They Tore Down the Barriers.

It just felt complete. Everything the fought for -
those things seemed like they went to waste. But the both of them
shared something to make up for it.

Adell x Rozalin

Disclaimer: I do not own Adell, Rozalin or anything related to Disgaea, Disgaea 2, nor am I affiliated with NIS.

"Sooo... Adell..."

Hanako looked at him mischievously, swinging the hanging lamp in the room so it would look like one of those interrogation scenes in movies. Adell looked at his sister sharply, crossing his arms and frowning. What is it that she wants now?

"Sooo... Adell..." she repeated, slapping the table with her palms and facing her brother as if he did the worst crime imaginable. Adell sighed. Whenever Hanako did this, he knew she wanted to ask him something. And when Hanako swung the lamp hanging above their dining table, he knew well that she was going to ask him something big. But she never asked him something that caught him off guard. At least, not yet.

"Remember yesterday?"

"What about it?" Adell said, studying his sister, who resumed strutting around the table and Adell with her hands behind her back. She grinned widely.

"You kissed Rozy."

Adell frowned, but beads of sweat instantly trailed down his head. He wanted to avoid the subject, he desperately did. It's a good thing Rozalin was still asleep, regaining energy from being taken over by her true form. He did not want discussions about it. He, himself, didn't know why he did it exactly. It just... happened. He gave no thought whatsoever when he kissed her, and there were definitely no regrets, but right now, he didn't want to hear a word about it. And here Adell was, being interrogated by his sister. He was relieved, at least, to know that Taro wasn't around or it would be twice the trouble.

"Why did you kiss Rozy, hmmm?" Hanako launched herself on the table and looked her older brother straight in the eye. Adell felt an eerie stinging sensation run down his spine.

"I... It was necessary."

"And how is kissing your... enemy, as you call her, necessary?"

"Hey, if I didn't kiss her, we'd all be dead by now!"

"Hmmm..." Hanako stroked her chin. "Fair enough." She jumped off the table, and swung the lamp one more time (she found it incredibly amusing) before heading to the door. "I still think you like her." She grinned and hopped out.

"Tch. Kids."

Deep in his mind, though, he found himself questioning Hanako's very statement. Did he like Rozalin? From the very start, he swore he'd protect her until she returned safely to her father, and both were in agreement that the contract for the summon would be so until she went back. A lot had happened since then. They swore they're enemies, but would be civil to each other just so he could fulfill his promise to her. He snorted, stood up, and pushed the chair back to the table. But did he, really? Did he like her? Or maybe even more? Why would he even think of kissing her that time? It seemed the most unlikely thing to do, what with Rozalin being so powerful and in a fit of rage and about to fry them off with her attacks. If he was in his right mind, would he even entertain the thought of hugging his sworn enemy, much less kissing her? And yet, it felt like the best thing to do that time.

His promise was to defeat Overlord Zenon, so everyone could get back to being human. But all his reason for defeating him was lost, ever since he discovered that Rozalin WAS Zenon. And his excitement for the fight and the ferocity that came with it was dumped, too. Yet, despite losing these, he didn't feel hopeless. It just sort of washed over him that kissing her was the right thing to do. It was. But there were some... unwanted benefits that tagged along. He closed the door to the dining room, still thinking about the kiss and if he liked - or loved - Rozalin.

Hanako giggled as she watched her older brother stare into space until he finally went off to sleep in his room. Hanako punched the air triumphantly the second he was out of sight. I won the bet! Ohhh, I hope Tardo's got something really nice for me.

Adell, having slept for six hours straight, stood in front of their house. He couldn't sleep anymore, and decided to stay out for now while everyone in the house slept. Adell couldn't take off his mind Hanako's words. "I still think you like her."

Did he? Well, he did. Over the days they had spent together tracking down the apparent Overlord Zenon and him trying to get Rozalin back home safely as he promised, she grew on him. Sure, in the beginning, they were less civil than the Axis and Allied powers, but there was something in Rozalin that finally made Adell break off that initial conception that she was a completely haughty and unsociable brat. At times, she would remind him of this attitude, but she showed her seemingly vulnerable and open side to him as time went by. And it was a crazy idea, but he thought that, by some chance, her attitude was all just an act. Did she like him too?

