The green-haired demon swordsman glanced quickly around the corner and grinned to himself. He had a good view of the meeting room. He knew what was going on in there - he'd been spying here for some time now.

He could hear Zeikfried explaining some tactical plans. The young demon didn't know much about tactical things, but he was always very aware of the current plans. Like today. He smiled and listened as the demon leader continued his explanation.

"...And, you should know the rest of it. That's all for now. Before we move to the next subject..." Zeikfried checked some papers, then glanced at the door. "Zed!"

Zed blinked. Huh? Wha... He thought, then blinked.

Wait a minute... That's me. He called me. This is an important meeting, with all four Quarter Knights present, and Lord Zeikfried wants me there!

He grinned to himself, but then realized something that almost made him panic. If Zeikfried had just called him, he knew that the green-haired demon was hiding here. Zed gulped. He was seriously considering running away now.

Few more seconds passed, then the demon leader sighed. "Zed. I know you're hiding there, so why don't you just step out of your little hiding place and sit down. You should hear this, too..."

Zed stared at the wall in disbelief. Eh...? Sit down there by the table...?

He took a deep breath. He smiled as he got his confidence back. Well, what did you expect? It's me, after all. Lord Zeikfried respects my abilities highly. Heheh...

He smiled and stepped around the corner.

The Quarter Knights were all sitting by the table. Lord Zeikfried was on his place at the far end of the table and Belselk was on the right side. Lady Harken was sitting on the left side, sharpening her scythe. Alhazad was... mostly floating next to Belselk. Zed glanced at the robed demon shortly. He didn't like Alhazad very much, but he was still a Quarter Knight.

Zeikfried glared at him. "Well?"

"Zed at your service, Lord Zeikfried." The young demon smiled at the tall demon leader. "Well, my Lord... Where were you? Please continue."

Zeikfried glanced around calmly, the stopped to look at one of the knights. "Harken?"

The red-haired warrior looked back at him, smiling calmly. "Yes? What?"

"Put the damn scythe away! This is a tactics meeting!"

Lady Harken sighed, but put her scythe away. Zed noticed how bored the female warrior looked, but didn't pay much attention. He was too excited about the meeting. He kept his eyes focused on the demon leader's every move. Right now, he was looking at a map in front of him.

Zeikfried glanced around the room again, then continued. "Now, where was I. Next... Our most important mission. That is, find out where the humans have the Guardian statues that seal the three pieces of Mother's heart."

Zed saw there was a big map on the wall behind Zeikfried's chair. The demon leader got up and went to point out something from the bigger map. Zed looked carefully. Baskar area?

"This is, as you all should know, the Baskar area. One of the statues is here somewhere. No information about the exact location. So, that's why you're going there, Belselk. Find out where it is. When you find the location... Well, I'll tell you the rest of the plan later. Just find it first."

Belselk got up. "Sound like a good plan..."

Zed glanced at the other demon, grinning. Belselk is leaving already? Zeik is not going to like that...

Zeikfried frowned. "Where are you going?"

Belselk stopped and turned around. "To the Baskar area, of course. Or is there some reason why I should stay here until the end of the meeting? Well, Zeiky?"

"One: don't call me 'Zeiky', two: fine. Get out!!!"

"I'm going..." Belselk laughed and left.

Zed shrugged. He didn't like Belselk's laugh. He sounds stupid... and annoying.

The young demon watched Belselk leave, then noticed that Alhazad was staring at him weirdly. He hated when the robed demon did that. As if he was planning something evil... Zed had decided long ago that he never wanted to end up as Alhazad's test subject. The Quarter Knight disgusted him.

He was so busing glaring at the older demon that he missed what Zeikfried was talking about next. When he realized that, he wasn't sure what the demon leader had just said.

"...In that town. Hmm. So. What are you going to do about that, Alhazad?"

"Khhk khhk... I have a couple of ideas. Just leave it to me."

"If you say so. Fine then. Well, we already know it's in there, we just have to find a way to get into the town..."

"That is not a problem, my lord. I will take care of that town... Just wait and see."

The demon swordsman watched as Alhazad teleported away.

Hmm... Zed thought to himself. I guess they were talking about Saint Centaur. One of the Guardian statues, in which a piece of Mother's heart is sealed, is there. Well, good luck, Al. I've heard there is a small problem with that town... They have some weird force field that prevents monsters from entering.

He turned to look at the demon commander. The room was almost empty now, with only him, Zeikfried and Lady Harken there. Zeikfried checked his map and turned to talk to the female demon.

"Lady Harken?"

The female warrior got up from her chair, still looking a bit bored.

