Author's note – The timeline for this fic falls directly after the ending of Episode II but before the epilogue where the characters split up. I'm just going to stick in a warning that there is an Episode III spoiler at the very end, but not an OMG one. Also, this has absolutely no relation to either of my other two Jr.xShion stories, A Special Gift for Shion or New Beginnings.
Disclaimer – I own none of these characters. They are all the property of Monolithsoft and Bandai-Namco. -sigh-
Shion Uzuki was lying awake in the room she was staying in aboard the Durandal. She wasn't at all tired, if she was to be entirely honest with herself. Since she knew she had no chance of sleeping any time soon, she sat up in bed and threw her feet over the side. "I don't know why I'm so restless," she muttered. "Maybe if I take a walk to the park and sit watching the environmental bugs for a while, I'll start feeling tired enough to sleep." She removed her nightshirt in favor of a spaghetti-strapped dusky rose shirt and black capris and left the room quickly.
Surprisingly, she ran into Allen Ridgeley in the hallway. "Chief," he whispered, "what are you doing up so late?"
She folded her arms across her chest. "I could ask you the same thing," she said, lifting an eyebrow. "And why are you lurking outside my room, Allen?"
He turned a dull red. "I wasn't lurking," he defended himself. "I just couldn't sleep, so I was wandering around. I guess the whole thing with Jr. and Albedo has left everybody a little depressed…"
Shion's green eyes darkened. Allen's mention of Jr. and Albedo brought an image of the red-haired captain of the Durandal to her mind. Although he'd acted fine when he'd returned after his battle with Albedo, she'd seen the sadness in his blue eyes. While he was usually quick to laugh and grin and joke around, that had been severely lacking at dinner the last two nights. He'd mostly kept quiet, and he'd even seemed to resist MOMO's attempts to draw him into conversation. "I know, Allen. Jr.'s trying hard to hide it, but he's obviously blaming himself and hurting because of it. Not even MOMO has been able to get him to say much."
How is it that she can see how Jr.'s feeling, but she can never see my feelings for her? Allen sighed internally. Aloud, he replied, "Yeah, MOMO's been trying hard, but I think Jr. really needs some time to grieve."
She nodded distractedly. "Allen, I'm just going to take a walk. By myself," she clarified when he acted as though he would be happy to go with her. "Good night."
He watched her walk away and shook his head. "Why can't she let me in?" he mumbled, sighing to himself.
A half-hour later, she was forced to admit the idea that had crossed her mind might not have been such a smart one. "Shion Uzuki, you have no idea where Jr. even stays on this ship. What were you planning to do, ring every room until you found out which one is his?" Her shoulders slumped, and she turned on her heel to head back toward her own room.
"Talking to yourself is the first sign you're going crazy." A low voice spoke from the shadows, and Shion gave a small shriek of fright. She spun around to watch Jr. push away from the wall a few feet from her. He'd stood there quietly as she passed by him twice, each time failing to take note of his presence. "What the hell are you even doing over this way, Shion? Your quarters aren't anywhere near here. Shouldn't you be tucked away in bed, dreaming happy dreams?" The words could have been mocking if his tone wasn't flat and emotionless.
"I was looking for you," she said honestly. "Or your room, to be more exact. After searching for a while, I realized I don't know where you stay when you're on the ship."
His eyebrows drew together. "Looking for me? Why?"
"Because I know you're not okay, Jr., no matter how you try to pretend. And I thought you might want to talk…or something," she finished feebly, taking a step back as his eyes blazed.
"I don't need to fucking talk!" he raged. "Jesus Christ, everyone's on me to talk about my goddamn feelings since I came back. What's talking going to do for me? Is it going to erase the fact that I killed my twin brother?!"
Shion narrowed her eyes at him. "No, it's not going to bring Albedo back, but neither is barking at everyone who wants to try and help you. I'm sorry I made my way over here!" She started to walk around him when his hand shot out to grab her arm. "I think you need to let go of me, Jr.," she hissed.
He did so instantly, lifting a hand to run his fingers through already tousled red hair. "Shit. Look, I didn't mean to act like a complete bastard, Shion," he told her with a sigh. "I was on my way to the casino to get good and drunk when I saw you come into this section. It helps to dull the edge right now." He pointed toward the level above them. "My room's up that way, if you still wanna talk."
They made their way to his room in silence. Jr. opened the door and allowed Shion through with an incline of his head. "Don't mind the mess," he said tonelessly, following her inside. "I can't say I've been in much of a cleaning mood the last couple days." He shoved some rumpled clothes off the long booth behind the table in the corner of his room. "If you're planning on staying, might as well sit down."
She quickly sat down, keeping her eyes focused on the hands she kept twisting in her lap. "I'm not even sure why I'm here, Jr. I don't know if I can help. Allen mentioned you when I ran into him, and I just had an idea to come and see you."
