Suppressed
First Glance
Disclaimer: When you play the game, do you honestly see my work when you read the dialogue and lack of support conversations?
A/N: So, I probably shouldn't be working on this new story, instead, I should be working on the fics that I promised. But, I need a little break from the AU, and I wanted to try my hand at pure shounen ai. So, here you go, another pairing that I came up with. Hopefully this story will make it seem possible, eh?
Warnings: Slash, possible lemon in the future, dark thoughts, occness (to some people, not to me actually).
Pairing: ZiharkXEdward
It was nearing evening, and luckily, no sights of Begnion troops had occurred all day. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck from the Goddess; a shine of sun on the gloomy, desolated earth. Zihark slowly cleaned his sword, rubbing repeatedly with a gray cloth until the blade of the 'Killing Edge' was clear of any wear or rust. After a moment of staring aimlessly at the weapon, Zihark heaved a quiet sigh, it was a mere whisper in the halls that he sat alone in.
It was a wide, barren hallway - no tapestries or wall ornaments in sight- it had a lonely feel to it, and Zihark had a small urge to stand and leave. But alas, the rest of the fort in this forsaken desert was just the same, albeit with other Beorc in residence. Then again, the Swordmaster didn't feel like being in their company at the moment; Perhaps if there were Laguz around…The image of his tiger friend, Muarim filled his mind and he idly wondered if the man was doing well. Zihark hadn't seen his friend in quite a while, it would be pleasant to talk again…But, Zihark thought, his heart sinking slightly. This was the Daein Restoration army, the chances of any Laguz companionship was impossible.
Instead there were humans like Tauroneo, Jill, the prince of Daein, said man's mother, and the creep, Izuka. Yes, quite a crew, and none he really talked to a whole lot before they were all thrown together. Especially Izuka. There was just something about the hunched over man with a huge forehead and bone rattling laugh… Pelleas and Almehda, he hadn't even known three years prior to this mess, unlike the general and wyvern knight. Izuka could also be added to that list, but there always seemed to be something familiar about the lunatic; Zihark couldn't place it, but 'it' definitely wasn't positive…
So yes, the communication he had in this little merry band of comrades was limited 'very little' to 'zero'. Battle strategy and future plans for taking back Daein did not count as conversation between friends.
A loud, cracking thump resounded throughout the hallway from the opposing side of Zihark, the sword master's eyes darted towards the commotion, sharp and intent. He located a fallen piece of stone from the crumbling wall, Zihark exhaled the breath he had been holding and dragged his eyes away, instead staring at the opposite gray wall across from him.
Since the wall was understandably very uninteresting, Zihark's attention drifted and he found himself thinking about Daein, and why he was currently there. He didn't have any particular love for the country, in fact, it could be bordering loathing…There was always a more cheerful feeling for Gallia, even Crimea was better. Daein's hate for 'sub-humans' went against everything Zihark stood for…Yet, he couldn't just let his old homeland die out in a bitter, desperate death; no, Zihark wasn't that heartless.
Maybe after he helped Daein he could go back to Gallia without a heavy heart…But then again that was probably a little too close to her. Zihark felt himself flinch softly at the thought of his old fiancé, it had been so long since they had separated, and yet, there was still a little pain whenever he thought of her. Not Gallia, Crimea. Yes, that was a sound plan, he'd go to Crimea after he helped out Daein win their battle; he'd visit Brom, the mercenaries, the new Queen and her knights.
He was roused from his musings by hurried footsteps echoing throughout the cold, dull hallway and Zihark looked up; Jill was heading his way, gently swinging red hair announcing who she was immediately. The sword master stood, straightening his light gray coat and shooting a questioning glance at the axe-fighter, she opened her mouth to speak.
"Zihark, we spotted a large amount of Begnion troops heading this way; are you ready for an upcoming battle?" after she got her response -a simple nod- she turned and rushed back the way she came from…The entry hall of the fort.
After running a calloused hand across his temple, the sword master sighed and strode after her, heavy leather shoes making a soft sound as they met with the floor. Zihark came to a lighter room, still as barren as the hall he had just left, but the open archway to the fort let in the lowering sunlight.
He heard the distant noise of feet tramping across sand and quickened his pace, Tauroneo stood in the entryway of the fort, lance in hand, a grim look on his face. Zihark stood behind his comrade and took in the battlefield's condition. A large amount of reddish-orange armour could be seen spread out across the ruins and sand beyond. As a gust of wind blew into the sword master's face and shifted silvery-blue hair, he looked upwards and saw Jill sitting on her wyvern, getting a better look; ahead of him, Tauroneo in his durable, white armour, and then glanced down at his belt where the 'Killing Edge' lay sheathed. Zihark could only wonder. What were the odds of winning?
