Disclaimer: Not mine.
Just One Dance"May I have this dance?"
I smiled and accepted Lloyd's outstretched hand. He pulled me onto the dance floor, and we slowly twirled in time to the music. We were at a royal ball in Meltokio, one the king had decided to host in order to smooth over the process of the joining of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. I didn't want to be here, to tell all truth, because I felt so self-conscious in a dress and I hated formal events, but I was relieved that Lloyd had asked me to dance. Around him, I felt relaxed and normal. He just sort of had that 'We're-all-happy-and-we-can-all-get-along" aura that could make anyone feel at home and at ease.
So now I tried to enjoy myself and concentrate on not stepping on Lloyd's feet.
"You okay, Sheena?" Lloyd asked me suddenly.
Darn. And I thought I had been doing a decent job appearing relaxed.
I attempted to smile at the swordsman.
"I'm okay," I assured him. "I'm just not really used to this stuff."
He nodded and returned the smile.
"I don't like it either," he replied. "But soon it will be over."
But his face suddenly took on a dream-like expression, and he said, "There are a lot of girls asking me to dance, though."
I laughed.
We finished the dance, and I was surprised to see a young man tap Lloyd's shoulder. He smiled at me with sparkling teeth and eyes, and he asked Lloyd, "May I cut in?"
Lloyd shrugged very unprofessionally and said, "Whatever."
I would have laughed had I not been so horrified at the thought of dancing with a complete stranger. But there was nothing I could do as said stranger suddenly swept me away from the familiar Lloyd and into an unfamiliar crowd of people.
The man looked down at me. Every muscle in his face screamed suave!.
What should I do?!
Luckily for me, the strange man spoke first.
"You're a lovely dancer, madam," he murmured smoothly. "I've been waiting all evening to enjoy a dance with you. Your beautiful face caught my eye early on."
I blushed a deep shade of crimson.
"Thank you," I stuttered.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. But I didn't feel at ease with his hand on my back. Something just seemed…off.
"Perhaps, my charming damsel, we can meet later."
My mind was choked with panic.
The man spoke again, and I just wanted the dance to end.
"I will fill your night with pleasure, madam," he offered. "I will take you to a place to which only Heaven is similar. What do you say?"
I smiled in the nicest way possible.
"No thank you," I declined politely.
The man's smooth smile slipped ever so slightly, and I tensed a little when his hand pressed into my back firmly and his other hand grasped mine tightly, so tightly that it hurt. I bit back a cry of pain and tried to endure the rest of the dance.
The man attempted to smile again and pressed, "I beg of you to reconsider, madam. There will be no regrets."
"No thank you," I reiterated a little more sternly. "I'm not interested."
The man gave me a breathtaking look, but it failed to sway my position.
"Ah," the man said as the song ended. "What sadness."
He led me to the edge of the dance floor and bowed.
"A pleasure, madam," he said. "If you change your mind, I will gladly take you. I may be back for another dance, as well. You are quite light on your feet."
Before I could blink, he was gone, and I shakily sat down on a bench near the wall.
Soon after, the strange man asked me for another dance, but I told him I wasn't feeling well.
"Pity," he lamented. "Perhaps in a while, then."
I smiled politely and breathed a sigh of relief when he left.
He asked again, and again I refused.
I sat in silence and examined the area. There were several exits around the premises. Maybe I could slip out quietly. My eyes suddenly stopped during their room-sweep, and I realized who I was looking at—Zelos. He lounged on a bench at the opposite end of the room; however, his eyes locked on mine, and he got up. I looked away embarrassedly and tried to spot my other companions. They were all in various places around the room, either dancing or conversing or sitting quietly like me. My eyes wandered back to across the room, but Zelos was nowhere to be seen.
Oh, wait. There he was, only a few yards from me and heading my way. I panicked a little. What if he wanted me to dance? I already felt so out of place, and there was no way I could dance with Zelos without feeling stupid.
Sweet Martel. He was here.
"Hi, Sheena," Zelos said in greeting, and he sat down on my left. His body heat radiated toward me comfortingly. If nothing else, he was a rock to cling to in this turbulent ocean.
"Hi," I responded nervously, fidgeting with my hands in my lap.
Zelos took one of my hands in his, and I froze.
"Relax, Sheena, I'm not going to bite you," he said. "I just wanted to ask if you were okay."
I looked up into my friend's deep blue eyes.
