Acknowledgement

by hignum

After so many years, seeing that person again totally rattled Raine Sage from the bones in her fingers down to her toes. In the heat of a stormy night, she has to come to terms with two things, forgiveness and acceptance.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This is the first time I'm writing for ToS so go easy on me if some of the information is not right. I did this on a whim and I have no idea why because I suddenly just truly love the RainexZelos pairing... Gosh, what has that fanfic I read done to me? I hope you enjoy it ~

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Heavy droplets of water poured down hard onto the ground, making the soil soft and muddy. Over the loud booms of thunder the loud and painful cry of a woman could be heard. The anguished cry carried even more loudly than the thunder as though challenging to be the loudest and the one with the greatest fury. Then she stopped, her throat sore and he breathing ragged, her tears mixed with the rain that fell. She could feel her whole body shaking but as to whether that was from the cold rain or from her own anger she was not sure anymore. She felt so weak and yet still too angry to comprehend anything or everything she had been told in the past half hour. She had been calm, had tolerated but then when asked the question she couldn't answer. She had lashed out angrily instead. She refused to give forgiveness, not to that person who abandoned her and her brother. She could not forgive, no matter the reason. Her mind clouded with more anger and she felt like wreaking havoc upon both worlds and setting the whole world on fire. She was terribly furious, furious with the mother who abandoned her and furious with the two worlds that shun her kind.

Soaked to the bone, her moon silver hair sticking to her face, her blue eyes filled with pain filled tears. Raine Sage wanted nothing more than to make the world disappear before her eyes and watch all who had made her suffer burn. She wanted something, anything to unleash her tempestuous fury upon. So caught up was she in her maddening emotions, she did not hear someone approach. She was grabbed by the arm and hefted up from the ground but she immediately lashed back and started punching, not caring who it was. She pounded and pounded until she ran out of energy and shook with frustration. The person tried to hold her close but she pushed away weakly. Stumbling backwards, she was caught in the arms of this person and held even tighter. Weak, she couldn't push away and shook even harder and sobbed and then just cried, loudly and unrestrained. The person holding her, gently stroked her wet hair and rubbed her back, hoping it would soothe her pain and ease her temper.

If anything, Zelos Wilder was not the only one who was shocked by Raine's reaction when she first met her mother. She had been bitterly and eerily silent throughout the whole explanation from Virginia, learning that her mother had lost function of both legs and could not travel anymore. Added to that was that she remained hidden and silent in the house, pretending to still be insane to keep members of the Cruxis at bay and was cared for by Ophelia, the half-elf that had led them to Virginia in the first place. Genis had openly accepted this and forgave his only mother, desperate to re-attain the family he thought he had lost. Virginia had been in tears as well, like any mother was, happy to have her son and daughter back. However, Raine had not thought so. The moment Genis asked his sister to come, Raine's carefully built wall crumbled in an instant and his she had lashed out so angrily at them both. She had pointed at Virginia and screamed at her for cruel abandonment and for not even so much as searching for them despite still being alive. Then she pushed Genis aside who tried to stop her and screamed at him for forgiving the person who dared call herself mother so easily when it was she herself who had cared for him and raised him, not Virginia. When everyone else tried to stop her, she pointed her staff at them, fury in her eyes, she drew a thin line of fire between herself and everyone else and then fled out into the storm. Everyone of course, rushed to put out the fire.

Genis then cried some more, disappointed and confused with his sister's reaction. Ophelia had then guided both mother and son into an empty bedroom to let them have some time alone. Zelos himself had offered to go and search for Raine, but not without Sheena warning him of what would happen to him if he dared try anything snarky. In a situation like this, that was the last thing he wanted to do. He knew what it was like, to hate your mother so much that it made you sick to the pit of your stomach to the point where you felt you would vomit out all your intestines. He knew how the rage pierced you in the heart and then spread to your brains and spilled from your mouth in a furious cry. He knew it because he had done it before. He could never forgive his mother for what she said but he had loved his father and that was good enough. Luckily, this little bit carried onto his sister, Seles, but other than that, Zelos Wilder had never loved anyone else. He pretended and that was easy but it made him sick to see how easily women fell for his petty tricks and how the men underestimated his ability just because he behaved the way he did. He had talked to Raine on occasion and told her things and one of his favourite tag lines was actually "The person who thinks a fool is an idiot is a fool himself". That he had told her, not too long ago when she had confronted him about his behaviour. He had tried to dance around it but eventually she hit him where it stung and he couldn't run anymore.

He had come clean and it surprised him that she was not in the least bit affected by his raw cynicism or his cold irony. In fact, she had shared some of her darkness with him as well. They had both come to the understanding that they both hated each other's kind. Yes, Raine didn't bother dancing around that and had come clean about it. They had concluded that they couldn't trust each other and Zelos, he recalled, had laughed sardonically over it. Now that he thought about it again, he felt sick of that conversation, how they had both calmly tossed about low meandering words at each other with such venom.