A Begnion soldier rushed forward, attempting to strike Tauroneo, after the heavily-armored male side-stepped, one hit to the back of the head made the foolish soldier fall. Zihark's musings and doubt of winning this battle did not cease.
Another one of the soldier approached, albeit a bit slower than his late comrade, and fingered his javelin. With a swish, it breezed right past the general, and Zihark only had to move his face slightly to the left to dodge it also, watching as another soldier was brought down.
"Hmph." Tauroneo grunted, stepping back slightly and crossing his arms, resting his spear on the ground. Zihark sighed.
"Impressive as always, General Tauroneo," Zihark took a quick, unnecessary glance around the battlefield -which had barely changed with the small loss of two soldiers- "However, I do not think we will hold out forever, we are seriously outnumbered…"
"Hmph, I'm not about to be outdone by men like this." Tauroneo cut in, "Now, let's show them what they're up against." the general said gruffly, Zihark didn't see any alternative than what the other male had suggested. So after shrugging his shoulders, the Swordmaster moved around his ally, drawing the Killing Edge and standing at the ready.
"We'll keep on the defensive side of the battle to avoid any casualties."
Zihark nodded, eyes not leaving his enemies, "Right, let's show them what we've got. Ready Jill?"
The red head lowered down to the ground, nodding slightly, a small smile on her lips, violet eyes sparkling, "Just give the word!"
He shifted his weapon in his grip, shook a pale-blue lock of hair out of his eyes, and sighed once again. It was going to be a long battle with just the three of them, and if he wasn't careful, Zihark could receive a grave wound. No one could last forever when fighting.
Narrowing green eyes (A/N: I'm pretty sure his eyes are green…), the sword master shifted into a defensive stance. He focused his hearing, eyesight, and did a testing slash with his sword - just as the metal was coming down, an orange armored soldier came charging at him.
Using the momentum of his swing, Zihark brought the killing edge into a parry. Before the other man could attack again, a lethal cut to his neck made him drop to the sand beneath him, dripping blood onto the ground.
One down, countless more to go…A long day indeed.
The light of the sun was beginning to disappear by the time the battlefield made any drastic changes…Zihark had killed yet another charging fool and was about to scan the left sided archway when the sound of lightning and thunder filled his ears. There were no lightning mages on the enemy side…Just fire, so where was that coming from? Turing right, Zihark blinked to see a familiar lavender tressed mage. Ilyana?
In slight confusion, Zihark scanned the area for other possible teammates that could of accompanied his one-time-comrade. And indeed, there were three figures climbing up onto the ruins set in the middle of the sands. The blue-haired male frowned, did that mean Ilyana was fighting alone?
He turned back to where Ilyana was, but before he could even look at her, his eyes caught sight of a familiar-light brown. Zihark's heart skipped a beat, Leati? No it wasn't her, instead of his old fiancé, he saw a male of medium height. The boy wore a red vest and cream-coloured shirt, his legs adorned in travel worn, beige pants.
The brown hair that had first caught his eye was lighter, and shorter, than Leati's. His girlfriend wore shades of blue, and of course, Leati was a girl, not like this figure ahead of him. The male brunette was nothing like his old girlfriend once you looked very closely, and yet- Zihark couldn't seem to stop watching him…
Taking in the slightly clumsy - yet potentially powerful swordsmanship he had when he took down a lancer…The way his face had a kind-of cute look of determination on it…How his dark blue eyes were only revealed when the falling sun shone just right into them…
What sword master didn't watch was just about everything else, a loud yell broke through his reverie, "Zihark!" It was Tauroneo from somewhere behind him, still guarding the entrance to the fort diligently. After shaking his head to clear it a little, Zihark rose his blade from where it rested at his side and went back to helping his two comrades.
After the battle was all said and done, mostly thanks to Sothe and his friends, Zihark was spaced out; while Tauroneo and Jill greeted the rogue and his silver-haired ally, the Swordmaster was focused on the group behind them. Or, more specifically, the myrmidon with dark-blue eyes. The other male didn't seem to notice the set of green eyes trained on him…But a lavender-haired mage did.
Ilyana's lips drew into a small, secretive smile…Somehow, she just knew that Zihark was feeling the beginnings of a crush towards the happy-go-lucky brunette. An amazing feat within itself, since Zihark wasn't into romantic relationships much, or at least from what Ilyana could tell.
