Try Listening
A Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Fanfic
By Michiyo Ichimaru
An Albel x Nel One-Shot
There were always these little phrases. He wasn't listening… all he heard was her dull voice mumbling incoherently. And it made him mad. If she had something to say, she should speak up instead of that annoying little way she spoke while biting her lip. But what else could he expect from a fool like Zelpher. He didn't have to admit that she was anything other than a good fighter. Anything else about her could just be annoying.
It seemed like she was just looking at the scenery, but her lips were moving again and he knew that she was mumbling again. Needless words weren't his style, and even if it bothered him, it wasn't his place to say anything to her about her habits. But needless killing was just fine and he welcomed something that he would never be without.
Why did it seem like the world was conspiring against him? Somehow, he always ended up paired with her. Even so, he couldn't see why someone like him would even need a partner for something so easy. The mission was in and out but the travel to and from wasn't. She talked so much. No… not talked. Mumbled. It was enough to drive him mad.
Suddenly, he heard his name. It was said just like everything else she was mumbling, but he heard it loud and clear. It bothered him to no end, because he wanted to know now what she had been saying about him. Probably making fun of him or complaining about him, but still, that wasn't the point. And now that he wanted to listen, she didn't seem to have anything to say.
The banks of the river were quiet at this time of year. No noisy kids running about like the summer. Even if it was cold, it was nice. Not yet winter, but it wasn't far off. Albel came out just to get his weapon back from the shop, when he saw her sitting there. Her mouth was moving, but there was no one there. Talking to herself again, he told himself and scowled. How does one find things to say aloud to one's self?
When Nel knew something annoyed the swordsman, she was happy to exploit it. However, she hadn't the slightest clue about his little pet peeve. Actually, she was quite sure that whatever he was sulking about must have been completely unrelated. Or of course, his anger might be aimed at her for no reason. He was very good at doing that.
"Stop that!" Albel finally growled, unable to take it any longer. Blinking, she turned to face him and frowned. His face was all red and his eyes were shut. "Just stop that absurd mumbling! As a matter of fact – stop talking to yourself all together!" he said huffily, pushing past her and continuing up the road towards their latest destination and mission. Nel blinked and followed behind, quite taken back.
Never in all his years of existence, did he feel so stupid. It was like someone had cursed him to dwell in his own nightmares. Why did he suddenly wish she would start talking again? It was just a nuisance. But at least when she was talking, he didn't have to listen to himself…
"Zelpher… what are you doing?" Albel asked incredulously.
Nel blushed. "You were listening?" she asked him curiously. It had been soft, and all the silence was getting to her. She had been so sure that he wouldn't notice her at all. He never did. So it was rather surprising that he caught it almost immediately. So why didn't he listen to her when she was talking to him?
It had been a boring meeting from the start, and he had known that it would be. All meetings were boring. He didn't care about the paperwork behind what he did, he just did it. But Zelpher seemed to just eat it up. And she would talk to all the people around her in a clear and happy voice. Not the soft mumbling nothings he was used to. Nope. He wasn't confused at all.
"Stop standing in the middle of the hall, or someone might mistake you for a statue… a very ugly one." Nel said, smirking at him and pushing him forward. Albel scowled.
"I can walk on my own, thanks, maggot. Why is it that every time you open your mouth, it pisses me off?" he frowned, walking away at a faster pace. Nel laughed and shrugged, muttering something about stupid swordsmen.
Confusion wasn't a common state for Albel. He knew the world he lived in very well, and it was okay that way. But lately, a lot had been bothering him that didn't normally bother him. It was annoying and pointless. Even though he hated the rain, he was still outside in it without an umbrella. And he found himself mumbling about something. When he realized he was doing it, he slapped himself. But he resumed mumbling, this time about stupid fools.
Snow was troublesome. But Zelpher found it so intriguing that she sat by the window and just gazed at it longingly. She really wanted to be out in it. Albel had seen snow almost every day of his life, so he didn't see what was so great about it. Nel was humming some god forsaken song, but he didn't feel like moving. The feeling he got was more like… "Content". But if you asked him, he'd say it was "contempt" and that I spelled it wrong…
Albel never listened to a thing she said. Nel tried making small talk with him before to ease the tension. But that didn't help anything. Usually it just made things even tenser than before. That's when she started mumbling to herself. She felt like although she was with him, she didn't have anyone to talk to. Yet, she always hoped that he might listen and reply. It was no fun talking to yourself…
Of all the things he didn't do, on the top of the list was admitting that he was wrong. Regardless of what it was, or how bad things got, he never admitted any wrongs that he made. Right below that was making apologies. If he didn't do anything wrong, then why should he say he was sorry, right? So why did she ask? Nel always got the same answers. He wouldn't break his code for her of all people.
"You messed up." She said.
"You're blind." He said.
"Don't lie." She said. "I won't tell."
One code broken… but at least she shut up.
She was mumbling again. For a while she had stopped, but now it was back again. "Stop talking to yourself, fool." He growled angrily. But she turned around rather abruptly, startling him and catching him off guard.
"I wasn't." Nel smirked. "I was talking to you." She said, in her irritated tone. "I was just waiting for you to LISTEN!" she added. Albel didn't know what to say…
Grumbling, he uttered an apology. It was only half hearted, but she beamed brighter. "That's two!" she winked at him. When he realized what she meant he gaped. "Don't worry. I won't tell." She laughed. "Just because you never listen to me, doesn't mean I don't listen to you!" she said, as she kept walking.
It was hard not to argue with her. After all... he couldn't let her win. So when did he start making random conversation with her on missions? Nel didn't speak any louder, but he didn't hear any mumbling and she was happy. Or, as happy as she would get. They wouldn't stop fighting. He didn't want them to. She was one of the few who didn't back down from a battle of wits with him. But he learned a lot…
When he took the time to listen.
And so there you have it. My first Alnel. My first Star Ocean 3 story. I hope you liked it, and you can prove you did, but leaving a lovely review. Actually, I want to know if you think they're in character. I tried really hard, so… please leave a review. Thanks!