"Your kind is oft stupid and resilient to the point of idiocy. I cannot stand how you humans are so shallow you can see nothing more than the tip of your nose," Raine said in a low voice.

"I can't stand how your kind feels the need to overpower us in a manner that makes us humans look bad," Zelos replied, his expression almost livid.

Raine's glare intensified. "If you shallow minded frogs would stop being so prejudicial about what blood runs through whose veins, perhaps that would not even be a bother on the two worlds that we live on!"

That last sentence had stopped Zelos for a brief second. He couldn't find a counter for that and so he had hissed out the vindictive that they would not ever like each other which suited Raine just fine. He had not bothered her since and he found that the conversation they had that night had in fact turned into a prejudicial war between them. He felt ill at the thought and never ever believed he could have gone that far with his words. He was firstly explaining why he was the way he was, his sister, his mother, his father and stepmother and suddenly when it got to the climax, they had both started arguing over whose race was more idiotic and shallow. He had spent the nights following that argument, wondering to himself, was it really so bad just to treat them like everyone else? Zelos had thought of Seles and realized that he had a huge contradiction in his life wherein Raine had absolutely none. She still, as he had found out, not trusted anyone and even her own brother she had kept in the dark about the secrets in her heart. Truth be told, Genis was the less prejudiced amongst them all. Presea, Colette and Regal came in quite close, one after the other. Sheena was right behind them, Lloyd the most prejudicial of them all. He had clearly stated on more than one occasion how much he hated the Desians and the half-elves. This, Zelos clearly took note of, left a bad impression on both Raine and her brother although both siblings had cleverly hidden their expressions in that light.

When the truth of their true race came out during the fight at the tower, with Yggdrasil present, Lloyd had been silent for a full minute. Zelos thought the boy was going to spew his guts while Colette was trying to sort things out in her, Presea and Regal already deciding that they would stick with the half-elf siblings, regardless. Zelos liked their unwavering heart for it made him seem weak standing next to them. And then Sheena, trying to collect herself as well, she seemed a mess as well, just as bad as Colette really, trying to pick sides. What surprised Zelos was the fact that Raine had maintained her cool facade and had said absolutely nothing even though Yggdrasil was openly offering her and Genis a Cruxis Crystal each and place amongst the angels. He could tell she too was struggling whether or not to forgo both worlds once and for all and give up on uniting them. Genis had been watching and waiting for Lloyd's reaction and gripping onto his sister. It was clear the little boy would be conflicted should his sister choose destruction over regeneration. He believed that was what helped Raine decide to stick with regeneration, for Genis' sake, for the world where he could live in peace without prejudice.

That was when it hit Zelos, hard. Why Raine and he were different, it was because she chose to accept the humans even though she despised what most of them did in order to buy that ticket of peace for her brother. She gave up her own feelings on the matter for that little moon silver haired brat. Zelos had laughed then, laughed so hard that he broke down crying. Of all that he had been given, Zelos merely wanted to be rid of it instead of using it as advantage to buy Seles that ticket out he was trying to buy himself a ticket out. How selfish he was, it made him ill just thinking about the things he'd been doing, hanging over the fence to decide whose side to join, the Renegade or the Cruxis, depending on who offered him better. His relief of being Chosen would not mean that he could not get Seles out of that Abbey, there was no guarantee in that. What more, he was burdening her with the duty of Chosen. What a lame excuse to run away from his job, just because he felt that Seles should be the one to have it. What if she didn't want it, what would he do then? The thought of her rejection made him feel like vomiting blood. Raine definitely had the right to say all those things, because even with that, she carried out her duties as sister while he himself was trying to avoid them.

Still standing out in the middle of the storm, Raine clutched in his arms, Zelos felt himself in a tangle of webs. A fine mess he'd made for himself and it had bugged him to no end. Teasing Sheena was one way to get away from those thoughts but it only lasted so long and then he was back to mulling over it. It weighed him with guilt and he had been, trying was an overstatement, to apologize to Raine. After what happened just now, he realized that the professor was not a forgiving and was not a person who easily forgot people who hurt her. He knew it was out of line but standing out in the rain only made him more depressed so he lifted her bridal style in his arms the moment she calmed down a little more and carried her down the same winding road that led into the town and walked into the nearest inn. He didn't care for the reactions of the people around him and smartly asked for a room and a hot bath. Once everything was in place, Zelos put Raine down in the nearest chair instead of the bed not wanting to get the sheets wet and removed her coat. He then moved to hang the wet garment near the window and let the water drip onto the floor. Damn, he'd have to wipe that up later. When he turned around, Raine was still sitting in the chair, shaking. He had to get her into the hot bath and quickly. He moved up in front of her and kneeled before her, putting his hands on the sides of her arms and gently rubbing up and down.

