Crimson Kisses

I know I know strange title, anywho for all the fans of AlNel I bring you this! This is my first Fic of Alnel, but I love the couple so much I decided that I better get these ideas down now. They might be slightly out of character I'm sorry for that. I hope you enjoy Crimson Kisses. Please R&R, and I respect critics.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Star Ocean, even though we all wish we do its not going to happen. If it would happen I would put our beloved characters together. --'

Summary: Albel and Nel have just ended their journey with the group. They've defeated the Creator, and have returned to Ellicor, They've been going on many missions, but what happens when Nel discovers that feelings have aroused in her? How will Albel respond to this? Does Albel feel the same? Or will it turn into heartbreak city? Can a happy-ever-after come in this story, of romance, drama, and a bit comedy? POV of both Albel and Nel

He tapped his finger-like claws harshly upon the wooden table in the center of the room. An elderly man was speaking to the King of Airglygph over matters that were not audible to his ears. An empty chair sat next to his, neglected and forgotten it was. His form looked overly malnourished, and his shaggy mane hooded his sights, un-tampered with since he had awoken.Propping himself up with his arm, he grimaced as the king spoke his name. "If your so uninterested, Albel. Go walk around or train to keep you occupied." The king suggested standing lightly from his decorative chair. "You're making me nervous, just sitting around as you have done for many days now." He dismissed Albel with a swipe of his hand and seated himself once more. Albel sneered and he stood quickly pushing the chair over behind him as he did so. Not even hesitating to pick it up, he left the room grumbling.

Albel walked slowly out from the castle's gates. His regular scowl was now more of a disturbed frown. 'What in the hell do those fools think I'm to do?! There IS nothing to do.' He thought grunting to himself and walking down the cities main road. It wasn't to busy that often, seeing now was even more boring than before Fayt, Cliff, and Mirage had crash landed in the middle of the snowy village. Albel wasn't the type who would naturally complain about things being so damned cold up in the Kingdom of Airglygph, but now was an exception, so he decided to take a lum and a cart to his birth place for some random training of some sort, in Kirlsa.

Nel made her way back into the throne room. "Yes, your majesty?" She bowed, her locks covering her emerald eyes.

"Nel, I have come to a problem..Many fiends have attacked our town of Arias; we can't seem to stop them. They've been attacking villagers and stealing the food. The guards never are able to kill them and sometimes they slip past unnoticed. I don't think we've ever countered something of this such before. I don't know where these monsters have come from, but please Nel will you take care of them for me? I'm sure your do well on your own, but I was thinking..maybe Lord Nox would be a nice hand?"

"Of course you majesty I would do it, but I don't think I would need..him. I can do it by myself-"

"But Nel isn't he a great warrior, and since being that you've both traveled together as companions...?"

"Yes..But.." Nel bit her lip thinking.

"Nel please consider Albel's help?"

Nel sighed and nodded to her queen, "I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Grand, I'll send out a messenger to find him. Considering that Arias is close by to Kirlsa, I'm sure they wouldn't want to be attacked by the same thing."

Nel nodded, "Don't worry about a messenger, I'll find him..myself."

"Thank you Nel, blessed be with the help of Apris." Nel bowed and walked out, on a very dangerous mission..not the fiends but approaching "The Wicked One" himself.

Albel was wandering around outside of Kirlsa, slaying any foolish monster that dared to come his way. His claw was stained and bloody corpses littered the ground. Becoming less amused, he sat down next to a large boulder. Consumed by his boredom, he began to use the blood as a paint to doodle useless pictures on the rock with the crimson paste.Then after swiping his hand across the multiple red drawings he had dumbly created, he leaned his head on the rock and sighed. Glancing at what he had last drawn. Abruptly he smeared it quickly out with his palm and looked away embarrassed. The picture was now just a blur, but only he would have known what it was of. "That wench." he mumbled lowly and slapped his claw on the ground digging it into the loose dirt then letting it slide from his grip back to the earth. His sword leaned upon the boulder to his side...it had been untouched until now, left alone after the last battle alongside the separated team.

Nel who was just now leaving the town of Kirlsa, and into the fields, had saw him from a distance. She couldn't quite understand what he was up too; from far away he looked almost innocent. Nel moved in closer thoughts cracking at her mind. She knew she had to be smart with this man; he always seemed to be so rude. She didn't understand why Fayt trusted him so much. Her fingers slipped on the hilt of her daggers. She didn't know if he would attack her, she couldn't quite trust him. She stopped realizing she had no idea how she was going to ask him on this mission. She became a stone locked in place, he hadn't noticed her yet. She cleared her throat and moved in closer, then again frozen still thinking. She noticed him, and few dead corpses. Maybe she should just go kill the monsters herself? But that might be a bad idea. She argued with herself, and walked in closer once more. "Nox." She greeted him.

He was completely caught off guard when she had appeared, nonetheless, frightened at her sudden speaking. Considering he was just thinking about her anyways. It's as if she damned well came on cue.He stood up rapidly on guard thinking she was some attacker, but then he eased up realizing it was just the last person he had wanted to see ever again. Snatching Crimson Scourge from its resting place and tying it back around himself, he replied to her rudely as he had always done. "Psh, Zelpher. What do you want? Couldn't you see I was in the middle of something?" He snapped at her.

"By the way I look at you now, it doesn't look like much." She said calmly, a hand on her hip. She shifted her weight and watched as his expression turned deadly on her, she tried to ignore the look he was giving her and a muscle in her stomach cramped. "I have come to ask for you help. Even though its not under my own free will why I'm asking, its under the Queens. Fiends are attacking Arias, our guards are having problems eliminating them. That is why WE need your help. " she said, then wishing she hadn't for the look he was giving her was actually giving her the creeps. She held back a shiver and waited for his reply. After about two minutes, he finally said something in his normal low tone.

