Along the Great Divide

Chapter 20-- Dirty Dishes


Mamoru stared down at Ludwig's sleeping face. He was touched and in awe that inside his lover's mind, he retained memories of his family. The youngest form had been a little at ease knowing that his mother was dead and buried…but what about his father? His memory was held high in the sky, so was Ren someone he treasured?

It made him, knowing that other one of their kind was there, just a tad jealous.

Bringing his hand through Ludwig's dark hair, he stirred, his eyes opening just slightly. He sighed, rolling a little further and burying his face into Mamoru's chest.

"Did you have a nice nap?"Mamoru cooed softly into his elongated ear, Ludwig shivering a bit with his ear flicking. The fair mage closed his lips along the tip of it, suckling a little upon it. The vampire groaned a little into his robes, an arm lazily coming over him before he pushed himself up and over so he was on all fours above Mamoru.

"I'd say if that worked, we would be naked between the sheets…"Ludwig answered, giving him a quick little peck. "But yes…that nap was just what I needed."

"Good."Mamoru said, looking up with a smirk.

"I should go open the restaurant again…I wouldn't want to disappoint our customers."Ludwig said as he sat back on his knees, looking over his shoulder. A quick pull on his shirt brought him back to attention, a roll sending him back onto the mattress.

Mamoru grinned. "Will you make me a another lunch box?"He asked, pouting. "I didn't get to eat my other one."

"Of course."

"Extra pickles?"Mamoru said with a grind of his hips.

"I don't see why not."The vampire said, sitting up and wrapping his arms around him, his hands resting firmly underneath the mage's long robes on his back end. "As long as you'll do the dishes tonight…"

The mage went silent.

"Mamoru…"Ludwig said sternly.

"You know I hate doing the dishes…but alright. I concede…"Mamoru said with a sigh. Ludwig smiled, giving his butt cheeks a pat before he moved with him off the bed and to his feet. "Oh…but I do have a question to ask you. Tonight…if you don't mind?"

"Any question you ask love I'll answer."Ludwig said with a smirk as he dropped Mamoru onto his feet.

Mamoru bit his lip a little.

Downstairs, the two parted ways after Ludwig opened the restaurant again and gave the mage his own lunch box. Mamoru gave him a kiss on his cheek, practically skipping out of the restaurant with his treat.

Heno and Grato were outside of the temple sitting on the steps with contemplative but engrossed looks. It almost felt like they would start eating each other right there. Of course, they had been apart for some time and with Heno recovering day by day, Grato must have been beating himself senseless trying to refrain from pouncing on him.

"You two look like you're ready to go at it like a pack of ornery cats."Mamoru said with a chuckle, snapping the two out of their loving gazes.

"O-oh! Well…you know…um.."Heno started, his face blooming as he began to get a little flustered. Grato chuckled, running his hand through Heno's long inky hair.

"It's been a while."Grato said with a smirk.

"So long as it's not in front of the steps, I'm perfectly fine with anywhere else. Which also includes Frei's office."Mamoru said with a chuckle seeing as Frei himself was standing now at the top of the steps. The grumpy Lord huffed a little, turning back to go inside grumbling about stupidity and what not. His typical rant.

Mamoru chuckled, walking past the two and heading inside. Frei was there waiting. "You've discovered something new…"He said, pulling out his pipe. However, when he tried to light it, a random breeze blue out his flame, Mamoru batting his long lashes.

"I own this temple."Frei scowled.

"And I take care of it. Please don't smoke in the sanctuary."Mamoru said with a smirk. Frei put the pipe in his mouth, lighting it quickly and inhaling. He would not concede to his student, never in a million years. Even so, Mamoru huffed and stared at him.

"So what do you think? I'd say that it's worth walking into the dragon's den to ask him."Frei said, his head inclining a little.

"Dragon's den? It's about Ludwig's past…I mean, when we were kids and he asked me about mine, it wasn't a touchy subject."Mamoru said questioningly. "Yet…when I asked him about his…"

"He avoided it."Frei said bluntly. "And I believe for a good reason."