"Let me guess. You're sending me to find the third piece. Fine with me, it's quite boring here, anyway... So, where am I going?"

"Not just you. Zed is going with you."

Zed blinked. He would be sent on a mission with Harken?

The red-haired demon frowned. "What? I can do it myself. I don't need him. He'll just be on the way."

"He's going. Now, the third one is kind of tricky. We know less about it than we know about the Baskar one. Anyway." Zeikfried pointed at the map. "That's Port Timney. See those mountain? According to the last intelligence reports, there was something... Go check it out. That's all, get going."

"Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir!"

The demon leader glared at the female demon. "You really don't have to sound so sarcastic. Just find it. Zed?"

The green-haired demon was busy thinking of the order. Suddenly, he realized Zeikfried was talking to him. "Er, yes, Lord Zeikfried?"

"You heard the orders. Go with Lady Harken."

"You can count on me, Sir!" He answered, grinning. I'm getting on an important mission. Yes! Lord Zeikfried knows what I'm capable of.

"Good." Zeikfried nodded and left the room.

"Fine... Let's get going, then." The female warrior shrugged and folded her arms. "If you need anything, go get it now. We'll use the Gate Generator to get there."

"I don't need anything!" Zed replied with a self-assured smirk. "I have the Doom Bringer right here..."

The Quarter Knight studied the other demon for a while, then nodded slightly.

"All right then. Come along... Oh, and wipe that grin off your face, will you?"

Zed glared at her. He didn't have to take orders from her... Well, that was what he thought. She was a Quarter Knight, so he would have to follow her orders. But at the moment, he didn't care.

In any case, she was his boss on the mission. The demon swordsman sighed and followed her. At least she seemed to know where they were going, while he had no idea.

Zed decided that one day, he would find out how exactly the Gate Generator worked. It just got them to their destination - in one piece.

They were on some cliff, the mountains behind them. The young demon could see the ocean from here; it was far away, over the plains.

He had no idea where to start looking for that Guardian statue. But, Lady Harken seemed to know what she was doing. She walked calmly down a narrow path, then stopped to look at the other demon.

"You coming or not? Not that I'd care. Hmpth... Seems that Zeikfried doesn't trust me yet, sending his personal little bed toy to spy on me..."

"What?!" Zed stared her in disbelief. He ran after her, catching her easily a little lower on the path. "What did you just call me?"

The female warrior looked at the swordsman, with the normal somewhat evil smile on her face. "Zeikfried's little bed toy. What else?"

"Excuse me, but I'm no one's bed toy! Lord Zeikfried doesn't use me for that," Zed yelled angrily.

"Fine, whatever you say." Harken shrugged and turned. "Come on now, we have a big area to check..."

The green-haired demon followed her again, glancing at her murderously.

Actually, he had just lied to her. Lord Zeikfried... Sometimes, he asked Zed to come to his quarters and... They would go to bed and do stuff. The young demon had always kind of liked it, so he wouldn't call himself a bed toy.

But the Quarter Knight's words got him thinking. He had never really thought about it... Zeikfried... What if he was just using him?

They searched the area, but found nothing. Zed wasn't paying much attention to the search anyway, because he couldn't get that little thing off his mind.

The truth was, he had been sleeping with the demon commander for a long time. One night, Zeikfried had casually asked the younger demon to come to his room. He had gone there, and the older demon had ordered him to take off his clothes. Zed could never object to the leader of the demons, so...

And then, they had had sex. Just normal sex. Well, Zed wasn't sure; he had never been with anyone else.

After that... Every time the Quarter Knight had asked, the young demon had gone there. Every single time. Zed actually found it nice... It felt so good to feel Zeikfried's strong arms around him.

But at that time, he couldn't think about it like that. Suddenly, it all just sounded so wrong.

Damn it, he thought. That's it! A bed toy, eh? I'm not anyone's bed toy! So, the next time he asks me to come to his quarters... I'm gonna tell him to go to hell.

Of course, right when they got back to Photosphere, poor Zed was doomed to face the demon leader.

Lady Harken explained to him that they had found nothing at all. There was nothing to report, so she excused herself, leaving Zed alone with the demon commander. He smiled to the younger demon.

"Well, Zed. What do you think of this mission so far?"

How should I know, he thought angrily. I've spent the whole day thinking about you!

Of course, he couldn't say that to the older demon. Instead, he smiled at him a bit nervously.

"Oh, it was interesting, my lord. We didn't run into any trouble either. I guarantee that we will find the Guardian statue eventually."

"Good."

