A/N: First of all, happy holidays, my darling readers! I hope you all get whatever the heck you wanted for being so nice to me, and this is your Christmas present from me. ^^ Next, this chapter is pretty damn long, ten pages on WordPerfect, and I don't think a chapter of BB has been that long as of yet. Strangely enough, I had writer's block up until this morning, when all this just came to me. It was like a vision or something, but I don't know if you guys will enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Sweet-Revolution Awards: As I am so lazy that my next update might be too long in coming, I've edited this chapter to tell you all about the Sweet-Revolution Awards. It's much like the SKoW awards, except just for slash. Nominations last till August eighth. You can go get all of the details at [http : // sweet - revolution . webs . com /] without the spaces. I'm not arrogant enough to think anyone will vote for me, but I'm having fun judging and I hope you all go vote for your favorite slash fics on FP. Thank you!

Warnings: Slash, language, and kisses galore. Oh, and Leon gets molested; nothing too bad. ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own the names of characters from Beowulf. I'm just borrowing them for my own use. ;o

Translations:

Zaan: Heart or soulmate in Jibriel's language.

Boy Bride: Chapter Six

Jibriel blinked, watching Leonhart run out of the dining hall as if the plague were on his footsteps. The Alpha had stayed just long enough to wipe his plate clean, asking Nana to thank the cooks for him, before running towards his study.

“He eats very quickly, does he not?” Jibriel said to Nana and Myrddin. They both gazed at one another with amused laughs, confusing the silver-haired boy further. “Is it because he does not enjoy my company?”

He was a little worried about that, as he didn't want the other male to hate him. The others only laughed harder.

“No, Jibri. Nothing like that,” Nana comforted, at the same time Myrddin said, “It is definitely not what you’re thinking, my boy. Leon just needs a little thinking time right now.”

“Oh,” he responded, still confused, but satisfied enough not to ask any more of the two. There was a brief moment of silence, not awkward but slightly stretched, before Myrddin decided to break it.

“So, Jibri, remember how I promised I would take you out to see the majesty of our land of Höðr?” The boy nodded, making the wizard smile even wider, a very notable feat. “How about we, Nana and I, take you now? It isn’t snowing outside, and the weather is better than ususal, so this is a perfect opportunity. Leon can join us later, if he is so inclined.”

Jibriel smiled brightly, excited, and Nana took him off to his room again to prepare for the chilly outdoors air.

Jibriel blinked watery eyes, raising his arm up in a protective motion to shield himself from the heavy winds.

‘If this is better than usual, then what is worse?’ he asked himself, eyes wide and tearing. When he related the question to Myrddin the wizard only laughed, while Nana clucked at him.

“Oh ho ho, you’re going to have to adapt, my boy. The weather in Höðr is only like this for a few months, and rarely even then, before it gets a lot worse.” Jibriel’s golden eyes widened even further. It didn’t even get this bad in Chad during the monsoon season, and this was good weather in Höðr?

“Poor dear,” Nana said, cutting him off from the thought. “Maybe I should have bundled you up a bit more?”

“I do not think I can be bundled up any more than this,” he told her seriously, and it was true. His thin frame looked a lot thicker because of the huge, puffy coat, cloak, and gloves she’d found for him. That—along with the woolen scarf, pants, and snow boots—had made him barely recognizable to even himself.

“Well, I guess you’re right. I suppose I’ll just have to give you a warm drink when inside. You still want to explore, don’t you?” At this he nodded. Cold weather or not, he wanted to see all of Höðr, as it was still very beautiful, frigid temperature withstanding.

Leonhart tried to focus on his paperwork, but it was near impossible because of the magically floating green eyes constantly watching him. He tried to ignore them, instead reading a village farmer’s idea to try dry farming under the snow to grow more crops, but the eyes just kept blankly staring at him. Finally, angry, he smacked his palms down on the desk, shaking the entire wooden structure.