"Darling, I know you're still upset but if you don't get into that warm bath now, you are going to fall ill," He said softly. When she didn't respond, he got worried. "Raine," He put his hands to her face and forced her to face him, realizing that she was still crying. "Raine, enough tears for now and please get into the bath. You can scold me later," Instead of getting a sharp retort as expected, she grabbed onto him and held him close.

Zelos remained knelt in place, still shocked by this. "Zelos, is it wrong to hate everything?" She asked softly in between sobs.

He sighed, putting his hands behind her back and gently rubbing. "No, but it is bad to let it fester if that is one thing I've learned in this life," He heard her sob even louder. Damn, this was difficult.

"I don't want to be angry but I can't help it. Please Zelos, just take it away," She begged through her tears, gripping ever more tightly to his wet garments.

Zelos' mind absolutely blank just then. How the hell was he supposed to accomplish that? Sighing softly, knowing she was going to kill him on the morrow anyways, he might as well try it. It was the only thing he had in mind and had been there for quite a while now. He did not want to question why he felt that way, just that he did and felt odd whenever he looked at her, watching her being her. Yet, he felt inferior to her in every way, in terms of mind and ability. Perhaps it was the admiration of how she carried herself even though she had such darkness in her heart. That she could dismiss it with a flick of her wrist and a blink of an eye made him a bit jealous. That she could still be herself despite all this while had to put up an act of a fool to hide that darker side of his.

Smiling wryly, he pried Raine from his person and sat her up, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'll take it away under the condition you do not blast me with a spell on the morrow," He felt like letting her blast him anyways, like the way she had angrily punched his chest multiple times earlier, just to make her happy. The sad looking Raine did not bode well with him and she looked too vulnerable for his likes just right now. He wanted the bold and unbending Raine back.

He watched as she lightly bit her bottom lip and nodded her head ever so slightly like a scared child. Sucking in breath, Zelos now prepared himself for the hard part. He undressed himself first and threw his rain sodden clothes into a pile on the floor next to the window and just left himself in his pants, for now. He then, begging forgiveness, undressed Raine. For all the gods above, he tried his hardest not to stare. Damn the professor for being such a stickler for conservative wear. She hid all those feminine curves under a baggy shirt, bulgy pants and her thick orange coat. He then had to remove his pants. There was no way he was going into the tub of hot water with the damn garment on. He stood behind Raine and removed it, tossing it into the pile before carefully lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the tub, all the while making sure he did not stare too much. He climbed into the tub slowly and eased into the hot water which felt like heaven to their chilled body. After sitting comfortably, Zelos grabbed his wet headband and tossed it into the pile of wet clothes, turning back to Raine. Damn it all, it was hard not to stare! Her fair cheeks then flushed red as she leaned against him.

Zelos moved his hand up her body, lightly caressing her back then gently massaging the back of her neck. He scooped up water with the small bucket that was left at the side of the tub and poured it over Raine's head, causing her to shut her eyes and lean closer to him. Her squirming about was driving him mad.

"Raine, honey, if you keep doing that I'm going to go crazy and will not be responsible for the things that happen later," He muttered uneasily.

Then she stilled almost immediately, her face turning redder. Honestly, she was behaving like a child but she just wanted comfort just then and it was almost as though Zelos read her mind. But did she really want to just drown everything out with lust? Why couldn't it be something more than just lust? She was frustrated with what to do and was thus acting stupidly. She let him touch her, caress her and had noted that he refrained from going too far. She had to admit that he had some form of restraint after all and was not as callous as he pretended to be. Then she got irritated because he was being reserved. It was better that he was reserved but Raine, angry with herself for it, wanted more. Damn her womanly needs, she had ignored it for twenty three years of her life, why couldn't she ignore it now? True, it meant she had never known the touch of a man but what did that matter to her next to Genis' welfare? Now she found herself wanting and curious. Perhaps it would not be too much to simply allow, just this once. Her thoughts of everything else slipped to the back of her mind while thoughts of Zelos and, well, sexual needs, made its way to the forefront of her mind.

Hesitantly, Raine reached for Zelos' right hand and tugged at it, catching the younger man's attention. Yes, he was one year younger, a big hoot. She struggled to find her voice, the request being absolutely ridiculous in the first place. Still, it was unlike her to be so shy. "Zelos, if you please, could you just touch me," She muttered the last two words so softly she could barely be heard, even by herself.

Zelos felt his mind drop straight into the gutter. Raine did not just ask that of him, did she? Had he heard her wrong? But surely if he asked her to repeat it she would be furious with him. He frowned at that. Hadn't she been furious long enough and she had asked for him to make sure she didn't go there again? Still, this was. Zelos shut his eyes tightly for a moment and then opened them, his right hand breaking free of Raine's light grip and tilting her face up to meet his.

"Are you sure about this Raine?" He asked, his tone soft but serious.

