This story marks a lot of firsts for me and instead of listing them all, I'll save you the suffering by just saying that it's my first Tales fic and my first fic in an incredibly long time.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Sheelos would be a canon couple.
By the way, this is dedicated to all of the C2 Sheelos writers (and readers).
It was mid-morning in the city of Meltokio. Just as every other day, residents strolled outside, chatting nonchalantly to their neighbors and friends as they passed by or tending to the simple, yet tedious tasks that they performed daily. Nobles stiffly walked along; seemingly immune to the sweltering humidity that had recently pervaded the city, spreading rumors and gossip to pass the time. Shops slowly began to open as well, soon followed by the roar of a crowd inside the coliseum.
It was mundane, average, and nothing exceptional to any resident who had lived there for a considerable amount of time. The city had always lost it's appeal quickly to anyone who had taken the time to view what some considered "culture"and those who considered it so often missed the large slums scattered throughout the city, and the nobles unwilling to help the people that lived there.
A bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, followed by a sudden onslaught of rain. Thunder echoed throughout the cobblestone streets as people scurried to their homes, forced to seek shelter from the weather. In a matter of minutes, it was if no one had crossed their doorsteps previously that morning and the streets that once held the bustling activity were silent.
It was then that Zelos Wilder awoke to the light knocking of rain on his window and the mounting headache that he had suffered from the night before.
He had never disliked the rain, yet it always held the ability to put him in a pensive mood, a trait that was easily out of his character to those who knew him. His hunnies could have cared less; they were infatuated with his former title, something he was all too happy to be rid of. No, the pensiveness brought him to a subject he hated to reflect upon, a weakness within him that was impossible to get rid of. He was afraid to tell the one person who constantly occupied his thoughts three simple words that he had never told another soul.
Someone once told him that the first step to solving a problem was admitting he had one. He had no trouble comprehending the fact that somewhere throughout their travels he had fallen in love with her, yet every opportunity he found to open up, to tell her, was destroyed when he suddenly found himself with a lack of courage and words to say.
He figured the first reason had something to do with love.
Throughout the years he had ceaselessly flirted with his 'hunnies' in Meltokio, had had a relationship with several of them, and at one point even thought he was in love with one of them. Sheena held qualities that were different from all of them however, and it wasn't long after he joined Lloyd's party did he begin to realize that he admired her strength.
Zelos knew that strength was and is often one of the most misconceived qualities in a person, and only few truly understood that it meant more than physical power alone. Sheena was able to hold up a facade when she failed to summon Volt, a result of her pride. He could see from early on that she would never show weakness to anyone, and that she was too stubborn to admit defeat.
She had to have been the only woman in all of Tethe'alla that wasn't susceptible to his charm and good looks. That alone troubled him for the first few weeks of their travel. Women generally swooned over him, yet she was indifferent, all of his passes at her resulting in a slap across his face.
Finding the energy to roll out of bed, he did so, staggering down the large staircase that led to the sitting room. Gratefully, he jumped onto the couch, eager to try and get another few hours of sleep.
"Can I get you anything master Zelos?" Sebastian asked as he noticed the ex-chosen's sudden change in location. "Breakfast maybe?"
Zelos shook his head. "No thank you, I'm that hungry."
"Perhaps a cup of tea then?"
"Sounds fine." Upon his leave, Zelos sighed. He had been hoping that it would be a later hour in the day to save himself from the torture of confinement in his house. He hated staying inside any more than he had to.
A clash of thunder shook the house, rattling the loose belongings and echoing through the empty rooms and hallways. It was unbearably lonely to stay inside a house of that size with only two people, yet he never minded the solitude of it. After a long day, rambunctious day there was nothing like coming home to silence. Was that exactly what he wanted though?
After the journey, there was a period of time where he would wake up in the morning hoping that someone would come to visit him. With Lloyd and Colette destroying exshperes, Genis and Raine on a quest to stop racism against half-elves, Regal and Presea working in Altamaira, and Sheena the successor of Mizuho, he had known that they would be too occupied to break away from their new lifestyles. He had received several letters from each of them, excluding Sheena.