“What is your problem now, Myrddin!?!” he asked through clenched teeth, face turning red from anger. Though he was used to it, he still choked back a surprised gasp when the eyes widened, the pale circle of a face forming around them, and a body spanned from that. Myrddin, or at least an illusion of Myrddin, now stood before him, see-through, but as annoying as the real thing.

“Oh, I don’t really want anything,” the wizard answered, sitting back in one of Leonhart’s wingback chairs. The Alpha waited for him to say more, turning redder as the silence ran on and on.

“Then why are you here?” he eventually calmed himself down enough to ask. The wizard shrugged, picking at his cuticles with tiny fingers.

“No reason,” he paused, listening to Leonhart’s rapid breathing with a smile. He waited about ten minutes. “Just wondering if you want to join Nana and I as we show Jibriel around Höðr? We haven’t gotten far yet, he’s mesmerized by the yard alone, so you can still catch up.”

Leonhart paused to ponder the question, leaning back into his chair once more, but his back was still as straight as an arrow, still tense. He was between a rock and a hard place. If he went, he would surely embarrass himself in front of Jibriel again, which he wasn’t too keen on doing since he’d done enough of it in the morning, but then he would have to deal with Myrddin, and he was never keen on doing that. He paused, staring into the large, almost swirling emerald eyes, hidden behind spectacles that did nothing to shelter him from their awe-inspiring shine.

“Fine,” he sighed, knowing that he would probably regret it. “I’ll go.”

Jibriel was ice-skating, or at least attempting to ice-skate, around a frozen pond near the Höðr palace. He watched the motions as Myrddin went through them once more, watching the tiny body dance gracefully on the dangerous ice. He huffed, remembering his title of lead dancer in Höðr. This was nothing like dancing; he stilled on the ice.

“Maybe he should stop?” Nana said worriedly, obviously reading his mind. He was a little embarrassed, however, that he couldn’t accomplish this. His grace at the art of dance had been much appraised in his homeland, but really, he would rather appear in-adept then fall and break something, possibly resigning himself to being unable to even dance. Myrddin, however, seemed to see things in a different view.

“Nonsense, he’ll be fine. The youngest children in Höðr can do it, and so why can't Jibriel?” The boy in question narrowed his eyes slightly, looking hurt. Was Myrddin calling him an idiot?

“I can do it!” he told the wizard fiercely, cutting off Nana’s protests. Myrddin smiled victoriously in response, spinning away from him.

“Of course you can,” he said, though Jibriel couldn’t tell whether he meant it. “Let’s see if you can catch me.”

The wizard gave him a wink and swivelled off, leaving Jibriel to follow. The boy swallowed, watching the other male make swift motions on the dangerous ice.

‘Well, at least I am well bundled because of this coat, so if I fall...it will not hurt as much as it could have. Hopefully...’ he took a careful few steps forward before quickening his pace on the ice. He hurried after the smaller boy, reaching out gloved fingers to grab at him. His fingers just barely brushed Myrddin’s scarf when the wizard, laughing, moved away, making him lose his balance and topple over. Jibriel closed his vivid golden eyes, arms outstretched before his face, ready to meet the icy floor—

He blinked in surprise when nothing happened, feeling arms around his waist, and looked up to see Leonhart’s face, a hairbreadth away from his own.

“You skate like a newborn reindeer, legs all wobbly,” the man intoned, frowning severely, and he flushed, looking up into icy silver eyes. They reminded him of the floor below him that he almost collided with, but those eyes, along with the warm arms around him, actually saved him from that fate. His flush darkened, and he placed his gloved hands on the Alpha’s broad chest, burying his face into it to hide his embarrassment. The man ignored him, instead glaring at the wizard. “And you, what the hell was that? You know he isn’t from here, you told me that yourself, and you have him come out on the dangerous ice? What if he fell through it and I wasn’t around? I doubt your short arms would be able to save him!”

The wizard glared in response, but it wasn’t as heated as it could have been.

“Sorry,” he responded sarcastically, taking Nana’s hand in his much smaller one. “If that’s your attitude, then you can show him around Höðr.”