Mamoru fell a little quiet, looking down at the lunch box down his hand. Just what was Ludwig hiding? As the rest of the day progressed, it festered in the back of his mind. Every time he asked his love about his family before Hezekiah's family adopted him, he would always avoid it. Even tricking him into talking about it never worked and his mind was still a closed book.

Only Ren opened it just slightly to peek.

When he was walking home, the shops beginning to open and the shutters spreading wide to the night sky, Mamoru entered the restaurant to see it busy. An apron was tossed his way.
"Really could use your help Mamo!"Ludwig said with a tray of food and drink. Mamoru blinked, managing a smile and went to change his clothes.

The work kept his mind off of it but once there was a brief break, he would go back to contemplating it as he cleaned out a drinking glass of cold, dried blood or liquor. Soon it was almost day break, the vampires who could not withstand the light of day went home with their loves, wives and children. Chester went back home with his parents, his mother having been helped greatly with a good hot meal every day.

Now it was just the two of them over the sink doing dishes. "You've been really quiet this evening…Is there something the matter?"Ludwig asked as he took a wet dish from Mamoru, drying it with a rag.

"I've just…had something on my mind all day."Mamoru said as he pulled up a frying pan from the depths of the sink, scrubbing it vigorously.

"Mmm…"Ludwig pondered slinking up behind Mamoru and wrapping his arms around him. "You know…this is really sexy of you…helping little ol' me do the dishes. I can feel myself getting a boner."

"You dirty old man…"Mamoru teased, splashing him a bit.

"Hold on, let me go get my false teeth and we'll have some fun."Ludwig said, flashing a now fanged smile.

"D-down here? In the kitchen?"Mamoru sputtered, nearly dropping the frying pan he was working on. "Wh-what if someone comes in?"

"Let them watch."Ludwig said as he started to move his hands down the front of Mamoru's chest, his hands sliding under the apron to his pants. The mage had taken to wearing different clothing at home when he was helping out and Ludwig enjoyed entertaining the throughout of the ease of access with less clothes on to impeded his main goals. Mamoru bit his lip, trying to keep himself preoccupied with scrubbing the grime off of the frying pan…but his member had other thoughts.

It went hard under the vampire's touch, his hips leaning into the rubbing hand just slightly. "A-a-ah…"He moaned, failing in stifling it back.

"You know that this excites you…someone just coming in that door late at night…Seeing you bent over the sink with my cock deep inside you…"Ludwig teased, using one hand to unlace the front of Mamoru's pants, a tug loosening it some. He slid a cold hand down the front of it, grasping Mamoru's member, giving it a long hard stroke.

The pale mage whimpered, his hips thrusting a little into the teasing hand. "Ah, Ludwig…P-please…"He said, his grip tightening on the pan. "Di-dishes..."

"Do them."Ludwig purred, bringing his lips along Mamoru's neck and licking along it. It earned him a squeak, the mage scrubbing the pan a little more, his hips pressing back against Ludwig. The vampire would be flaccid until he had his first bite. Which would be soon.

Wiggy moved himself under Mamoru's arms, his hands busily untying the top portion of the apron, letting it fall between them. His chilly hands moved under the mage's shirt, brushing against the erect nipples and grazing the mark. Smirking, he wormed his way under the shirt since it was nearly big enough for two, doubling as a night shirt.

Mamoru found it harder to concentrate on the next pot he was trying to scrub as Ludwig kissed and sucked on the skin he himself couldn't see at the moment. A purr then a sharp pain against his skin made him yelp, his hips thrusting forward a little. His whimpers slowly slid into moan, his hands having froze holding the pot scrubber and a small cauldron.

Ludwig wormed his way south, slipping Mamoru's thickened member from his pants. He felt a hot mouth envelop him, lapping on the underside and sucking on the head. He dropped the pot into the sink, sending a little spray of water on top of his shirt, that began to turn dark with the color of the halfling's hair.

