This is transferred from the back of my diary.O.O Yeah, I still keep one of those things. Anyway, this story is quite old, transferring it here for no other reason but pure sentiments. Hehe!

Disclaimer: Shadow Hearts and all related characters belong to Sacnoth/Nautilius, Aruze. The fiction and other fancies is mine. :)

(O)White Stockings(O)

Chapter One: The Morning After.

The interior of the crammed laboratory looked like Sheraton Hotel to the weary fighters as they groggily stepped down from the teleporter.

After the defeat of the Meta God, they had feared of finding their way back to earth, but just before the giant platform vanished, Roger's nifty machine transported them back safely.

They found the poor old wrinkled man about to collapse from exhaustion on the giant hamster wheel, his tongue nearly lolling out through panting lips.

Of course Roger would be outraged should he hear them refer to his 'generator' a hamster wheel, but at that moment, they were too tired to say or do anything but seek the most comfortable spot in Roger's laboratory.

"How was it?" The old man asked as the group slowly made their way in the lab.

"If yer looking for god from the nebula blah blah, we sent him packing along with a few souvenirs." Yuri said, flexing his tired wrists. "Now quit yapping Roger, we can discuss all these tomorrow over a little tea party. Right now, we gotta catch a few blinks."

Heedless of the aches in his body, Yuri secured the sleeping couch for Alice, pushing off Halley as the boy was about to lie down on it.

"Move aside scumbag!" Yuri growled wearily, "Where's yer manners? Didn't yer mama ever teach ya the words 'Ladies first?'"

"Yuri!" Alice tugged on his sleeve, all of them were so bone weary, she didn't want the two to start arguing now.

As it was, Halley was clearly too tired to fight back, letting his dirty finger do the talking for him.

"Why you!" The fusionist growled, about to grab the boy with a sudden burst of excess energy. And he would have caught Halley too, if not for Alice who stepped in between them.

"Stop it! We don't need this right now." She said, wondering where on earth Yuri got that much energy. His body felt so tense beneath her hand as if priming for a fight, Alice shook her head with a sigh, struggling to keep her eyelids open. No matter how small, Yuri wanted to be the one to say the last word.

"Let him go." She watched, smiling helplessly when Halley stuck his tongue out at them before climbing up on a table, heedless of the various glass apparatus and other paraphernalia Roger kept there for his experiments. The thought of accidentally breaking the gadgets never bothered the boy and tugging his cap lower to cover his eyes, Halley settled down for the night, curled on his side.

"I swear this place ain't big enough fer the two of us!" Yuri growled grumpily, allowing Alice to pull him down to sit on the couch.

"You can beat him up tomorrow." She said, yawning behind her hand, and then sinking down to lie on the couch with a gratifying sigh.

"You won't try to stop me?" Yuri asked, looking down at her as she closed her eyes. He knew Alice wasn't serious when she murmured 'uh-hmm', she could barely hold her head up, much less know what she's talking about.

He knew the extent of her weariness when she didn't protest when he lay down beside her and snuggled her in his arms, she has never been comfortable when he gets 'too close', but for the moment, she seemed to welcome his nearness. The couch was narrow and too short for him, but he wanted to hold her and assure a secret part of him that still fears for her safety.

She smelled heavenly too him, so soft in his arms and her warmth a simple pleasure that made him smile idiotically when she buried her nose against his neck, tickling him with her breath. His body was beginning to protest the uncomfortable position, but he wasn't about to relinquish his prize.

Suddenly someone propped a chair behind his hips to support his straining body. Yuri looked behind him to see Margarete, who had just turned away.

The added support eased his position, just comfortable enough to let him sleep. He brushed back silky locks of hair from Alice's face, and looked at her sleeping features, he was weary to the bone, but he fought off sleep for a few more moments, simply drinking in her nearness, and the quiet, almost humbling joy she gave him. Of simply being alive with her.

His lips were cracked and dry, and they almost stung when he brushed a kiss on her forehead, but the simple pleasure of feeling her soft skin was worth any discomfort and the idiotic grin was back.