"How could you even start to help me?" he asked aggressively. "You and Jin might not get along all that great, but at least he's never forced you into killing him. Christ." He covered his eyes with his hand and turned away from her.
"No, but maybe the fact that Jin and I aren't all that close can help you talk to me. Maybe I'm the only one who can even start to understand." She stood up and perched her hip on the table.
"When Jin creates a fucking space-time anomaly and takes a part of U-DO into himself, forcing you to take his ass out, then maybe you can understand, Shion. He was my goddamn twin brother! He was my other half, and I murdered him!" Jr. slammed a fist down on the table next to her, his blue eyes glaring into her green ones.
"Good, get angry and yell at me! It's more emotion than you've shown anyone the last few days! Do you think you're doing anyone any favors locking it all up inside and acting tough when you're falling apart inside?" A small voice whispered inside her head that she could apply those same words to herself, but she ignored it. It was easier to focus on Jr.'s pain rather than her own.
"That's rich coming from you," he jeered. "You fell apart just seeing those two Realians in Labyrinthos."
"Does it make you feel better to try and hurt me?" she said quietly.
"No," he admitted. "It just makes me feel emptier inside than I felt already. Shit, why did it have to end like this?" He moved away from her, and he dropped heavily onto one of the beds in the room.
Cautiously, she approached him. "I can't answer that, Jr. I just don't think you should keep blaming yourself for doing what you needed to do. I don't know what all happened when you went, but I think I know Albedo well enough to say he must have taunted you until you gave in."
He waved a hand to show she could sit beside him, and she did, keeping a discreet amount of distance between them. "Yeah, he showed me a ton of crap to piss me off. It triggered my Red Dragon mode, but I shut it down. The first time, anyway." He dropped his head to his hands with a sigh. "The second time, though, I was face-to-face with him when he was taunting me. I was created to destroy U-DO, Shion, and Albedo became a fucking part of it!" He took a minute to regain the rigid composure that they'd all seen from him since Albedo had died. "Dad would have been proud. I did what he wanted, after all," he finished, and his voice was filled with self-loathing.
Unsure of what to do for him, she put her arms around him in a comforting embrace. He stiffened and jerked away. Realizing that her presence wasn't doing what she'd hoped it would, she started to get to her feet. His hand caught hers, and he pulled her back, causing her to lose her balance. She fell back against the bed. "Jr., why did you do that?!"
He didn't answer, choosing instead to lean over her. He stared down at her, his eyes blazing intensely. She heard him mutter, "Aw, screw it," and then his mouth met hers.
Shion stiffened in shock. While she hadn't entertained many scenarios before coming to Jr.'s room with him, his kissing her hadn't been one to flit across her mind. Gathering her scattered wits about her, she pushed against his chest. When he sat up with a muffled expletive, she stormed, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Telling you to get out. I sure as hell wouldn't want it to get around that you kissed a kid," he mocked, sliding smoothly into an icy veneer.
"Don't you dare try to hide behind that! You're not a child, even though you're perfectly capable of acting like one when you think the occasion calls for it! I want to know why you kissed me, Jr., and I want to know now!" She locked eyes with him, and they glared at one another for a short time.
Finally, he swore soundly and gave in. "Because I want to just forget about everything for a while, Shion. Is that so goddamn wrong?"
"So I'm nothing more than a distraction for you?" she snapped. "It's good to see our friendship means so much to you! I'm leaving, Jr., and I don't want to talk -" Her furious response was cut off by the simple pressure of his lips against hers, and she stiffened again.
"That's not what I meant," he told her quietly, and she gasped in surprise when his hand slid beneath her shirt. "I care about you a whole helluva lot, and you don't have a clue how fucking much it means to me that you wouldn't let me bully you around like I've been doing with everybody else. It's like you get me when no one else does, Shion."
"So you want to have sex with me because I wouldn't let you get away with acting like an idiot?" she asked bemusedly, stopping his hand from going any further. The thought of any type of sexual relations with Jr. was a concept she was having trouble accepting. Despite his having the mind of a twenty-six-year-old and her own knowledge that he was indeed an adult, it was impossible to ignore that he was trapped in a twelve-year-old body.
"It's not gonna fly, is it?" he said, his blue eyes narrowing as he watched every thought she was having telegraph itself on her face. "You're not getting past what I look like." He hauled himself into a sitting position. "Then let's forget this ever happened. You get your ass back to your own room, and tomorrow will be a new damn day."
She stayed silent, keeping her gaze focused upon him. His wall had begun to somewhat crack during the time they'd spent talking and shouting at one another, but its defenses were being strengthened again as she watched. Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options. She could exit the room, leaving Jr. to his guilt and anger, or she could stay and see where they ended up. She took his hand gently. "I'd like to stay, if you'll let me. That doesn't mean we'll end up having sex, Jr.," she warned. "It means I won't leave you here alone with your thoughts."