Raine blushed and looked away, nodding softly. Zelos sighed, no turning back now, he was going to have to sate himself some other way later. Letting go of her chin, he moved his right hand and lightly caressed her abdomen and then moved up to the valley in between her breasts before lightly massaging and then pinching and rubbing her nipple. Raine sighed and then gasped, gripping Zelos' left thigh, her fingers digging into his skin as she tried to control the surge of pleasure that shot through her body and made her shiver in delight. Then she felt him lick the side of ear which was exposed through her wet hair. It was slightly pointed due to her being half-elf but Zelos didn't seem to mind it, in fact, it had a rather peculiar attraction and looked most, enticing. Gently nibbling on her ear, licking and then kissing, Raine shut her eyes tightly, slowly leaning her head sideways so that he could better access it. Her right hand on his shoulder, her nails digging lightly into his skin.

Zelos then dragged his lips lazily from her, in his opinion, sexy ear and started placing light wet kisses on her cheek, then her eye, her brow, her nose and then her lips. He lightly caressed at first, his tongue just barely touching her lips, slowly coaxing her to part them for him. He felt her fingers sink into his flesh when he put his tongue into her mouth and licked the roof of her mouth. By this time, Zelos had shifted from the right breast to the left and was now moving down south. Lightly rubbing her abdomen in a circular motion, he kissed her languidly and expertly, enticing sweet moans from her and felt her body arch ever so slightly into his touch and ministrations. Running low on patience as well, eager to indulge further, Zelos dipped his hands in between her thighs and rubbed her centre. She gasped into his kiss and her hips bucked, lifting up to meet his finger halfway. Frustrated with the slow pace he seemed to be taking, Raine moved her right hand to the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss, biting and nibbling fiercely on his lips.

Zelos could not resist a chuckle at her desperation for release but she made a good show of fighting for control. She was probably the only woman he's been with that would still fight to maintain her composure even in such a heated moment. Heck, she was probably the only woman who wanted him for him instead of his name or his body. That made Zelos feel touched and he liked her fighting spirit, always unbending and she always stood ramrod straight no matter the situation.

"Easy darling, there's no rush. If it is oblivion you wish for, let it come slowly," He whispered against her lips, kissing her softly and passionately.

He felt her gasp into the kiss when he plunged a finger into her depths and felt her clutch to him more tightly, her hips brought up close to his hand. He started a slow pace, taking the time to probe and tickle, finding her sensitive spots before slipping in a second finger and upping his game. She was now bucking heavily and was panting, her head leaning on his shoulder as she sank her nails into his skin, trying not to moan but failing anyways.

Then Raine felt herself reaching her peak, her eyes shut tightly in pure concentration on that pleasurable feeling. "Zelos," She choked out before letting out a strained cry. Her body stiffened as she felt her release.

Zelos then eased the pace, letting her ride it out slowly to savour her first, for all he knew it was her first, release. When her breathing had slowed to a more acceptable pace, Zelos withdrew his hand, lightly grazing her still sensitive core. Raine moaned softly at that and he simply could not help but smile. She was really too adorable, the way she tried to still be like Raine even though she was having the most pleasurable time of her life.

Chuckling, Zelos tipped her chin up, her eyes forced to meet his. Those angry, ice cold blue eyes were gone and were now replaced with soft sapphires that sparkled in the low light. "I'm glad you're satisfied darling. Now it's time for me to go otherwise we're going to end up in a really bad spot that you would blast me for on the morrow," He said softly with a smile on his face.

Raine blushed profusely and tried to turn away but Zelos held her face still and pressed a light amorous kiss on her lips. How she wanted more of him but it was simply too much to ask, or was it? She was sated, happy and rage free but he was now, without a doubt, burdened with endless wanting. It was her fault he was like that now. When he was done kissing her for what may be the last time, he hefted her out of the tub along with him, shocking Raine. She clutched to him in frantic panic as he climbed out of the tub, with her in tow. Zelos was laughing at her reaction and sat her down on the floor and then moved to grab the towels from the table nearby. Passing one to her, Zelos turned around and began to dry his hair, heading towards the cupboard, looking for something dry to don. Raine dried her hair, not tearing her eyes from the well toned man who had his back to her. He had a nicely shaped body, wide enough shoulders and nice butt. She blushed and turned away, wrapping the towel around her own naked form. It was a little too late to deny anything.

That night after they had fought, Raine had gone to bed in a sour mood. The next morning she saw him mulling over it as well but had thought better of it and did not say a word to him. Hell happened as the silent treatment continued for a good long while. He had not talked to her and she had not talked to him. Her reasons were more along the line of that he would be angry because of the things she had said. She could not discredit all humans to being filthy and stupid, as it clearly was an insult to Zelos' own intelligence. She was quite sure that both Regal and Presea were not shallow either. Colette was more along the lines of simple minded rather than shallow and Lloyd, well; she had nothing to say of him, that boy was a bundle of mysteries. One minute he would be this and the next he would be that. It was as though he was slowly making it up as he went along. But then, that was his childlike naiveté. Despite it all, Zelos could still afford to be kind to her, despite her harsh words, like now. She was drawn to the fact that he had a second face hidden behind that mask of his that he showed to no one, that he truly was just like any normal man. He simply chose to behave stupidly to wheedle out the real idiots.