From her corner of the Lab, Margarete fidgeted on the flattened boxes that served as her makeshift bed. Her body was screaming for healing sleep, but her mind won't give her peace.

Where's yer manners? Didn't yer mama ever teach ya the words 'Ladies first?' She could still hear Yuri's voice echoing in her ears. She looked behind her to see the couple who have tried to fit in the narrow couch and felt another twinge of jealousy.

Ladies first huh? She thought, a little derisive smile lining her face. Too bad he could only see one lady. What does that make her? Margarete snorted as she realized what she had been thinking. But she couldn't help it. She's still jealous of Alice, and wished…

Hah! She thought to herself, Miss Spy Genius never pines for any man! Men chase after her, not the other way around! But still…Yuri isn't just any man.

It was futile she knew, the man got eyes only for one. Oh sure, he had made passes at her, but it hurts to think that he's only after her body, not her smiles or her thoughts, not even her companionship. Margarete cringed as she tried to stop the thoughts running in her head.

Men! I don't need them! She thought fiercely. And she had proven this to herself and the world. But she couldn't deny that deep inside, there's a part of her that wants to be treated like a girl, no, not someone helpless…just that extra, gentle consideration for her weaker constitution.

Sure, she can take care of herself…but it sure feels good to have someone worry over her, the same way Yuri wo—

Margarete made a frustrated sound as she shifted to a new position abruptly. She had thought she had no more romantic feelings left, she thought she had outgrown those girly dreams and fantasies…but she is wrong.

Hah! I'm just tired. She reasoned to herself. Tomorrow I won't even remember the things I've thought today.

Weariness finally took their toll and she found herself slowly slipping into sleep. She has never been eager to embrace nothingness as she did in that moment, but a traitorous thought still haunted her before all consciousness fled.

…it would have felt good to have someone hold you, celebrating life with you…especially after a narrow escape from death…

(O)

She would have loved to sleep some more, but her biological clock worked too perfectly even after a day of stress. She sighed at the delicious warmth that cocooned her body, wondering where Yuri found the quilt to warm her through the night.

The breath that fanned her forehead made her eyes fly open. Her eyes went huge at the close proximity of their faces, and the nearly seamless closeness of their bodies locked together. He snored lightly, his eyes still closed in sleep, the dark lashes thick and long as a woman's. He looked so much like a child that the protest died on her lips. His face was smudged with dirt, his hair all tangled, the side of his lips puffy and bruised after sustaining a blow on the face and there were blood stains all over him. He looked like a man dragged from the pits of hell, but never had she found him more compelling than he did now.

In sleep, his usual mocking features were relaxed, not sneering nor taunting, making him even more handsome. There was an air of danger about him that lingered even in repose, but she knew the man beneath the rough, crude exterior, and she knew who he really is, what he is capable of…

Just then he wrapped his leg over her, pulling her closer to him, the blood rushed from her face when she felt a distinct hard shape press against her.

Alice didn't think, driven only by sheer instincts, she pushed him away, her only thought to put a distance between her and the vulgar thing between his legs.

"Aw Shit!" Yuri swore as his sore body absorbed the impact of his fall, rudely waking him up. Too shocked for a moment to do anything, he lay there on the floor and gazed up at the ceiling and wondered what the hell happened to him.

A heartbeat later, he saw her small face peep at him from the couch.

"Alice?" He said, his voice still scratchy from sleep. "You pushed me?" He asked incredulously, as the thought occurred to him.

The heightened pink color on her cheeks betrayed her, and she did look guilty.

But when he would have sat up beside her, Alice gave a little squeak and jumped away from him.

"What?" He asked, wondering what got into her suddenly. He made a show of sniffing his under arms and shrugged. "Hey, I sure don't smell like flowers, but you certainly didn't mind as much last night!"

"Well you didn't have that last night either!" She countered, her violet eyes lightly accusing.

