Just finished the game on the 3DS so I know I'll be a little behind everyone else who posts on this game but here goes, first Abyss Fanfic. Hope you enjoy!
Guy placed his hands under the warm bowl gathering heat from the steaming broth. He took a deep sniff, enjoying the smell of his meal as he looked out over the dunes of sand spanning as far as the eye could see in every direction. He sat at the top of the tallest dune, moon casting his shadow down the slope until it disappeared as it met Jade's conjured fire between this dune and the next. Their lookouts would be up here all night while the others slept near the fire, hidden between the hills of sand.
"Wow Guy you really know how to make a meal." Anise said loudly, messily slurping a long noodle up out of her bowl. "I wish you weren't a servant so I could accept when you propose to me."
"And excellent decision on soup as well." Jade complimented, also holding the bottom of his bowl in a similar fashion. "The others clearly don't know how bad deserts can become at night..."
Guy scratched the back of his head, grinning. "Well I can't blame them if they've never been in one before... I imagine during the day it sounded like a terrible idea for dinner. And... Thanks Anise. Coming from you that means a lot."
Anise nodded happily and went back to her soup as Jade made his way up the dune to stand near Guy, taking in their surroundings.
Guy glanced back down near the fire where Tear and their group's "leader" seemed to be having a no-talking contest. It all started with the "melons" incident earlier and neither had spoken a word to each other since. He hoped Luke wasn't talking purely out of embarrassment but he somehow doubted this and assumed he was legitimately upset about something. Moody and high-strung it could easily just be which way the wind was blowing tonight.
He cleared his throat. "How's the soup you two?" Few things got under Guy's skin but if he had a preference it would be that the group dynamics were flowing smoothly.
"Could use more flavor." Luke critiqued bluntly, flustered as he shifted by the fire trying to keep his long hair out of the sand.
Tear threw Luke one of her irritated glances most often reserved for whenever he opened his mouth before answering. "It's wonderful, thank you for cooking tonight Guy."
"From someone who actually has an opinion," Luke called up to him, pointedly not looking at Tear, "You could have used something else for the broth." Though Luke seemed content to simply leave the statement at that rather than making any form of recommendations for improvement.
Guy tried to pass his wince off as a smile. It wasn't that he cared too much about what Luke said, he'd received worse remarks from his friend. And he preferred judging Luke by his actions rather than untactful words. It was just that Luke had a knack for destroying plans.
"It was a valiant effort." Jade stated next to him, lowering his glasses and narrowing his eyes as he scanned the horizon.
Guy sighed, perpetual grin still at the edges of his mouth. "I don't think we've gone a day without them bickering over something. I swear those two were made for each other..."
"Yo Jade can't this thing get any hotter? It's freezing out here!" Luke's voice complained from the bottom of the dune, followed by an explosive sounding roar accompanied by a flash of light that caused Guy's shadow to disappear entirely.
"What the hell are you trying to kill me?" Luke shouted angrily, nearly spilling his soup into the sand. "You almost burnt my hair off!"
Jade looked away from his bowl, "My apologies, next time I'll aim more carefully." He answered. "I do hate missing..." He added, turning away from the fire which had returned to its previous size and getting back to his soup.
"You're not helping." Guy chuckled nervously out of the corner of his mouth, sincerely hoping Jade was kidding as he pulled a noodle from his bowl. Glancing down he saw Luke staring up at Jade, likely trying to determine if he meant that as well. Muttering to himself he moved further away from the fire, ending up colder than he was before he'd started complaining.
"He'll need to learn how to grow in a world that doesn't accommodate everybody. Make the experience any easier and we'd be robbing him of valuable lessons." Jade smirked finishing the contents of his bowl but leaving the broth at the bottom for warmth.
"That or he'll miss the lesson entirely." Guy noted, looking down to where Luke was sulking almost out of the light from the fire.
After several hours the group had gone to bed leaving Guy and Jade to stand watch as the moon made slow progress towards the horizon.
"I believe Tear's shift is up next." Jade yawned, breaking his normally unshakable composure as he stretched.
"Not Luke?" Guy asked, glancing down to where the younger boy slept curled into ball and shivering away from the fire. He himself didn't have watch last night and couldn't remember who was up.
"No, Luke was up almost all last night. He has tonight off. Shame though, it looks like he's sleeping terribly..." Jade commented nonchalantly in a "tsk tsk" tone. "Perhaps tomorrow he'll be a little less stubborn and sleep closer to the fire."
A little less fearful, maybe... Guy thought to himself, scratching the back of his head and smiling. He noticed Tear stirring as he started to make his way down the dune, feet sinking into the sand and causing more to pour in around his boots.
She stood up, taking in her surroundings and noticing Luke's balled form away from the warmth of the fire. She hesitated before stooping to gather her own blankets, walking over and laying them over him with just his head poking out. Almost immediately his shivering ceased with the extra warmth from the fire and her body heat.
Tear turned away, moving towards the dune and noticing Guy at the top watching her. Even with her back to the fire a pink tinge could be seen on her visible cheek.
"Alright Jade." Guy sighed resignedly, turning back. "I'll be impressed."
"Naturally." Jade responded, hand emerging from the blanket wrapped around himself to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, smug expression firmly in place.
Guy grinned as Tear passed him at the top of the dune. "It's not like that." She stated flatly, not looking at him.
"Not like what?" Guy and Jade asked simultaneously. He could sense her stiffening with indignation and embarrassment. Guy continued grinning as he took long steps down the dune to his own sleeping spot beside the fire.
They're two puzzle pieces that are so obviously not meant for each other they couldn't possibly fit anywhere else. He thought to himself as he bundled his blankets around him, scooting closer to the fire and quickly falling asleep.