And with that he left, throwing one last comment over his shoulder. “And don’t do a poorly done job of it either.”

Leonhart’s jaw dropped open just slightly, cheeks flushing in anger. He looked down at Jibriel who shot him wide, pleading eyes, and flushed for an entirely different reason.

“Fine,” he said, earning a bright smile. He sighed; this was going to be a long day.

Nana remained completely silent as Myrddin half-dragged her to the Höðr palace. When they finally got inside, she broke the silence.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you, Myrddin?” she asked, already pretty sure of the answer, but still not completely sure. Myrddin thrived on mystery, after all. He smiled.

“Nana, dearest, you know me entirely too well,” he said, then paused, another huge smile spreading across his face. “Let’s go to my tower. We can watch them from my crystal ball.”

She smiled in amusement, and let him lead the way, shaking her head all the while at his childishness.

Leonhart held Jibriel’s small, gloved hand in his own. He dreaded two things, one that really embarrassed him. The first was that he really didn’t want to spend too much time with Jibriel, especially when he knew he still had work to do. The second, and the embarrassing, one was that he really wished it was warmer so he could make skin to skin contact with Jibriel’s hand.

‘Gah, you’re going soft!’ he shouted internally, estranged by the fact that Jibriel, trailing behind him, was way too quiet. He sighed, trying to think of where to go, when an idea struck him. “I’ll show you the kennel, then the soldier’s barracks, before we go to the town. That okay?”

The boy nodded in response, offering him a shy smile, and he turned away quickly.

Jibriel did not know what a kennel was, so he was more than surprised when they came to a large shed filled with some sort of wild beasts. They looked a bit like the red foxes in his land, but they were way bigger, with dangerous, bared teeth, and sleek white fur that resembled the snow in Höðr. He backed away in fear, watching in surprise as Leonhart easily walked among the beasts, kneeling before them and smiling genuinely, petting their large heads.

“What are they?” he finally asked, voice a whisper. The Alpha looked up at his fear-filled golden eyes.

“They’re the white wolves of Höðr. Legend has it that they were the original inhabitants of Höðr, and my ancestors were wolves that Höðr, our God, transformed into men. That’s why we in Höðr call our leaders Alpha, like myself, and the soldiers and people of Höðr are called my pack,” Leonhart answered, amazing him with the story. Looking at the man from the corner of his eye, watching him among the wolves, he could picture Leonhart as one of them. The Alpha gazed back at him with eyes the same color as that of all the wolves'. “Do you want to pet them? Take off your gloves before you do, they feel safer when they feel something natural. They won’t hurt you as long as I’m here, but I don’t advise coming alone.”

Jibriel swallowed dryly, and nodded, shying away from the steely eyes of the wolves. Even though he was afraid, he stepped forward, reaching out a now bare hand towards the head of a relatively small wolf. She—or at least he thought it was a she—allowed him to pet her, before licking his hand with a rough pink tongue. He let out the breath he had been holding, and Leonhart, now beside him, let out one as well. He gazed at the now relaxed man in confusion.

“That’s Esarosa,” he responded, as if that answered everything. “She’s usually very vicious, whether I’m around or not, because she’s the pack Beta, and I was just about to tell you not to pet her, but it seems she’s taken a liking to you.”

Jibriel’s eyes widened, and he began to pull his hand away from the wolf, but she growled, so he began to pet her again. Soon, all of the wolves surrounded him, licking his face, and allowing him to pet them, and he laughed. Leonhart, watching all this, narrowed his eyes and sighed, leaning back against the largest wolf in the pack, Ulric.

“I guess he doesn’t have to worry about coming alone, after all,” he told the wolf, who gave a barking laugh in return. They both watched the boy with matching sterling silver eyes.

Leonhart let Jibriel walk a little ahead of him on the snow, silver eyes ever watchful, though he allowed his mind to wander.

‘Why are the wolves so comfortable with him?’ he asked himself, brows furrowed. ‘They’re not even that comfortable with their trainer, and he’s been with them since they were cubs. The only one they’re comfortable with is me, and that’s because I’m the Alpha...so why?’

