Title: "I Feel…"

Author: Veritas Found

Rating: M / PG-18 / Adult (Most themes more T / PG-13 / Teen, but some later themes require a higher rating for light (not too explicit) adult content.)

Characters/Pairings: Arc, Yucie, General Cast; Arc x Yucie

Summary: Feelings are funny things. You could go through a hundred in just as many days or the blink of an eye.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Notes/Warnings: Guys, I started this back in 2010. It was my freshman year, and I wanted a low-key writing project to keep me sane when I needed to destress from school. Three years later, and I've actually completed all one hundred themes – I don't think I've ever actually completed a themes challenge before, so I'm kinda proud of this. I'll be starting my senior year in the fall, so I guess I'll have to find a shorter theme list to occupy the slot this will leave? xD (Oh, who am I kidding? I've got my senior thesis to worry about writing – ain't nobody got time for fanfic! xP )

Anyway, on a more serious note: Following the themes of Ehl Jay's 100 Moods comm. Spoiler-free as long as you're current. Post-series, starting right after Arc and Yucie return from the Magical World and carrying throughout their lives – so yes, there will be eventual character death. I did throw some crap their way, so I'll try to warn for triggers in the appropriate bits; I'm going to be uploading these five at a time. They were written out of order and pieced together, then edited as a whole. Also, a few OCs pop up, as you will with a story like this (children, etc.).

"I Feel…"

Satisfied

The afternoon had been hectic, to say the least. After waking up in the amphitheatre to find the other four princess alive and well, the group had made their way back to the palace. There had been tears and shouts as the fathers were reunited with the daughters they had presumed lost, and Queen Erlsel was quick to relocate them to a sitting room in the palace so Yucie and Arc could tell them what had happened in the Magical World. Yucie had sat sandwiched between Arc and her father, who wasn't quite ready to fully relinquish her into the prince's care just yet. Arc hadn't minded – he knew the man was fiercely protective of his daughter, and after everything that had happened…well, he imagined he would be terrified of being too far from his daughter, too, if she had been gallivanting around in as many life-threatening situations as Yucie had that day. Still, the prince refused to leave her other side throughout the afternoon and into the evening. As she related their story, he held tight to her hand. When she got to the truth of the Great Magician and found her voice catching on sobs, he readily took her into his arms as she cried. The others gave her the time she needed, and when her tale was done they explained what happened the night leading up to their decision to force the Tiara upon her. And once those tales were done, it was time to fill the fathers in on what had transpired over the past year. It was a long afternoon followed by a long evening filled with tears, laughter, and good company. Servants had brought a light dinner to the room, and as conversation continued it was decided that the kings and princesses would remain in the palace for the night. Deciding the girls would probably appreciate some time alone, the fathers and stewards took their leave to rooms the queen had prepared for them. Gunberd was the last to leave, and that was only after he had fallen asleep and Queen Erlsel had forced him from the room.

Arc had remained with the princesses – or, really, with Yucie. She had remained tucked against his side throughout the evening, and he was perfectly content with keeping her there. Really…he was all too aware of how close he had come to losing her, between the battle with Diabolos and the encounter with the Great Magician. He watched her as she related a story to the others, her hands moving animatedly as she described something that had occurred during a part-time job, and his eyes lazily drifted over her face. It was full of so much light and life, and it chilled him to think he had almost lost that. Almost. And before they had even had a chance to…

But almost. And that was the operative word there, wasn't it? She was fine, safe, and they'd have plenty of time for…well. There would be time to sort that out later, and he knew they had a lot that needed sorting. He was sick of this dance they kept up around each other, and now that the Platina Princess had been selected and there was no need for a curse anymore…well, she would start growing. She would look like an adult soon, and they…

He forced the thoughts out of his mind and focused instead on her tale. There would be plenty of time for such things later. At the moment, he was just grateful to be sitting next to her.