His other hand slid into her hair, and she allowed him to ease her back down. He shifted slightly and stared down at her again, tracing her lips with his thumb. "You're kidding yourself if you think we won't, Shion. If you stay, we both know what's going to happen. You have to be okay with that fact. If you're not, get up and walk out."
She bit her lip, reluctantly acknowledging he was right. "You gave me a chance, and I chose to stay. Whatever happens now, happens with my consent, Jr." Her eyes met his. "How is it that you seem to know what you're doing, though? I would have thought -"
"You would have thought wrong," he replied and then lowered his head, his mouth skimming over her throat. "Damn, you smell good."
"Are you sure you don't want to talk, Jr.?" she asked hurriedly, because his kisses and caresses were already beginning to cloud her mind. It was difficult to believe, but the adult man in a child's body above her was clearly an expert in getting a woman to respond to him.
"No more talking," he said firmly. He eased her shirt up and brought his mouth to her flat stomach. Trailing kisses in a northward direction, he continued to lift her shirt as she arched underneath him. "Who'd have thought I'd have Shion Uzuki under me, getting all hot and wet?" He saw her mouth purse angrily, but before she could bite out an answer, he covered it with his. He slid his tongue into the warm recesses of it, trying to coax hers into battle. She resisted in the beginning, more out of spite for his crudeness than her not wishing to respond, but eventually her tongue stroked his in return. He felt her hands slide beneath his dove gray T-shirt and move up his back. That honestly surprised him, since he'd figured he'd be the one doing all the touching. Her fingernails scraped lightly over his skin, and he groaned. "Shit, are you gonna be a gouger like Mary?"
"Are you telling me that you and Mary have…?" Her green eyes widened when he made an affirmative noise. "I thought the two of you were just friends." She gasped when he nipped at her through the lacy material of her bra.
"We are friends. We're just friends who used to sleep together. Don't anymore. And hey, we're friends and look at what the hell we're doing," he pointed out, taking note the bra had a front clasp. He undid it quickly and bared her to his view. His mouth moved over her, once again causing her to arch against him. "I wonder if the underwear matches the bra…" He hooked a finger into the capris and tugged at them. A small sound from her caused him to stop. "I don't need you naked underneath me, Shion, if you don't want me to totally undress you. I'll admit that I'm pretty damn interested in seeing the whole package, though." He nibbled on her ear, and she let out a breathy sigh.
"How did you get this good being in that body?" she asked, her breath catching as he trailed a finger over her stomach.
"I don't think you need to hear about my sexual experiences," he said with a chuckle. "Just know I've had more than enough to know how to make you scream. But I won't, 'cause we don't want Mary or Shelley headed down here to see what's wrong." He dipped his head to draw her nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue. The hand that was resting on her stomach moved lower and slid beneath the waistband of the capris.
"You're not being fair," she moaned softly. "You've already got me half-undressed, and you're still fully dressed." Her fingernails dug into his back when his hand stilled between her legs.
"Shion, let's be serious. What the fuck am I going to get undressed for? I just need to unzip when we're ready to get down to business." He clenched his teeth when he felt her fingernails dig even deeper. "Shit, you're worse than Mary. That's gonna leave a mark, you know."
"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right, Jr.," she told him, returning to gently running her fingernails over his back. "Other women might not have minded, but if you're getting the whole package, then so am I."
"Who am I to argue?" He shrugged out of his T-shirt, awaiting the reaction he was sure was coming when she saw his twelve-year-old chest. Seeing it close-up was different than seeing him running around in his swimsuit at the Foundation's beach, and he knew it. When there was no sound of disgust, he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. "No reaction to it?"
She took the initiative and kissed him deeply, drawing him close so that they were skin-to-skin. When they pulled apart, his eyes were heavy-lidded with desire. Seeing the last of the sadness disappear from them caused Shion to realize she'd been right in involving him completely. She lifted a hand to caress his cheek and was surprised when he turned his head to kiss the palm. "Jr.?"
He shook his head. "It's nothing. God, I just want you so fucking badly. I don't think anyone I've been with ever had me this hot. How about I slide these off you and see how ready you are?" He peeled the tight-fitting capris off and waggled his eyebrows when he caught sight of the matching rose-colored scrap of material barely concealing her. "Knew they'd match," he murmured before baring her completely. "Now it's my turn, since you asked for it. Then we're gonna get serious." He shimmied out of his blue jeans and boxers and tossed every bit of clothing on the floor. His hand returned to the apex of her thighs, and she undulated beneath him. "Oh, yeah, you're ready. If someone had told me I'd be getting ready to fuck Shion Uzuki, I'd have demanded whatever damn happy pills they were on," he groaned.
"I'd prefer it if you weren't so vulgar," she complained.
