-1Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters that I used in this story.
AN: This is quite possibly the cutest thing that I have ever written before and has ever come to me by my muse. But with Colette and Lloyd, I sincerely doubt that I could make them have an angst fic and keep them in character at the same time. Speaking of which, I hope that I have every single character in character throughout. If there's anything that sounds iffy, please tell me, I want this to actually be good. I can take constructive criticism. Anyways, this story is placed somewhere during the game when the group is taking a break from world saving in Meltokio. Um, I think that's all you need to know. Enjoy.
Heat rose to Lloyd's face and the palms of his hands became sweaty, his discomfort in complete contrast to the calm day in Meltokio. The metropolis of Meltokio was experiencing weather of such a pleasant warmth and beauty that many of the inhabitants opted to wander outside and go about their business after days of relentless rain. The sun was peaking out of pristine white clouds scattered about the pale cerulean skies unleashing a gentle sunlight upon the city's great buildings and cobbled streets.
Lloyd was all too aware of what was creating his current discomfort and apprehension and if Genis or Zelos found he just knew that he'd be the object of their amusement. Lloyd may have been able to fight Desians, members of Cruxis and summon spirits without so much as an apprehensive thought but this was a completely different matter altogether.
"C-Colette, I've really gotta go now! I forgot something in the inn that I really need to get," And with that Lloyd turned away from Colette before she could mouth a farewell in response and walked as fast as he could away from her and the shopping district of Meltokio.
I'm such an idiot, Lloyd chastised himself as he wove his way through the multitudes of people with his weathered brown boots clomping along the cobbled streets, Colette must think I'm a complete weirdo now. Now how's she gonna react when I tell her that I-
"That was weak, man."
Lloyd's eyes snapped beside him where the direction of that the voice came from. He felt a mix of frustration and horror at the sight of Zelos, easily keeping up with his quick pace, one of the people that Lloyd had no desire to talk to.
"Er, just what are you talking about exactly?" Lloyd felt a wave of fear flow through him at the thought of being watched by Zelos just moments ago when he was with Colette.
"Oh, you know what I mean," Zelos responded with a knowing smirk and a wink from one of his deep blue eyes, "That pathetic display back there with Colette. I swear, it was almost as bad as the squirt's attempts at Presea. "
" 'Pathetic'?" Lloyd repeated, disappointment flooding through his system that he even forgot to defend his best friend from Zelos' insult. He felt his energy leave him so much so that he couldn't continue moving any longer. Zelos stopped with him, allowing the throngs of people to weave their way around them. "It wasn't pathetic…"
"Ah, maybe I was a bit harsh, not everyone has the experience of yours truly," Zelos said and Lloyd was too caught up in worries of Colette and his 'pathetic' attempt to realize that Zelos may have been trying to cheer him up, "I've just never seen you try to hit on her before."
"I wasn't trying to hit on her!"
"Ah, sure you were buddy. I was wondering when you'd make a move, I mean everyone knows that you have a thing for Colette."
"Everyone?" Lloyd's face paled thinking of that. Was he really that easy to read? And how could everyone know, he had only found out a few weeks ago that to Colette was more dear to him then just a little sister like he always thought. "Does Colette know?"
"Naw, she's just as oblivious as you are," At Lloyd's blank stare he corrected himself, "just as clueless as you are."
Lloyd felt relief come through his system. The thing that scared him the most was Colette knowing of what Lloyd thought of her without telling her first himself.
"Well you've got nothing to worry about now, man," Zelos said putting an arm around Lloyd which he immediately shrugged off, "Not anymore with me since I, the great Zelos, will teach you the secrets to a girl's heart. You're so lucky to have me as a friend. Sometimes I amaze even myself."
Lloyd felt hope swell in his chest that he ignored Zelos' remarks. "You'll really help me to get Colette?"
"Of course I will. Now, the first thing that you should do to impress a girl is to give her a present. But the thing is, from what I saw of you and your display with Colette, you've got a lot of work to do. You'll never be able to give her something without growing a backbone first."
"Just what do you mean by that?" Lloyd glared at him at the blatant insult.
"Initiative, initiative my dear Lloyd," Zelos said, dismissing Lloyd's anger with a flick of the hand, "How do you expect to get a girl in bed with you if you can't ask her out on a date?"
"Wha-wha-what? Huh?" Lloyd said feeling his whole body become heated, "I-I d-don't want…Colette….eh…"
"What are you talking about man? Of course you do!" Zelos had the biggest smirk on his face, "And when the time comes I can give you tips there too."
Lloyd's whole body was practically burning with embarrassment as Zelos looked smugly at him. He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably trying to avoid the knowing looks that Zelos was giving him.
