Disclaimer: I still don't own Tales of Symphonia. Duh. This hasn't changed.

Li'l Note: This story takes place before the game, when Zelos is about 20, almost 21. (For those of you who don't know, in the game he's 22.)

Melody

"See you tomorrow, Sheena," the researchers said, waving goodbye.

"See you tomorrow, guys," I replied, my vision blurring slightly for a second.

"Good day, Miss Fujibayashi," the receptionist said curtly, and I nodded in response.

As I left the Elemental Research Lab, I began to feel a little woozy, and my surroundings grew fuzzy.

But such were the side effects of the overexertion and testing I endured every five out of seven days.

Once outside, I leaned on the lab wall for support and closed my eyes until the uneasy feeling in my stomach and head passed.

"Sheena, what's wrong?" someone said, and I felt a hand hesitantly touch my back.

I knew that voice.

"Nothing, Zelos," I replied slowly, blinking as my vision blurred again momentarily. "I'm fine."

I stepped away from the wall, wobbling slightly, and turned to my friend. He was as hot as ever with his flaming red locks and deep blue eyes, but, of course, I was never going to let him know I felt that way. Sometimes he acted like his appearance was only skin deep.

But we were friends, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't sometimes enjoy our meaningless banter.

"I don't know, honey, you're looking a little on the pale side today," he said.

"Yeah, well, I'm fine," I repeated, my hard voice clearly indicating my desire to simply drop the subject.

I began to walk away from the lab, and I frowned when Tethe'alla's persistent-as-ever Chosen followed me. I couldn't do this right now. I didn't feel very good, I was tired, and I just wanted to go home to the inn.

But this was Zelos I was talking about.

"Really?" the impossible man said. "You don't seem fine, Sheena. What happened?"

"Nothing happened, Zelos!" I snapped, whirling around to face him. "Don't you have anything better to do than to bother me? Go play with your hunnies or something!"

A sharp pang of guilt immediately went through me when I saw an infinitesimal flicker of hurt lurking within the crystal gaze in front of me, but Zelos quickly covered it up with a nonchalant expression.

"Oh, you can't get rid of me that easily, my Mizuho hunny," he said, grinning crookedly. "I could follow you forever."

I turned my head away from him as a few stray tears pricked my eyes.

"Please Zelos," I pleaded, my voice almost a whisper. "I don't want to deal with this today, okay?"

I wiped my eyes with the back of my head before my cheeks could become wet.

"Sorry, Sheena," the man apologized. "Long day?"

I looked at him almost miserably and nodded. His eyes and mouth were serious for once.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, still looking at him. "Sometimes the tests and stuff make me sick, especially since I work all day. I didn't mean to be so rude."

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving a hand in dismissal and smiling. "I can overlook it this once, but next time I'm not so sure…"

"Shut up!" I laughed, hitting him lightly in the arm.

"Mind if I walk you home?" he asked, putting his hands in his white pants' pockets and tilting his head to the side inquisitively.

"I guess you can," I consented hesitantly. "The inn is only like five minutes away, but okay."

"I knew you couldn't resist me!" he joked, and I sighed in defeat as we continued our walk.

"You caught me," I said in mock-sadness, and my friend's mouth quirked into a mischievous smile.

"You know, I'm not too busy tonight," he said suggestively, draping an arm over my shoulders. "You could come to my place and we could have some fun."

"Yeah, right, Zelos!" I laughed, ducking out of the embrace. "Like I'll ever be into that. And I'm not your dear, for the last—ohh…"

I stopped moving and shut my eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over me. I was only vaguely aware of my name being called. I began to sway dangerously, and Zelos caught me as I fell. My eyes fluttered open when my head cleared a little. Zelos was watching me, his face a mask of concern.

"Sheena, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, pushing my purple-black bangs away from my face.

"I don't feel so good," I admitted weakly.

"No kidding," he said, raising an eyebrow.

My breathing was rapid and shallow as Zelos lifted me with a grunt into his arms, bridal-style. I hung limply in his arms, too exhausted and weak to move, and so it was that the redhead shifted a little, causing my head to loll against his shoulder.

And then I fainted.

XXX

"Mm…"

I opened my eyes slowly and looked around, taking in my surroundings. I knew this place…It was Zelos' mansion, and I was lying on his soft red couch.

"Sheena?"

I blinked and was surprised to see said host standing in the living room doorway. He came and sat on the edge of the couch, near my middle.

"How do you feel?" he asked, taking my bare hands in his.

The warm gesture made me blush, but I was too weary to pull away.

"I'm okay now, I guess," I answered quietly.

"Do you feel like this every day?" he inquired, studying my face intently.