"I can do that," he said, lowering his head to involve her in a fiercely erotic kiss. "I kinda like the idea that I'm making love to you, if you wanna know the truth." He spread her legs a bit more and fit himself between them. "Last chance to turn back," he whispered, his eyes intent on hers.
"I gave up my last chance when I told you I was staying, Jr.," she replied breathlessly and then emitted a tiny cry as she felt him enter her. She shook her head back and forth on the pillow before he caught her chin in hand and gave her a heated kiss.
He rocked within her slowly, intending on prolonging their pleasure for as long as he could. He could feel her fingernails digging into his back, but he wasn't registering any pain from it. "At least I'll have proof this wasn't a goddamn dream," he groaned lowly. "My back's gonna be full of scratches by the time we're done. And since I have to live with the marks, I think it's only fair that you do, too…" His mouth fastened upon her nipple again, and her back arched off the bed. Sliding his mouth up over her breast, he nipped at her skin, chuckling when she erupted in gooseflesh. "Guess I'm not keeping you warm enough, huh?"
"I think you're talking too much," she told him gently and lifted her chin for the kiss she'd seen coming. They moved against one another, each making their own unique sounds as hands slid over bodies becoming slick with sweat. Her sound was a low purring noise in the back of her throat, and he tenderly moved her damp hair out of her face.
"You sound like a cat," he murmured, and the purring sound grew louder as his hand moved between their bodies. "Makes sense with those green cat eyes of yours." He made a noise akin to a growl when her nails scored his back in blind passion.
"You sound like an angry dog when you do that," she forced out as his finger began to stroke her. She tilted her head back, baring her throat, and his mouth moved over the delicate skin there. A tumult started to build in her, and she didn't attempt to fight it. He changed the pace, and it wasn't long before the two of them were crying out in ecstasy as the wave flowed over them and nearly drowned them in its strength.
"Shit, I wanted it to last a helluva lot longer than that," he managed to say after he'd rolled to the side and regained his breath. "It was that damn purring of yours that got me…" He lifted a hand and brought it to her cheek. "You look like you're about to pass out. I'm not asking you to spend the night or anything, but why don't you get some sleep?"
Shion's eyelids fluttered. "I think I will, at least for a little while." She suddenly stiffened, and Jr. shot her a confused expression when she turned panicked eyes on him. "Jr., we never used any kind of protection!"
"Seriously, Shion," he replied, stretching lazily, "a little late to be bringing that up. The sex is over with." When she continued to look panicked, he sighed. "I'll let you in on a little secret about me. I'm my own form of birth control. In all my sexual encounters, no one reaped that reward," he said sardonically. He laid his finger against her lips when she stubbornly opened her mouth to say something in return. "No sense in worrying about it now, anyway. And I'm telling you you're worrying for nothing. Just relax and go to sleep for a while."
Shaking her head, she curled up onto her side, facing him as she spoke. "I guess you're right. Don't let me sleep for too long, Jr. Okay?" With his promise that he'd awaken her in a little while, she fell asleep, her breathing light and even.
Jr. sat up in the bed, small currents of pleasure still rippling throughout his body. He moved to lean over Shion, his blue eyes scanning her sleeping face. With a gentle hand, he reached out to caress her cheek with his thumb. "Thank you," he told her softly. Too keyed up from what he'd just done with her, he left the bed quietly, grabbing his dark blue robe and throwing it on. He pulled the belt around him and secured it as he headed over to the terminal at the back of his room. Keying in the coordinates for where Gaignun was staying on Fifth Jerusalem, he waited for his brother and partner to accept the transmission.
Just as he was about to give up, Gaignun's image lit up the screen. "I wasn't exactly expecting to hear from you," Gaignun said, his tone surprised. "Any particular reason you're using this method of contact at this time of night?"
Jr. shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. Figured I'd check on what my errant brother's been up to. Honestly, I'm wondering how freakin' long you're planning on sticking me with the paperwork."
"No, you're wondering if I'll be there for the funeral you don't wish to have for Albedo. Of course I will, but I'm not going to be able to stay long. I've got business here that I can't leave for any real length of time." Gaignun looked a bit ill-at-ease, but lost as he was in his own feelings and issues, Jr. failed to pick up on it.
"And why the hell can't you tell me anything about it? You're not even keen on me contacting you unless it's 'absolutely necessary.'" Jr. threw Gaignun's words back at him, but he was careful to keep his tone low to avoid awakening the brunette sleeping in his bed not that far a distance away.
Smoothly sidestepping, Gaignun narrowed his green eyes in thought. "You're never that quiet unless you're…receiving company," he observed, his voice taking on a hint of a teasing note. "Do I dare to ask who it is?"
Jr. glanced away. "Last time I looked, I was alone."
"Then maybe you should look again," Gaignun needled, the teasing note now out in full force. "Did you forget to do something rather important before you contacted me?" At Jr.'s blank look, he elaborated, "You're not even attempting to put up a block against me. Whoever the young woman is, she seems to have done her job quite admirably."