"I'm…okay," I lied. "I just don't like being here…"
Zelos offered me a half smile.
"Me neither," he confessed. "It's all fake, babe."
I nodded a little in agreement. And I had to admit, I felt one hundred times better with this idiot by my side.
Said idiot squeezed and released my hand. I blushed and looked away. My heart dropped when I saw the strange man from before eying me again. Dread filled my stomach, and I unconsciously leaned into Zelos a little.
Accidentally, I whispered in fear, "Please don't come over here."
"Sheena, what are you talking about?" Zelos asked in confusion, and I jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Hey."
I felt Zelos' hand on my cheek, and he turned my face to his. His hand warmed me and brought me back to reality.
"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at me with sweet blue eyes. "What's wrong?"
I swallowed, and Zelos released my face.
"I—I—" I stuttered, and I couldn't help but look back over at the strange man, who was standing closer by than before.
Zelos followed my gaze.
"Is he bothering you?" he asked quietly.
I hung my head in shame and admitted, "I just—I'm not used to—I've never—I—yeah."
"Sheena, look at me."
I reluctantly lifted my head and obeyed.
"I'll take care of it, okay?" Zelos reassured me.
"Wait, Zelos!" I cried, grabbing his arm to prevent his leave. "You don't need to do that. Or, if you do, please don't do anything stupid."
He regarded my pleading expression for a moment, but then he looked at me with a pleasant face.
"Hmm," he said nonchalantly, standing and scratching his head. "Well, I can't say for sure that I won't do anything stupid, but I guess I could try to be…civil."
He left, and I covered my face with my hand, mortified beyond belief. I should have kept my mouth shut. I didn't need Zelos fighting battles for me.
I couldn't look.
Ahh, but the temptation…
I lowered my hand and peeked over at Zelos, and I was a little surprised to see that he was only talking with the man. It didn't look like he was being…Zelos.
After an unbearably long five minutes, the redhead walked casually back over to me, and he laughed a little.
"It's fine, Sheena," he said. "You don't have to look at me like I just ran around in my underwear."
He raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.
"Which wouldn't be a bad sight, if I do say so myself," he added as an afterthought.
I just rolled my eyes, and he grinned cheekily with a wild look in his eye. He sat down next to me again, and I furrowed my brow nervously.
"What did you…what did you say to him?" I asked.
Zelos gave me a shaky laugh and informed me evasively, "Well, I may or may not have given him false information."
"Zelos! What did you say?!"
I grabbed the man's arm and held it tightly.
"Tell me!" I demanded.
Zelos shrugged and said, "I just told him you were with me."
"And—and he just listened?" I asked suspiciously.
At Zelos' nod of affirmation, I exhaled in relief and studied the skirt of my dress.
"Thanks," I mumbled.
"Anytime," he said as though brushing it off. "You are my favorite Mizuho hunny, you know."
Blushing, I glared at him and snapped, "Shut up!"
He lifted one corner of his mouth rather attractively, and I became lost in his beautiful smile. When I realized I was staring, I hurriedly averted my gaze and pretended to be watching the other people attending the ball.
"Hey, Sheena?"
The uncertain tone of Zelos' voice caught me off guard, and I looked over at my friend. He scratched the back of his head again and refused to look me in the eye.
"I was, uh, gonna be a little more—uh—romantic about this, but uh…"
His voice trailed off and I prodded him with an expectant silence.
He spoke again.
"Will you dance with me?"
My eyes widened in fear. The exact potential thing I had been anxiously anticipating all night had come to pass.
"Z-Zelos, I-I don't like dancing," I stammered in the hope that he would just let it go.
At my own unsure reaction, Zelos' uncertainty seemed to vanish, and he got that I'm-not-giving-up look in his face. He looked me in the eye.
"Oh, c'mon, Sheena," he persisted. "You danced with Lloyd, and you danced with that creep."
"Well—I—I," I stuttered, flustered beyond all belief. "Lloyd is Lloyd, and-and that guy—well I didn't plan that—It just happened."
Zelos took my shaking hand in his and tilted his head down to mine, giving me a dazzling blue-eyed look. I felt myself wavering.
"Please, Sheena," he whispered. "Can't we 'just happen' too?"
God dammit, that man was impeccably persuasive because of his flawless face and verbal skill, and he knew it, too. He probably practiced different expressions at home in his mirror.
"Zelos…" I whispered in desperation. "But-but I'm a terrible dancer."
