through a man! He could have learned about it through books, through a talk, even through listening in when—“

 

“And just when is our dear little Daisuke Niwa going to listen in on a couple? He's so dense at times, he'd probably think that they were fighting! And furthermore—“ Sir Mouri never did find out what `furthermore' was, however, as Sir Sanada walked in. His blue eyes peered at the pair, sensing the tension, before he swallowed hard and tried to turn around only to be stopped by Sir Date.

 

“What's the matter, Ryo?” Rowen and Cye heard their blonde compatriot's voice ask calmly. “Is something amiss?” Now Torrent and Strata were united; as one they glared fiercely at Sir Sanada, daring him to say something. Feeling the twin glares boring into his back, the Wildfire Knight winced and hastily pushed past Sir Date, ignoring the sound of disapproval that slipped past the blond's lips. Lavender eyes turned upon the pair, cool and collected as ever. “Is something amiss between you?” Rowen shrugged and turned to focus on his bow once more whilst Cye ignored the quiet question. Sighing, Sir Date headed upstairs. If his friends weren't going to tell him, then he would just wait. He wasn't eager to push too hard and have everything backfire on him, after all.

 

Daisuke:

 

The first thing Daisuke noticed when he arrived at the training field was that Ryo was the only one outside, practicing sword forms. The redhead slowly approached the knight, his instincts telling him that something was not right today. “Good afternoon, Ryo,” he smiled cheerfully.

 

The Wildfire Knight stopped and looked at him, smile wide as ever. “My Lord Daisuke, it is a pleasure to see you. I trust your day has gone well?” The younger man smiled politely up at Ryo.

 

“You can just call me Daisuke, you know,” he cheerfully reminded the other, who laughed.

 

“Indeed,” the other agreed. “Just as a greeting.”

 

“Where are the others?”

 

Sir Sanada looked towards the house, eyes worried now. He sighed. “I think Cye and Rowen are having an argument, so I'm staying out here.” Daisuke looked down.

 

“Oh.”

 

The lord wondered whether it had anything to do with Sir Hashiba's stormy countenance, then blinked as Sir Sanada returned to the house. “Ryo!”

 

The dark-haired knight turned to look at him, smiling warmly. “Come on, Daisuke,” he gently teased the other. “Work those muscles, you'll have to keep in shape for training tomorrow!” Daisuke laughed in response before huffing as he struggled to his feet trying to balance the tomes in one arm alone. The pair set off towards the large wooden structure, talking amiably as though they had been life-long friends instead of just knight and lord.

 

The door swung open once more, revealing that no one was in the main room save Rowen, whose nose was buried in a book as he was wont to do. “Good afternoon, Sir Hashiba.” Daisuke greeted the other cautiously, not knowing how to behave with the Strata Knight. Blue eyes flicked up to glance at him before returning to the book. From behind him, Daisuke could hear Ryo sigh before the taller man leaned down to whisper something into his ear.

 

“He's been like this for the past few days. Trust me; he's usually a lot nicer.”

 

“I heard that.”

 

The Wildfire Knight straightened up. “Why don't you greet him properly then?”

 

“'E's not a baby,” the other mumbled behind his book and Daisuke felt his face turning red. Is this how my knights view me? He thought in dismay. As a child, unable to fend for himself? As a burden? A useless, heavy burden? He felt a lump growing in his throat.

 

Meanwhile, Ryo had stormed over to talk to Rowen, and now the two were engaged in what looked like an intense discussion. Although Daisuke could not hear much of their conversation, he caught the words, `Cye', `Daisuke' and `bloody viscount' a number of times, leading him to wonder just how much Sir Mouri had told the others.

 

Just then, Sir Date came down the stairs, supporting Sir Mouri on his shoulder. “Rowen, I think you should probably talk this over with Cye tomorrow,” he told the blue-haired knight before noticing Daisuke. He carefully adjusted Cye's position, then bowed as low as he could without dropping the Torrent Knight. “My lord, my deepest apologies. How fare you?” Daisuke smiled and nodded politely.

 

“Very well, thank you. You can call me Daisuke, you know.” He reminded the other for the fifth time since they had met. Sir Date merely nodded, eyes darting over to Cye. “What's amiss with Cye?”

 

The others did not reply and Daisuke felt the lump in his throat grow. Are they coddling me, keeping things from me because I don't need to know? “Is he all right?” Again, there was no reply. Rowen made an indistinct noise in his throat and returned to his book, ignoring the dirty looks that Wildfire and Halo bestowed upon him.

 

“He'll be fine,” Sir Date finally said. He looked down at Sir Mouri with what could only be described as fondness and Daisuke, much to his shame and shock, wondered briefly whether they shared the same relationship as Count Maxwell and Sir Yuy did. He slowly walked forward, still supporting the other, then bowed once more before Daisuke. “My lord, as much as I would like to stay…”

 

“Move,” Ryo bluntly said. The redheaded lord blushed and hastily shifted, smiling awkwardly at the blond. The pair moved out of the house, and Daisuke gazed after them, wondering. He then turned to Ryo and Rowen, both of whom were now locked in a glaring contest.