"And just what the fuck does that mean?" Jr. spat. "So I forgot to block you for once! What's the big, goddamn deal?!"
"Ah, I'm beginning to have an idea of just who your lady friend is, you know. And if I delve…just so," Gaignun spoke softly, causing Jr. to jump out of his seat, "I can see I'm right. How did you manage to convince Ms. Uzuki to join you for the night?"
Unable to stop his eyes from widening, Jr. chose to do verbal battle with his brother as he tried to recover his wits. "I don't know what the hell would even make you think Shion's here, but you're wrong. Not a surprise, seeing how you're in the goddamn capital where you can't see how fucking wrong you are. Not like Shion would even give me the time of day when it comes to that."
"It would appear she's given you quite a bit more than the time of day." Seeing Jr.'s eyes blaze, Gaignun backed off slightly, raising his hands. "You can't blame me when you've allowed me access to your thoughts. And it's safe to say your mind is permeated with her. Were you looking for me to see your conquest?"
Jr.'s gaze traveled back toward the bed, where Shion's bared shoulder was visible. "No. I'm just so messed up right now that I can't even put up a simple barrier to keep you out. And why the hell would you have even thought of Shion, anyway? You said you had an idea before you ducked inside my head. Why her?"
Gaignun appeared thoughtful for a time. "I know you care for MOMO, but am I right in believing it's more of a brotherly love than the type I teased you about in the office that time?"
"I'm kinda not getting where MOMO fits in," Jr. said with a grimace, "but yeah, she's like a little sister to me. I'm not always great at promises…" His voice trailed off as thoughts of how he'd failed Albedo suddenly struck him. He lowered his head, taking a minute to compose himself. Drawing a deep breath, he met Gaignun's sharp but empathetic gaze. "I don't want to fail in my promise to Sakura," he finished quietly.
"I'm certain you won't, Jr.," Gaignun responded gently. He returned the subject to what he'd originally been speaking of. "I was attempting to discover the depth of your feelings for MOMO. Your eyes don't follow her when she's in the vicinity as they do when Ms. Uzuki is near. Based upon the level of satisfaction I was reading from you, I knew it had to be someone new, and she was the logical choice based upon what I've seen."
"Dammit to hell, Gaignun!" Jr. swore. "Would you stop observing me so damn closely? Jesus, there's nothing like having your baby brother tell you he knew you wanted to f-" He cut himself off, coughing in embarrassment. "Forget what I was just saying, okay? Look, I'm gonna go. Just make sure you're here in the afternoon for that thing you're making me have for Albedo. Since it was your idea, it'd be nice of you to show up for it."
"I've already stated my intention on being there. And now, I'll allow you to return to something far more pleasurable than chatting with me." Gaignun ended the transmission before Jr. could do more than sputter angrily.
"Bastard thinks he knows me so fuckin' well," Jr. muttered, scowling. He returned to the bed to see Shion was still deeply asleep. While he knew he'd have to awaken her soon if he was to keep another of his promises, he was reluctant to see her awaken from her peaceful slumber. "Just a little bit longer," he said quietly. "I'll be back in a few minutes to wake you up." He smoothed the hair out of her face and then left the room. He removed a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his robe and shook one out. After lighting it, he leaned back against the wall as he inhaled deeply. Blowing the smoke out in small O's, he cursed when he heard his name being called softly. Eyebrows drawing together in confusion, he awaited the small Realian headed toward him. "MOMO, what are you doing up? It's either really late or really early, but no matter how you wanna look at it, you should be sleeping."
She glanced at the smoke swirling around him. "I didn't realize you smoked, Jr.," she said with wide golden eyes.
He stubbed the cigarette out hastily. "Yeah, well, I don't smoke much." He focused his attention on her. "So, how come you're wandering around?"
"I couldn't sleep," she said furtively, looking around as if she expected her bodyguard and father-figure, Ziggy, to appear. "I came across Allen as I was headed to Shion's room, and he told me she had gone for a walk. She couldn't sleep, either, he said. So I was actually looking for her, but I haven't run across her yet. I'm happy I met up with you, though," she said with a smile, laying a hand on his right arm. "How are you feeling, Jr.?"
He forcibly restrained his instinctive response. He wasn't about to go into a towering rage with MOMO the way he had with Shion. He knew it was only a question asked because she cared for him. "I'm okay," he lied. "I've had better days, yeah, but this isn't anything I can't handle. I know you're worried about me, but you don't have to be." He laid his left hand over hers and squeezed.
"I hate seeing you so sad," she said quietly, and he looked away. "I wish I could do something for you."
"Thanks, MOMO," he replied just as quietly. "I think I'm going to head back to bed, though, if you're okay with that. How about you do the same?"