At first he had wondered why she would avoid him. The most simplistic reason behind all of his logic was that she was angry. Angry with him for becoming a traitor, angry with him for acting like an idiot, angry with him for everything. He had dispelled the idea towards the back of his mind however, for out of all the rage she could've built up towards him, it didn't seem likely.
The other reason was slightly more complex and could be easily stated in a question. What would she write to him about?
Their friendship was based off a series of playful arguments that were usually never serious. She had reluctantly come to trust him as they traveled together, yet he had broken it. He knew she had forgiven him when he rescued her from the tower of salvation, yet even that held bittersweet memories for him. It had been one of his last opportunities to express his love for her, to tell her everything. Like the precedents before however, his courage failed.
He had tried to tell her several times before then as well. His best chance had been in Flanoir, the last night he knew that she would have complete trust in him.
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Lloyd and Colette had gone outside for a walk, and almost every other member of their party had retired to their rooms for the night. He had been sprawled out on a couch placed next to the fireplace, currently holding a small fire to heat that particular room of the inn. She had been silently sitting in a chair next to the couch, gazing intently at the fire.
"Do you feel like taking a walk?" He said suddenly, sitting up from his previous position. Much to his delight she nodded, and together the two exited the inn.
For several minutes she said nothing, a sign to him that she was deep in thought about something. She had good reason to be; tomorrow they would be at the tower of salvation, and it was almost entirely possible that this would be their last night.
Of course, it would be unlike him to act anything but oblivious and flirtatious.
"What's wrong?" He said quietly as they passed a cozy house with glowing windows and silently moving families. He had always envied people who could live in Flanoir with the constant snow and cold temperatures.
"It's nothing, really."
"If it were nothing, you wouldn't be so quiet thinking about it."
"That's pretty deep coming from you."
"Are you saying I can't be deep my violent demonic banshee?"
A slap later, she began to explain her worry over the following day. He wanted to hold her, tell her right then and there she was beautiful and that he would protect her throughout the entire battle despite whatever events may occur before that, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had mentally created a plan of action; one that would be put into words before the walk was over. The more she voiced her concerns however, he found himself with the perfect opportunity.
"Sheena," he said, stopping in place as the snow continually fell around them. "I want you to know that no matter what happens I... believe in you."
She was silent, and he had choked. How many times had he rehearsed what he was going to say in his head? Why couldn't he tell her? What he had said was so remarkably out of his character that he was half tempted to just walk away, leaving her alone in the middle of the city.
Finally she muttered some form of a thank you, all of which was incomprehensible to him as they walked back towards the inn. How was it possible that he could flirt with every girl in Meltokio, yet he couldn't say three words to the one person he truly loved?
That night when he reached his room, he lay in his bed for several hours unable to fall asleep. His conscience was wracked with guilt for the thought of betraying his friends, yet he was even more disappointed with his utter stupidity.
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"Your tea is done sir." Sebastian said, handing him a small cup. Nodding his appreciation, the butler once again took his leave of the room, off to continue other tasks within the household.
"I am such an ass." Zelos muttered to himself between sips of tea once he was sure that his faithful butler was out of earshot. It was one thing to tease his voluptuous hunny, yet betraying the group temporarily shattered everything he had cherished in their relationship. Her words at the tower of salvation still haunted him whenever he had the time to ruminate on them and he could still remember the guilt he felt for doing it.
It had been for a noble cause however. Without doing so he would've never been able to retrieve what Lloyd needed to wield the eternal sword. Sheena had understood, yet he didn't blame her for not completely trusting him after that.
At Heimdall he had came close to telling her how he felt. Once again, he had faltered in the midst of all they had been through together, and he felt ridiculous for not being able to tell her.
...And here he was, lying on his couch at ten in the morning, unwilling to do anything but mope about the love he could've shared with her. With the removal of his chosen title, he had little important business to do, as if the rain would allow him to do any in the first place. Boredom would soon strike him, or maybe not, but he figured he had to do something. He had to see Sheena.