Raine blushed again. Does that mean she wasn't one of those idiots? That was just self egoism talking. She was snapped from her thoughts when Zelos tapped her lightly on the shoulder and handed her a bathrobe. "It's not much but it'll keep you warm till your clothes dry," He said as she took the robe and donned it, carefully removing the towel from under the robe without revealing herself too much.

Zelos chuckled at her effort and kissed her on the forehead. Then he started hanging up the clothes, letting them drip dry. He sighed, their garments were well and truly sodden through, not a thing to be happy about and they were about nearly thirty or so blocks away from their luggage which was at Virginia's house. Raine turned to Zelos upon hearing his sigh and saw the clothes. She bit her lower lip, realizing how drenched their garments were. It was going to be a long night. At least it didn't have to be lonely. She shuffled her feet anxiously and fumbled with the tie at her waist, thinking of how to come out with it. Then she stopped and schooled herself for being such a ninny. Frowning she turned to face Zelos only to find said person standing directly in front of her, shocking her into a slight stumble. He instinctively grabbed her arm and pulled her into the safety of his arms. Raine felt like burying her face in his chest forever and never leaving. It was warm and welcoming and so very strong.

Yet, she couldn't stay here if she did not iron out those little wrinkles that stood between them. Sighing, she pulled away reluctantly and looked into his eyes, a serious expression on her face. "Zelos, about that night we argued. I want to apologize for the things I said. It was out of line and I had insulted you. I realize now how much of a mistake that was," She said as clearly as she could manage.

Zelos stared at her and then burst out into a fresh fit of laughter. A confused expression made itself evident on her face and even more so when Zelos hugged her again. He laughed into her soft moon silver tresses and forced himself to stop. "Oh Raine, honey, I've been trying to apologize for the same thing for ages," He said, laughing at the irony of it all.

A brief moment was taken to digest this and soon Raine found herself laughing with him. The both of them had been foolish indeed, dancing around each other for no other apparent reason than to see who would apologize first or if the other would apologize at all. Both of them were leaning on each other now, gasping for breath after their fit of laughter.

Zelos then cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes that still twinkled with laughter. "Oh Raine, how the hell did this foolish libertine fall in love with someone so prim and perfect like you?" He asked wistfully.

She giggled girlishly at that. "Zelos, I ask myself the same thing. How did this libertine finally get his charms to work on me or was it a different sort of charm altogether?"

Zelos smiled boyishly at that. "I think it was because we are so nearly like each other that it is hard to ignore. Because of that argument, you've been lingering in my mind almost every single day," His hands sliding down the side of her arms, pulling her a little closer again.

Raine smiled and planted a chaste kiss on his lips, her arms sliding around his neck. "You've been on my mind as well. On some days I wondered when you would apologize and wondered on others if you would at least disturb me once so as to find a reason to talk to you. Those days felt very awkward," Zelos smiled in pure appreciation of that fact.

"I can't say that some days I didn't think you were a stuck up prick just trying to get the best of me and some days I thought you were adorable the way you behave and on most days wondering what it would take to get you into my bed," Raine blushed at that last sentence.

"You no good womanizer," She muttered with a smile in her voice.

"Hey, at least I have a heart," He replied winsomely, brushing aside some hair from her face. He now had to get to the main problem that troubled her now. "Raine, I don't want to wait till tomorrow to ask you so I'm going to ask you now. What are you going to do about your mother?"

Damn him, she didn't want to hear that now. Did he have to ruin the mood, the happiness she had finally found in his arms? Now she felt like throwing him out the window and screaming at him how much of a perverted asshole he was even though she knew he wasn't. Raine removed herself from him and walked away but Zelos grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Let me go!" She yelled, snapping her now ice cold blue eyes at him.

He knew she would behave like this but he had to get this over and done with. "You have to decide now, hate her forever or forgive her and don't let Genis get in the way of your decision this time, you always do," His words were stern and forced her attention.

She looked away shamefully. He was right about her making Genis the centre of everything that she did. Did she really want to hate Virginia forever? True, she had abandoned her and Genis but had explained her reasons for them. It was out of love, Virginia had said, tears in her eyes. Raine had been too angry then to even sew together the deeper meaning of those words. As part mother and part sister to Genis, and a clearer head, she could not understand what her mother meant. She would have done the same if Genis were threatened in such a manner, would have sent him off to safety even if it meant that she could no longer be with him, even if it hurt.

Zelos saw the contemplation in her eyes and moved closer, hugging her, gently rubbing the stiffness out of her back, feeling her relax against him. "It's alright honey," He whispered softly, his lips muffled against the softness of her hair.