"Find someone else." Leaning back upon the stone he glanced the other way, hoping she would take that as an answer and leave him be.

Nel only stood and looked at him with certain confusion. She wanted to ask, why? Why was he giving up the chance to cause death especially to some fiends? She thought a moment and came up with the perfect come back, "But the queen has asked purposely for you and only you, besides would you want your kingdom to be attacked by these fiends? From what I've been informed, No one can catch them and they've already sent guards to their graves. I'm sorry for asking this but Albel, why would you give up such an offer..? Aren't your board? Don't give me the, I have plenty of other things to do, because I know you don't. You're just as board as I am." Nel crossed her arms and smirked a little; Satisfied with her words. Albel glared at her.

"And you expect a simple excuse to motivate me, fool? If I am not correct, it's only your villages being attacked by the fiends. If any come here, then I can deal with their pathetic attacks easily." He then added something a bit off topic. "Plus, what would I get If I happened to pity your ignorance a give a helping hand?" A bit of curiosity sparked in his voice.

Nel gave him a tiring glance. "You would get the fulfillment of killing those bloody fiends, but never mind Nox. You don't wish to fulfill my request. Good luck on being bored." She turned around hating herself.. "Great." She said under her breath. She began to walk away; she would do this mission by herself. She didn't need that Glyphain fool anyway. He was just an insult to her every time he said a word to her. Yet something in her chest was telling her to ask again. She refused to let that happen. Yet she was walking away so damn slow. She tried to fasten her pace and stood there still. Something stopping her movement, was it desire? Or was it thinking that he was going to change his mind?

Albel was actually surprised she wasn't still trying to convince him to go. "Bah." Was all he could think to say as she walked away, oddly, at a very slow pace? He crossed his arms and watched her, his attention slowly drifting to places never though he'd stare at upon.

Nel stopped and put a hand to her head, not being able to think clearly now. "Albel?" She asked a bit silently, almost under her breath. She didn't turn around but kept facing the other way. Her fingers massaging the bridge of her nose. She had not a clue what she was doing, her mind was practically screaming at her to SHUT UP.

Albel looked up from where he was once drawn to, now looking at the back of her head. "What?" He said more quietly than normal. Realizing what he was staring at as she walked away gave him dark unwanted fantasies. In which, weren't so unwanted. He waited for her to continue, a confused look on his face. His ruby eyes watching her like a raven.

Nel shook her head, "F-forget it." She stumbled in her speech, wanting to run, but her feet stuck to the grass. Her face was completely red and she looked so lost. She looked forward not daring to look back at him, for she was afraid at what he would say to her expression. Probably laugh... Nel closed her eyes taking in a deep needed breath. She waited for her feet to move, but yet again no movement. "I-I mean..." She started again, but then stopped quickly keeping her mouth quiet. Shut up, Shut up, Shut up...run Zelpher..run. No movement. She was going to hate herself for this. Her heart had started to play in a strange rhythm. She was biting her lip hard causing blood to flow.

Albel's face became distorted as she stuttered. What in the hell is she doing? He questioned himself perking an unseen eyebrow, "Just go Nel." He managed to say without a single crude remark.

Nel started to run off, her face flushed with embarrassment. She wanted to hit herself so hard; as she ran, fiends deciding to surround the woman. She managed to dodge a blow, but one hit her straight on the shoulder creating a crude wound. She winced in pain and took out her dagger, one arm seriously injured to even use. With only one dagger to use she might have been in trouble. She was attack once more, and her dagger flew out of her hand crashing to the rock away from her. She looked around being highly surrounded, she couldn't use any magic, and her arms were of no use. Blood poured from the wound making pools of crimson on the ground.

She 'might' have been in trouble, if someone had not taken out two of the three that were attacking her. Albel severed the two fiends, leaving them as lifeless carcasses on the soil. He spun around Nel, standing in front of her and the third fiend scampered away, acting smart, for it would have met the same demise as its now dead friends. He grew out of his battle stance as it vanished from his sights. He then glared back at the wounded Aquarian spy. "That was awfully unlike you." He said almost in a questionable voice.

Nel didn't dare meet his glare. She just sighed, angry. She held her arm, and started to walk away muttering a light "Thank you." Her mind a spinning mess and her skin now down-right pale. She wouldn't respond to the response of the battle. She just walked away once more from him. Her lips curled into a very unhappy frown. "Albel." She stopped suddenly; her eyes looking towards him. "I want you to fight me right now." She declared, something was clearly wrong with her head. "If I win you will help with this mission.

"

He then looked at her as she turned around and spoke complete nonsense. "Either your out of you mind, or this just happens to be a holiday." He snorted and then laughed under his breath. "Where are you getting at woman? You're hurt, I won't fight you. I don't fight the weak." He asked her placing his claw on his hip and his useful hand lightly on his blade's handle.

Nel only smirked wickedly, "I want to prove I'm so weak. Fight me, Albel the Wicked. Or are you scared? Scared you going to die?" Her voice was taunting in so many ways. It must have bothered him because he now had her by the scarf; his nose touching hers.

"As I said before, I would win anyways. I'm sorry but your tactics aren't always Correct." She said and smirked closing her eyes.

"Zelpher." He said and backed up, leaving towards Kirlsa. Walking away from her without a word, his eyes on the ground. Nel watched him interested, and smiled to herself. "Don't think you've won because you haven't. I'm not helping you." Those were his last words as he was now out of sight.

A/N: What did you think? Did I do a good job? I hope so, and I hope you actually enjoyed this little chapter. Should I keep it going or stop? R&R! I hope to see you on the next update!