Closing the Gaps

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Hey everyone, x24_GHOST_42x here, now Onyxrie, back with another story and more opportunities to meet my imaginary-virtual-public punishments for excessive delays in uploading new chapters. Feels like forever ago that I stopped writing my last fanfic, and even longer ago that I started it. I'm happy to inform you, for those weirdos among you that actually care, that I'm now a freshman in college, so yeah, that's a thing… and a legitimate reason for not updating regularly.

Oh wait… this is a one-shot.. Aww yeah, no updates means no punishment for late updates! Hip hip horray! That being said this is my first one-shot, so be nice, but criticize all you want. Constructive criticism makes for, um… good buildings?

So the idea for this story *spoiler-ish-stuff* comes from the Hope and Lightning (from final fantasy 13… but you already knew that) couple dynamic thingy that just works because it doesn't work. But at the same time is still awesome and weird but you don't care because it's so damn cute. I completely lost my train of thought, but hopefully you get the point.

On to the stuff people actually care about!

Growing up on the coastline of Hamel made Chung used to the cool breezes which rolled off the waves and the smell of the sea. Compared to where he was now even the deserts of Bethma were more like his home. The underground garden was hot, damp, dimly lit, fully enclosed, and offered no escape from the stench of poisonous plants. Of all the places he had traveled through with the ElTeam this was surely the worst. But walking through the garden with his favorite archer made the place... tolerable.

The ElTeam had ventured into the garden the past few days, fighting the mutant plants and demons that infested the place. Allegro had given them the task of collecting samples of the hostile plants so that he could find a way to defeat them and stop them from spreading outside the garden. The weakness he had found involved finding and killing more plants, the three overlords. To speed up the process Eve had suggested that the team break off into pairs to search the maze like garden, and so the shooting guardian and wind sneaker had ended up together.

Chung followed Rena across a large root that made a bridge between two hanging platforms. The waters far below glowed turquoise, whether that glow came from the water or something in it Chung didn't care to find out. As the two made their way to the next platform Chung admired the elf in front of him. He couldn't place the exact moment when he had noticed how mesmerizing she was, but he figured it couldn't have been long after the two had first met. He was fourteen then, looked very much like a kid, and had been much weaker in a number of ways. She had been there for him, strong and caring. He loved the time they spent together, how she would laugh at his stupid antics. Then he thought back to the hopelessness of what Elsword had latter called a crush. Not only was Rena visibly older than he was, she was an elf, which meant she could have easily lived his lifetime a few times over. As Elsword had put it, "that's not an age gap, that's an age black hole". On its own the age difference wasn't all that bad, it was how Rena saw him because of it that was problematic. Ever since the ElTeam had found Chung, Rena had treated him like a little kid, like her kid. Apparently she had done the same to Elsword and Aisha when they were younger, and hadn't stopped until they were almost eighteen. But Chung's problems didn't end there, because Elsword had told him that he was pretty sure that Raven and Rena liked each other, and Chung didn't even want to think about crossing the blade master. So here he was, stuck staring after her longingly, forced to wait things out or get over her, and he didn't really want to do either.

Noticing a flash of something on a ledge up ahead Chung quickly snapped out of his day dreaming and self-pity session. He recognized the shadowed outline of the figure on the ledge instantly, but he had noticed the assassin too late. The ElTeam had been warned of Proxy, a glitter assassin whose skills with the bow and agility were feared by the Feita knights. The flash he had seen had been the shining tip of an arrow being released from Proxy's bow. As the arrow speed towards Rena Chung lowered his cannon, dashing forward and releasing a blast behind him without a second thought.

At the sound of Chung's cannon firing Rena spun around to see him flying towards her. Before she could react further Chung grabbed her by the waist with his free hand and tackled her to the platform they had been walking to. Rolling away from Chung, Rena looked around to see what was going on and noticed the hooded glitter nocking another arrow. Before Proxy could lift his bow into position Rena had conjured and sent a magic arrow his way. Having already taken down one target Proxy ducked away from the ledge into the shadows, avoiding the volley of arrows aimed his way.

Seeing Proxy fleeing from his vantage point Rena turned her attention to Chung who was lying sprawled out, face down, with the arrow Proxy had shot at her sticking out the back of his right shoulder. Rushing to the blonde Rena took a look at the arrow in his shoulder, afraid that Proxy had used one of his poisoned arrows. Seeing hints of green liquid mixed with Chung's blood confirmed Rena's fears. Rena checked Chung's expression, slightly relieved that he was unconscious.

"Sorry Chung, at least you won't feel anything right now" She whispered, more to herself than her comrade, before pulling the arrow out of Chung, using magic to singe the area where the arrow had been so he wouldn't bleed out. Without an antidote Rena needed to get the poison out of Chung, and fast, but not until they were in a safer place. Draping Chung's arms over her shoulders Rena picked up the shooting guardian and started heading back to where she had seen a small inlet. She glanced at Chung's heavy cannon, making a mental note to come back for it later before setting off with Chung.

The path back to the inlet was still clear of demons and mutated plants from when Rena and Chung had passed through the first time. Rena placed Chung against the wall opposite the entrance and bent some of the foliage to hide them from any glitters an mutated plants wandering the area. Then turning back to the still unconscious Chung she set to work on healing him.

Quickly stripping him of his armor she used her magic to force as much of the poison back out of Chung and boost his body's ability to resist what was left. Then she rolled him over in her lap so she could force the potions down to replenish the blood he had lost. As he lay unconscious he appeared asleep and peaceful, dare she say cute. It was then that she glanced at the toned muscles of his chest and abs, the dangerous thoughts that polluted her mind breaking free from the bottle she has stuffed them into. As the last of contents of a potion slid out and into Chung's mouth Rena hurriedly put the teen's armor back on, aware of the burning sensation in her checks that threatened to take over her.