It just didn’t make any sense to him. The wolves of Höðr were anything but pets, they were the guardians and protectors of the land, and thus, very close to the bloodline of Höðr’s leaders. So how could Jibriel, barely in Höðr for a day or two, attract so much affection from the usually cold beasts?

“Milord,” Jibriel’s sweet voice cut his thoughts short. “Are these the barracks?”

Looking up, Leonhart realized that they had indeed arrived at the barracks, and watched as some of the men outside saluted. The barracks comsisted of small, log-cabin like structures that were housing to the soldiers. They were on castle ground, ready to protect and defend if necessary.

“At ease, men,” he said, taking Jibriel’s thin arm and leading him into the barracks. He paused at the entrance. “Is Beo in?”

The soldier nodded just slightly, still standing at attention, though more lax in pose.

“Well, that’s fine. This is the newest occupant of our palace, Jibriel. I’m taking him around Höðr, so he can get used to it,” he told the soldier. Jibriel nodded at the man from a little ways behind Leonhart, looking shy. This continued on all through the barracks, which was pretty large because of the vast amounts of soldiers living in it.

“There are many soldiers in this land,” Jibriel finally said, after meeting many of said soldiers. His eyes seemed troubled. “Is there a reason for that?”

Leonhart remained silent for a few minutes, wondering how to answer the boy.

“I suppose it’s because...” he finally began, but he still seemed to be struggling with the explanation. “We are not as peaceful as your land, it seems, if you need to ask. We may not be warring now, but I’m prepared just in case. Let’s just keep it at that.”

“Oh, okay,” Jibriel responded, looking around once more at all the soldiers. They were gruff men, spending most of their time cleaning weapons and sparring, but they also had benevolent auras. These men may have killed, but they hadn’t done it for sheer pleasure. That, at least, comforted him about this land. “Shall we see more?”

Just as he heard that, they both heard the rustle of one of the curtains that divided the soldier’s rooms, and a mostly bare man came out, stretching his muscular, wiry frame. He was very tall, about an inch or so more than Leonhart, and had very long, very pale blonde hair, pulled into a long braid, and pale blue eyes to match. These were set into a pale face that was not quite feminine, but undoubtably beautiful. He blinked his blue eyes upon seeing Leonhart, and his full lips pulled up into a huge smile.

“Ah, my lion,” he said, voice deep and resonant, sauntering up to the young Alpha, and draping his lanky frame along his now stiff body. “I haven’t seen you in way too long. Have you missed me?”

He pouted dramatically, batting thick lashes at the Alpha, and Leonhart sighed, but did nothing to push him away.

“Yes, Beowulf, I’ve missed you, now can you get yourself off me?” he asked in an irritated, but slightly affectionate voice. The man, Beowulf, only laughed, clinging to him even harder.

“We both know you don’t want me to do that,” he responded in a sultry whisper, blowing into the Alpha’s ear, making the brown-haired man shiver and moan out his name quietly.

Jibriel watched this scene play out before him stiffly, arms straight at his side and hands fisted. He didn’t know why, but this upset him, making all the hairs on his body stand on edge, and he frowned deeply.

‘Why am I behaving like this?’ he asked himself, watching the two men before him embrace intimately. The other soldiers in the barrack ignored this, so he figured that it probably happened often enough that they had gotten used to it. ‘If they are Zaan, soulmates, then why am I getting upset? Is it because my own Zaan is gone?’

He sighed, and the sound seemed to finally alert the two men of his presence. Leonhart pushed his half-dressed friend away from him, flushing darkly, and went to Jibriel’s side, taking his hand in a weak grip. He seemed to be very embarrassed, unlike Beowulf who was completely unfazed.

“And who is this?” The man asked, boring blue eyes into Jibriel’s gold. Leonhart seemed ready to intervene, but Jibriel cut him off, answering tightly.

“My name is Jibriel,” the boy said, bowing slightly as was custom in his land. “It is my pleasure to meet you.”