Zelos rolled his crystal eyes.
"You are not," he argued. "C'mon. Just one dance."
I sighed in defeat.
"Fine," I submitted.
Zelos smiled happily and helped me stand. He led me out onto the dance floor.
"Zelos, I really am a bad dancer," I said worriedly, putting the proper hand on his shoulder. "I don't know how I didn't mess up at all earlier."
The redhead put his hand on the small of my back and grasped my other hand correctly so.
"Just keep your eyes on mine," he assured me. "You'll be fine."
"O-okay," I replied.
I felt so small and insignificant in his arms because of my uncertainty, but I also felt…safe, and as we began to dance, I relaxed. Where my muscles had been tense and locked, my muscles melted, and I also noticed that although I had started as far as possible from Zelos, I gradually drifted closer, much much closer. Soon, there was almost no gap between us, and his face was mere inches from mine. I followed his directions, too—keeping my eyes locked on his—and I was okay.
"See, Sheena," Zelos said softly. "You're doing fine."
I managed a small smile.
"I guess," I said, still slightly doubtful.
"Really," Zelos assured me sincerely.
I couldn't prevent a blush and larger smile from sweeping across my face. I could barely keep myself from leaning into my friend. My head would feel so nice on his shoulder, and his arms around me…
I forced myself to wake up a little.
"Thanks, babe, for dancing with me," Zelos said. "I couldn't finish the evening satisfactorily knowing I didn't even get to dance with my favorite hunny."
The smile on my face seemed permanent. I was a sucker for sweet words from Zelos because they were what I always yearned for. He was without doubt my favorite person in the world. I couldn't make my feelings for him vanish; when I tried, they only strengthened their hold on me. But that was all right with me because I never wanted to not love Zelos. He was my angel. (Even if he didn't know it.)
I was thoroughly disappointed when the dance ended. Almost never did I have such a golden opportunity to be physically close to Zelos.
I wanted more!
But I said nothing about that.
Zelos—with his hand still on my back—guided me out to the outskirts of the dance floor, back to my favored bench. We both sat down, and Zelos took off his suit coat and laid it next to him on the bench. While he did so, I covered a yawn with my hand and blinked a little sleepily.
"Tired?" Zelos asked, looking at me.
"A little," I admitted, blushing in embarrassment.
Zelos tilted his head slightly.
"Do you wanna get outta here?" he questioned me. "We can leave now if you want."
I frowned.
"No, I'm fine," I said, although the offer was really tempting.
Zelos furrowed his brow.
"Sheena, don't think you'd be ruining my night or something by ending it early. This place isn't exactly the thrill of my life."
I tried to read his eyes to see if he was lying, but I couldn't tell.
"…Okay," I finally said.
Zelos nodded.
"Let me go tell Raine," he said. "Then we can leave."
I waited patiently on my bench while Zelos spoke with the Professor, and I began to grow sleepier. I leaned back against the wall. My eyes shut, and I lost myself until I felt a hand take my own.
"Sheena-hunny, are you ready?"
I opened my eyes and stood a little unsteadily.
Zelos kept a tight hold on my hand, and we made our way through the crowd of people to the front door. The summer night air was pleasantly warm, and it helped to wake me up a bit. I was aware enough to pull my hand out of Zelos', and I walked beside him in silence.
My friend untucked his shirt and pulled his hair out of a braid. I noticed he had forgotten his jacket at the castle, but I didn't think to say anything.
"Hey, Sheena, you're staying with me tonight, right?" the redhead suddenly asked. "Everyone else is."
I looked up at him.
"Um, I guess so," I relented. "But I have to be home early tomorrow."
I wrinkled my face in distaste, and Zelos laughed.
"What's with that look?" he asked.
"I have to spend all day tomorrow going through paperwork," I admitted. "I hate that stuff. And, to top that off, I have to do all that with Orochi."
"What's wrong with Orochi?" Zelos asked curiously.
"I don't know," I said. "He's just been…weird lately. I can't do anything dangerous without him, or he'll flip out, and he's been moody. It's really starting to bother me."
Zelos' eyes darkened a little.
"Someone has a thing for you, babe," he growled. "Maybe I should go talk to him."
My face twisted into confusion.
"Why?" I asked, clueless. "Why does that even bother you?"
"Well, my Mizuho flower," Zelos teased as we walked through the darkened streets of the city. "You could only belong to the one and only me."
