Start a Fire

by L'Archel-Hotishi

Songfic. Emil and Marta are engaged to be married, which leads to a interesting conversation about their future together and...maybe a kiss or two. Shameless fluff. Emil x Marta, spoilers for the end of KoR.

Title: Start a Fire

Pairing: Emil x Marta

Songfic: Start a Fire – Ryan Star

Rating: T

Disclaimer: The Tales series and characters belong to Namco, not me.

Author's Notes: "After the Sun Shined" will be updated soon…sorry for the wait! I've been so busy…I just went on a road trip to New Jersey and New York, and I'm exhausted! XD
But…I'm not too exhausted to write a fluffy one-shot! Please, enjoy the fanfic and make sure to listen to this song. It's my favorite, hahaha!

Spoilers for end of game.

-START-

I remember when you said your father's asleep
I remember swimming as our clothes drifted off to sea.

Emil woke up next to his beloved fiancée, Marta Lualdi, and smiled tenderly at the peaceful expression on her face. The expression she had while she slept was one of the small things Emil treasured most of all in his new life on Earth. Even when she had a rough day and ended up snoring through the entire night, the blonde boy couldn't help but smile at how silly, and yet, how pretty she always looked.

For the past few months, the couple had slept peacefully in their small house in Luin, trying to adjust to life and soon-to-be newlyweds. Marta slept especially well because her father, Brute, had recently been taken to Meltokio's prison for his crimes under the influence of Solum's Core, and his sentence was much more merciful had the two had ever expected. In another two years, Marta could be with her father again.

It was easy to see just how thrilled she was by the court's ruling. Before, during the groups' journey to gather all the Centurion's cores, the blue-eyed maiden always seemed to have nightmares. She would writhe, gasp, and whimper, sometimes long into the late hours of the night. Since Emil had been sleeping with her, she'd become calmer and more relaxed. Knowing that maybe he'd brought a little comfort to his fiancée's life made him feel elated beyond words.

"Marta…" he whispered tenderly, brushing the back of his hand along her jaw line.

So wake up, wake up dreaming,
And lie here with me,

"Huh?" she asked, raising her head from her pillow and rubbing an eye. "E-Emil? Hello…" she whispered, with just enough lilt in her voice to make the mint-eyed boy blush. "Is something wrong? It's…pretty early to be waking me up like that, you know?" she said with a sweet giggle.

Emil couldn't help but stare at her smile in awe, and allowed his hand fall on top of hers.

So wake up, wake up dreaming,
And lie here with me.

"No, I…just wanted to say your name all of a sudden…sorry," he muttered, embarrassed by his overtly awkward actions. It was painfully obvious how new Castagnier was to the concept of romance and being engaged. He knew Marta would always love him for who he was, but he still wanted to be the charming knight from her dreams. "I don't know what got into me…"

The last syllables were spoken so softly that Emil was unsure he'd even said anything.

She titled her head to the side, trying to decipher the faint voice coming from Emil's lips. "Oh…don't worry. It's okay…" she said soothingly. "I'll always love you, so don't think you need to impress me all the time!" She patted him on the head and gave him a bear hug, pulling Emil's head close to her chest.

Here we go,
Just lose control and let your body give in,

"Wait…are you saying I never impress you?" he asked in a panicked voice and comically wide eyes. Lualdi shushed him by pulling Emil closer with one hand and using another to pinch his arm violently. "Ouch! Hey…."

"Emiiiiiiil…." She whistled his name pleasantly, but by the tone of her voice, she seemed to be annoyed. "I'm hugging your head against my breasts! Aren't you going to act on it and, you know…make a pass at me?"

Things hadn't changed at all.

"Huh? How did this start? All I did was call your name, and now we're talking about…" he trailed off, turning red in the face. One would have thought that at least one of them had matured a little by

"We're engaged, Emil! I love it when you kiss me, but that's all we do!" she ranted, her cheeks turning pink as she clenched her fists together. "We should be doing more romantic things together…besides kissing and holding hands. You know what I mean?"

To tell the truth, he had no idea what she meant.

"Say something!" she fumed, lunging against him so hard that the messy strands of brown hair that framed her face swaying to and fro, in sync with her jerky movements. "Tenebrae isn't here…tell me what you're thinking, right now! Tell my all your deepest, darkest feelings…tell me what you feel in your heart when you look at me…when we're together."

"My…heart…?"

To the beat,
Of your heart as my hand touches your skin,

"Yeah…" she said, pulling the covers off the rest of her body and scooting close to Emil, eyelashes fluttering. "Won't you, please?"

He was silent for a few seconds, lost in his own thoughts. What could he possibly say? Marta was the single most important thing in the world to him, and he'd rather die a million times over than see her suffer for a single moment. She was his most cherished treasure and it bothered him greatly that his fiancée thought that their limited choice of activities were because of any lapse of emotion on his part. Emil wasn't sure what he wanted to say but, as his hand reached out to cup her neck, he figured that there wasn't much to say anyway.