It struck him, then, that he did like her. Why? Something about her. Her bratty attitude. Her bossiness. And the way she looked and felt dependent on him at times. And how... how she struggled to fight the Overlord in her when Adell hugged her.

He liked her, not in a way that they were friends. No. Something more, perhaps? But Adell was holding back. That kiss was... necessary. But he did love how it felt. How, for a short while, the sweet bliss of taking down the barriers that shielded his mind and heart and letting her feel this, feel him, was much more important than taking down the Overlord him- herself.

Adell hugged himself, the cold gnawing through his bones. He wanted to go inside- his body told him to- but his subconscious screamed to him that, no, he shouldn't go inside yet. He sighed. Adell hated realizations - when he realizes something, he tends to ponder, to think. And this was probably the worst realization he had yet.

"Adell?"

Rozalin stood at the doorway, still pale and weak, but she stood there, a blanket draped over her shoulders.

"Rozalin?" Adell was surprised, of course, but was pleased somehow to see her here. "What are you doing up so late? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, thank you for asking. As to why I'm up so late... I can't sleep. I woke up an hour ago, but I can't sleep."

Rozalin's knees trembled. She almost fell down, but Adell, quick with his movements, caught her in time and straightened her up. Their eyes met and a spark, eerie but pleasing, coursed down Adell's spine. He looked away, red-faced.

"Adell? I... wanted to talk to you about something."

"What?" He didn't need to ask it, but he so wanted to avoid the topic.

"Adell, you... You didn't fight back." Not yet. Not that thing yet.

"I told you, Rozalin. I'm going to protect you. It's a promise."

"Don't make a promise you cannot keep. It's a foolish thing to do."

"I'll keep it. Trust me," he said. And looked into her eyes again. Rozalin, too, felt a spark. It was her turn to be red-faced.

"You kissed me, Adell."

He nodded.

"Why?" She wanted to know.

Adell didn't know why. Was it because it was necessary? But if it was, why, of all things that he could do to pacify her, why a kiss? He could pin her down, tie her up, try to shake her out of her trance. But a kiss? Adell knew he acted purely on impulse. On what his heart told him. On what he felt was the best thing to do that time. Kiss her.

The wind picked up. He didn't know he did it, but he pulled Rozalin closer to him. Rozalin was wide-eyed, her face a much more shocking shade of pink than the faint traces of color that spread across her cheeks just a little while before. "Adell..."

"I... don't know. It just felt like... I had to do it," he answered bluntly. What else was there to say? He told her the truth, did he not? Rozalin just nodded. Adell felt stupid, saying it. He never felt stupid before. "Rozalin, it's like that. I promised you I'd protect you. Even if my life is taken away from me. I promised you. That's just my style." And he hugged her. Rozalin hugged back. Never in her life had she felt this... safe. And wanted.

It broke down everything she stood for - her status, her superiority over everyone, how she simply cannot be involved with such simpletons - but her heart spoke over everything. Her heart. And Rozalin never felt freer in her life. As she embraced him tight, as if she never wanted to let go, she let the words slip out of her mouth, as smooth as glass, as clear as the day.

"I love you."

"Rozalin, I..." Adell stared at her. Stared at her eyes. He smiled. "Trust this."

It didn't feel better the second time around, but it was enough to satisfy both their hearts and finally (and for good) take down the walls they used to hide themselves from each other. Because, at the course of their journey, Rozalin built up enough trust to allow Adell to keep his promise, no matter how foolish it was. And with this foundation, everything Adell did for her just added up, until she realized that she needed him. That she loved him. Even if she told everyone that she and Adell were enemies, and how absurd it was for them to be friends, much more if they loved each other. But her heart (and his, too) dictated otherwise. Because as they shared they second kiss together, everything felt complete. As if trying to find and eventually defeat the Overlord finally served its purpose, though not how the two of them (or everyone else, for that matter), expected to. How their first kiss and this kiss felt right, after finding out that the Zenon they were chasing down was nothing but a fake. How everything just felt right. How she DID trust this.

"Rozalin, I love you too."

It was perfect.

A/N: So that was it. First time to write an AdellxRozalin fic, and I'm sure it won't be my last. By this time, I'm thinking of following up a sort of sequel to this. Maybe comedy, rated M perhaps? So yeah. Comments and crits would be more than welcome.