Zeikfried walked around the table and placed his hand gently on the green-haired swordsman's shoulder. Zed swallowed. He knew what was coming next.

"Zed... Well. Why don't you stop by my quarters later tonight..."

Go to hell, he thought. I refuse to be used like that. He wanted to say it, straight at the older demon's face. But he couldn't.

"Erh... We... walked a lot today and... You see... I'm very tired, I'd rather go get some rest... I-if that's okay, Lord Zeikfried."

Zed glanced at the floor. That had sounded very convincing. But he couldn't just tell him to go to hell... not like that.

To his surprise, the demon leader let him off easy.

"Tired, eh? Hmm. Guess you are... Well, go to your room and rest, then. You need to get up early tomorrow to continue the search."

"A-alright... Thank you, Lord Zeikfried. Good night."

The demon swordsman left, heading for his room. He cursed myself. Why did he get so nervous? Well, at least he had gotten himself out of it.

Bah. I will tell him that... Well, later, he decided.

He went to his room, lay on the bed and fell asleep instantly.

The young demon didn't sleep much that night. During the few hours he could sleep, he just saw weird dreams. So it didn't matter that the female Quarter Knight kicked him out of his bed the next morning and told him they were going to go search more.

They went to the mountains again. Zed was feeling lost, and besides, he didn't feel like searching for anything. He was just thinking of... Zeikfried. Why, he didn't know.

He was bored, and didn't really feel like doing anything. But, a little later he found something interesting - two Dream Chasers.

He had no idea what they were doing there, or what they were looking for. But he knew instantly that they were a couple. Both male, though, but he found the fact pretty interesting.

When he first saw them, they were fighting. Twenty minutes later they stopped. The older guy said he was sorry and things like that, then wrapped his arms around the younger man. Zed grinned to himself. It was very interesting indeed. They hadn't noticed he was there. It was impossible - the demon swordsman knew how to hide.

The two started kissing. Zed watched them, thinking. The older man bothered him... He kept telling his partner that he loved him. The young demon wasn't sure what that meant. It was probably some human emotion. In any case, the green-haired demon found watching the Dream Chasers somewhat amusing.

Next thing he knew, the two had started to grope each other. He thought it was weird... He had never seen anyone do it. Of course, he had done it himself, as that was what Zeikfried did with him... But this was somehow different.

The older Dream chaser was so gentle. He got his blanket and put in on the ground and... Zed grinned again. They were going to do it. They started getting their clothes off, and...

"Enjoying spying on them, eh?"

The young demon almost screamed, then took a deep breath and turned around. It was Lady Harken. She was grinning evilly as usual.

"So what if I am? They don't know I'm here." Zed gave her a mean look. He didn't need the Quarter Knight to stalk him.

"Oh, fine." The female demon watched the Dream Chasers for a while, then turned to face the other demon. "How long have you been wasting your time here?"

"Uh... about half an hour," he admitted. "When I got here, they were fighting. Then that older guy said he was sorry and that he loves the other guy and now they're doing that."

The Quarter Knight shrugged and looked at the two again. Zed swallowed slowly. Maybe... Maybe he could ask Lady Harken about the love thing. She was a woman, after all. Women always seemed to know more about feelings than men.

"Hey Harken?" he asked, pretending to be casual.

"Yes?"

"Do you happen to know... What's that love thing they were talking about?"

She laughed. Zed glanced down. Maybe it was a stupid question.

Then, the female warrior stopped laughing and looked a bit more serious. "Well, Zed. It's a stupid emotion that makes you weak. Why do you ask? Or have you fallen for someone?"

"Of course not!" The demon swordsman answered angrily. "I just asked... And how do you know anyway? Have you ever loved anyone?"

Zed hoped the question wasn't too personal, because if it was, the female demon would kill him. But no, she just looked very serious, deep in her thoughts.

"No, Zed," she finally replied. "I don't think so. Have you?"

"Er, no..." The younger demon answered, a bit unsure of what to say. Or... had he? Did he love someone?

Screw it. Of course I don't!

He didn't pay attention to the Dream Chasers anymore, deep in thought. He still was too busy thinking when Harken tapped on his shoulder.

"Wake up, Mr. Daydreamer. They left now. We have work to do."

"Huh? Wha- I'm not daydreaming!" He retorted angrily, blushing a bit. Actually, he had been daydreaming. About Zeikfried holding him...

The hell! No I wasn't!

Lady Harken shook her head, then turned and started to walk away. "Whatever. Let's get going - it'll get dark soon, and then it'll be impossible to find anything..."

Zed nodded absently and followed.

He didn't see Zeikfried when they got back to Photosphere. That suited him fine, as he really didn't want to meet the demon leader right now.