"Zelos, shut up!" I laughed, walking ahead of him a little. "I don't belong to anyone."
I looked back at him to see him slowly catching up, and so I wasn't paying attention to where I was going: someone suddenly stepped out in front of me, and I walked right into him. I spun around to face the front quickly.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized to the man.
I didn't expect the man to grab me roughly, and I bit back a cry of pain as he did so.
"Sheena!" Zelos exclaimed, running toward me.
The man held me captive in his arms, and I suddenly felt the tip of a knife poke the sensitive skin on my neck.
"Don't come any closer," he growled to Zelos, and Zelos froze in his tracks.
I stood in stunned silence, wide-eyed and fearful. What was going on?
"Who the hell are you?" Zelos demanded of the man holding me.
The man laughed.
"That's not important," he brushed aside. "What's important is that I just found a toy to play with."
I felt lips touch the base of my neck, and I jerked away. The man pulled me back to him and pushed the knife against me harder. Hot breath swept over my cheek, and the man whispered, "Don't fight it, sweetheart."
Zelos moved forward angrily, only to stop frustratedly once again when the man flashed his knife threateningly.
"Get your hands off her," Zelos ordered.
"I don't think so," the man refused. "Hey, guys, you can come out now."
To my utter horror, three more men stepped out of the shadows. Two went after Zelos, and he was unable to prevent them from grabbing him.
"Let's go," the man holding me said, and he began to drag me backwards into an alleyway that was only illuminated by the full moon hanging in the night sky.
The arm around my middle was crushing me, and I could barely breathe. Oh, Martel, what could I do?
The other men followed, bringing an unusually quiet Zelos along as well. The redhead's face was pale, and he didn't resist. Personally, I was almost scared senseless because I did not have my cards with me. And I couldn't exactly pull any karate moves when I couldn't even move.
I was not having a very good night.
I gasped out loud when the man holding me squeezed my stomach more tightly then before. Zelos started forward, but his captors restrained him. The anger on his face was matched only by the fear in my heart.
The man holding me suddenly handed his knife off to the extra man, and he began to force me down.
"No!" I screamed. "No!"
But it was no use. In two seconds flat, I was lying on my back on the ground, and the man was straddling me. His hands pinned my upper arms to the ground, and I could only squirm desperately.
"Now," the man said, looking at me lustfully. "I'm gonna play a game I call 'use-your-girlfriend-and-then-kill-her-in-front-of-you.'"
He leaned down to me, and I turned my face away in a panic. He moved his hands to my waist on his way down, and I pushed at his chest.
"No!" I screamed. "Get off of me!"
"Gah! Sheena!" Zelos cried out in a strangled voice.
I struggled against the weight of the man, and his fist suddenly shot out and made contact with the side of my face. But the sting of the punch was nothing compared to what could happen if I didn't get out of this. I grunted when the man punched me again. He lowered himself onto me completely. His hand found the skirt of my dress, and he slowly inched the fabric upward.
"Get off!" I screamed, kicking. "Don't touch me!"
I squirmed more and more, and finally the man let go off my dress. I couldn't believe it when he sat up.
"Fine," he growled. "You wanna play rough?"
My relief was short-lived as the man pulled me to my feet and violently slammed me back into a wall. I closed my eyes at the impact, and the muscles in my back seemed to scream in pain. It felt like there were a thousand rocks cutting into me. When I opened my eyes, the man was staring at me with a crazy glint in his eyes, and I saw that he once again possessed his knife. He traced the tip across my cheek, almost enough to break the skin.
"I guess I'm just gonna have to make you cooperate," he whispered, giving me a leering look. "It shouldn't take too long, though. I find I can be rather…persuasive."
My face fell when he slashed his knife over my cheek, cutting it for real, and blood trickled down my face.
"Not enough yet?" the man asked.
I said nothing, but I felt myself grow a little angry. I had gotten over the initial terror.
The man grabbed my face and turned it to the side, leaving my neck exposed. My stomach heaved at the feel of his lips on my skin, but this time I couldn't move away. I was forced to endure the wet kiss.
"Just one to start with," the man whispered when he lifted his face.
He aimed for my mouth, but I turned my face away so that he missed.
"Oh, c'mon," he whispered. "Don't you wanna have some fun?"
"Go to Hell!" I spat.
The man reached out and slapped me hard across the face. I tasted blood in my mouth.