The vampire wriggled from underneath the damp shirt, smirking and still stroking Mamoru lovingly. "Who said you could stop? I need my dishes clean for tomorrow…and if you want me to make your lunch again."He teased, sliding from underneath him to behind him. "Keep scrubbing. Let me do the other 'work'."

"Wi-Wiggy…you're being mean…"Mamoru mumbled.

"I'm not mean…I'm just taking us to newer horizons. Now bend over love…"Ludwig teased. Before he bent Mamoru over the sink, he removed the already unlaced pants and lifted the shirt up so now Mamoru was just in the folded over apron tied around his waist.

"I think this is the best outfit I've seen you in…"He purred, Mamoru bending over the sink. He still held on to the pot scrubber. "Lift your leg up."

Mamoru listened, biting his lip and raising his leg up so his knee was resting on the counter. Ludwig took in the sight with a smirk, though moved back off to the left where his stove was. Beside it were bottles of cooking oils, Ludwig removing a bottle of olive oil and setting it on the counter by the sink. Mamoru got a good eyeful of the bottle before he felt two oil slick fingers enter him.

"U-Un! T-two already?"Mamoru grunted a little, the fingers beginning to move slowly, curling inside of him deeply and brushing against the one spot that made his toes curled.

"This oil does wonders…"Ludwig smirked. "It makes food taste incredible…and it doesn't dry up like drool…"

Mamoru bit his lip, looking back to the dishes in the sink. He had just a few more to go though the vampire was making it hard. He bit his lip a little harder, trying to concentrate on washing the last big serving plates. God he was so hard it was hurting as he thrusted a little into the counter. Though Ludwig was right about the oil…It was still slick and he felt another finger behind added into his ass.

"Oh Goddess ah!"Mamoru keened when Ludwig moved his hand a little faster, scissoring and twirling his hand around. He whimpered, scrubbing the last bits of the last plate as quickly as he could. When it was in the part of the sink where they dried dishes, he thrust his hips forward, Ludwig's finger's sliding out as he turned around, launching at the vampire and wrapping his arms a legs around him.

Ludwig stumbled a bit, grabbing under Mamoru's slick bottom and setting him on the counter. They kissed, their tongues dancing as Ludwig teased the head of his member to Mamoru's opened backend. He spread his cheeks a little further before probing into him so they were hip to hip. Mamoru moaned, leaning his head back as Ludwig pulled his hips back, and ramming forward so their skin met, slapping against each other as they made love in Ludwig's kitchen.

They fucked on every counter in there, ending up behind the bar, Mamoru riding him until they reached their peak. The mage lay over him, panting while Ludwig massaged his thighs gently. Slowly, they gathered themselves together slowly. They could clean up in the morning. Upstairs, Mamoru cleaned up his backside of the oil, Ludwig cleaning himself up as well.

In bed, Mamoru lay on top of the relaxed vampire, using him like a cool pillow. It was a long silence but soon, the mage's curiosity was peaking. He had to know. "Ludwig…Who is Marumi? Is she your mother?"he asked.

The room was dead silent. Ludwig's eyes opened slowly but they didn't look to Mamoru. They looked elsewhere, beyond the mirror above the dresser. "Marumi…wasn't my mother's name."He said softly.

"A sister?"Mamoru asked, sitting up on his elbows.

Ludwig went silent. He slowly sat up on his own elbows, staring down at the mage. "How do you know that name? I know I have NEVER told you."He asked, staring down at him. Mamoru could feel something welling in his eyes, a mix of fear, anger, sadness and curiosity.

"I…"Mamoru started, sitting up slowly on to his knees. "Found out from your mind. I did a check-up…and found out from someone you held very high in your memories. I didn't enter your memories…but something in them drew me in on purpose."

"On purpose?"Ludwig stared. "Now I understand a little more on why Hezekiah didn't like Theron entering his mind at all…You know, I feel more violated than anything knowing that you know something I wanted to keep hidden."