Lady Harken ordered him to be ready at sunrise. Zed didn't feel like answering, so he just left, went to his room and fell down on his bed, falling asleep instantly.

When he woke up the next morning, he noticed that someone had removed his clothes. Someone was here last night?

He didn't have time to think about it, as Harken teleported in and kicked him out of bed again. He got dressed quickly and followed the female demon for another trek in the mountains.

His day was totally uninteresting up to the point when they returned to Photosphere. While heading to his room in a sullen mood again, he noticed Zeikfried talking to someone.

The green-haired demon stopped and hid behind the corner. He recognized the other man as one of the higher-ranking demons in the Intelligence Department. He didn't remember the man's name, but knew his reputation.

Which is, he likes sleeping with guys... ugh.

Zeikfried's familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, if that's what Alhazad says... Personally, I don't much care about that matter."

"If you say so, Lord Zeikfried."

Zed peeked around the corner, just in time to see how the younger demon was smiling to the demon leader when talking.

Smiling, yeah. Seductively.

The dark-armored demon nodded, smiling back. "But you still have an opinion about it?"

"Of course... An alternative way to take care of it, too. I can tell you about it, if you want to hear, my Lord." The other demon ran his fingers through his brown hair, still smiling. Zed noted that the man was pretty good looking, too.

"Of course I'm interested. Why don't you come to my quarters later, so we can discuss about this...? Well, excuse me now." Zeikfried turned and left. The green-haired swordsman hid quickly behind the corner, but it didn't help much, as the demon leader was coming his way.

"Hmm? Zed. How was today's search?"

Zed blinked, trying to look casual. "Er, fine. We found some tips... The statue could be somewhere in Port Timney... We're going to look around some more, then check the town..."

The Quarter Knight nodded. "That's good. Well, you'd better go get some rest then..." He smiled and left.

Zed stepped around the corner, only to notice that the demon Zeikfried had been talking with was gone. He sighed.

Sure. Zeikfried's apartment. Later tonight. To talk. Yeah right. They're gonna... Suddenly, he felt angry and hurt. Yeah, you go screw anyone you want, Zeik! It's not like I'd care...

He marched to his bedroom, threw his clothes on the floor and fell down on his bed. Then he just lay there awake, staring at the ceiling.

Then, why do I care? So... Because I refused few days ago, Zeik found someone else... So what. But... Why does it feel so bad?

That night, Zed couldn't sleep a bit. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Zeikfried. And he couldn't stop thinking about the Quarter Knight and that other demon.

They're probably...

He shook his head, shifted his position a little and stared at the ceiling some more. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Harken teleported into his room by the sunrise and kicked him up again. Zed couldn't care less; he hadn't been able to sleep anyway.

"So, back to the mountains, eh..." The young demon got up from the bed and glanced at the female demon, feeling miserable. He really didn't feel like going anywhere.

Lady Harken studied him for a while, then smiled evilly.

"No. We're going to spy on the people of Port Timney. Get dressed." Then she snickered. "Well, someone sure had fun last night..."

Zed looked back, frowning. "Fun? What do you mean by..."

Suddenly he realized he was naked. And... hard.

He grabbed a blanket from the bed, his face turning bright red. "None of your business. Out? I, er, need to get dressed..."

The female warrior laughed and left. The young demon sat down on the bed, burying his face in his hands. Why did some thoughts about Zeikfried have such an effect on him? And why was he feeling so bad?

He got his clothes on and headed for the meeting room. He knew Harken would be waiting for him there. But with his luck, the red-headed demon wasn't in the room when he entered.

But the demon leader was. Zeikfried was sitting by the table, checking some papers. "Ah, good morning, Zed."

"Go to h- I mean, good morning, Sir." Zed answered, turning around on his heels. He didn't want to be anywhere near the black-haired demon anymore.

"Zed? Something wrong?"

No, nothing's wrong, you cheating bastard! Only the fact that I want you, and you s.o.b. went and slept with another guy! Everything's really okay, you... Damn.

Zed stopped to stare at the wall. He had just caught himself from thinking about... wanting the older demon. That couldn't be...

But... I do want him. And... he cheated on me... It feels wrong...

"Zed?"

The green-haired demon turned around slowly, taking a deep breath. "I-I'm fine... Is... Harken here? W-w-we're supposed to..."

"No, I'm not here yet. Had to go get my scythe." The red-haired female warrior appeared behind him. "Now I am. Let's go."

Zeikfried looked at Zed a bit curiously, then shrugged. "Well, get going then. I want a full report when you get back."