Exhaustion eventually took over the group who still had not left the room. The others were steadily dropping off, and soon Arc found he was the only one still awake. He could feel the weariness of the day calling him to sleep, but he wasn't quite ready to give in yet. He could blame it on the adrenaline from earlier, but really…he glanced down at Yucie and smiled. He just wanted to stay awake, just a little longer, to enjoy this moment. He pulled her closer and slid down the sofa they were resting on until he was nearly reclining. She was snuggled against his chest, and he was lazily drawing a hand through her hair. He didn't remember dozing off, but he knew he must have. When he looked at her next, she was staring at him with wide eyes that reflected a fear he easily recognized and knew didn't belong there. He could feel her shaking against him, and he wondered if that was what had woken him.

"Yucie?" he asked quietly. He reached up and laid a hand against her cheek, and she took an unsteady breath as her eyes slipped closed. She seemed…relieved. She laid back against him and snuggled close, her arms wrapping tightly about his middle. "Hey. Hey, now. What's wrong?"

"You're alive," she whispered. He frowned but said nothing. Of course he was, thanks to her. She had made sure of that. She pressed closer to him, her nose squished against his chest, as if she couldn't get close enough. As if his being there was the only thing that would prove to her he was real.

"Yucie, what happened?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he hedged a guess. "Nightmare?"

"I didn't make it in time," she said. Her voice was muffled against him and low, but he could still make out her words. "And you died. You…but you're alive. I made it. And they're alive. Everyone's ok."

"Yes. Everyone's fine," he affirmed, and she leaned up to look at him. She still looked so unsure, so scared…without thinking, he leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. It wasn't the usual mocking kiss he gave her. It was softer, gentler…she could feel his concern and reassurance in the simple kiss. His lips grazed along her skin, sliding down to press against her cheek and then back by her ear, where he hovered just a moment. "You saved everyone, Yucie. We're all fine."

"Arc..." she breathed, and she pressed her face into his neck. "I was so scared. You almost…you were dying, and I couldn't do anything. Queen Erlsel wouldn't even let me see you. And then Magazerent showed us that image of you…I didn't think I would make it in time. And you…Arc, you can't die, ok?"

"I'm not going to, Yucie. Not yet, at least," he quipped, but she shook her head.

"Don't joke, you big dummy," she said. "You can't die. I…you're important, Arc. To a lot of people, but to me, too. I don't know what I'd do if you…I need you to stick around."

"I told you I'd wait for you, Yucie," he quietly reminded her, and he felt her lips quirk against his skin.

"I'm sorry I'm making you wait longer," she said, but he shook his head.

"You're worth it," he said, causing her to stare at him. The lighting was low, but he would swear she was blushing. "I told you I'd wait, and I meant it. I still do. I'm going to wait for you, Yucie, because you're important, too. To me. So you stick around, too, ok?"

"I can do that," she said, her lips quirked in a wry smile. He grinned and settled back against the sofa, tugging her back to him.

"Good. Now that that's settled, get some sleep," he said. She went to protest, but he shushed her. "You're exhausted, Forehead. I'm exhausted. Let's sleep, and we'll talk later, ok? We need to talk."

"Ok," she said. He nodded, satisfied with her response, and leaned down to place another quick kiss on her forehead. She slapped him, and he chuckled as he gave her a squeeze. It wasn't long before they were both asleep again.

Stressed

"Stop fidgeting," he said, glancing sideways at her. Her hands smoothed over the skirt of the dress they'd put her in again, flattening imaginary wrinkles. He rolled his eyes and snatched at a hand, pulling it up to his lips to place a kiss against its back. "Yucie, calm down."

She had frozen when he had taken her hand, and now she was watching him with wide eyes. He gave her a pointed look, but it seemed to do nothing but agitate her more. She tried to snatch her hand back, but he held fast. He gave it a squeeze that was meant to be reassuring but he felt was actually anything but. At wit's end, he finally sighed and slumped back against the sofa they were waiting on.

The others had left earlier that morning, each eager to return to their home worlds and the celebrations bound to ensue. He knew his mother was planning a celebratory ball later in the week that was doubling as a coronation of sorts for Yucie. That, among other things, was one of the reasons the queen had asked her and Gunberd to stay for lunch. She had wanted to speak with them both (and, judging from the pointed look she'd sent her son, him as well) about what the near future would hold.