"Shut up, you Mizuho whore!" he ordered me. "I'm here for a good night, and I can't wait much longer."
"I'm not interested," I snapped, pushing on his chest again.
"You know what?" he began. "Since you're hands seem to be the problem, I guess I'll have to fix that."
He motioned for the extra man to come over to us, and he said, "Snap her wrist."
I was unable to pull away when the extra man grabbed my left arm and bent it with lightning speed. I gasped in agonizing pain, and I gritted my teeth, breathing hard. Oh, gosh, oh, gosh, oh gosh…
Tears came to my eyes, and I could barely hold them back. Fear once again seeped into my inner being. The man busied himself kissing my neck again, and his hands explored my legs and torso.
For the first time, I cut my gaze to Zelos. I was so ashamed that I could barely make eye contact, but I forced myself to. However, the look on my friend's face killed me inside. It was a mix between helplessness and hopelessness, and he appeared to be torn. His sweet blue eyes were full of desperation and horror and something regretful. I wanted to run to him, comfort him, and be safe in his arms.
"Zelos…" I emitted in a desperate voice. A single tear slid down my cheek.
"Sheena…" he returned.
I had never heard such a tone from the redhead. And his face was just killing me! I couldn't bear to look at him. If this was how it was going to end, I certainly didn't want to be sharing eye contact with Zelos. I let my eyes wander away, and I trembled fearfully. I felt a hand slide up the inside of my thigh, and I attempted to shove the man away one last time. I got nowhere.
My shoulders sagged, and I felt tears slip down my cheeks.
"Please…" I whispered. "Please don't…"
The man holding me looked at me.
"Finally broke down," he said. "I was wondering how long it would take. You lasted longer than most other girls, though. But now it's time for the real fun."
My lip trembled.
The man squeezed my leg and kissed my collarbone. With his free hand, he slid the strap of my dress over my shoulder.
I could only silently cry and mutter, "Please…"
I closed my eyes, shaking as unfamiliar hands went over me.
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light and a surge of heat, and I heard a voice thunder, "JUDGEMENT!"
The man holding me let go of me in surprise, and I opened my eyes to see the familiar spell take place. It did not touch me, but the light was so bright! I closed my eyes against it. The spell ended, and I opened my eyes to see Zelos standing, practically giving off heat from his anger. The three extra men lay unmoving on the cobble-stoned street, and the man holding me grabbed me around the waist and held me in front of him like before. He put his knife to my throat.
However, Zelos took one look at the man, and his stare seemed to burn a hole in the man.
"Get your f—ng hands off my banshee," he commanded in a low and lethal voice, shaking with anger.
The man behind me seemed to freeze in fear, and he did nothing as Zelos stepped forward and grabbed his arm.
"Let go of her," he whispered to the man, and suddenly I could breathe again! I gasped for air as Zelos dragged the man away a few feet. Unfortunately for me, the man had not only been my captor but also my support, and my shaky knees could barely hold me up. I backed up until I felt a cool wall behind me, and I tried not to collapse.
I heard a grunt, and I looked over to see Zelos slam the man into another wall. The redhead lifted his left fist, and he punched the man hard in the face.
"You freaking son of a b—," he growled. "No one tries to hurt my sweet banshee and gets away with it. Ever."
He landed a furious punch in the man's stomach.
"You bastard!" he spat. "If you ever so much as look at my favorite hunny again, I will kill you, I swear. I have no pity or mercy for scum like you. Now get your sorry ass out of here before I hurt you so much you wish you were dead."
He shoved the man away, and the man staggered out of the alleyway onto the main streets of Meltokio.
Zelos slowly turned to me, and the anger in his eyes instantly died down.
"Oh, Sheena," he whispered, coming toward me.
I couldn't stand any longer… I began to sway, and I fell right into Zelos' arms.
"Oh, Sheena," my friend repeated. "Never again, Sheena. Never again. I'm so sorry, babe."
He began to pepper my tear-streaked face with soft, quick kisses.
"Zelos?" I whispered, still unbelievably overwhelmed. I didn't know what else to say.
The man stopped kissing me all over and looked at me.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I nodded and said weakly, "I think so. Thanks for saving me."
Zelos smiled.
"No thanks needed," he argued. "I could never let anything bad happen to you, you know. You're my special Mizuho hunny."
I laughed, albeit painfully.
"Zelos…" I said good-naturedly.