"I guess I'll have to," she sighed. "I really thought I'd run into Shion…" Her golden eyes met his blue ones. "You haven't seen her in the time you've been out here, have you? Maybe I just missed her?"
Her innocent query caught Jr. off-guard because he simply hadn't been expecting it. He coughed a few times to cover his initial reaction before shaking his head. "Can't say I have, MOMO." His throat nearly closed up on his second lie to her that night. While he didn't possess the feelings for MOMO that he was aware she had for him, lying to her about not having seen Shion wasn't something he enjoyed doing. Hearing the truth would hurt her far worse, however, and he tried to derive a small measure of comfort from that thought. "I don't think you'll meet her, since the Durandal is a pretty massive ship. It'd be better if you just went back to your room for the night. I'd walk you back," he said, feeling the guilt slicing through him, "but I don't think it'd be a good idea to run across the old man with me wearing just a robe."
MOMO giggled, quickly bringing a hand to her mouth to stifle the sound. "I don't want to wake anyone up," she confided. She reached over to hug him, and he slid his arms around her in a return embrace. "Good night, Jr.," she told him softly after they'd stepped back from one another.
He raised his hand in a farewell as she moved away from him and down the ramp. Once she'd disappeared from his sight, he hurried back into his room. Seeing Shion comfortably curled up in his bed should have magnified the guilty feeling the conversation with MOMO had left him with; it instead had him coming to a halt beside the bed and staring down at the sleeping brunette tenderly. Sitting down beside her, he allowed himself a minute or two of just watching her sleep before gently shaking her shoulder. "Time to wake up, Shion," he said, leaning down to bring his mouth close to her ear.
She made a soft, sleepy noise and turned toward him. "Mmmm, I guess I'll have to be getting back," she whispered.
"Yeah, unless you want to answer a bunch of awkward questions when you leave my room in the morning," he replied. He gave into his impulse to stroke his thumb over her lips, and she sighed and moved into a sitting position, pulling the covers up with her.
"Jr.…" She trailed off into silence as she looked away from him.
"It's okay to say it, Shion," he told her gently.
Her eyes returned to his face, and he was surprised to see a shimmer of tears within them. "What happened tonight doesn't mean…" She started to lift a hand to his face before seeming to think better of it. "This was…"
"I know what it was," he said, and there was no bitterness in his voice. "You were looking for a way to comfort me. I wasn't expecting anything out of it. You made me forget for a while, and I'm always gonna be grateful to you for that."
"Do you think it's possible for us to go back to the way we were before we did this?" she asked sadly.
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I don't wanna analyze it right now, though. I've got something I need to ask you. It's going to put you in a spot you probably won't like, and I won't blame you if you tell me to get the fuck away from you after I say it."
"I don't think I'll be saying that, since I don't talk like you do," she said, a prim note entering her voice.
He laughed, but he soon grew serious. "I haven't said anything to anyone, but Gaignun conned me into having some kind of memorial thing for Albedo. Will you come to it?"
An immediate negative reply bubbled in her throat, but she contained it. She knew he was aware of her distaste for funerals and graves, considering that he'd been there when she'd fought with Jin about going to visit their parents' graves. She also knew Jr. was struggling far more than he wanted anyone to see. It was that very knowledge that caused her to nod, surprising him. "I'll come," she said simply.
After a bit of a search, Jr. was able to locate all of Shion's clothing. After turning away to give her privacy to redress, he walked with her to the door. She opened her mouth to say something, and then her shoulders slumped. "Good night, Jr.," she finally said in a quiet tone.
"Do you want me to walk you back?" he asked, already knowing what her answer would be.
She shook her head. "I'll be fine going back on my own." A peculiar expression crossed her face, and then she leaned down to kiss him quickly on the cheek. "I don't regret what happened tonight." She was gone before he had a chance to reply. At a loss after that, he made his way back to his bed and fell into a dreamless sleep almost immediately.
Breakfast was in full swing when he arrived the next morning. He noticed right away how quiet Shion was being, and how Allen was attempting to draw her into conversation. He watched her wave him away irritably. Checking his impulse to move in her direction, he stopped in front of everyone, wondering if what he was about to do was a good idea. Just do it and get it the hell over with. Better that way. He demanded everyone's attention and then spoke up. "I really don't want to be doing this, but I figure I'll give everyone a choice. Gaignun conned me into having some kind of service for Albedo. It's gonna be in the park at noon. Anyone wants to come, they can. It ain't gonna be fancy," he warned. Deciding against waiting to see what everyone would say, he made his way over to grab some breakfast.
Noon came quickly, and Jr. was occupying himself looking out into space while waiting to see who might show up. He allowed fifteen minutes to pass by, delaying the inevitable, and decided only Gaignun and the Godwin sisters would be there. He stepped forward, feeling slightly silly, and then he saw Shion enter the park. She walked up to him and said quietly, "I'm sorry I'm late. The others are coming, too. I promised you, and I wasn't about to break that promise."