Lady Harken grinned to him. "Of course, Sir. You can count on us, Sir. And yes, I'm being sarcastic, Sir."

"I know. Go on already."

Zed muttered something that the others couldn't hear, then he just followed Harken once again.

This time, they were transported near Port Timney. During the day, they couldn't go too close to the town, but the female demon had it all planned.

"Alright, you moron, listen up. Our latest information says that the statue is there in the town somewhere. So we'll have to go take a look. We'll start with the port area, because that's where it probably is... But we'll wait until it gets dark. So go hide somewhere, I'll go check a few things and be back later."

Zed nodded absently and watched as the red-haired Quarter Knight left. He felt that he couldn't care less what they were doing, and what their mission was anymore.

Finding some stupid statue 'cause Zeik wants us to... Screw him.

He found a nice hiding place by some rocks and sat there, staring blankly at the sea. He didn't care about anything; he just sat there and waited. He wasn't sure when Harken got back, but at one point, the female warrior had just appeared near him, staring at the sea and sharpening her scythe.

The younger demon didn't feel like doing anything. He knew they'd have to finish the mission today, but he couldn't keep his thoughts together. And whatever he tried to think, he always ended up thinking about the demon commander.

Damn you, Zeik... Think I care? Think it hurts to see you with someone else? Damn you to hell. But why the heck do I care, then...

He was awakened by the female knight. Harken poked him with the scythe's blunt end. "Wake up, sweetheart. You've been sleeping for hours now. See? The sun is setting. This means we're going."

She stood up and started walking towards the town. Then she stopped and looked at the younger demon.

"Zed... Hey, I know you're not doing too well with Zeiky, but you can't let that interfere with the mission..."

The green-haired demon blinked, then got up slowly.

"I'm not doing anything with Zeik! I..." He sighed, shaking his head. He was too tired to argue with the red-haired knight. "Er... how did you... notice?"

To his surprise, Lady Harken smiled. "Really. I'm the one who called you 'Zeik's bed toy' in the first place. I'm a woman. Women seem to notice these things. I don't know why, but that's just how it is. Some kind of sixth sense or something."

She patted Zed's shoulder gently. "Hey, it'll work out. I think I should say I'm sorry now... If I hadn't called you that, you'd never have gotten into thinking your relationship so deeply. Now, I know Zeik cares about you. So..."

Zed blinked again. He had never seen Harken act like this... Or, talk like this. He tried to smile, but kept his eyes on the ground. "Then... why did he... cheat on me?"

"Cheat? Oh my. I don't think he... Wait. If you feel that way, then you two should talk. That's all I can say... I don't know much about serious relationships. But, talk to him. He can answer that better than I can."

The demon swordsman sighed. "Okay... if you say so. I'll... When we get back."

"Good! Now, we have work to do. Let's go."

Zed nodded, feeling a bit better. The fact that he'd just talked to Harken like this felt a bit weird, but... He'd never seen this side of the female warrior, and could guess that no one else had, either.

But... Well, women really seem to know these things. Maybe... I will talk to Zeik...

When they got closer to the port, Harken ordered him to check the storage areas while she would go to see the ships. Then she left, but not before telling him to stay out of sight.

Zed just smiled. He knew well enough how to sneak around without being detected. So he went to the storage area and started checking the place, staying well hidden in the shadows.

He wasn't doing too well for few hours, finding no clues of the statue at all, until he stopped by some crates to glance at the moons' reflections on the sea. He was just about to continue, when his instincts told him to hide. He dropped flat on the ground, hiding between some crates and waited.

Only few seconds later couple of port workers walked closer and stopped to look at the ocean only a few feet away. The demon glanced around the corner of the crate to see the two men. The first one was an old man and the other was someone probably young enough to be the older guy's son. Zed wasn't sure; he wasn't an expert on human ages. But they were human. So he tried to hide a bit better, breathing slowly, careful not to make any sounds. Then he got interested in their conversation.

"...And then... Did ya hear, boy? That thing Bartholomew found..."

"Oh, yeah. The statue thing. Someone said it's bad luck..."

Statue? Zed crawled closer, trying to hear better. He glanced around the corner quickly, only to see the older man lighting his pipe.

"Sure is. But he has it on his ship, they say. Hope he doesn't end up as fish food because of it."

The other man shrugged, but shook his head. "Yeah, I'd sure miss seeing good old Sweet Candy here. But I don't think it's bad luck... Someone said the statue looks like some Guardian. Those can't be bad luck."

The older man laughed. "Ha. Who told you such things, son? I didn't know you were interested in the Guardian stuff."