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It was yet another day of what she considered tedious paperwork. Stacks of meticulously sorted documents surrounded the surface of her desk, and she found it nearly impossible to concentrate. A recent bout of beautiful weather had drawn all of the inhabitants of Mizuho outside, leaving her to wish she could join them.
Chewing the tip of her pen, she eyed up yet another report from part of her Mizuho's network. It seemed that her paperwork and the rest of the world had something in common; they were both endlessly boring at the moment.
A sudden knock at her door brought her to her senses, and she watched as Orochi stumbled in with yet another handful of papers. Sighing, she tapped her fingers on the remaining space of the desk.
"...And just when I thought there couldn't possibly be any more..."
He chuckled as he placed the papers in front of her. "These are actually relatively interesting." He said, and then added, "You might be entertained."
"A Meltokio weather report? Orochi, what the hell is the matter with you?" She said abruptly setting down her pen for fear of snapping it in half. The last thing she needed at the moment was to be reminded of him.
"You've been working too hard lately and need a break. Take a couple hours off and get out of the village."
"But why Meltokio?"
"It's a large city. You should be able to find something to do."
"That's got to be the worst reason I've ever heard."
Orochi smiled. "If you want to know the truth, I'm under the impression that you want to see a certain ex-chosen a little more than you put on. Please Sheena, it's not healthy to stay inside for so long."
Reluctantly she agreed with him, knowing that there was more truth to what he said than he could ever comprehend.
The rheaird ride was uneventful, allotting her time to think. Every day since the journey had ended, Zelos had crossed her mind in some shape or form, making it impossible to forget about him. She hadn't realized it until late into their quest that she loved him and the distance between them for the last year had almost made it unbearable not to see him.
So what was she to do? Arrive in Meltokio on some anomalous day during the year and visit him? Explain that she was too busy to write a simple letter or make time in her constantly busy schedule to visit him before today? Either way, it seemed preposterous. How could she explain that she hadn't so much as talked to him to avoid letting her feelings show through?
The gates to the large city were open, the guards having retreated to the palace due to the elements. Rain seeped through her clothes to her body, coercing her to mutter several curses against Orochi as she traversed to the noble's side of town.
Upon sight of his house, her body began to shake with nervousness. Rain had never bothered her, yet her nerves were making her more apprehensive by the second. By the third doorstep, she was trembling to the point where she could've believed the ground was shaking around her.
Two doorsteps away quickly turned to one footstep, which progressed to one knock at the door, yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't face those blue eyes she had fallen in love with, and she was too wet to care that she had come this far only to turn around now.
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It could've been coincidence, or it could've been a deranged hallucination that suddenly brought him to his senses. Mindlessly staring out the window, he could've sworn he had just seen Sheena walk up to his doorstep and then turn back into the rain. Either way, he had to be sure.
Opening his door to the pouring rain, he found his former speculation to be true. She had come for some reason, and he knew now that it was now or never. He wouldn't allow her to walk out of his life again, and she needed to know he needed her more than anything in the world.
"Sheena!" He shouted over the sudden roar of thunder. His voice would go unnoticed in a storm like this, and he knew that to talk to her he would have to risk ruining his precious red hair for the remainder of the day. Compared to losing her however, it seemed trivial.
Sprinting to catch up with her, Zelos placed a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes widened with surprise at the sight of him, yet just as quickly the two were locked in a firm embrace. Silence passed between the two, and as they listened to the rain fall around them, they couldn't have been happier.
"I've missed you." She said quietly, barely audible over the sounds of the spring storm.
"I'm glad to hear that my violent demonic banshee finally came to miss me after a whole year apart."
She couldn't help but smile. The once dreaded nickname was more than enough satisfaction of hearing his voice again.
"...But seriously." He began, and he gently lifted her chin so her eyes met his, "Let's never do that again."
She smiled, and he softly kissed her, knowing that this moment was more perfect than he could've ever imagined.
A/N:Hope you all enjoyed this fic, it's kind of been my project today seeing as I had nothing to do. I would greatly appreciate it if you reviewed, and I'd probably love you forever. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Thanks for reading!