Raine let out a breath of relief. "I know. I can't hate her forever because I understand too much of what it feels like. It is because I know too much that is why I lashed out like that. A side of myself just refused to accept that," She replied, nuzzling her cheek onto the soft bathrobe he wore.

Zelos smiled into her hair. He was glad she had decided it now better than later. Sighing, he removed himself from her for what felt like the millionth time. "Well, now that is settled, how about some sleep honey? You definitely need it," Raine stared at him.

"What about you?" She asked, clearly confused about their sleeping arrangements, considering that there was only one bed.

Zelos turned his back to her. "You can take the bed, I'll stay up," He couldn't see it but he could definitely feel the frown forming on her face.

It was probably the most odd and most idiotic suggestion he could ever make. It was surprising he was not clambering to get in between her legs but that was exactly what she had hoped for actually. Her lips drawing into a thin line, she stalked up to Zelos and spun him around to face her and pulled him into a kiss. Hopefully this will be enough to send her message across. Sure enough, it did. He was responding to her kisses and was kissing her back with a similar intensity, his hands sliding up and down her body, tracing her curves that were hidden by the robe around her. She ached for his warm touch and was about to tug the robe free when Zelos grabbed her hand by the wrist.

He stopped what he was doing, panting and looked into her eyes. "Are you sure you want this? No turning back after this," He warned.

Raine smiled shyly, a blush on her face. "Quite sure," She replied, kissing him arduously.

Zelos smiled into the kiss, allowing her to untie her robe and slide it off of herself as he himself undid his all the while he edged her closer and closer to the bed behind her. Slowly easing her into a sitting position on the bed, he then tumbled her onto her back while he finally discarded the robe. He slowly leaned over her and planted light kisses on her belly, eliciting a soft sigh from the silver haired half-elf. Then he moved upwards and kissed the tip of her breast, licked, nipped and gently sucked. Raine grabbed at the sheets, arching her body into him. While his mouth worked there, his hands lightly caressed and tickled her curves and openly explored every single inch of fair skin on her. When she finally thought he was done with her breast, he actually meant to switch to the other one which caused her to groan in agonizing pleasure. Damn, she wanted it fast but he was purposely doing it slowly. She ached for him to touch her there but he made no move to do so in any haste.

"Zelos, for Martel's sake," She moaned, gripping tightly onto one of his shoulders and sinking her nails into his skin.

"Yes darling?" He said breathily against her breast, sending a shiver of delight coursing through her body.

Raine's was breathing too hard to want to answer his mocking question. Damn the man, now he was kissing the side of her neck and then was nibbling at her ear again, all the while his hands craftily avoided going there. Raine grabbed one of his hands in an effort to try and move it there but he resisted. "Not yet sweetie," He said with a soft chuckle, his breath blowing at a few strands of her hair.

Zelos was going to take it as slow as he liked and he was then going to sate them both. He was currently enjoying her agony too much to stop and he found her squirming very arousing. He kissed her cheek and dragged his lips to hers, kissing her slowly and softly but she responded with a fierce wanting in her desperation for his touch. Her hands slipped into his hair and messed it up real good. He was trying not to laugh, for Martel's sake, not to her face.

"Easy darling, we're just about to get to the good part," He whispered against her lips.

Martel have him, he was smiling but at last he'd get to the actual thing. Well, it was her first time and she was curious as hell and no one was going to stop her from enjoying it as well. Suddenly, Zelos lifted away from her and this troubled her. What the devil was he doing now? Her mind was completely drained of thoughts as she gasped and moaned in delight. She would send more curse words his way if she could maintain a sane composure long enough to put together something. Zelos was planting light kisses at her entrance and was lightly running his tongue, barely grazing her. Her response was to buck and grab at the sheets. He liked it when he licked her and elicited a moan.

"Zelos," She growled, clearly frustrated with his slow pace.

Figuring that she's been through enough, he eagerly began to feast on her, kissing and licking in earnest. Raine tried to stifle her cries which came out sounding strangled but she couldn't stop them all and soon gave up trying. It was not too long before she hit her release again and Zelos was slowly licking it up, sending shivers of pure pleasure coursing through her body. Eyes closed, she did not see what he did next but she knew when she felt his lips against her. She could taste the remnants of his last ministrations in his mouth and felt her brains tip over and flip sideways, if that was even possible. She clung to him and deepened the kiss as the throbbing in her lower body slowly eased and died away. Zelos then pulled away, panting, a smile on his face.

"For the love of Martel, don't ever do that again," Raine murmured breathlessly.

Zelos just smiled that wolfish smile of his. "I'll bet with you a thousand gald that you actually want me to do it again," Damn him, he knew her too well at this point.