"No," I replied. "Not every day…just some days."

Zelos frowned and furrowed his brow. Then he squeezed my hands as he spoke.

"And when this happens…" he began. "Is it normally this bad?"

"No," I repeated. "But I didn't eat lunch today, so that probably made it worse."

"You didn't eat lunch? When's the last time you ate?"

"I ate breakfast," I said, becoming a little overwhelmed.

I shut my eyes and tried to calm down.

"I didn't feel well this morning," I continued. "So I didn't eat any lunch. Why are you interrogating me?"

"Why do you let them hurt you, though?" he asked, evading my question.

My eyes flew open.

"Zelos, I don't have a choice!" I snapped, pulling my hands away with a jerk. "It's not like I can go back to Mizuho and complain about a stomachache I get every day. I'm not welcome in my village, not after what I did. I have to earn my place, somehow."

Zelos raked a hand through his fiery hair frustratedly but didn't push it. He sighed and slipped his mouth into a carefree smile.

The rate and accuracy at which he could change his expression were scary.

"So are you hungry, hun?" he asked, his eyes roaming over my face.

"A little," I confessed, and the fact was further accentuated by the sudden growl from my stomach.

"So I hear," Zelos smirked.

"Shut up!" I said indignantly, blushing.

He laughed and stood.

"C'mon, let's get something to eat," he offered. "Follow me."

I sat up slowly and stood. Like I expected, I wobbled a little, and so Zelos put his hands on my waist to steady me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at me as though trying to read me.

"Yeah," I replied, removing his hands. "I'm fine."

"Great," he said, smiling warmly. "Now let's eat."

I followed him into the kitchen, and he made some kind of soup. I have to admit, it wasn't that bad; although, of course, it could have just been that I was so hungry a bowl of dirt would have been a feast…

While we ate, Zelos filled the silences with stories and random what-if questions, leaving almost no room for me to feel uncomfortable. The guy even got me to laugh a few times. By the time we had finished the small meal, I was totally relaxed, and I no longer felt ill. Heh. No matter how philandering he may have been, Zelos had his charms.

But one thing was certain—he was not getting into my pants. I think he knew that, too, and maybe that was why we were sometimes able to have normal conversations, during which he would confide in me. I was probably the only girl who truly listened to what Zelos had to say. Although, I was sure most of the time—because I knew a slightly more serious side of him—that Zelos' Casanova act was only an act. He had probably never done more than make out with girls. I honestly didn't think he'd want to risk becoming a parent. So he must have been lying; he was probably just putting on the fake face in order to keep people out. But what else is a mask for?

"Okay, Zelos," I said almost reluctantly when the food was gone and he had finished one last story. "I have to go. I have work to do tomorrow."

"All right, my Mizuho flower," he replied, smiling.

"I do have a name," I growled good-naturedly. "And it's certainly not Mizuho flower."

He only smiled and led the way to the front door.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked when he reached the door.

"No, thanks," I refused politely, shaking my head. "I think I can make it by myself."

"You sure? It's dark out there."

I frowned for a second at the thought of walking alone in the dark, but I was a ninja, for crying out loud. I couldn't show that I was scared of the dark. So, once again, I shook my head.

"I'll be fine," I insisted. "It's not that far."

"Kay."

He opened the door and followed me out.

"See ya, Zelos," I said.

I turned to leave, but he touched my arm softly.

"Hey, Sheena, wait a sec," he commanded, and I turned to look up at his handsome features.

"What is it?" I asked, baffled when he scuffed his boot on the porch floor and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, hey—we're friends, right?" he asked, looking at me almost nervously.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, tilting my head curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I—I have something for you," he said. "And since we're friends, you can't give it back, okay?"

"O-okay," I said, a little unsure. "But why are you giving me something?"

He gave me a strange look.

"Sheena, do you know what day it is?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's…"

I trailed off as something dawned on me.

"It's my birthday…" I said a little flatly.

Zelos quirked a red eyebrow.

"Don't sound so excited," he laughed.

"Well, I never cared too much for my own birthday," I said, sighing and staring into his blue eyes. "Most of the time I'm ignored, and the rest of the time I receive unnecessary attention, and I'm not sure I prefer either."

I frowned.

"Well," my friend commented. "I don't care much for my birthday either. It goes by unnoticed anyway, except for by my hunnies."

"I thought you loved the attention, though," I said in some confusion.

He shrugged, a slightly unhappy expression on his perfectly-chiseled face.

"The attention those women give me is worthless," he confessed. "It's not real, so it doesn't mean anything to me."

"Then why do you associate with them?" I asked, even more confused.