"What are you talking about?" Yuri said, scratching his head in frustration, this isn't certainly how he envisioned waking up this morning.

"I may be younger than you, but I'm not that stupid!" Alice said, her eyes dilating even more when he made a move to reach for her. He had calculated her next move accurately and Alice found herself trapped once more in his arms.

She squirmed, trying to put as much distance between them as she could. Yuri cocked an eyebrow and looked at her.

"What's the matter baby? You act as if you'd catch something from me."

"It's not that." She said.

"Does my smell offend you?" He persisted.

She shook her head, refusing to look at him.

"What then?" Yuri said, a trace of impatience entering his voice.

"You…you…"

"Yes?" He prompted, bringing her closer to his body and nearly swore out loud when she stiffened.

"You were thinking dirty thoughts in your sleep!" Alice said in a rush, not giving herself a chance to lose face and not tell him.

For a moment there was a surprised look in his face before he grinned at her.

"I always think dirty baby, you should know that by now." Yuri said, suddenly amused.

She heard the glee in his voice and she felt indignant. "Well not the ones that make you big!" She said, then longed to kick herself when she heard the words spoken out loud.

"Big?" Yuri repeated, he looked confused for a moment, until the realization dawned on him.

It hurts to laugh but he couldn't help it, not even his bruised lips or aching tummy could stop him from chuckling.

"Yuri Hyuga don't you dare laugh at me!" Alice said indignantly, pinching his side a tad too hard.

Yuri winced, but his wicked grin remained in place. "I won't be laughing baby, if only you'd tell me what this is all about."

He waited for her to say something, though he knew already what she meant, he couldn't resist teasing her. He liked it when her temper's up, she could do something she normally wouldn't.

"Well?" he prompted when she remained quiet.

"Between your legs…there was…there was…" Too embarrassed to continue, her words trailed off, her cheeks burning. "Never mind! Let's forget all about it."

"What about the pecker in my pants?" He said, grinning harder when she stiffened.

"Ahhhh…" He said gravely, rubbing his lips against her hair, holding her in place when she would have left him. "Maybe…just maybe it wasn't dirty thoughts that made me big this morning…maybe…I've been…you know…feeling you up while you were asleep…"He suggested wickedly.

"Yuri!" Alice gasped, shocked at the thought. Her reaction had been all he had expected and he smiled wolfishly, finally relenting.

"Baby, baby, sweet, innocent baby." He said, pulling her closer to him, "Didn't yer mama ever teach ya anything about men sweetheart?…A man is always 'big' in the morning, it's a fact of life, as reliable as the twenty four balls of the twelve apostles."

He earned the sharp jab of her elbow at his side, cutting off his wicked laughter.

"Oh go away!" She said, but he could see her lips trembling as she tried to keep herself from smiling.

"Yuri!" She protested when he continued nuzzling her neck, making her skin break out in goose bumps. "Yuri let go! I need a bath and—"

"Oh, what a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing…mayhap we can bathe together huh?"

Before she could voice her outrage another joined the fray.

"Why don't you two just get a room and be done with it?" Halley said, perched from the table, lazily stretching his arms with a yawn before scratching his side with a satisfied grin.

Yuri longed to throttle the young Londoner, it seems their companions are just fond of butting their noses in at the most inappropriate times! Knowing that the moment was broken, he released Alice and turned towards the boy who had just hopped down.

"I got a score to settle with you boy." Yuri said as he stood up.

"Oh yeah? Sure, bring it on." Halley said, brushing back the long fringes from his face and then positioning his cap back in place.

"Boys, boys not today please." Margarete said suddenly. "Can't you all see I'm still trying to catch up on with my beauty sleep?" She turned away with a grunt and closed her eyes once more.

"I'm going to take my bath." Alice declared, wrinkling her nose at her unkempt appearance. "You boys can take it outside."

"Aren't you gonna follow her?" Halley asked the older man as Yuri stared after Alice.

"Brat!" He said, swiping an arm over his head which Halley deftly dodged with his own brand of wolfish grin

(O)