"Hey Lloyd," Came Sheena's voice and Lloyd's preoccupied eyes struggled to meet her concerned brown ones, "Is something the matter? You look all red, you've gotta be sick. I can take you back to the inn if you want and get Raine to take a look at you."
"N-no, that's okay. I'm completely fine."
"You don't look fine to me-"
"Oh, but he is fine Sheena," Zelos said to Sheena and she turned around giving him a dirty look, "I, the great Zelos, was just giving Lloyd some advice on women."
"You were what!" Sheena said, her tone rising as her gaze intensified on Zelos. Lloyd thought she looked like she was about to kill him and he counted his blessings that her fury wasn't directed on him, "What the hell were you thinking? Don't try to make Lloyd into another you! He's actually a nice guy and not a perverted bastard like some people I know."
"Sheena, you're so cruel. You should have seen him with Colette before, it was a travesty! I was only trying to help."
"He doesn't need help from you, idiot."
"Ouch, hunny, that hurt."
Lloyd gulped when he saw Sheena's hand rise and hit Zelos face with an audible smack, "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not your hunny."
"Ow! Sheena, that hurt. Why did you have to…"
Lloyd began to slowly back away from his two arguing friends in a mixed desire of not becoming involved in an argument between Sheena and Zelos and to get back to Colette. As soon as the crowd obscured most of his vision of the two, luckily both of them were too caught up in their heated argument to pay attention to him, and he turned around and practically ran back to where he had seen Colette last; in Meltokio's shopping district.
But just how am I going to tell Colette? Lloyd thought while slowing his pace when he determined it a safe distance from his two bickering companions. He folded his arms to the back of his head while scanning the crowds for any sign of Colette.
Lloyd felt significantly calmer now that he didn't have to listen to Zelos' 'advice' and he felt his temperature fall to below a fevered state. "Initiative, initiative" Zelos' voice rang through Lloyd's mind. I'm sure that's great advice, but just what the hell does initiative mean? He wracked his brain, thinking of all the conversations he had with Genis and the lessons with Professor Sage to see if they ever used the word when he realized whenever they talked in big words he just tuned them out. That's just great, the one time intelligence could be useful and I don't even know the words. Well, whatever, I'll just go off impulse, I work better like that anyways.
Lloyd let his mind wander away from Colette and to the Meltokio itself. He looked around the majestic buildings of Meltokio that no longer amazed him as they once did when he first came to the city. It was just so different from Sylvarant that he couldn't help but stare at them in wonder at first but now that they were so familiar to him he was bored.
Lloyd felt the gentle breeze pick up his off-white scarf, dirtied with traveling, when the sight of long blonde hair flowing in the breeze caught his eye.
Colette.
Lloyd gulped as he saw her back, her full form obscured by the crowds walking past her going about their business. If he didn't do something now, he probably wouldn't be able to later. It was now or never. With that in mind he hesitantly approached her, ignoring the passing crowd and the low murmur of voices that served as background noise, and came to her side.
"Hey, Colette."
"Oh, hi Lloyd," Colette said, bringing her cerulean eyes to him, "Did you find what you needed at the inn?"
"Inn?" Lloyd said confused then the memory of his poorly made excuse flashed to his mind, "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I got what I needed. Eh heh it took a while to find."
"What were you looking for, anyways?" Colette tilted her head curiously. As much as he hated lying to Colette it was the only way out without a look of disappointment from her.
"Er, some…some gald!" That must be the worst lie ever. If it was anyone else, they'd have been able to see through his transparent deceit, "I, uh, I needed some gald, so I could, uh, buy myself a new sword."
"Really? Well I hope you find one but this is the wrong place to be looking for a sword," she giggled, "This is a toy store."
Lloyd felt shock run through his system as he turned his head and saw the most sickeningly cute array of stuffed animals, dolls and toys inside of the display window. He was too preoccupied with Colette to notice it before.
"A toy store, huh? Well what are you doing in front of one, anyways?"
"Oh, just looking inside."
"I could see that already Colette."
"Oh, sorry!"
Lloyd ran a hand through his hair with a lopsided grin. No matter what she went through Colette was still Colette. "You don't have to apologize, you dork. Well what are you doing in front of a toy store? Other then looking inside."
"Oh, there's just something that I want to buy but," Colette's voice lowered, "I don't think I should spend the money that everyone fought monsters to earn on such a silly thing just for me. It should be used for the things that we all need."
"You dummy, we have more then enough money to buy that kind of stuff. There's more then enough for you to buy something that you want."
"B-but I can't just buy something for myself when everyone needs it more then me. They were all kind enough to help find a cure for me so I could be normal, I can't just use the money for myself after that. I'm so happy they were worried enough to help me, I need to repay them somehow."