Is this love
Or,
Just sexual desire…

"E…Emil? What are you?" she asked before Emil leaned in and pressed their lips together feverishly, the moonlight cloaking their kiss in a delicate shade of translucent ivory.

We're gonna start a fire!

"Marta…I don't think we need to do all that," he commented as their lips disconnected for a brief second. "I mean…I think the kisses we share together mean more than anything else, because they show trust. I don't think either of us are ready for the next step," he said slowly, watching for any signs of outrage. When he saw none, he dared to continue.

"I…" he began slowly, "I don't want to take away your innocence if you change your mind about me."

"Change my mind! I could never—" Marta shouted out, ready to oppose the argument when her fiancée pressed two, slightly tanned fingers against her lips. When she stared up into his eyes, they sparkled honestly, like two emeralds. The sight almost looked angelic, even within the dark room, and it was at that moment that Lualdi realized that the love she shared with this man wasn't just based off appearances or superficial matters…he cared about the core of her existence. Her mind, her feelings, her fears…he treated them all with respect she'd never seen before.

I remember drinking as the stars were falling,
I remember dancing on the hotel's unmade bed.

"Even though we're engaged, I want to make sure everything is perfect when the time is right. You're innocence, your childlike attitude…if we rush things, I'll feel guilty if I'm the one who causes them to vanish…" he admitted. Marta hadn't realized she'd begun to cry.

Emil looked off into space for a brief moment then brought Marta close to him, squeezing her tenderly, their legs splayed out across the wrinkled sheets.

So wake up, wake up dreaming,
And lie here with me,
So wake up, wake up dreaming,
And lie here with me.

"I want to make sure that I'm worthy to be your husband…the one to take your purity, because that's what my future wife deserves. She deserves…to have everything absolutely perfect."

Here we go,
Just lose control and let your body give in,
To the beat,
Of your heart as my hand touches your skin,
Is this love
Or,
Just sexual desire,

Marta's hands flew to her mouth in attempt to muffle her cries of happiness. Emil laughed and kissed away her tears, telling her that what he thought wasn't anything special…that he was certain any man would want to take care of their wife in such a fashion.

Marta knew he was wrong. The way Emil treated her was indefinitely special. To Emil, love wasn't something to be given away to just anybody…her happiness came first. A lot of other guys would have jumped at the opportunity to take advantage of her naïve personality…but not him.

…And she loved him for it.

"I love you so much!" she wailed, pushing her face into the crook of his neck. "There's no way anybody could be as nice to me as you are…Emil…I love you…" she repeated sweetly, smiling through the tears that flooded down her face.

We're gonna start a fire!

Castagnier sighed in response to Marta's words. "Marta…I'll always protect you, okay? Even if you discover you don't really love me."

Marta shook her head. "I had crushes on other boys…maybe even I loved ratatosk…but I know I love you more than I could ever love them. Don't ever, ever forget that…promise me…"

"Marta…"

Taking chances in the back of your car,
We burn and on my radio is Rocking in a Free World,

"Promise me, Emil…" she begged, her warm tears dripping down his collar. She reached up and grasped the teen's pajama shirt, her fingers clenched so tightly her nails almost shredded the flimsy fabric. Castagnier could feel Marta's warm, throbbing hear against his, their hips pressed together passionately and their fingers starting to intertwine. Emil leaned in a planted a kiss on her temple, cheek, and finally, her mouth. Marta moaned and gasped, reclining on the comforter and arching her back into the older teen's affectionate touches.

Emil held her close, lips connected passionately, refusing to let her go until both were out of breath. Of course, Lualdi didn't mind in the slightest. Emil's arms were safe haven, her paradise. She relished in his taste and scent, almost speechless from the ecstasy her mind and body felt. "Oh…Emil…"

S.O.S.
So obsessed,
Oh you make me such a mess,

"Hey Marta…"

"Yeah, Emil?" the blue-eyed girl asked, looking over her shoulder and seeing the blonde man standing behind her, bathed in the orange glow of the sunset they were currently watching. Earlier that day, the man had invited her out on a date to one of their favorite places; Palmacoasta's bridge. There, they had been reunited after their long journey through the Ginnugagapp, and also, it marked the beginning of their new life. "The sunset is so beautiful," she commented, letting the ocean breeze tease her long hair. "I could stare at it forever."

Castagnier chuckled handsomely and stepped alongside her so he could dangle his arms over the edge of the pier. The sun warmed his face, and the mist from the sea felt amazing on his skin. After letting out a sigh, he turned and said, "I wanted to bring you back here, since it's the place where we first met and all. Do you like it?"

"First met?"
Marta turned to him, genuinely puzzled. Then she had an epiphany and found herself blushing in embarrassment at her folly. Sure, she'd met her current love at Lake Sinoa, but Ratatosk first appeared here, during the raid, to plant the imitation core on her forehead. "Oh, right. I remember now. That day changed my life…and I'll never forget when you first appeared…or when we defeated that monster at Lake Sinoa together."