Her groan of distress was a sure sign he'd won. Now came the slightly more touchy part of their evening. He was quite sure by now that this was her first time so he supposed he shouldn't be too rough. He leaned back down and kissed her, slowly building up her arousal again as he placed his throbbing manhood at her entrance. He could already feel her nails digging into him again and he hadn't even penetrated her yet. Honestly speaking, he had never slept with virgins before so Martel help him if he accidentally injures Raine on her first time. Taking a deep breath, he pulled away and placed his hands on her hips firmly. Raine saw the hesitant look in his eyes. She didn't want it like this. Pushing herself up, she put herself level to him and put her hands on his bare chest, gently brushing her fingertips along his skin and planting butterfly kisses at the base of his neck and then slowly moving up to his ear. She merely imitated what he had done earlier and found it pleasurable. Zelos could not hold back several groans of pleasure as she administered her own touches and caresses. To him, women were too wanting and oft left themselves to his machinations but Raine was different. She didn't like the pace he set but due to lack of experience had let it be but it was clear she didn't like it when he grew hesitant or when he was having too much of the control. He liked that, her need for control. It made him feel like he was actually doing it with someone rather than he being the only one doing it.

"Zelos," She lightly whispered his name into his ear.

He took it as a sign that she was ready. Reinforcing his grip on her hips, he decided as swift plunge would be best. So, without any further warning, he brought her hips down onto his shaft. Raine gasped loudly at the pain that shot up her spine. Zelos remained still, allowing Raine to regain her composure. Without a doubt, he felt something trickle down in between his legs and confirmed his suspicions. He prayed to Martel she was not in any pain. Raine took a few moments to regain her composure. The pain had subsided quickly and all that remained was the nice sensation of being filled. Zelos relaxed a little when he heard her sigh softly and ease more comfortably on him, releasing her tight grip on his shoulders. However, he knew that was not to last for very long, they still had a ways to go before they were both truly sated. With renewed passion, Zelos began a slow pace and that was quickly progressed to a higher level due to Raine's impatient nature, despite it being her first time. At their climax, they both clung to each other as Zelos planted himself deep and poured his seed into her. It was a bad thing but it was a chance he was going to have to take. If nothing happened from this, all was good, if something did happen, it was not necessarily bad either. So he hoped anyways.

Removing himself from her, he chuckled when she moaned. He then plopped her down on the pillows at the head of the bed and joined her at the side, pulling the blankets with him and placing it over them both. Raine was exhausted. Her eyes half open as her breath slowly went back to normal. Zelos leaned over her with a soft smile on his lips, his fingers lightly caressing her flushed cheek as he placed a light kiss on her temple.

"Goodnight sweet cheeks. See you in the morning," He whispered mischievously.

Raine was too exhausted to argue over the name calling with him so she let it slide. With a smile on her face, she drifted off into sweet slumber.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Raine awoke the next morning with a smile on her face. As she stretched herself on the bed, she realized something was missing. She darted her eyes to her side and found Zelos missing. Sitting up in shock, she scanned the room and relaxed when she saw him shaking out the now, half dry, clothes. He was frowning at the garment in his hands and muttering something along the lines of "It'll have to do until we get back". She smiled at his antics and plopped her head back onto the pillow, watching him curiously. She preferred this partly serious Zelos to the overly cheerful, foolish and perverted behaving one. It gave him a more refined air, even if a bit more sardonic one as well. It suited her just fine, someone to share her dark little secrets, much like he himself had his own secrets. She wouldn't go so far as to claim to know all of him, but at least she knew most of him.

She watched him fussing with the piece of garment until he looked to the bed and noticed that she was awake and watching him. A smile spread across his face. "Good morning honey, have a good night's sleep?" He asked in his usual suede tone of voice that he used with everyone.

Raine smiled in reply. "Yes. And did you?" Throwing the question right back at him.

He smiled wolfishly. "I had a good night for sure," His reply like a double edged sword, laced with two different meanings, depending on which one she preferred to interpret it as.

She turned back into her old self just then, giving him a stern look. Raine purposely chose to interpret it that way as to give herself a reason to glare at him. Not to say she herself hadn't enjoyed it. Zelos just smiled back at her and sauntered over, dumping her semi-dried clothes on the bedside for her. "They're not completely dry but it is enough for us to amble over to your mom's house and get a fresh change of clothes," He said, putting on his own clothes.

Hiding a cheeky smile, Raine pulled off the covers and then boldly donned her clothes beside him. Zelos bit down on his tongue to stop himself from laughing. It was too damn adorable and she had the cheek to try such a daring stunt. If he didn't know better, he'd throttle her back onto the bed and have at it again. It was nice to know that she was learning to play this game with him. After all, she was a fast learner. He supposed a little bit of cheek in her was not too bad as it made her all the more adorable. He found her hard to resist that way, not something often found in other women. Ironically, she happens to be half-elf and he was a human. He would have laughed at it right now but then he'd be classified as a madman and surely Raine would never let him near her bed again. After donning their clothes, Zelos walked past her and lightly patted her on the rump which caused her to yelp in shock. Laughing, he made a quick exit of the room and dashed down the stairs, Raine hot on his heels, her face red with embarrassment. So this was what Lloyd and Genis felt on a daily basis? If so, he liked it and he wouldn't mind annoying the hell out of his lover just for the heck of it.