"Well, I'm not, but really... If Guardians are on our side, they can't be bad luck."

"Hmmh, guess you're right. Well, let's just hope that the Guardian thing will protect Bart and his crew. There's gonna be big storm in a few days..."

Zed smiled. If he was correct, he'd just found the info they were looking for. He moved a bit, trying to hear the rest of the conversation...

...When he realized that those two weren't talking anymore, but staring directly at him.

"Hmm? And what do we have here..." said the older man, eyes studying Zed.

To the demon's surprise, the younger man stepped closer and helped him up. "Ah, you alright? Hey, listen, go home..."

The older man smiled. "Yeah, boy, you're not old enough to be around here at this hour. There are all kinds of folk around... You'll end up getting robbed or something."

Zed smiled nervously. He wondered why those two didn't notice that he wasn't human, but then realized that some clouds were covering the moons at the moment. It was dark. He nodded, deciding that he'd have to get away before the clouds would move and the moons would light the area again.

"Er... Y-yes sir. I'll just... Well, my family is probably worried... So..."

He started walking away, fearing that any moment those two would notice something and start getting suspicious. But all he heard was the older man commenting something about "kids these days" and laughing. Then he just hid behind the closest warehouse, only to realize that someone grabbed him and dragged into the shadows.

He wanted to scream, but knew that it wouldn't be a very wise thing to do. And then that someone slapped him.

"Idiot! What if they had noticed that you're a demon! Ah, well, it's damn dark... And with your cute face... Nah, I don't think they noticed. But what the hell was that?"

The young demon shook his head, trying to get a grab of his thoughts. He could now see that this someone was Lady Harken.

"Er... They were talking... I guess I got a bit careless..."

"Listen, Zed. We can't afford being careless. So better remember that. Now, did you find anything?"

He grinned smugly. "Actually..."

The female demon raised an eyebrow, looking at him. "What? Start talking."

Zed nodded, still grinning. "Those two were talking. About some guy Barth... whatever his name was who has some statue on his ship. Statue that looks like a Guardian. The ship's name was Sweet Candy, I think."

Harken smiled to him, then slapped him on the shoulder.

"Great work. That's our statue, I'm sure of it... 'cause I heard that kind of rumor too, but didn't hear what ship or where. On a ship called Sweet Candy... Then it'll be only about Zeik finding out where that ship is, and we're done. Very good work. Let's get back, then... C'mon. We've got to get out of this miserable town first..."

When they got back to Photosphere, they went straight to the meeting room. Zed listened to Harken explaining their discovery to Zeikfried, then, when asked to, told everything he remembered about the conversation.

The demon commander was clearly pleased. He congratulated them both, told them something about sending a spy to find out where the ship was and keep an eye on it until the plans were completed.

Zed would've usually felt very proud of himself, but this time, he was just nervous. He sat in his chair until Zeikfried stopped talking to Lady Harken and told them both to go get some rest. Then he got up.

But when he tried to leave, Harken placed her hand on his shoulder and drew him back. "Oh, Zeiky? Zed has something he'd like to discuss with you... Well, been a long day. Good night."

Before the young demon had a chance to object, the female demon had teleported away, and Zeikfried was looking at him, waiting.

"Hmm? You want talk about something...? Sure. Go ahead, Zed."

"Er..." He took a deep breath, just wanting to get out of here. He had been planning what to say all the time they'd been here, but now he didn't remember anything.

"I-I... need to... ask about something."

Zeikfried nodded. "Of course. Ask anything you want. I'm on a good mood today, so..."

Zed gathered his thoughts for a while, then raised his face and looked straight into Zeikfried's eyes. He'd had enough time to think to feel a bit angry now.

"Lord Zeikfried... Why..." he started. Then he suddenly felt very angry, and didn't even try to control his feelings.

"Why the hell did you cheat on me like that! You... Well, you tell me that you like me, and that's why you want me to come to your room once in a while! Well, go to hell! I... But... but..."

He trailed off, turning his eyes to the floor. I... can't believe I just told him to...

He waited for the response. His best guess was that Zeik would angrily tell him to get out. Or how about he beats me half-dead?

But then he heard Zeikfried laughing. He glanced at the older demon, then suddenly felt very stupid. What the hell have I done...?

"Zed..." The older demon placed his hand on Zed's shoulder gently, and with his other hand, lifted the younger demon's face.

"Cheat on you? When? I don't have other lovers... I don't need anyone else. And I don't want anyone else. But I'm a bit surprised; I didn't know you felt that way about me... But you could also say that I'm quite pleased. You, jealous? That's... interesting. Now. Let's go to my room and talk about this."