"An escape," he replied a little bitterly. "They are distracting, enough so for me to forget for a while about my life. Sheena, the only future I'm supposed to have is fulfilling my duties as the Great Chosen, a.k.a. dying. Heh. Not something I always look forward to."

A sad silence ensued, and I had the feeling Zelos had revealed much more than he had wanted to. But his words had deeply affected me; I didn't want to lose Zelos. I had always felt something special for the man, at least as a friend. I wanted to be so much closer to him, to get to know the man behind the mask. He had just as many emotional issues as me if not more, I was sure of it. He was just as human as I.

"Hey, hun," Zelos said softly, watching my face. " Don't worry about it. Smile for me, 'kay, 'cuz it's your birthday, and I have a present for you."

I tried to manage at least a small smile, but it was difficult to lie. So I cut my gaze to the ground.

I felt a cool hand under my chin, and I was forced to look at Zelos as he tilted my face upward. I reddened considerably under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Yup," he said at last. "You're as pretty as ever."

"You think so?" I asked, smiling shyly and blushing harder.

"Yeah," he replied with a warm smile. "You're different from these other girls, Sheena. You have a natural, innocent beauty, the kind that glows from the inside out. Never change that. Promise me you'll never change."

"Zelos Wilder, how am I supposed to promise something like that?" I asked doubtfully, raising an eyebrow. "But…I guess I could try…"

"Good," he said, dropping his hand. "Now I want you to open this, but promise me you won't try to give it back."

"I promise," I said hesitantly, though I had a feeling of dread in my stomach.

The redhead pressed a small, wrapped package into my hands, and I carefully tore off the paper.

I almost gasped at what was inside. It was a white-painted, porcelain, rectangular box that fit nicely into the palm of my hand. Various pastel-colored flower designs were intricately woven around the perimeter and a shiny metal clasp held the box shut, so I undid the clasp and lifted the lid.

And this time I really did gasp.

Inside the box was a little ballerina, and a quiet melody played as well. So it was a music box!

"Zelos, it's so pretty!" I breathed. "I love it!"

I looked up at him with another shy smile, and his own face crinkled into a warm smile, one that sent tingles down my spine.

"I'm glad you like it," he said softly, his sapphire eyes sweet and gentle.

But a guilty feeling washed over me at once.

"Did you spend a lot of money on this?" I asked quickly. "Because if you did—Zelos, I don't have—I can't—I don't deserve—"

He held up a hand to silence me.

"Sheena, please don't," he said, his azure gaze searching my eyes. "You promised you wouldn't try to give it back. And how much I spent on it doesn't matter. I got this for you because I'm your friend and I thought you would like it; that's why it's called a gift. So don't worry about how much it cost. The happiness it brought you is priceless, and that's all the payment I need. Just take it, okay? Happy birthday, Sheena."

I smiled again, and to my utter mortification I felt tears pricking my eyes. I knew it was only a gift, but I was so touched that someone had thought about me.

"Thank you, Zelos," I said in a half-whisper, staring at the little object in my hand. "No one—no one ever does anything like this for me, so this was really nice of you."

"Anytime, honey," he said sincerely. "It makes me happy to see you happy."

And then his arms hesitantly went around me, hugging me tightly. I buried my face in my neck, and he laid his cheek on my head. Inhaling, I took in some of his fresh, alluring, Zelosish smell, enjoying the comfort immensely.

We stayed like that for what seemed like hours but was really only a few moments.

It ended too soon…

My friend pulled away, and I lifted my head to see an all-too-familiar mischievous smile on his face. I tensed.

"So, my gorgeous hunny, do I get some kind of reward?" he asked, pulling me close again. "Like maybe a kiss or two, or ten?"

He leaned his face down to mine, and I jerked back angrily. Unable to stop myself, I swung my hand up and left a nice red imprint on his cheek. He rubbed the sore spot tenderly and spoke.

"That's how I like 'em, Sheena," he said, smiling crookedly. "Wild and rough. Heheheh."

"You idiot!" I interrupted. "Agh!"

Turning on my heel, I stormed off the porch and down the street. But when I had exited the nobles' quarters, I had cooled down a bit.

I glanced down at the music box again, and a small smile tugged at my lips.

Zelos would be Zelos, and I couldn't change that. But I didn't care. I had gotten to see a glimpse of him, the real him, and what more could I ask for on my birthday?

Opening the music box, I let the melody play through another time.

Stupid Chosen.

Author's Note: I wasn't really planning on posting this, but I did anyway because, well, actually, I have no idea why. But thanks for taking the time to read it. Reviews appreciated greatly, if you have the time! Unless it's a really mean review... Any constructive criticism is appreciated, though, because I do want to improve wherever I can. Thanks! -SC