He wiggled his eyebrows and teased, "That was pretty brave of me, wasn't it? I am the Gleaming Knight, and I'll be your gleaming knight forever, no extra charge."
I rolled my eyes.
"Zelos, shut up," I warned.
"I'll think about it," he considered. "But first, I have to give you something."
"Like what?" I asked in confusion.
My eyes widened when my friend took my face in one hand and touched his mouth to mine. His warm lips moved with mine, and I melted. For a moment, I forgot any existing pain. I…I could get used to this. An unintentional sigh of pleasure escaped my lips, and Zelos pulled away.
Wait—what was I doing?
"Zelos, what are you doing?" I growled, trying unsuccessfully to rid myself of a crimson blush. "You can't just go around kissing people!"
He grinned cheekily and said, "I think I just did."
"You idiot," I glared.
"I don't know," he said, raising his eyebrows. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself there."
"Sh-shut up!" I stammered defensively, blushing profusely once again. "I can't help it if you caught me off guard!"
"So you were enjoying yourself?"
"I-I never said that! Stop using my own words against me!" I cried, ridiculously flustered. "Gah! You stupid Chosen!"
Zelos just smiled.
"You know, babe," he pointed out. "You're the only one who's allowed to call me that."
"Am I supposed to feel special or something?" I demanded. "I can't help it if you deserve it!"
"Ooh, Sheena," Zelos said. "You don't know how much your fiery temper turns me on."
"Zelos!" I squealed in disbelief. "I—you—you're impossible!"
My cheeks could not have been more on fire. I scowled in embarrassment and looked away. But a searing pain suddenly went through my wrist, and I clutched Zelos' shirt as my head clouded in pain.
"Oh," I whispered.
"Sheena?"
I blinked away the pain and a few stray tears, and I gritted my teeth.
"What's wrong, honey?"
I looked up at Zelos with a falling face.
"It's my wrist," I admitted. "From when that guy broke it."
Zelos' eyes darkened.
"Oh, Sheena, you don't know how mad I was," he half-whispered. "I was—so angry. I couldn't—to see someone else touching you…everywhere…hurting you like that…I…I really care about you, Sheena, and…it hurt to see you hurt."
I blushed at his spiel. Zelos seemed a tad bit embarrassed too, and he cleared his throat and said, "Which wrist is it?"
"Left," I said.
I grimaced in pain when Zelos gently took my wrist in his hand.
"Mmf," I grunted.
I blinked away more tears, and I turned my face the other way and hid it against Zelos' chest.
"Ow," I whispered.
"I can't heal broken bones," Zelos admitted. "But Raine may be able to. I'll take you home for now, and then I'll go get Raine, okay?"
"Okay," I replied in a muffled voice.
The fact that I didn't argue with his decision must have been alarming for him, for he suddenly smoothed my hair away from my face and stroked my cheek.
"Hey," he said softly. "It's okay. I'll hurry. Do you want me to carry you?"
I nodded just a little.
"Okay," my friend agreed, but before he could do anything, a voice interrupted, "Sheena! Zelos!"
I recognized Lloyd's adolescent tone, and I hurt many footsteps running toward us.
"Hey, guys," Zelos greeted our companions.
"What happened?" Colette exclaimed.
"Heheh, we just had a little accident," Zelos answered evasively. "We're okay now."
"We went to your house," Lloyd explained. "But Sebastian said you weren't there, so we went looking for you."
"Thanks, bud," Zelos said.
He rubbed my back absently while everyone talked.
"What's wrong with Sheena?" Genis asked worriedly. "Did you do something to her, Zelos?"
"No, brat," Zelos growled, stiffening slightly.
"Genis, that's enough," Raine chided.
The others talked amongst each other for a moment, and I felt Zelos murmur close to my ear, "Hold on, babe. I'll get you home."
Then he said out loud, "Raine, can I talk to you for a minute?"
I heard Raine pad over softly, and Zelos explained very basically what had happened.
"Can you get everyone else out of here?" he asked in conclusion. "Sheena doesn't need everyone hanging over her."
"Yes," Raine replied. "Lloyd, take everyone back to Zelos' house. We'll follow shortly."
"Kay," Lloyd answered, and I heard them leave.
"Zelos, put her down for a moment," Raine commanded calmly.
Very carefully, Zelos lowered me into a sitting position, against the wall behind us. He sat next to me, probably wary of a faint on my part.
"Hey, Raine," I said weakly.