The other man remained silent for a second, before hooking long fingers under Jibriel’s chin and lifting his face, gazing into his eyes once more. He tilted the boy’s face this way and that, as if trying to find a flaw.

“Hmm, he’s cute, Leon, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a bony little baby,” the man intoned, and Jibriel’s face flushed darkly, jaw falling open in shock. “Close your mouth, dear, that’s unbecoming. Unless of course you’re skilled with using that mouth.”

He gave Leonhart a cool, steady look from over Jibriel’s head.

“Though I have a feeling you’re very skilled if you hooked my Leon.” The smile was cruel this time, his voice emphasizing a few choice words to make the message harsher. Jibriel’s eyes filled with tears at the comment, and he wrenched his face away. Beowulf let him, arms falling loosely at his sides, and watched with disinterested eyes as he made his way out of the barracks. Leonhart took a deep breath, watching Jibriel leave as well, before turning to him.

“I want you to stay away from him,” he told the soldier in an apathetic voice, but the other man could see that he was only barely containing his anger. The Alpha walked out, following after Jibriel. A few minutes went by, many eyes on Beowulf, before he glared.

“Any of you got a problem?” he asked, hand on blade, and many of them walked away, not wanting to cause any problems. His barrack mate, however, paused and gave him a half-hug.

“You’re an asshole,” he said in an affectionate voice. To which Beowulf responded with, “I know, man, I know.”

Leonhart followed Jibriel back out into the cold, noticing that the boy had his hands over his face. He felt guilty when he realized that it was because the boy was crying.

“Hey, wait!” he cried, reaching out his hand to grab Jibriel’s arm. The boy tried to pull away from him, but he held fast. Unfortunately, because of their speed and Jibriel’s inexperience in the snow, the boy slipped, dragging Leonhart down with him. The Alpha just managed to maneuver turning them, so he fell instead, sheltering Jibriel from the fall with his body. The boy wasn’t very heavy, but he still knocked the air out of the Alpha, and he was about to say something about that when the look that Jibriel gave him cut him off. The boy’s smouldering golden eyes bore into him, iridescent because of the angle of the sunlight, sparkling on the tears, and he gasped, face flushing.

“I...I am s..orry...” Jibriel hiccuped, tears falling freely from his golden eyes, and the Alpha made up his mind, hooking his arms along the thin shoulders and pulling the boy down for a kiss. He was stiff in his arms for a few seconds, prompting Leonhart to pull away, but before he could he felt the gentle pressure of Jibriel’s lips pressing against his own, and his lips tingled, though the kiss was so gentle. After a few minutes, Leonhart’s brain rushed back to meet him, and he pulled away, sitting up and lifting Jibriel with him.

“No, I’m sorry,” he told the boy stiffly. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

‘No matter how much I wanted it to...’ he mentally added. The boy looked crestfallen, and guilt welled up in him once more, but he didn’t let it weaken him. He knew that Jibriel was sensitive, could sense it already, and the relationship that would happen if he continued with the kiss wouldn’t be a real one, as he, unfortunately, knew it was only lust. ‘It’s always been only lust. With Beowulf, and with you, little Jibriel. I’m sorry.’

“I’m sorry,” he voiced again, this time aloud, but Jibriel remained silent. “I think we should only be friends. Is that okay?”

Though he said this, he was surprised when Jibriel smiled brightly.

“I would like that very much,” the boy said, smiling, and Leonhart decided that, strange moodswings or not, he was glad that Jibriel hadn’t taken it harshly. “Will we continue?”

A yawn followed the question, and Leonhart laughed, realizing that the boy had tired himself out, so he smiled slightly and shook his head.

“Let’s just head back to the palace, okay?” Jibriel nodded in response, rubbing his fist into his eyes in a sleepy manner, and Leonhart pulled him up to his feet. He kept his arms around the smaller boy for the whole trip back to the palace. Both of them were ignorant of the observant eyes watching them.

A lone soldier stepped up before a shadowed platform, holding his helm before his chest in respect.