Before they knew it, they were standing in front of Virginia's house, both red faced and panting heavily. Yes, Raine had caught up and yes, she had smacked his own butt, for that little stunt. He had laughed at it and smiled cheekily at her. "If I did that more often would that mean I get the same response each and every time?" He asked.

Raine gave him a placid look. "Not nearly as much as you're going to get whacked on your head," She replied firmly and evenly. That would have put the light out of any other man, any other than Zelos.

The redheaded Chosen had merely chuckled at the challenge proposed to him as they continued their walk. However, he realized that the slower they went, the more perpetual the silence and the more she began to hesitate. Coming up with a lightning quick idea, he turned to face her suddenly, with a smug look on his face. "Race you!" And then he shot off after he kissed her chastely on the lips.

She there, stunned for like a fifth of a second before realizing what he'd done. She half heartedly gave chase but Zelos was not going to settle for that. He poked and chastised her for being such a slow runner, spurring her on. Now, they stood in front of the house, completely windblown from their run and chuckling at their childish antics. Calming down, Zelos looked at Raine, getting serious.

"Raine, are you ready?" She looked at him with slight uncertainty.

"Stand next to me," It was a question or request, she wanted him to.

He smiled and lightly squeezed her hand before letting go and opening the front door. Raine took a deep breath and stepped into the house right behind Zelos. There sitting at the dining table was everyone, each of them showing their distress at her disappearance for so long. Zelos let out a low whistle, catching everyone's attention. Sheena was the first to react.

"Zelos, where is Raine! Did you find her?" Her impulsive nature never ceases to amuse him, but he much preferred Raine's calm responses, always laced with hidden meanings, or so he'd like to believe anyways.

"Relax bumpkins, I found her. She's all in one piece, albeit drenched when I got to her," Zelos replied, stepping aside slightly to reveal the slight of an orange coat.

Raine felt stoned where she stood, guilt building within her gut. She felt like bolting for the door but Zelos had sensed her fear and blocked her exit. He merely raised a brow when she looked at him. It was hard to simply let her do it on her own when he knew full she had to do it on her own when she looked at him like that. Damn it, she had a better puppy dog pout than he did! Zelos stood his ground and refused aid. She had to come clean with herself. Damn it, Zelos was not going to help. She had not thought of how to say it and now she felt like a bird thrown into a cage full of lions. Martel help her, she was three and twenty, surely she can handle this with a little more maturity!

Before she could open her mouth, Genis had run up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist in a hug. "Sis, you came back!" He said with joy which slowly dipped to a near sub zero when he withdrew from her. "Sis, your clothes are damp."

Zelos laughed while Raine glared at him. This was exactly what she needed, they both thought. "Genis, I believed you smart enough to remember I had gone out in the rain last night and I thought you to have enough common sense to know that one night is most definitely not enough to dry anything thoroughly," She replied sternly.

Genis winced, shying away from his sister. "Sorry?" He muttered.

Raine merely raised a silver brow, her hands on her hips. Then she sighed and grabbed her brother in a fierce hug, stunning everyone. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I was out of sorts," She whispered.

Genis felt tears welling up in his eyes again. "Raine," He could barely get the words out before he was cut off.

"Hush, enough. I will go and apologize to mother and we can go back to being a family," Genis burst out crying again, clinging to his sister.

Everyone in the room, save Genis, spared the little boy a small sentimental smile. These days, the little half-elf was more and more emotional about things like this. Raine then let him go, ruffling his hair and guided him back to the table, coming up to face her mother. Raine tried to find the right expression to plaster on her face and came up with nothing. Biting her tongue, she forced a little more strength into herself. Everyone was watching after all, especially Zelos.

Taking a deep breath, Raine started. "I have been selfish yesterday and I wish to apologize. It was not as though I could not understand what you meant, I merely did not want to accept it as anything more than an emotional excuse to get my sympathy," Virginia opened her mouth to intervene but Raine stopped her with a firmly raised hand. "Let me finish. I will treat past transgressions as the past and will not even so much as bat an eye at it. At the end of the day, you are still my mother and I merely found it hard to admit that I still love you despite it all," Truly, she had retained some sweet memories from before the abandonment, so she was going to keep that and throw away her sorrows.

Virginia's own blue eyes were brimming with tears. She would run up and hug her daughter were she able but she didn't really have to. Raine came down to her level and hugged her mother. The whole room was in cheers which Raine found rather comical, beside the sentimental moment she was having. It will take some time to readjust to this but eventually, this she knew, they would truly go back to being a family and maybe the addition of Zelos. It was still a thought but Raine had a good feeling it was going to be more than a thought not too far down the road.