Zed nodded, unable to answer anything. He just followed the older demon through the corridors, finally stopping when they got to Zeikfried's quarters.

The demon leader took him to the bedroom, then offered him a chair. He sat down on the bed himself.

"Now, Zed. Why do you think I was cheating on you? And when was that?"

The younger demon took a deep breath. He stayed silent for a moment, thinking. Then he finally looked at the other demon.

"Well... last night... You were talking to that... Uh, the Intelligence Department guy. He... He was obviously... And then you asked him to come to your quarters later..."

Zeikfried smiled, shaking his head. "Ah, him... So you weren't just passing by, you were spying. Hmm. Well, I asked him to come because I really wanted to talk about his opinions. I'm thinking of promoting him and moving him to another department. And I am aware of his interests... Think I didn't notice he was trying to seduce me?"

"...You... So he...?"

"He tried, when we were talking last night. I told him that I already have someone."

Zed blinked. "...Someone? So he..."

The older demon nodded. "He understood, and stopped trying. We talked for few hours, and then he left. Why, you thought I don't know better? There's only one person here whom I allow into my bedroom and my bed."

The younger demon stared at him in disbelief. "L-lord Zeikfried? But..."

"Yes. That's you. I don't ask just anyone to come here. And when I've said that I like you, I meant it. I do." He got up and walked next to the younger demon's chair. "I really do like you, Zed. And you're the only one I want here... I swear in the name of Hiades. I can also prove it..."

Zed gulped, then nodded somewhat insecurely. He didn't know what Zeikfried meant with 'proving it', but he didn't actually care. All he wanted now was Zeik to hold him.

I... feel so stupid... He... he really does care.

He finally relaxed, smiling to the older demon. I care, too... And I... like you.

Zeikfried drew him up from the chair and wrapped his arms around him. "Well... I asked you something few days ago. We're in my room now. So... still interested? I'm not forcing you. And if you're tired, you don't have to..."

The younger demon smiled, letting Zeikfried hold him. "No... I... I'm interested... if..."

"Good. In that case..."

Zed felt how easily the demon leader picked him up and placed him on the bed. He smiled again when Zeikfried started to undress him. Now, it feels so right...

He closed his eyes, shivering a bit when the black-haired demon removed the last of his clothes. Then he just lay there, wondering what the demon leader was doing.

He sighed when Zeikfried leaned closer to kiss him. Then he opened his eyes to see the older demon - and blushed.

Zeikfried wasn't wearing the armor anymore. Zed had never actually paid attention on what the older demon looked like, and now he could only stare.

Oh... my. He's so... handsome.

Suddenly, he realized that he had been staring. He blushed and turned to look away.

The older demon grinned. "No need to do that, Zed... You can watch all you want. After all, you're the only one I'm willing to show this..."

"Uh... s-sure." The younger demon smiled, still feeling a bit nervous.

The demon commander lay down next to him. "Ah... I make you do... that? I'm honored."

Zed blushed again, realizing that he was already erect. Well... But you do make me do this...

He just nodded as an answer, planning on drawing the sheets to cover his body when he felt Zeikfried's large palm caressing his crotch. He yelped as a warm feeling went through his whole body.

The other demon leaned closer to kiss him again. It wasn't anything new, but this time, it felt like Zeikfried wanted to make it special. The kiss was so warm and gentle that Zed went totally powerless.

This... is...

He couldn't think anymore. Zeikfried's kisses were making him so weak and helpless. To his surprise, he didn't care. He didn't even want to care, as long as the older demon was there to hold and touch him.

Zed squirmed a little when the demon leader moved lower, kissing the younger demon's cool skin along the way. "Z...eik..."

"Hmm?" The black-haired demon raised his face and smiled to the young demon. "Relax... I want this to be perfect."

The younger demon nodded, sighing. He closed his eyes, trying to relax. Then he was forced to mew softly as Zeikfried's lips moved teasingly across his chest.

The older demon stopped to caress the small nubs on the smooth chest, while moving his hand on the younger demon's erect member. Zed arched under the touch, moaning Zeikfried's name. The demon leader smiled, moving lower again. He slid his free hand on the younger demon's chest, continuing to caress one hard nub.

Zed squealed as Zeikfried's warm mouth suddenly captured his sex and started suckling. He arched again, grabbing the older demon's black hair with one hand, clenching the sheets with the other.

"Aahn... Zeik... nnnhh..."