“My Lords and Lady, I have some interesting news,” he informed them in a soft, respectful voice. There was a brief gesticulation of noise within the shadows before a gentle voice, that of a woman, responded.

“And what news is this, good soldier?” The man bowed even lower in response to her voice, and his voice took on a reverential edge.

“Lady Yrs, I have just seen our unwed Alpha, Prince Leonhart, laying in the snow intimately with someone,” he whispered, voice hushed, and there was another brief squabble, and the soldier could hear shock in a few of the voices, and joy in others.

“With whom did he lay?” another booming voice, this time a man’s, asked. The soldier bowed again.

“Lord Hrothgar, I could not tell. I was too far away, and I did not want to intrude on my Alpha’s privacy,” he whispered, but they still heard him clearly enough. The man, Hrothgar, made a humming sound, though the soldier did not know if it was in approval or annoyance. “May I intone just one more thing?”

“Yes, you may,” Lady Yrs’ voice responded, cutting all the others off.

“I do not want to doubt him, Lords and Lady, but I think you should call in my lord Alpha, so he does not lay with a random wench. We do not want our future heir disputed because of bastard status.” There was another hum, this time undoubtably in agreement, and the soldier saluted before turning on his heel and leaving. The Council began to speak amongst themselves.

A/N: So we introduced a new character and instigated that first kiss. What did you guys think? I know Beowulf is an asshole, so maybe you guys might not like him, but he's not that bad of a guy once you get to know him. About the kiss, I know some of you guys will say it happened too soon, but you heard Leon. He just did it to do it, or so he says, so really it doesn't really mean anything yet. Plus, I asked my buddy whether chapter six is good enough for a kiss and she said yeah, so blame her if things go wrong. I took the names of all of the new characters, Beowulf and the Council, from Beowulf, which we are currently reading in my English class. The wolves are not named after Beowulf characters, though. They're just cool, and they will make reappearances.

Thanks: For over 4000 hits. ^^ I love you guys. :D Also, thank you to each individual reader, reviewer, favoriter, and story alerter, as well as LJ readers. You guys seriously keep me going. I've never had such a long, plot-heavy story. I know, you're probably thinking, but this is only seven chapters with a prologue, how is it long? But trust me, for me, this has been a marathon, but I've been loving every minute of it.

A lurker: You are definitely right, don't doubt yourself for a second. I didn't even notice that I put in exotic flowers in the story till you pointed it out. It was because my younger brother was bugging me, so I got distracted. I fixed that mistake immediately. *Face-palm* Now I'm embarrassed. I hope you like this chapter, too, and thank you for taking the time to review. :D

Aviatorlisa: I already replied to you on LJ, but I'll do it again just cause I like you. ;) lol, I'm glad you liked the door thing and the chapter in general. *Hugs* Your positive comments always brighten my day. :)

Tally: Don't worry at all, my dear, I loved your review, and I didn't even see it as ConCrit, and much less a critique. Don't worry about Leon, he will definitely not turn into a ball of fluff. He's just gruff by nature, so he'll be all cute and trying to be macho when he finally figures things out. ;P As for the girly clothes thing, I don't think it's wrong of you to ask. In fact, I'd already planned on it, and Jibriel will wear more girly things later on. He acts so comfortable in it because clothes in Chaddesh are kind of like dresses, rather than long pants and things. Thanks for the lovely review. I hope to hear from you again. ;)

Adrish: I am so glad you like this. :D Thanks for friending me on LJ, I've friended you back. Hope you don't mind, though, if I reply here. Thanks for taking the time to review.

Seeker of Knowledge: I already replied to you, but I just wanted to thank you again for pointing out those two miscalculations on my part. I changed the bear comment to lion, and I fixed the towel comment, too. Thank you. :)

R&R: So, like I mentioned above, this chapter is my gift to you all for whatever holiday you're celebrating, or even if you aren't celebrating anything. I hope you'll return this by reviewing. *Puppy eyes* You know I adore you guys, right? Forgive me if I'm late with the next chapter. I'm a little busy. ^^;