 

“Uh…Sir Hashiba?” He politely asked. Neither man moved. “Sir Hashiba?” He tried again. Finally, he decided to return to the castle. After all, it didn't seem as though he would find any solution to his problems, and with the way the two knights were glaring at each other, he would be lucky to have either of them talk to him.

 

However, Daisuke found himself unable to leave, for as he walked out of the house, he saw Dark, practicing in the training field with his two tessen. The redhead paused for a moment, then decided to return to the castle anyway as soon as he realized that he was changing for a guest.

 

“Good day, Lord Daisuke.” Daisuke froze and then slowly turned around, starting when he realized that Dark was standing closely behind him. “How goes it with you?” He looked down at the thick stack of books the redhead was carrying, a smile playing about his lips. “Let me help you with that, Daisuke.” He bent down and picked up a few of the books, laughing lightly at the other once more. “Goodness, your scholarly pursuits are enough to rival those of the court astronomer's, or even those of the philosophers of the Water Tower!” (1)

 

The redhead fidgeted slightly. “They're not!” He contradicted the other sharply. “Duchess Meighan no Amarekusa (2) and Lord Kwahfung de Kcairn (3) are the best philosophers in history! How could I possible compete with such figures as those?” He demanded. “I just like reading their works! How does that make me a philosopher in any way?”

 

“Oh, modest too. How becoming.” Daisuke blinked at this clearly irrelevant remark and then gave out a squeak of surprise. For just as he had begun to follow the viscount back up to the castle, the other turned around and swiftly placed a kiss upon his lips.

 

What if someone sees us? Daisuke hastily tried to twist away, but for some reason he felt as though he were sealed to the other, in thrall under his spell. He stood there, Dark's lips pressed against his for what seemed like an eternity but was in fact only a few seconds. As the other man pulled away, Daisuke found that he wanted more. That fact, more than anything else, frightened him. Without another word, he ran up to the castle as quickly as he could. Dark just stood there, books in his arms, smiling quietly to himself.

 

Daisuke hauled the bucket of water up the stairs to his room, hoping that he wouldn't meet any servants on the way. He huffed and panted, trying desperately not to spill any of the precious liquid onto the floor in the process. His footsteps echoed through the dimly lit corridor. Many a time had the thought of just leaving penance until later, but now he was determined to carry it out. Forgive me Lord, he prayed fervently, for I have sinned grievously. I have committed the act of sodomy against thy command. I acknowledge my sins, and beg humbly for forgiveness. Lord God, I devote this penance to you, in atonement for my transgressions. He briefly wondered whether moving up the stairs would lessen the impact of the prayer, then decided not to dwell on it. He had the whole of the third and fourth floors to clean.

 

Dark sighed as he walked up the stairs to his chambers, still holding Daisuke's texts. He idly wondered whether the redheaded lord would come for them later, then sighed at himself for even thinking of such an inane question. After all, the younger prized his books more highly than most nobles did and would almost certainly go to any lengths to get them back. He leaned back in the large chair and opened a thick volume, listening for the familiar sound of Daisuke's footsteps.

 

Daisuke:

 

Daisuke straightened up slowly as he finished cleaning the stone floor. His knees ached from having been forced to bear his entire weight for an extended period of time, and his hands were wrinkled from being constantly submersed in water. Swallowing hard, he hoped that this would absolve him from part of his sins at least, for he knew that should he confess the full extent of his transgressions, he would surely be excommunicated. He sighed and looked despairingly at the tallow candle, which was now only a stump of melted wax. Sighing, he stood up and stretched a little, wincing at the pain in his knees and hastily pulling on a night-shirt. He rolled into bed and promptly fell asleep, exhausted from scrubbing the whole of the third floor and his own room. The pail of water and rags remained in a corner of the room.

 

Dark:

 

He was a creature of the night, and he knew it. Dark idly toyed with the sheets on his bed, musing over thoughts of the little redhead he wanted so badly as well as his loyal protectors. Hopefully Strata's actions and mood would affect the whole group, and they would not be able to function as one unit when the need arose, and hence Daisuke would fall into his arms. The viscount did not think that he would have to reckon with his little redhead's parents; after all, they did trust him, and he did not want to start any sort of fight with Lord and Lady Niwa. He mulled over how best to coax the younger man into his bed that night, only falling asleep three hours before dawn.

 

Daisuke:

 

Daisuke looked around the table, for once free from Dark's presence. Part of him was glad that the other was not around to harass him any longer, but another part of him continued to wonder just what the other would have done, had he let the viscount continue with his actions in his chambers that night. Daisuke's hand reached up to touch the spot gently, waves of guilt washing over his consciousness. Thankfully, the mark seemed to have faded just a little, and the redhead hoped that no one would ask any more awkward questions. Unfortunately, he couldn't help but feel as though the whole of Castle Shadow knew his business; he blushed fiercely when Sir Mouri frowned lightly at him as he came down to the training grounds, turned as red as a beetroot under Sir Date's cool gaze. After his lessons were done with, he silently thanked the heavens for saving him from Dark's presence; he didn't know what he would do if the older man confronted him in his current state.

