Title: The Place I'll Return to Someday

Fandom: Final Fantasy IX

Pairing: Zidane/Garnet

Warning(s): Spoilers up to the end.

Genre: Romance

Zidane had many homes to return to throughout his life. There were many people to whom he was familiar (particularly of the female variety) and he loved it all. He was a simple kind of guy who liked to live life on his terms.

Garnet never really thought of what it meant to be at home. She was a princess, thus content to live her life for Alexandria and for her mother. That was, until her mother had grown cold and unfamiliar. That was when her simple life had become complicated.

Things became more complicated when the two of them met. Zidane had it bad for the ladies, there was no question about that. At first she was pretty face, not that there was such thing as one that wasn't worth knowing. She clearly had everything planned out, sneaking onto Tantalus of her own accord and taking a very long and bumpy ride to Lindblum with him. Though their time together was short-lived, she was definitely someone he wouldn't forget.

That was, if circumstances had kept them apart. Funny thing about girls Zidane never forgot about. They were also girls he never left hanging. Once he had rescued her from being assassinated by her own mother he knew that the only place he could stand to be anymore was by her side. He couldn't let a girl like that get away again.

Garnet, too, after having spent much time with Zidane couldn't come to terms with leaving his side. He had done so much for her, and the world, just because he wanted to. He never asked for anything in return, and in the end he couldn't even leave his own villainous brother alone to die. He had given up his home just to give Kuja's last fleeting moments some meaning. She longed to accompany him, and wondered each day if she should have. Would he be alive and well if she had? She had a responsibility to her country, though, to protect the homes of others, even if hers was empty.

After the long wait she had about given up hope, rarely cracking a smile, rarely speaking with passion, but still refusing to see suitors. She could offer Alexandria her strength and the hope that she brought, but nothing more. She had nothing more to work for.

Until he had returned. She didn't dare dream that he'd be aboard the Tantalus again, and yet the fleeting hope still stung her. Each moment the play went on her chest ballooned with more and more sadness. Would she always be doomed to this misguided hope? This emptiness? Did Zidane realize just how much he had asked her to leave behind?

He must have, because the moment he uncloaked himself on stage her entire world had come back to her, and he had returned to his.

END