Jr. couldn't think of an answer, so he contented himself with the fact that she was there. It wasn't long before he saw Allen, chaos, Jin, Ziggy and MOMO enter the park as well. He hadn't really expected KOS-MOS to come, considering what she was. He saw how uncomfortable MOMO was, and he really couldn't blame her. She'd suffered horribly at Albedo's hands, and he would have understood if she'd stayed away. Needing to get it over with, he started the small service by saying a few words about the brother he'd begun to feel he'd never understood. Feeling the emotion overcoming him, he handed it over to Gaignun and fled the park without saying another word to anyone.
He took the transport and ended up wandering the corridors of the Residential Area. With the mood he was in, he didn't want to return to his room. He didn't want to look at the bed where he'd made love to Shion. It would just be a painful reminder of something else he couldn't have. He'd lost his other half, killed Albedo like his brother had wanted him to. Now the thought of facing memories of last night with Shion was wreaking mental havoc on him as well. He slammed a fist into the wall in anger, barely feeling the pain that shot up his arm immediately after. He slid to the floor, dropping his head to his knees.
He was still in that position when Shion found him. She'd followed after him right away, hopping on board the next transporter. She didn't know how she'd known he'd be where he was, but she'd felt it was better to follow her instinct rather than question it. "Jr.?" she said softly, approaching him warily. She could already feel the tension rolling off him in waves.
He lifted his head, his blue-eyed gaze stabbing into her. "Shion, if there's going to be even a fucking chance of us going back to what we were before, you need to turn around and go. I appreciate that you came after me, but I'm in a real violent mood right now. Too many damn thoughts in my head pissing me off and making me see a whole bunch of red."
"I don't think it's good that I leave you like this!" she cried. She took a few steps closer, and he leapt to his feet.
"I'm not asking you to go, Shion! I'm telling you that you need to go and leave me the hell alone!" Without waiting for a response, he darted away from her, leaving her to cover her face with her hands and sink to the floor in his place.
The following morning, the group of friends was gathered on the dock, preparing to say goodbye. Allen, Shion and KOS-MOS were headed back to the Dämmerung, and so the Elsa would drop them off there. MOMO and Ziggy were taking the transport down to Second Miltia to meet up with Juli Mizrahi. The only one missing from the group was Jr. No one except Shion had seen him since he'd raced from the park, and she hadn't seen him since their brief conversation in the hallway of the residential area. MOMO was looking distinctly upset. "Do you think maybe he's not coming to say goodbye, Shion?" she asked sadly.
Shion hugged her, a pang of guilt stabbing through her. Steeling herself against it so that MOMO wouldn't sense her unease, she shook her head. "I think maybe he's just running late, MOMO. He'll be here to say goodbye."
The transport arrived almost in answer to Shion's words, and Jr. walked onto the platform, his hands stuck deeply in his pockets. "Sorry I'm late," he muttered. "Time got away from me." He and Jin passed perfunctory words of goodbye between one another, and then Jr. nodded at chaos. "Keep the crew out of trouble, okay? And try to keep them from ruining Jin, since he's determined to stay with you guys."
chaos smiled, his eyes serene. "Of course, Jr. I'll admit it's a little difficult sometimes, but someone has to do it, right?" He and Jin headed into the Elsa to await the remaining three traveling on the ship for a short time.
MOMO turned to Jr. with a bright smile. "I'll see you again soon, Jr.! I'm happy you came to say goodbye. I was worried you might have forgotten…"
Jr.'s gaze slid off to the side. "Nah, I just overslept. Yesterday was kinda rough, and I needed to sleep it off. I wouldn't forget about saying goodbye, MOMO." Forcing his gaze to return to her, he returned her smile a bit weakly.
"If you need to talk, you know you can contact me any time. I'm not sure where I'll be yet, but once I know, I'll tell you. We can't lose touch with each other just because we have to separate for a while." She directed the statement at those still on the platform before looking up at Ziggy. "Are you ready to go, Ziggy?"
He nodded. "Yes, MOMO. It appears as though the transport has returned, so we should be on our way. I will let her know of what we spoke about, Jr.," he said quietly, and Jr. gave a quick nod.
"Then I'll see you soon, old man. Take care of her for now." After hugging the small Realian, Jr. watched both her and her protector board the elevator that would take them to the transport before facing the three people remaining. "I'm trusting you to look after Shion and KOS-MOS, Allen." He choked back the guilt that was rising in his throat as he spoke to Allen, because he knew Allen, at the very least, cared very deeply for Shion.
"It's not the easiest job," Allen replied with a long-suffering sigh, "but it's one I know pretty well. See ya soon, Jr."
KOS-MOS merely nodded in Jr.'s direction and boarded the Elsa without a word. Jr. shook his head. "An android of few words," he joked before his eyes met Shion's. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute, Shion?"