 

“It isn't that difficult,” Rowen protested against Daisuke's groans of dismay. “Look.” He pointed at the star chart, drawing lines between the stars with the tip of his finger. “Theah's Orion, and that's his belt. There's the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters. And there's Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Ya see?” Daisuke groaned in frustration.

 

“Why there? Why don't they just join them up randomly and then give them names?” he moaned. Rowen sighed and patted the other's shoulder awkwardly.

 

“Look,” he finally said, unsure of how to proceed. As a child, he'd never had any problems learning all the different constellations and how they fitted into the intricate network of the sky. “How `bout we go out ta look at `em, and then yah'll undastand betta.” At that point, Cye showed up at the doorway, his eyes smiling in approval of the Strata Knight's endeavours to teach Daisuke about astrology.

 

The younger lord's head darted up at the presence of the Torrent Knight, flashing a quick, warm smile at his trainer before returning to the arduous task of trying to identify the different constellations.

 

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Sir Mouri, who had just been about to mount the stairs, immediately turned around and ran to the door, but Sir Hashiba reached it first. To Daisuke's shock, Dark stood in the doorway. The redhead immediately stood up, painfully aware of the mark on his neck.

 

“I was aware that Lord Niwa was in here?” Those striking amethyst eyes landed on Rowen. The Strata Knight stood there impassively, eyes wary. “It is good to see you again…Rowen.” The blue-haired man stiffened sharply. Out of the corner of his eye, the archer could see Cye's questioning look, but he did not want to meet it. Dark took advantage of both knights' momentary distraction and sauntered in lazily, coming to stand directly in front of Daisuke. One hand reached up to brush the edge of the well-made scarf lightly before coming to rest on the redheaded man's shoulder.

 

Daisuke pushed away from the other, hand at his dagger already. However, his tone was as calm as ever. “Lord Mousy, I wish to know why you come seeking me.”

 

With a careless shrug, Dark spread his arms open. “Your father wishes to see you. He merely told me to fetch you, as he saw that I was coming down to the training grounds. He paused before smiling amusedly. “It seems that in Castle Shadow, one does not need to have a servant carry a message or a summons. I must remember that. Come.”

 

“My Lord, we do not wish to bother you any longer. I will escort Lord Niwa up to his father.” This came from Cye, with the result that Rowen blinked, Daisuke stared and Dark merely smiled. He turned to face the Torrent Knight.

 

“That is all very well, but `twould not cause me too much trouble. Besides,” Dark could not help saying, “I am sure that you would like to…converse with…Rowen.” At this point, Daisuke made a small noise in the back of his throat. For whilst Dark had been speaking, his hand had closed over the younger man's.

 

“Let go of me,” he blurted out. Sir Hashiba immediately took a step forward, eyes cold. However, Dark was not intimidated by the look on the other's face and looking Strata straight in the eye, he said something that would shock everyone into silence. He did not care much for the consequences; after all, it was his word against a knight's, and the court would not dare scorn Viscount Mousy of House Blackwing's claim.

 

“You warmed my bed quite nicely, Rowen. I can only hope that you do as much with your other lovers.” With those words, he swept out with a stunned Daisuke, leaving the Torrent and Strata Knights behind. He inwardly smiled at the look of utter horror on Sir Mouri's face, knowing that the Element Knights would now be too wrapped up in their own problems to take care of Daisuke.

 

1: Water Tower: One of the five Element Towers, which oversee all affairs practical and intellectual. The Water Tower concerns itself mainly with philosophy and the pursuit of knowledge, and houses the largest library known in the land. This Tower also handles educational affairs for the land, and is currently in the process of lobbying for free education for all.

 

2: Duchess Meighan no Amarekusa: Born in 456 to a wealthy Amarkisand family, she was the first lady to take up the study of philosophy seriously. She studied in the Water Tower and was the first female to conceive `independent thinking', that is, questioning age-old beliefs. As a result, she disproved many of Bellus' theories, which had until then been held in the highest esteem. Died in 493.

 

3: Lord Kwahfung de Kcairn: Born in 516 in Eoigonia.. He made astronomy an integral part of education and was the first ever to study wind patterns in the Forrush Desert, leading to the publication of his work `North, South, East, West: The Four Winds'. His progressive thinking led to the creation of social welfare for many widows and orphans as well as the tolerance of other religions. Died in 556.

 

Done! All right people, you know the drill: please leave a nice review for me to happily read, because you know you love me. Thank you for reading up to this point, and I apologise for the long break in between chapters; it's just that I've been really busy lately and I just got back from China (squee!). I'm sorry if I made any glaring mistakes, so if there are any glaring errors I won't mind if you point them out to me. I hope you've enjoyed the story, and please, please leave a review for me, as it really does tell me that my work is being enjoyed by you. Thank you!