Still holding Chung, Rena thought to herself "I'm pretty messed up aren't I Chung? Here I am, acting like your guardian, looking after you but thinking...that sort of thing about you." Rocking Chung gently in her arms Rena continued to wander down her path of self-resentment, knowing where it would lead but continuing all the same. "You look up to me, respect me, I know that. But I wonder if I deserve that from you, hiding these thoughts. I'm not as perfect as you want to believe." Then she felt a lone tear that had welled up break and began its slide down her cheek. She hadn't realized she had started crying, but now there wasn't much left to stop her. "But why can't it be ok? Is it wrong to be... to feel the way I do? And if it is, aren't I only hurting us both, going on pretending like I am?" She wondered, the tears falling onto Chung's sleeping face now. "I'm not even sure I know what I feel, and I don't know why It's this way, but I know what it means. It means I want to be with you in the sort of way I know I shouldn't, or at least that's what the elders would have said. And if I could still hear the spirits, would they agree? Would they damn me for this? And what about you Chung, would you still accept me if you knew?" She thought in her mind, the flow of tears finally slowing as she opened her eyes to stare into his light blue eyes that gleamed slightly in the dim light that pierced through the mess of plants. Wait... That wasn't right... Chung was unconscious, wasn't he?

"It's ok Rena, whatever it is that's troubling you, it won't change how I feel about you." Chung whispered, his voice straining slightly. Rena blushed slightly at his words, "I guess I was thinking out loud" she thought.

Turning away she asked timidly, "How much did you hear?"

"Just the bit about still accepting you… why?" He asked, he hadn't moved an inch. Rena decided to change the subject before it got any further.

"Chung, are you feeling ok? Proxy used a poisoned arrow, but I don't know what effects it had."

"I feel fine… but I don't think I can move." He answered, smiling nervously. Then a thought shot through Rena's mind: she could use this situation. But that wasn't really being fair to him, not letting him have the option of running away. Then again, it wasn't like she had ever been fair to him. Turning back to the blonde in her arms she swallowed down all her fears and second thoughts for a moment. He deserved to hear what she had to tell him, but not now, but timing be damned, she was going to tell him.

"Chung I… there's something I need to tell you. Something that I've…" She fought back more thoughts of backing out while she still could. "...been keeping from you."

"Wait, Rena I…" Chung spoke up, but Rena cut him off.

"Chung please, let me do this." She pleaded, locking eyes with him. If he wasn't paralyzed she was sure he would have nodded slowly. "You're really important to me, and I really enjoy the time we spend together, but it's not in the same way as the others." Unable to continue locking eyes with Chung Rena turned away. "I, can never seem to get you out of my head and… I guess what I'm trying to say is that I…I…" Rena stuttered, everything in her head blurring together into one confusing mess as she struggled to finish what she was saying. "I… I'm sorry Chung."

No, dammit! That wasn't right, that wasn't what she wanted to tell him. Well maybe it was, but it wasn't all of it. She opened her mouth to try again breathing out…

"Rena I… If you're saying what I think you're saying then, I feel that way too." Chung said, a hint of confidence in his normally shy voice. Rena turned back to see him giving one of his cheerful smiles, and she answered his smile by pulling him into a tight hug.

"Chung I'm… I'm so glad" She managed, her voice catching in her throat as she felt her eyes watering up again. "The lack of sleep this past week must really be getting to me" she thought.

The two sat in their embrace for what felt like hours, maybe it was hours, just letting everything sink in. Then Rena felt arms wrap around her, and she pulled away from Chung slightly.

"Are you…"

"I think the paralysis has worn off." Chung said, brushing a strand of hair behind Rena's ear as if asking for permission. Rena smiled slightly to answer, leaning into Chung. And in an instant the gap between them closed.

"Well DAMN! If the two of you wanted to make out you could have just told us, we've been looking all over this dump for HOURS!" Elsword boomed, sounding annoyed and exited at the same time. Eve promptly smacked him in the back of the head and Aisha ushered him away from the entrance while he mumbled curses at the nasod queen.

"We need to go." Raven said simply, arms crossed as he stood in the entrance to the inlet.

"R-right" Rena said, helping Chung up, the paralysis still causing his legs to be tight although now movable. The two explained their run in with Proxy, their faces flushed with red.

"We'll come back for Chung's cannon after everyone recovers." Raven said, knowing the group would need to be at their best to fight Proxy and the other glitters. "For now let's just get back to camp." Raven finished, giving one of his rare smiles, before adding "I guess we've got a spare tent now." He turned and left, not needing to see Chung and Rena's reaction to know what it looked like.

0o0o0

Eve's log:

Explorations of the underground garden yielded no new results. The location of the plant overlords is still unknown. Recent battles have shown that the new code remains an effective upgrade to previous combat modes.

Side note: Today Chung discovered that his Silver Shooter is more than just a side-arm. Also Chung and Rena seem to be more than just friends, I'll need to further consult Aisha for information about human relations. Also Raven has continued to show signs of stability with his nasod arm, but I wish he would allow me to continue to monitor it.

So that was a thing… let me know in the comments if you liked the story and whatnot.

Note: I wrote a lot of this during breaks between classes on my phone, so if things seem to shift moods or something that would be why.

Another note: Please go check out my deviant art account (just search for Onyxrie and I should come up) for the artwork used for this fanfiction. I'm thinking about either drawing more scenes from this or doing a full blown doujinshi, so let me know if you are interested in seeing either one. Or not, it's cool… I'll just go cry in a corner while I do sit ups to get buff.

Thanks for reading.