"But why? What is it about this 'Marumi' person that you don't like? The man in your memory said to ask you specifically."Mamoru said, his hand reaching up to touch the sides of Ludwig's face. The vampire let out a hard shudder but it didn't feel angry. More like he was scared…"Wiggy…I want to know everything about you…from your own mouth. Please…tell me?"

Another long silence. Ludwig finally looked at him, bringing his hands up to Mamoru's. "Not tonight love…Tomorrow…come home early from work. We'll talk about it over dinner."He said as he brought one hand to lick two of his fingers, pinching out the candle that lit the room.

"Why not now?"Mamoru pouted.

"It's for the best…and this wouldn't be a serious conversation if we're naked in bed."Ludwig said as he brought the covers over them. Mamoru snuggled next to him.

"Alright…"Mamoru sighed.

The next morning, Ludwig was up much earlier than he normally was. When Mamoru went downstairs, there was no kiss waiting for him, just a plate of breakfast and a box of lunch. Ludwig was busily baking and decorating in the kitchen by the time he left. All day, he felt so distracted. He would finally know who he had been asking for and why Ludwig wanted to hide it so much.

"Head Mage Mamoru, could you please not hold my arm so tightly? It's cut, not hemmoraging."The young man said as he grimaced a bit.

"O-oh, I'm sorry. I'll heal it in just a moment, just have to clean it a little more."Mamoru said as he dabbed a warm cloth on the wound. When he finished healing, the young man left and he was left sitting in his healing room with a dazed look.

Marumi…Marumi…

It sounded like a woman's name but then again, Ludwig had told him only once before that he wasn't from Grayharte, Amestris or where he and Yuri were from, Albinjinia but from a small country called Yareshi that was conquered long ago, settled on the border of the three countries. It was a neutral territory for some time where people who were tired of the racism, negativity and hardships of their own country would flee to.

Yet, that didn't make him Yareshian.

Sighing, he cleaned up the herbs he had used to clean the man's arm and slowly started to wind up for the day. At the restaurant, he could see that Ludwig was finishing cleaning up the last of the mess, meeting him at the door to bring in the signs and such from outside. He flipped the door sign to 'closed', pointing to a table in the center of the dining area that was set out for him with a hot plate of food.

Mamoru sat down and Ludwig poured him a glass of wine, a goblet of pig's blood for himself. "I…don't know really how to start explaining everything…."Ludwig mumbled, sitting back in his chair with a towel over his right shoulder.

"Start from the beginning then."Mamoru said as he sipped the wine.

Ludwig bit his lip, an odd move for someone who never did it. He shifted a little uncomfortably in the chair, looking to the wood of the table. "You know I'm from the old Yareshi area….and that my mother was a Amestrian…and my father an Albinjian. The truth is, when the conquest began…the slower parts of it first when the army started to pass through and everything…my father ran to Yareshi with his two younger brothers and older sister in trying to escape what was to come. That's how he met my mother. She had left Amestris hoping for something better….Moved her entire family there."He started.

"And that's how you lived there…"Mamoru said, urging him to continue.

"Well…yeah…Well, she was gathering water at the massive lake we used to live near, the big one that touches all three countries. My father and his siblings startled her, tried to explain that they were hiding…of course, back then, everyone spoke Barati…An old tongue that was a mix of the three countries phonetics-wise… so it got kind of hard to communicate when it came to new words. My…mother… let them stay with her and her family since it was safe. The army hadn't gone through Yareshi. They lived there all together for a long time…and my father…Ren was his name…fell in love with my mother."

"And that's how you were born."Mamoru said as he nibbled on a piece of warmed bread. "What happened after you were born?"

"Well…Father stayed. He couldn't leave my mother to take care of a baby alone so while his family moved somewhere safer, he stayed behind. It wasn't until another five years after that, the army did come."Ludwig explained further. "And Ren was taken outside…I remember, I was beginning to learn to read then even though I was still the size of a six-month-old baby…They found him…dragged him outside…My mother and I both watched as he was killed right in front of us by a Grayharte General…Ren was one of the last remaining ones that they knew of before Yuri and you…I looked so much like my mother, they didn't even think twice to try to kill me as well."