The thunder mage's smile grew just a bit, maybe, after she had eaten a healthy, large, dinner, she could help her male friend out…
"Ed, please quiet down a little?" a blonde, male archer asked patiently, a small, fond smile on his lips.
"Come on, Leo! Did you see that guy?! He fought…It was, I…He was awesome!" Edward was having a rather rough time describing just how awe inspiring the mysterious blue-haired male was. You could tell from his spluttering.
Leonardo smiled knowingly, "Awesome, eh?"
"Yeah, I wish I could fight like that…" Edward sighed, sitting down on his bedroll, still shifting excitedly. After a moment, he blinked and jumped up, "I know, I can ask if he could train me!" Leonardo snorted slightly. "What?!" the brunette pouted.
"Ed, you don't even know his name yet." the blonde reminded his friend.
The myrmidon frowned a little and slowly slid back down onto his makeshift bed, tapping his bare feet onto the stone floor in front of him. "That's true…" Leonardo didn't quite know what to say, so he stayed silent, running a hand across the gray stone of the wall.
They both looked up when three men stepped into the room; Nolan smiled a greeting at the two men on the floor, "Hello boys." the bearded man didn't say much more, instead, he took to setting up his bed down, and dressing for bed.
Aran nodded at his comrades before silently mirroring the warrior across the room.
Sothe was the last one to enter, and he looked irritated, "What's wrong, Sothe?" Edward asked, picking up his friend's unpleasant mood immediately. The brunette could be unnervingly insightful when it came to how the other Dawn Brigade members were feeling.
The green-haired rogue just shook his head, "It's nothing of any importance, Edward." after he sighed audibly once, Sothe spoke again, "We're going to starting marching through the desert first thing in the morning, so get some sleep."
After getting a sort of agreement from everyone, Sothe set to work getting ready for bed; no one bothered him, sensing that he was frustrated and didn't feel like talking at the moment. Nolan slowly settled into this bedroll, closing his eyes and doing his nightly relaxation ritual, soothing the day's pains.
Aran, exhausted from an extensive amount of exertion, fell asleep right away, snoring softly. (A/N: Seriously, he was really handy in that battle for me. I don't know why…) His back facing the rest of the group.
Edward turned back to Leonardo, "So, what's up with you and Laura?" he asked suddenly, and quite out of the blue. The blonde, in return, flushed heavily and choked on air, staring at his friend with a wide-eyed expression.
"H-how do you know about that?" the archer coughed, "Not that there is anything going on or anything!" he added hastily.
Edward narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "You're hiding something Leo, it's so obvious! C'mon, tell me what you guys are up to!" the brunette pleaded.
From the corner of the room, Nolan chuckled deep within his throat and Leonardo shot the man an irritated look, "Shut up, old timer!"
"Watch who you're calling old, whippersnapper, or I really will show you what I can do this time." Sothe snorted at the use of the term, 'whippersnapper'. Leonardo just rolled his eyes and turned away from the warrior.
"Why am I being left in the dark?" Edward asked, pout on his lips, he gave the archer a pleading glance.
"Because it's useless information." Leonardo answered sharply.
"So? I still wanna know!" Edward's persistence was unrivaled, and unluckily for Leo, so was his 'puppy eyes'. The brunette stuck out his bottom lip and lowered his head a little, raising his eyes at the same time to meet with Leonardo's.
Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway as Edward's lip began to tremble; Nolan chuckled at the two close men, shaking his head in exasperation. The old, battered, wooden door slid open as Edward scooted closer. Zihark stuck a head in, and at Sothe's friendly wave, stepped fully into the room. He blinked as he saw Leonardo trying to pointedly ignore the very brunette he had been watching earlier that day.
The two's closeness made his heart jump momentarily until the myrmidon spoke, "Please tell me about you and Laura? C'mon, you're my best friend! Pretty please with honey on top?" The brunette bounced in his spot in front of the slowly falling blonde.
Leonardo was about to cave and he knew that if he looked directly at Edward's dreaded 'puppy eyes' he would be doomed. "Leo," the brunette sang, "Look over here." Nolan was chuckling rather audibly now and Leonardo wanted to scowl over at the older male.
"Leeooo!" Edward suddenly was right in front of his face and he was met face-to-face with his friend's ultimate 'give me answers' attack.