Lloyd sighed, trying to push the painful memories of seeing Colette devoid of life out of his mind. But the image of her dead lackluster cerulean eyes coupled with her expressionless face flashed through his mind despite his best efforts. It was a painful memory, when she was like that. He remembered when it happened that it felt like someone had permanently made his stomach plummet and his heart sink, and that everything he experienced seemed less intense and wonderful then when she was around. He supposed that was what people meant when they said that they felt empty.
"I'm sorry Lloyd," Colette's gentle voice and featherlike caress on his arm brought him out of his reverie with a jolt, "I didn't mean to make you feel sad."
"Y-you don't have to be sorry, you didn't do anything. I just- was thinking about the way you were then," Lloyd's voice was laced with bitterness, "And about how much that I wanted to see you smile again and sing again and be happy again. I wanted to see you be yourself so badly," his hand clenched into a fist, "And now all I want to do is anything that'll make you smile again."
The pallor of Colette's skin changed to a pale pink and Lloyd fleetingly wondered why, the day was a pleasant one after all. "But I already am happy, I'm really happy. See? And I'm smiling too," Colette's lips curved to a fake smile that Lloyd knew all too well. She had used that smile a lot during their journey to regenerate the world, "Thank you for worrying about me Lloyd. I'm so happy that you and everybody would go through all the trouble of getting a cure for me. I can finally feel again after so long, and now I can show you and everyone how happy I am that they worked so hard just for me."
Lloyd looked at Colette and sighed. There was no way that he could argue against Colette when she put it like that. Sometimes she was a little too nice for her own good. He decided that a change of topic was necessary. "Well what is it that you want so bad, anyways?"
"That," Colette pressed an index finger against the glass of the display, to a toy that Lloyd couldn't miss. When he saw the toy and the price tag he had to hold back a laugh.
"You want that? But it isn't even that expensive. Besides," Lloyd looked at her teasingly, "Aren't you a little old for stuffed animals?"
"Am not," Came her childish response and Colette curled her hands into fists and moved them like she did whenever she was pressed, "And it's not just any stuffed animal either, it's a teddy bear. They don't have those in Sylvarant, when Sheena told me about them I just had to see."
"A whatta bear? Who would make a toy out of a bear? Those things are really dangerous." Lloyd said with a teasing grin.
"But its so cute," Colette giggled, "There's no way a teddy bear could attack anyone."
"Well, I guess it is kind of cute," Lloyd mused as he looked at the stuffed bear that stared blankly into nothing with its black beaded eyes. It sat on a toy drum, with a pink bow about its neck and a string with the price tag around one of its white wrists. The fur was pure white and it protruded in such a way that it looked as if it would be soft to the touch. "You really want this thing, huh?"
"Uh-huh, its really cute," Colette agreed, bobbing her head up and down and smiled at him. Lloyd looked into her cerulean eyes that sparkled with life and sincere happiness. She was smiling a genuine smile, not the fake one that he had given him earlier to stop him from worrying. It was the kind of smile Lloyd wanted to always see her have.
Lloyd stepped away from Colette and the display window, determined to see Colette smile like that more, and towards the door of the toy shop, putting a hand on the doorknob.
"Lloyd, what are you doing?"
"I'm gonna get you that bear."
"But Lloyd, I don't-"
"I know you want it Colette, and I want you to have it. Besides, if I give it to you like a present then you've gotta keep it, right?"
Colette looked resigned. "O-okay, if it's a present…"
"Good," Lloyd gave her a small smile and opened the door which jingled in response because of the bells atop the door to alert the cashier of a costumer. He closed the door beside him just before he got a good enough look at the cramped shop. He gaped at what he saw.
Each wall was shelved to the ceiling, excluding the windowed display, with toys. Lots of toys. So many toys that Lloyd didn't even know the name of all of them. Stuffed animals of all kinds, dolls of linen and china donning different dresses each equally frilly, multicoloured tops and toy soldiers lined neatly in rows. The more Lloyd looked around, the more overwhelmed he felt and the more and more self-conscious he was that he was in a shop exclusively aimed for kids and girls. He had to fight the urge not to run out of the store for the sake of his manhood.
"Hello, dear," came an elderly woman's voice across the small shop behind a wooden counter, "Can I help you find something?"
"Er, uh, y-yeah," Lloyd said, making his way across the worn hardwood floors. He saw Colette out of the corner of his eye outside the store, obscured by the display, waving at him with that sincere smile. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up in return. That's right, that's why I'm in here. With that he faced the old woman with determination
The woman's face crinkled into a kind smile, "Can I help you get something for your girlfriend?"
"Sh-she's not my girlfriend," Lloyd stammered, feeling his face heat up. As her wise smile grew he admitted, "A-at least not yet."