Zeikfried continued, skillfully drawing his tongue over the tip of the organ before stopping for a few seconds. He reached for the nightstand, quickly grabbing an item from the drawer. He always kept a bottle of oil in his room, in case he'd ask the younger demon to stop by. He smiled to himself while rubbing some of the contents to his hands and his own member, then put the bottle away, concentrating back on caressing the young demon.

Zed opened his eyes for a second, sighing softly as he looked at his lover working with the oil. His body screamed for attention, and he squirmed a bit, wrapping one leg around the older demon. "Zeik... p-please..."

"Soon, my dear Zed..." The older demon whispered the answer before moving back to fondle the young demon's member again. He snickered softly, tasting the first drops of the milky liquid on the tip.

The younger demon writhed bonelessly on the bed, arching and moaning under his lover's touch. He felt Zeikfried caressing his thighs, and that combined to the warmness around his member was making him insane.

I... missed you so... Lord Zeikfried... His mind was drifting, lost in the pleasure and strange feelings he couldn't recognize.

He let out a soft cry when Zeikfried's fingers entered him. The older demon looked at him shortly, as if to make sure that he wasn't hurting his lover. Then he just smiled and concentrated back on the younger demon's member.

The young demon mewed again, trying to press against the long fingers. He cried out again as Zeikfried skillfully pressed his fingers against the weak spots. He was so lost in the bliss that he didn't even realize how close he was to release, before the strong sensations suddenly took over him.

He slackened against the pillows, feeling tired but good. "Zeik..."

The older demon looked at him, smiling. "Yes, my dear?"

"What... What was... that? You've never... done it like this before. You always do the other things before I..."

Zeikfried laughed. "I said I wanted this to be perfect... and I'm not done yet. And maybe this is the first time... But trust me, it won't be the last."

Zed smiled weakly, then relaxed. He sighed, feeling a bit disappointed when the older demon withdrew his fingers.

"Zeik... don't stop."

"I didn't stop. I said I'm not done..." The demon leader grinned, then moved to kiss his younger lover passionately. He shifted his position a little, nudging Zed's legs apart some more.

Zed moaned silently under the kiss, then cried out again as he felt the other demon entering him. The sensation of being filled made him totally lose his mind again. He tried to press himself against the length inside him, then just gave up and let his lover thrust into him. He mewed and panted against Zeikfried's lips, wanting the demon leader more than anything in the world.

And his lover did not let him down. Truth was, they'd been doing this long enough for Zeikfried to know exactly how to please the younger demon the most. And right now, the demon commander was using all his skill to take his lover over the edge.

Zeikfried continued thrusting in steadily, and every move made the younger demon lose himself deeper in the bliss. All Zed could do was moan softly under the older demon's kisses. He didn't even realize that he was hard again, his member rubbing against Zeikfried's lower body.

Then he just couldn't take it anymore. He dug his nails in the older demon's arms as the second orgasm consumed him. He cried out the demon leader's name, then relaxed, smiling tiredly as he felt Zeikfried's release filling him.

Zeikfried drew out slowly and lay down next to the younger demon, wrapping his arms around him. "Sleep now, my dear Zed..."

The younger demon whispered something as reply and fell asleep.

Zed woke up next morning, feeling great. He glanced around, only to see that the older demon was still lying next to him. Huh? What...?

All those times Zeikfried had asked him to come here for this, the older demon had been gone by the time he woke up. But now...

"Zeik?"

The demon leader opened his eyes and smiled. "Yes? Good morning to you too..."

Zeikfried turned to stare at the ceiling, drawing the younger demon closer. "I woke up earlier, but didn't want to wake you... Did you know that you look cute when you're sleeping?"

Zed blushed slightly, then just pressed his face against the older demon's shoulder. "Er... So we sleep together. What does that make me, Lord Zeikfried?"

"My lover. I don't care what anyone says, and you shouldn't care, either. And you can come here anytime you want, not just when I ask you to."

The green-haired demon smiled, then closed his eyes again.

I'm... not just Zeik's bed toy, but his lover.

He nuzzled a bit. "Zeik... Can I sleep for a little longer? Now that Harken won't come to kick me out of bed..."

The older demon laughed, then wrapped his arms around the younger demon. "Of course you can. And I'll be here..."

Zed smiled, then drifted off to sleep again.

Author's notes:

Well, I was planning to write some Zeikfried/Zed a long time ago, here. This is the 2000 kiriban fic for Sailor Starbeam. Took me long enough, but after having to rewrite it and having Elmina rewrite it, I finally finished it. Really took me too long. Sorry about that.

Many thanks to my sister for checking and rewriting part of it after I got frustrated and was planning on dumping the story.

Hope you like it, SSB!

- Lady Harken (October, 2001)