He wondered if Yucie had truly felt the ordeal with the Tiara would be over once she was crowned and her wish made. She should have realized it wouldn't be that simple – especially if she was planning on sticking around him, and though they hadn't had a chance to discuss it yet (they'd barely had two minutes alone since returning from the Magical World, and it wasn't exactly a conversation he wanted to have with an audience)…he was hoping she did. He was planning on keeping her around, at least, and he thought the feeling was mutual.

He kicked the traitorous thought and flash of fear aside and squeezed her hand again.

"Calm down," he said. "It's just lunch."

"Lunch and another interrogation," she grumbled, and Gunberd – who had remained silent on the chair across from them this entire time – laughed.

"You act like Erlsel is your own personal firing squad, Yucie," he said. Yucie groaned and slumped against the sofa.

"She's the queen, and she wants to talk – she might as well be!" she said, and Arc laughed. She shot him a petulant glare, and he grinned at her.

"You're forgetting, Forehead. She may be your principal and queen, but she's my mother. I grew up with the 'firing squad'," he quipped. "You're getting yourself worked up over nothing. Now relax."

She looked like she wanted to say something to argue that, but she held her tongue. She looked back to the door the queen would be walking through any minute and bit her lower lip. She almost looked like she was awaiting a death sentence of sorts, which he found ridiculous.

"Yucie," he said, and she started at the use of her proper name. She looked back to him, and he gave her his best encouraging smile. "Relax. It's just my mother. You've talked to her how many times before this? You'll be fine. She just wants to talk about what will be expected of you now that you're princess."

"But that's just it, Arc," she said, her voice suddenly quiet. She looked back to her skirt, which shimmered sky blue in the sunlight streaming in from the balcony doors. The gown was simple but absolutely fetching on her – understated enough to still be elegant, yet suiting her perfectly. She had wanted to stay in her clothes, but the maids had insisted. If she was to be dining with the queen and crown prince, she had to look the part. She had eventually acquiesced, and he loved the results. He noticed her eyes had slid off the skirt and towards the floor – anywhere but him. It stung a little, if he was being honest.

"I'm not a princess," she said. Her entire body was tense, shaking slightly with an urge he was all too familiar with. He could see it in her shielded eyes and tense posture: run. Get away. Anywhere but this prison of a palace with its farces of pleasantries. "I'm just me. A country girl. I'm not royalty. I don't belong here. And –"

"Yucie, stop it," he said firmly, and she jumped again as she finally looked at him. She was surprised by whatever she saw in his eyes, and he wondered if he looked as angry as he felt. "You are a princess in every right. The Eternal Tiara chose you as its rightful owner, making you the true Platina Princess."

"And you do belong here, Yucie. I may have chosen the life of a farmer, but I am still nobility. You claim that title as well through me," Gunberd chimed in. Yucie looked like she wanted to argue, but Arc grabbed her hands and the words died in her throat.

"More than that, I'm here. And nobility, royalty, or not, you belong with me. So if I'm here, you should be here, too. Your being a princess just makes it all a bit easier for others to swallow," he said, and he couldn't resist throwing a wink in. Her face turned scarlet at his declaration, or maybe it was at the way her father was chuckling at his boldness. He brought her hands to his lips and brushed a kiss against her knuckles. Her blush deepened, and he grinned at her. "So stop stressing yourself out, relax, and enjoy lunch in your future home."

"You, highness, are quite the cocky young lad," Gunberd said, and the prince shot him a grin.

"I've always been told it's a trait necessary for ruling a kingdom," he quipped, and the laugh from the door caused him to jump in guilty alarm.

"Actually, I believe I always added an 'in moderation' to that statement," Erlsel commented, and Gunberd laughed harder. "I agree, Gunberd. He is entirely too cocky. A trait he rather unfortunately inherited from his father."

"Mother," Arc whined, and Yucie giggled at how put out he sounded. He glanced back at her and grinned, squeezing her hands again.

"I'm sorry to keep you all waiting," Erlsel said, ignoring her son's remark. "Yucie, you look lovely in that gown. Gunberd, you're as handsome as ever. Aero…dear, didn't you brush your hair?"

"Mother!" he cried, and Yucie snatched her hands back to clap them other her mouth as she choked on a laugh. Erlsel's grin grew.