"Yeah, thanks for that. If you hadn't come in, I don't know what would have happened to us."

"We would have found each another anyway. Fate would have brought us together, like the perfect star-crossed lovers we are!" she said with a giggle, reaching out to hold Emil's hand. He obliged and allowed the girl to lean her head on his shoulder.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something…"

"Oh?"

"Hehe, yeah…" he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I thought it would be easiest for me to do here."

"Do?" she asked, her voice raising an octave with each question. "What are you talking about?"

Emil sensed the tension in her voice and repositioned his hand so that their fingers were tangled. Marta blushed as he leaned in and kissed her cheek, silently consoling whatever petty fears she had. "Ever since we kissed in Altamira, and even before then…I felt like I always needed to be by your side. No matter what, I vowed to protect you, no matter how weak I might have been. But now…now that you've made me into who I am now, someone who's strong enough to protect you, I needed to find some way to show you how much you mean to me…how much I love you."

Marta felt tears well up in her eyes, but she suppressed them to the best of her ability. "Really? How much…do I mean to you?" she asked in a lusty voice that, while daring, vacillated slightly because of her sudden nervousness. "Are…you saying…?"

Emil smiled and fell on his knee, causing his girlfriend to scream in delight and flush bright red. She flapped her lips wildly in an attempt to form some form of coherent sentence, ending in a phrase of mismatched syllables. A few passerby (particularly females) squealed in excitement and scurried out of the couple's way, leaving the two to enjoy their tender moment in privacy.

"Marta Lualdi…will you marry me?"

Why can't this just last forever, why, why, why?

"E-Emil…oh my…are you s-serious…I mean…I…" she stammered as the brown-haired princess swallowed the huge lump in her throat. She spread her arms out and held onto the railing tightly, fearing that she would faint without the support. "Are you…s-sure it's me…?"

Emil answered her question by revealing an engagement ring that he'd hidden in his navy cloak and reaching out to slip the ring on her quivering finger. "I'm positive. Marta, I want to spend every day of the life Aster and Ratatosk gifted me by your side…I want to make you the happiest woman alive."

Marta knees completely gave out and she had no choice but to drop onto the cold ground embrace him, sobbing tears of joy. "Yes, yes I will…Emil!"

Relieved by her response, he lifted her damp face and placed a kiss atop her crown, using his other hand to caress her small back.

Then the sun set over the pier, revealing the starry heavens overhead, each twinkling star seeming to shimmer more brightly than they had months before.

So wake up, wake up dreaming,
And lie here with me,
So wake up, wake up dreaming,
And lie here with me.

"You were so romantic…"she said dreamily, still resting in his arms sleepily. The day Emil proposed to her was still clear as day in her mind, even though it had happened more than a month earlier. Lualdi could still remember the tweeting of the birds and the rhythm of the waves as they kissed before the setting sun, the sights and smells still alive in her memory. "When you kneeled, I thought I was going to have a heart attack!"

"H…Heart attack, huh?" he said slowly, slumping over pathetically. Marta realized what she'd said and managed to convince him that the proposal was perfect, patting him on his head. "You…you looked really happy. So happy…I almost cried a little, but I was just so relieved when you agreed that…I guess I kind of forgot."

Here we go,
Just lose control and let your body give in,
To the beat,
Of your heart as my hand touches your skin,
Is this love
Or,
Just sexual desire…

"Emil," she whispered into his ear, soft lips brushing against his face. "You know what you said earlier…about you not wanting to rush things in case I got frightened? I…really appreciated that. No other boy would have done that…well, except Lloyd," she joked, which loosed a small laugh from her lover.

"I just want you to be happy, Marta. If I can be by your side for an eternity, that's all I need. I need you. I needed you back then, and I need you more than ever now," he responded, his eyes staring up at the full moon in the sky, lingering over their tiny dwelling. In a way, the moon reminded Emil of how the sky looked when they'd had their first kiss. Really, nothing had changed in their lives. Maybe Marta was right….that no matter what, Fate seemed to want the lover's together…and together, no obstacle could stop them from achieving happiness. "But yes, I remember. Wait…why?" he asked, nervous by the mischievous glint in her cerulean eyes.

"Well…" she continued, her finger fondling the buttons on Emil's pajamas. He looked down and found Marta on top of him in a split second. He blushed and protested, but the young lady refused, letting her lips kiss his allow his chest, collar and neck. "My virginity, with you around, I don't think I need it anymore…"

We're gonna start a fire!

-END-

Damn, I love that song, especially the chorus. It's awesome, and too catchy for its own good. Seriously, why isn't Ryan Star more famous?

It's a sexy song…too sexy for this fanfic. XD;
Well, I hope you all enjoyed anyway. It was super fun to write, and I've been dying to write a proposal scene forever! I get my wish! Yay! R&R, please.