With a contented sigh, Hugo rolled over and crawled closer to lie in his main strategist's arms. Or rather, in Caesar's arms. The fact that the older boy was his main strategist often escaped his mind during the nighttime. Here, Caesar was just Caesar.

"Tired, Flame Champion?" The strategist asked with the usual smile on his face. Hugo didn't reply; he just closed his eyes and sighed again. Yes, the older boy was just Caesar to him... but Caesar just loved calling him something else than simply 'Hugo'.

Several minutes passed, then Caesar patted the other boy's shoulder gently in attempt to get his attention. He succeeded; Hugo opened his eyes and looked at him. When Caesar motioned for him to move, he pouted, yawning.

"Awww... Just let me stay here for a little longer?"

"Need to wash," Caesar mumbled, squirming away from his companion. He got up somewhat reluctantly and lifted a bowl of water closer to the bed. He nudged Hugo gently on the side, looking at him. "Hmm?"

"One more minute...?"

Caesar laughed. "I should stop being so lazy. Looks like it's contagious."

"At least you admit it's your fault," Hugo replied grinning and hauled himself up from the bed.

After cleaning himself, the young Karayan returned to his comfortable sleeping spot. He pressed his head against the older boy's shoulder, drawing the sheets over both of them.

"Warm," he whispered.

Caesar laughed a little, kissing him on the forehead. "Indeed, you've had some bad influence. Can't help it really; I'm kind of stuck here."

"I don't mind," Hugo stated. "I like having you here."

"Really?" The red-haired strategist smiled.

Hugo slapped him playfully, smiling as well. "Of course."

"Well then..." Caesar considered for a moment then continued. "Tell me one thing, my dear Flame Champion. Did you ever think you'd find yourself in bed like this?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me."

"Fair enough," the strategist replied. "Me? No, I never thought I'd find myself in bed with another guy. I know someone who might've done it though... simply for his personal gain..."

"Your brother?" Hugo guessed quickly, having enough knowledge of Caesar's relationship with his elder brother.

Caesar frowned for a moment then shrugged. "Never mind that; you know I'm nothing like Albert. Anyway, you?"

"You're the first one I've ever shared my bed with..." The Karayan trailed off. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Er... Yeah. I never thought this would happen. Never given any thought to it really. You start thinking - and feeling - certain things when you're old enough, but still..."

Caesar kissed his companion's forehead again without saying anything. Hugo sighed and moved around a little to find a more comfortable position to lie in. He yawned, not really that sleepy yet - a little tired, but he definitely was not sleepy.

"Makes me wonder..." Caesar said quietly mostly to himself.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, just thinking about the fact that I spend most of the nights here nowadays. There are guards outside the room and all. I would guess at least one of them would have noticed by now that I'm here all the time."

Hugo shrugged, turning to lie on his back. "Maybe they don't care. Or have you heard any rumors about... uh... us?"

"Not really," Caesar replied. "Funny, really. I would think they'd be interested about the Flame Champion's love life."

Hugo laughed. "I have one?"

"If you don't count sharing the bed with me, guess not. You do have a bunch of girls practically worshiping you though, if you haven't noticed." The redhead grinned. "Almost as bad as what Lady Chris gets from her knights..."

"Poor Chris. But, yeah... That's one thing people usually gossip about from what I've heard and what the sergeant has told me. But there aren't many rumors like that about me, really. "

Caesar shook his head. "Or we are just the only people that don't get to hear them, especially if people are speculating something..."

"I don't really care." Hugo smiled, nuzzling the older boy a little. "Let them talk, then."

"What is there to talk about, anyway? The main strategist spends his nights with the Flame Champion? Sounds more like the army leader being really dedicated and working on strategies all night long, don't you think?"

"Didn't think of that," Hugo answered thoughtfully. "Maybe..."

Caesar petted his companion's hair, smiling. "Or then someone just keeps their mouths shut about it, by offering a logical explanation like the one I just gave you."

"Who would do that?" The younger boy asked, lifting his head and turning to look at Caesar.

The strategist just kept smiling. "I would think there's at least one person who would..."

"Not my mother. I don't think she knows and wouldn't be too happy if she knew..." Hugo sighed. "Then again, I don't think she'd care. But... you're talking about the sergeant, eh?"

"Who else? He has the tendency to stalk you, you know."

"Stalk?" Hugo tilted his head. "I don't know. Sometimes it may seem like that, but if you'd actually ask him about it... He'd tell you he's protecting me. And he has done so many times..." He closed his eyes. "Not stalking. Following closely maybe, but..."

Caesar shrugged and changed his position a little, turning to look at the other room connected to the bedroom. "If you say so, my boy. But..."

"But what?"

"Hmm." Caesar smirked. "So, you consider what I would call spying, 'following closely'?"

"Spying?" Hugo asked. "You don't mean..."

The older boy just shrugged again. "I thought you knew. I don't mind, really. He's your protector and all."

"Knew... what?" Hugo sat up, glancing at the direction of the other room before staring at his lover, somewhat dumbfounded look on his face. "Sergeant has been...?"

"So you didn't know..." Caesar just smiled. "Well, now you do. He sneaks in to check on you sometimes... It's probably because you're so used to him being around that you don't consider his presence as a threat. Meanwhile, I noticed it the first night I spent here. He didn't stay long, but he was there. I didn't see him, but if... my brother ever taught me something useful, it's 'be aware of your surroundings even when you're sleeping, since you never know what the enemy is up to'. Good skill for a strategist to have... Hugo?"

The younger boy had gotten up while Caesar was speaking. He grabbed his knife and ran off to the other room. Caesar couldn't see what was happening, but the sounds were telling him enough. Someone had just gotten tackled.

"Quack! Hugo! What are you...?! Quaaaaaaaak!"

"You old feather-covered fool! I'm going to...!"

"You try that!" There was a thud, and a sound of metal object dropping to the floor. "Still young and careless, even if you're the Flame Champion."

"Get... off... me..."

"Bedtime, young one. Back to bed. And before you ask, yes, I know everything. Caesar seems to pay more attention to things than you do... Now go back to him before I carry you there."

There was a sound of Joe getting up and laughing a little, and then the door was closed. Caesar could hear Hugo mumbling something that sounded like a Karayan curse while he was getting up. Then, the Flame Champion returned to the bedroom and sat down on the bed, shaking his head.

"Damn, he got away... I'll get him next time! I can't believe I haven't noticed that he's been..."

Caesar wrapped his arms around the younger boy's waist. "Why? As I said, it doesn't bother me..."

"But he...!"

"Doesn't seem to have anything against what we do?"

Hugo sighed. "But...!"

Caesar just smiled, drawing him down to the bed and kissing him shortly. "It doesn't matter. Really, he's just protecting you... again. You need to control that temper of yours, you know. Now, how about some sleep?"

"I'll show you sleep! You've probably been conspiring with Sergeant all along!" Hugo laughed, throwing the redhead off of him and pinning him down to the bed. "You little..."

"But I've talked to him dozens of times, and he has never brought it up! Really!" Caesar replied, laughing as well. "I just knew he was-"

He never got to finish the sentence as he was silenced with a passionate kiss.

Author's notes:

Random fic idea, and a short, silly fic. Nice and well working pairing.

- Elmina (January, 2004)