"Well then, dear, what is it in here that interests you? I suppose there are many things in here that would impress a girl."
"Er, uh, that bear in the display case," Lloyd pointed in the general direction and the elderly woman followed it. When he realized that there were more then the one that Colette desired he added, "The white one with the pink bow."
"Ah, a good choice. I'm sure your friend will love it," the woman said walking slowly over to the display, "I recall the days where my husband courted me, he was such a handsome man. You should do fine, dear, it was gifts such as this that made me happy enough to marry him. I'm sure that this girl will feel the same way."
"Thanks, grams," Lloyd said as he fumbled with the money he grabbed from where he normally kept it.
"Its five-hundred gald, dear."
"Gotcha," Lloyd said and sorted out the coins in his hand in order to give her the exact change. Too much small change got so annoying after it built up after many visits to stores, he then handed her the money.
"Thank you, dear, and here is your gift," The woman said accepting the money. Before she gave him the bear she tugged off the price tag, "Thank you for shopping at Madam Pomfrey's Toy Store."
"Oh, n-no problem," Lloyd said, grasping the soft bear by the head and walking to the door.
"Good luck, dear," she said with a wink.
"Th-thanks, grams," Lloyd muttered and pushed open the door to the fresh air. How a toy shop could get so musty, he would never know.
Almost exactly after he closed the door, Colette's face, flush with excitement filled his vision.
"Did you get it? Can I see?"
"Yeah, here it is," Lloyd lifted it up so she could see it.
"Wow, thank you so much, Lloyd," She grabbed the bear from him so quickly that her hands brushed his and Lloyd felt a slight heat rush to his face. Her eyes were alight with joy and her cheeks still flush from excitement as she gathered the bear into her arms in a hug, "Its so cute."
The bear's not the only one that's cute. Lloyd thought smiling at her childlike glee, he was glad he could see her like this and he felt elated that it was his actions that had made her so happy. Then it hit him. He had done one part of Zelos' advice, he had given Colette a present, and one that she wanted at that. Now he just needed initiative, whatever that meant. Lloyd's heart began to beat twice as fast and he gulped.
He had to do this.
"Um, Colette, I…" Lloyd trailed off, the nerves inside of himself building up and heat coming to every part of his body.
"What is it Lloyd?" Colette asked, her head tilted in curiosity.
"I…its just that I…" Lloyd almost stopped there and did as he had in many of his failed attempts, but thoughts of how happy he could make Colette kept him going on, "I like you Colette."
"I know that Lloyd and I like you too. We're friends, right?"
Lloyd cursed inwardly. Colette could be so thick sometimes, well so could he, but that was beside the point.
"That's not exactly what I mean," He said looking her in the eye and taking her free hand in his for emphasis, "I really like you."
"What do you mean?" Colette's eyes blinked in ignorance then Lloyd could have sworn that something belatedly clicked in her head as her face went from a pink flush to a red blush. "Oh."
I'm such an idiot. Lloyd chastised himself, letting the hand he held fall while stepping back and feeling his stomach plummet. But when the hand found its way back into his, he looked at her puzzled.
"I-I r-really like you too," Colette said, her eyes firmly fixed on the cobbled streets behind him and her face just as red as it was moments ago.
"Really? That's great Colette!" Lloyd said, squeezing her free hand with both of his as a feeling an elation that he had never felt before overwhelmed him. Colette's cerulean eyes sparkled with joy as they overtook his and her pale lips broke into a smile. Not one of those fake smiles that she had given him in the past, but a genuine smile, one that he had always tried to make her have. Lloyd smiled back at her.
They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever when Lloyd finally jolted back to reality. "Uh, anyways," He said feigning a calm appearance, "Why don't we go do something?"
"Uh…"Colette seemed to be at a loss of words as well, "How about a walk? Zelos told me that there's a place that always has the most beautiful sunsets in Meltokio before I was normal again, and I always wanted to see."
"That sounds great," Lloyd said with a smile, "Do you know the way to it?"
Colette nodded with her genuine smile that he adored.
"Then let's get going."
"Okay."
Lloyd felt his elation grow as he walked the streets of Meltokio hand in hand with Colette, her other arm hooked around her bear. At the thought of watching a sunset with Colette his smile grew and he didn't care if he looked stupid to the passing crowds. He let go of her hand and put his arm about her waist, he could do that now. Lloyd knew that no matter what happened about the two worlds and Yggdrasill that he would always have Colette.
AN: I told you it's sickeningly cute. Oh, and long too. Also, the title is kinda making fun of Lloyd and that he showed initiative with Colette, he just didn't know it. Well, that's our dim hero for you. I hope it was okay… If you liked this, please review, they make me want to keep on writing.