The blonde sighed, and mumbled under his breath, "Laura and I are together…" He shoved the brunette away, glaring at Nolan as the man laughed again. The archer leapt under his covers and glared at Edward as the brunette did a triumphant dance.
"Victory is mine!" Leo rolled his eyes and turned on his side, shaking his head, even as a small smile quirked his lips.
Zihark had set up his sleeping mat next Sothe's and watched the entire scene, true humor in his eyes for the first time in about three years. He watched with a slowly growing smile as Edward finished his victory dance, feeling a strange, yet vaguely familiar warmth in his entire being.
There was a small prickling a the base of his neck and turned to see Sothe watching him with a knowing smirk, "What?" Zihark asked quietly, feeling slightly uncomfortable with this knowledgeable expression. What had happened to that little thief in the Mad King's war? "Any reason you're looking at me like that? It's a tad creepy."
"You like him." Sothe said softly, and bluntly.
Even at the low volume the rogue had said it, Zihark still whipped his head around before glaring at the slightly smaller man, "Goddess, don't do that!" the sword master spoke nervously and Sothe blinked in surprise.
"I don't think I've ever seen you lose your cool like that, Zihark." Sothe rose a brow.
"And I don't believe you were this keen on reading people the last time I saw you." the blue haired man replied defensively.
"I've had to learn, Micaiah is quieter than she used to be, and…" Sothe abruptly cut off, eyes widening slightly, "Never mind."
Zihark smirked softly, "'And?'"
"Nothing." Sothe shook his head, "Doesn't matter."
The sword master chuckled quietly, "I imagine Volke was quiet too, eh?" he watched, satisfied, as Sothe jumped in shock.
"H-how did you…"
"One day, Mist came up to me and practically ordered me to bring Volke some food, she was worried that he was starving or something. So, I'll just say, the food was never delivered, I dropped it when I walked into his tent…"
Sothe blushed for a moment, covering his eyes before blinking in alarm, "You just walked in, without even asking if you could come in?"
Zihark shrugged, "I didn't think you'd be with him, or that you guys would be in the middle of something so shocking." Sothe's blush, which had subsided, came back in full force.
"You know, now that you say that, I do remember Volke leaving the tent in the morning, only to step on a big pile of stew…" Sothe shook his head, "We had always thought that someone had played a trick on Volke for some stupid reason…That was you?"
"Yes, that would be me, like I said, you guys were-"
"Shut up, Zihark, before I kill you." Sothe growled, Zihark just snorted in response, "Anyways, we were in the middle of talking about you, weren't we?"
The sword master scowled, "No. We were finished."
"I could help you out."
"No."
"Why?"
Zihark blinked, that was a good question. Was it because he though Sothe would mess it up? No, it was because he wasn't going to do anything. There was no way he was going to pursue the brunette. Not when the possibility of Zihark actually wanting to go through with a relationship was very shallow. To this day, the sword master was still insecure about romance and love, and that would probably never change. If the brunette actually did become interested in Zihark, which the blue-haired male couldn't bring himself to believe, Zihark couldn't bear to see those dark-blue eyes fill with hurt and disappointment.
He couldn't bear to see the myrmidon break like Zihark once did himself.
Now Zihark realized that he was thinking way too much ahead, and probably was jumping to conclusions. He didn't even know the other man's name! After blinking three times, the Swordmaster turned to the still waiting rogue, eyes brushing past the brunette to see that he was consoling his blonde friend.
"What is his name?"
Sothe felt his lips twitch in the beginning of a smile, "Edward."
Zihark sighed, "Well, Sothe, I'll say it now. I will never, and I mean never, go after Edward for a relationship." Sothe blinked in shock and watched the blue-haired male turn away.
The rogue watched Zihark, even as the other man sent one, longing, emotional look in the myrmidon's direction, before the feelings were carefully masked and crushed down. Sothe smiled sadly.
You're not going to be able to stop yourself, Zihark. I just hope you both won't come out of this ordeal broken.
A/N: So, what do you guys think? Horrible pairing, too out of character, bad grammar? Good, bad, ugly, cool? Please review. If I do continue this, it will probably be delayed for quite a while. But not forever.
Uh, yes, VolkeXSothe, a pairing I absolutely adore. LeoXLaura, cute, not one of my favorites, but cute. I do have to have het in the story for it to be realistic. PelleasXMicaiah, anyone? (I can stand that pairing, unlike SotheXMicaiah, there's just something about it that I hate. Anyways, I won't be writing this story to continue until Ike shows up on the scene. So, no IkeXMicaiah.)