"How are you feeling?" the half-elf asked, kneeling beside me.
"I'm okay," I responded.
The Professor touched my cheek and muttered a healing spell. A soothing warmth moved through my wound and sealed it.
"Thanks," I said.
"You're welcome," Raine replied. "Now, which wrist is it?"
"Left," I reiterated.
Raine lifted my injured limb, and she was less gentle than Zelos. I whimpered in pain, and Zelos wrapped an arm around my shoulders. With his other hand, he smoothed my hair back out of my face, and I rested said face against his shoulder.
Raine examined my wrist, and she suddenly pushed the bones of my wrist together.
"Sorry," Raine apologized. "But I had to set it, and if I told you first, it may have hurt more."
"I'm—I'm okay," I gasped.
Raine wrapped my wrist up with a bandage she had in the handbag she had worn to the ball. She also transferred healing mana into it.
"I can't heal a broken bone," she said. "But I sped up the process a little. You should be fine in a few weeks."
"Thanks," I said.
"Mm-hmm," she said.
"My bewitching teacher!" Zelos exclaimed with hearts in his eyes. "You're like a nurse goddess. You can heal me anytime."
"Zelos, that's enough," Raine said, and I laughed quietly.
Zelos smiled at me and said, "Let's go."
He hooked an arm under my knees and an arm under my back, and he lifted me. I let my head loll against his shoulder as he walked. He kept up a conversation with Raine, but I didn't join in. I was just so tired.
Soon enough, we were at Zelos' mansion, and Raine opened the door and led the way inside. The others all greeted us tiredly, and, after a returned, "Hello," Zelos carried me upstairs.
He brought me into a bedroom and shut the door behind him. Skillfully, he turned on a lamp while still holding me, and he then gently set me on a soft bed. I sat up, and Zelos put his hands in his pants pockets and looked at me.
"Do you need anything?" he asked.
"Yeah," I decided. "I need to change my clothes, so can you bring me my bag?"
"Why do you want to change?" he asked innocently. "I think you look sexy like that."
I frowned.
"Zelos," I said a little shakily. "I never want to wear this dress again."
"I guess I can understand that," he agreed, offering a smile. "Where's your bag?"
"Um, I think I threw it on your couch before we left."
"Okay. I'll be right back, my Mizuho hunny."
He left the room, and I breathed a huge sigh of exhaustion.
This, this was why I did not go to balls.
Who knew what would happen while I was in such a vulnerable state—no cards, no boots, no pants…
Well, whatever. It was over now, at least.
There was a knock on the door, and I called out, "Come in."
Zelos reentered the bedroom, and I half-smiled at his courtesy.
"Daydreaming about me again, honey?" the man teased, and I scowled at him.
"Shut up, Zelos, before I give you some very unpleasant dreams," I threatened.
Zelos chuckled and tossed my bag onto the bed. He suddenly gave me a crooked, roguish grin.
"Need any help?" he asked.
"Zelos, get out!" I snapped, and he laughed.
"Just checking," he said. "I'm very generous."
I rolled my eyes.
"Good night, Zelos," I hinted.
"'Night, babe," he returned. "If you need anything, call. And if you decide you need help getting dressed, I'm all yours."
He shut the door just as I threw one of the dress flats I had been wearing at him, and it pinged! off the wood harmlessly. I heard a quiet chuckle on the other side, and he walked away.
As quickly as I could, I changed into more comfortable clothes, and I curled up under the warm covers on the bed. I drifted off quickly. The pillow was so soft, and mm…, it smelled just like Zelos. With a silly grin on my face, I tried to sleep.
I loitered between sleep and awake for a while, and sometime before I passed over into sleep, I heard my door open a little. I was too tired to open my eyes, so I simply lay there as whoever it was walked over to my bed. I felt a hand stroke my cheek, and I smiled slightly.
That felt really nice…
What I definitely didn't expect, however, was a soft kiss on my forehead and a voice to whisper, "Good night, my sweet banshee. Sleep well."
I didn't dare move, though, so I lay still.
Zelos turned off the lamp that I had not thought to shut off, and he quietly left the room.
I sighed pleasantly after he shut the door.
"Good night, Zelos," I murmured.
Why couldn't every night be like that?
Ahh…
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Author's Note: Thanks for reading, if you did. Had this idea for a while, but please tell me what you think because it's kind of sloppily thrown together, and I struggled a lot with personalities. Adios.
-SilverChelle