Beautiful
Written by: zhakeena

Disclaimer: Ragnarök: Into the Abyss was created by Myung Jin Lee.

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"Fenris… yoo-hoo, Fenris? You there?"

Fenris snapped out of her reverie. Blinking, she suddenly realized that Iris' waving hand was blocking most of her view. "Yes, Iris?" she asked.

Iris pouted at her. "I was asking you a question. Why aren't you focused today? It's unusual," she replied irritably.

The warlock looked down. "Sometimes it happens, Iris. What were you asking me about?"

"Uhm… I forgot," Iris answered, blushing. Fenris sighed. "Hey! It's your fault! Now you got me curious! What were you thinking about, anyway?"

What was she thinking about? Her eyes wandered over to the other side of the camp. Specifically, to where he stood, watching over the area. "… nothing important." She answered.

The cleric, this time, sighed impatiently. "If it got you to lose yourself like that, it has to be something important. Meh, I doubt that I could understand it anyway, because it probably concerns your past, right?" She stood up. "Just don't be so… not there when the enemies attack, 'kay? What if Sara flies over here and tries to kill us again?"

Fenris shook her head and smiled at her. "It's possible, but unlikely to happen."

"Ah well," Iris turned around and the moment she spotted Chaos, she hopped over to him and began flirting.

Fenris tried to keep a straight face as she found herself watching the two of them. Stop thinking so badly of her, Fenris… she's your friend. Probably one of the best, she tried to tell herself.

Yes… but that's what hurts the most… She took one last look at Chaos, not being sure whether she'd like him to remember all of his past as Balder sooner or not. Why do things have to be so complicated?

She knew that the best thing to do would be to look away, to stop more negative things to enter her mind. But her gaze shifted over to the assassin, still guarding them silently, ready in case anything or anyone would attack them.

Her thoughts went back to the assassin silently watching over the area again.

He's such a mystery, she thought.

What is it about him that had Fenris so perplexed? She reasoned that her uneasiness around him might be just her imagination.

But sometimes she convinces herself that she has a perfectly good reason to be curious.

Now and then, she feels his eyes on her, watching her move. Sometimes she'd catch him looking at her with something she can't describe… Suspicion? Loki probably wasn't the type to trust people that easily.

Pity? Fenris sighed again. She knew that he was observant enough to know about her feelings for Chaos. But why would he care? That didn't make sense for someone like him.

Maybe he just feels an obligation to watch over us all. I know that he's protective of everyone.

Well, maybe except Lidia. There was practically no need to watch over her, since she was always clinging to him, as if she'd be attacked by something hiding in a tree if she wasn't beside Loki. Even though he never shows any real human emotion, everyone knows that he's very much annoyed.

But Fenris really couldn't say that Loki never showed emotion besides anger…

That time at the airship. She was falling to her death… but he rescued her in the nick of time. He probably did it because he felt an obligation to and he acted on instinct. But as he held her hand there, she had one chance to look at his green eyes—something flashed there… Fear? Maybe for her, because she nearly died?

She snapped out of her thoughts again when she felt those eyes again. She turned around—this time, he was definitely looking at her. "Loki?"

He didn't exactly respond, but said, "You're not yourself today, are you?"

Fenris shook her head. "Maybe so… but there's no need for worry. Is there anything wrong?"

Loki gestured over Chaos, Iris, Lidia and Sessy, who were watching the lizards-on-sticks cook. "It's time to eat. Apparently, you didn't notice since you were lost in your thoughts. Very unusual for you, Fenris," he said.

Fenris stood up and dusted herself. "I've told Iris that it happens sometimes…" She stopped when she noticed that Loki wasn't moving, as if he were suspicious. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Loki shook his head. "Nothing."

Such a mystery, indeed… They walked towards the rest of the group, who waved their food at them.

"Lights out."

Fenris lay down on her sleeping bag, flipping her now accessory-free hair over her shoulders. She listened to the sounds of the others wrapping themselves in their blankets, mumbling their 'good-nights' to each other, and grunts as they tried to fall asleep. Silence eventually surrounded them, with only the sounds of the forest at night and Sessy's purrs.

She lay on her side, her eyes wide open. Loki was on guard duty tonight. And at nights like these, she usually found it very uneasy to sleep.

But tonight, the stars twinkling on them were mesmerizing… the moon was shining brightly, as if singing her a lullaby.

Eventually, she felt her eyes getting heavy. She didn't struggle at all to stay awake, this time.

Her breath evened, and her dreams began.

Once he sensed that she was finally asleep, Loki turned to her. She lay next to Iris, who was mumbling incoherent sentences in her sleep.

He looked at her face. And started to wonder if she'd notice him watching over her all those times. I'm sure she has, one way or another.

The reason why he does that, though, is simply because… she fascinated him.

She's such a mystery.

He went over to her and sat next to her. She was practically chewing some strands of her hair in her mouth. Doing something that was unlike him, he gently tucked the strands behind her ear.

Fenris smiled in her sleep.

His eyes widened and he instantly looked away. Yes… fascinating indeed.

He let himself gaze at the moon. There might be a long night ahead of him.

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Author's notes: Waaah! It's so haaard! This thing sucks beans! o I'm really not a romance writer, but I can't let this idea go for some odd reason… I hope I got them all in character, though. It's soooo hard!

I don't like the ending of this one at all. Oh, yeah, before I forget:

Lizards-on-sticks, in RO terms, would probably be Monster's Feed. That's what I imagine travelers like them eat. Yum yum!

Watch out for my next fic… a Sara/Skurai! WAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! (Oh lord what was I thinking…?)