Shion glanced toward Allen, who looked slightly confused as he turned back to face them. "Are you sure that's necessary?" she asked, her voice cool.
"Yeah, I am. I'll bring her back in a few, Allen," Jr. tossed at Allen, who nodded in a confused sort of way. Jr. set off followed by a stiff-backed Shion, and he led her into the corner of the platform where they could talk without anyone overhearing. "Look, I'm sorry about the way I went off on you in the hallway," he told her. "I was dealing with too much shit at that point, and I just wanted to be alone. I could have said it in a decent way, though, and I know that."
"I was just looking to try and help, Jr.," she replied, and there was a petulant note in her voice that made him smile for some reason.
"I know you were," he said gently. "It just wasn't the right time then. I was busy thinking about Albedo, and also about you and what had happened that night. I couldn't deal with going back to my room, and I couldn't deal with looking at you, either."
While the two of them were busy talking in soft whispers, a curious Allen had crept closer and now hovered by the wall. He'd sensed the tension in his beloved Chief, and he had no clue why or how it could apply to Jr. His innate need to protect her had arisen, and that was what was causing him to attempt eavesdropping when he wasn't the sort to do so. He leaned back against the wall, listening intently.
"Why is now any different?" Shion asked Jr., averting her eyes so he couldn't see the hurt in them.
"Because I'm fucking emotioned out, Shion. I've been sad, and pissed, and lonely, and a ton of other damn things I can't even explain. And I don't want you thinking that I regret what happened, or that I'm pissed off with you that it did. I don't, and I'm not. I didn't want us parting on bad terms because of my goddamn stupidity," he sighed.
"Good," she said with a misty smile, "because despite your stupidity, I don't regret that it happened, either. You needed comfort, and I'm hoping I gave it to you."
Allen's blue eyes widened, and he had to cover his mouth to contain the instinctive cry that had risen to his lips. Although Jr. and the Chief were dancing around with the wording, he knew what they were talking about. The thought of the Chief being with Jr. in that way was causing him to feel physically ill. Floundering, he pounced on the one thing he'd gleaned was most important. She was doing it to comfort Jr. She knew he was agonizing over the fact that he'd had to kill Albedo, and it's her nature to comfort people when they're hurting. It doesn't have to mean there's anything between them. Listen close, and find out for sure!
"All right, I'd better let you get back to Allen. He's probably wondering what the hell could be taking us so long," Jr. said in a normal tone of voice. Allen heard his thick-soled cowboy boots tapping their way toward him, but then the sound stopped. "How come you're looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing, Jr. Let's hurry back to Allen. He worries too much as it is, and if we stay much longer, he's bound to come looking for us. Besides, I've taken enough time off. I need to get back to the Dämmerung and start catching up." The sound of her shoes was added to the sound of Jr.'s, and Allen pushed away from the wall to rush back to the center of the platform.
Neither Jr. nor Shion seemed to take note that Allen was out of breath or how pale he was when they joined him, and Jr. waved to Allen and Shion as they boarded the Elsa. He watched until the ship was out of sight before deciding to head back to his room to lose himself in playing with the new puppy he'd obtained in memory of Albedo. Of course, he was never planning to admit to that fact publicly, despite bestowing the name of "Alby" upon the white-furred, purple-eyed animal.
--- A year later, when everyone comes together aboard the Durandal for the mission to recover KOS-MOS ---
After Juli had told them of her plan to have them recover KOS-MOS, Shion collapsed without warning. She was thoroughly checked over, and the medics pronounced they could find no cause other than exhaustion. Allen kept an eye on her, but she still wasn't awake when he ran into Jin outside her room. Jin gently advised him to head off to sleep, and Allen left without much argument. When he returned not much later, he found the Chief was awake and had company in the form of Jr. "You're awake, Chief! How do you feel?" He nodded to Jr., who glanced at Shion.
"Anyway, I'm gonna go. It's good to see you're awake and feeling better. Once you're on your feet, we'll get started on recovering KOS-MOS." Jr. left with a nod to Allen.
After a very long year of wondering what might happen when the Chief and Jr. met again, Allen felt an intense relief. There had been no suspicious glances or strange vibes from either of them. Instead, he'd simply walked in on a friend checking up on another friend. His exhaustion faded away, and he hurried to the Chief's side to make sure she didn't try to overdo things before she was ready. Once she'd irritably reassured him she could walk on her own, he let her know he'd be going on ahead to the facility to check on things. It was with a much lighter heart that he left the room to prepare for the KOS-MOS recovery mission.
Author's note 2 – So I wanted to connect what happened in this fic to Episode III if I could. That's why that last, little bit pops up. Besides, in my world, it explains why Jr. is so darn overprotective of Shion in III, and why he reacts so strongly to Kevin. : P