Mamoru felt a painful pang in his chest. Images of Ren popped in his head, watching as the white hair danced in the etherial wind in Ludwig's mind. He frowned and Ludwig continued.

"Back then, Ren and my mother both could speak Barati after a while…so they picked a name. They named me 'Marumi'…because my skin was pale and blotchy when I was born. Like I had taken a bath in mud or chocolate. It means 'Dirty'. I guess it stuck…because after father died, everything went down hill. Mother went crazy…married a man who went and drank every night, eventually having four other children with him. I would do a lot of the work around the house, sweeping and learning to cook on my own. Eventually, I earned my first last name as well…so everyone in the village started calling me 'Marumi Bata'. 'Dirty child' because I was mixed blood."Ludwig sighed.


"Marumi…is your real name?"Mamoru said in surprise. "Why…didn't you just tell me before?"

"If you want to know something small, you have to know the whole truth behind it. Otherwise, it's just a name….a new word."Ludwig said as he picked up the goblet of pig's blood. He swallowed it down pretty quickly, licking his upper lip. "Anyway…It was when I was about looking the age of four when people really started picking up on things. There was still a warrant for people who were even just a quarter Albinjian to be killed. My mother was getting up there in age…but they still made her take the long trip to Grayharte after being reported. I was beaten, nearly drowned, stabbed, burned…you named it by my own mother but when I heard Hezekiah's Grandfather make his declaration…I felt shivers of something. I don't know if it was anger, happiness or fear…but seeing my eighty-year-old mother being taken away while I was going to be a servant in a place where no one would hurt me anymore…I was happy. Really happy…I was given my first big hot meal in the longest time…some warm clothes and a bed to sleep in. I was a servant in the palace for a little while before the refuge was built."He continued.

Mamoru tilted his head some. Something was missing. "So how were you named Ludwig?"He asked.

"One day, I was sent to go clean up the morning dishes from the dining table after the King and everyone had eaten. He saw me after he had come back to retrieve something he had forgotten. Back then, servants who didn't have a rank were supposed to never be seen. Well…He did. When he asked for my name, I told him it. He laughed at it...said that it sounded too Albinjian and too much like a girl's name. So he made me stand there, holding a heavy tray of dishes until he came up with a name. He came up with 'Ludwig'…Which means--"

"Famous Warrior…I know. I studied my languages too in the magery."Mamoru said with a chuckle.

"Yeah…When he called me 'Ludwig' for the first time, it felt like I was getting a fresh start somewhere. He told me 'Even though you might not even get to see a battle, I think what I've heard about your plight makes you a warrior. In addition, a little bit of Fame would be nice now wouldn't it?'. I don't think I ever smiled so big. I left, and the name stuck. It was about seven years later, after the refuge had been completed, is when I got transferred to there. By then, Hezekiah's father had taken the throne since his Grandfather had fallen really ill with age…It was he who decided that I would be placed there…and ultimately you as well."Ludwig said with a smirk.

"And I'm glad we did meet."Mamoru said, wobbling a little as he rose to his feet. Ludwig was there in an instant, holding him up. He swept him up into his arms, holding him close.

"Now do you understand? I would rather be called Ludwig then anything else in the world right now…Marumi died the day that my father died…and buried when my mother was executed."Ludwig said as he carried Mamoru upstairs to their bedroom.

"I understand…"Mamoru said with a slur. He'd have a hangover tomorrow but he had always been a lightweight…Plus, the magery only served wine on very special occasions, which was rare. Ludwig kissed his cheek, laying him down in bed. Even though it was still early for them, Ludwig was quick to finish cleaning downstairs before he curled up with a rosy-cheeked Mamoru, grateful that he had gotten a nearly century and a half-old secret off his chest.