"Now that Yucie's comfortable again, why don't we have lunch? It's been set up in the garden, which is just lovely this time of year. Shall we go?" she asked. Gunberd rose and extended an arm.

"My Queen," he said cordially. Arc was amazed to see a light blush on his mother's face as she took the hero's arm. Arc stood and held out his hand. Yucie smiled and took it, allowing him to help her up, but he didn't let go as he led her after their parents.

"Glad to see you've relaxed," he whispered to her. He rolled his eyes and gave her a long-suffering look. "Even if it is at my expense."

Blank

Sir Gunberd had abandoned the life of a noble when he had found the baby Yucie orphaned on the battlefield, so though she had grown up with the title of nobility she had never truly lived a noble life. Until her admittance to the Princess Academy, she had never really been exposed to anything other than a simple, country life. She couldn't complain about it. She was truly grateful for her life and wouldn't trade it for anything. (…well, now that she had survived the trials of the Platina Princess and was finally growing, that is.)

It was times like this, however, where she started to think maybe she could. Being thrust into the life of nobility was one thing; being thrust into the life of royalty was another matter altogether. Overnight she went from being a simple farm girl to a noble, and barely a blink later she was not only the Platina Princess but – for all appearances – the next queen of Erlsel, as well. (She would never admit this, of course, but it seemed everyone else was all too ready to say she was as good as engaged to the Crown Prince.)

Within her first week of her second year at the Princess Academy (which was barely two weeks since she became Platina Princess), Queen Erlsel had called her into her office. They had discussed a myriad of topics all relating to the same overarching subject: now that Yucie was a princess and future queen (which she had not been allowed to protest, no matter how red her face got), she had to be prepared for the role. This naturally meant additional lessons outside of the regular classroom curriculum, which Queen Erlsel seemed to think dolefully insufficient for a proper preparation for society.

(After being so quickly cut off from protesting her place as the queen's inevitable successor, she didn't dare question why she was even attending the Academy again if that was the case.)

The queen had quickly secured a series of tutors and arranged a schedule, which lead Yucie to her first day of after-school 'Royalty Lessons'. She hadn't even been there half an hour yet, and she felt as if her brain was about to start dribbling out her ear. The older gentleman – Sir Humphrey, if she was recalling correctly – prattled on and on about…gods, was he still talking about posture? She blinked, her eyes taking on a glazed look, and she didn't notice he had vanished until he appeared behind her. She squeaked as he grabbed a shoulder and pulled back while pushing her back out.

"Stand up straight, highness!" he barked before he turned to prattle on some more. She couldn't help but wonder exactly how many of these lessons she'd be required to go to.

Devious

"You know, I never got to thank you," she commented. He glanced at her, curiosity in his eyes. She was walking along an old, worn down, low-lying stone fence, her arms raised to help her balance. With the help of the fence, she was almost as tall as he was. He shook the thoughts from his head – they would be more appropriate later – he turned his attention back to her.

"For what?" he asked, and she gave him a smile.

"For the flowers," she said. When he continued to look lost, she frowned. "The bouquet of sunset brights? The ones you sent me for my graduation? In all the insanity that followed, I never got to thank you."

"I didn't send you any flowers," he said, and she stopped walking to gawk at him.

"W-what? But then…who did?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"Someone else who knows what your favorite flower is?" he questioned. He folded his arms over his chest and gave her an appraising look. "Though I have to admit…now I'm curious. I'd like to know who thought it was appropriate to send you flowers."

"Really," she said, mirroring his pose. She frowned as she looked at some indeterminate spot between them. "I would have sworn it was you, because…well, they were sunset brights. I thought…but it wasn't you?"

"Should I be jealous, Forehead? Do you have some admirer I should know about? It's probably best to know about my competition," he smirked at her as he said this, but she missed the teasing look in his eyes as she contemplated who could have possibly wanted to send her flowers. It stung, knowing they weren't from him…she had loved the bouquet because of that. The flowers felt tainted now.

"I would say it was Papa, but he would have told me," she said. She huffed, her lip sticking out in an adorable pout. "Man, this is gonna bug me now!"

"Oh, relax," he said, reaching up to poke her forehead. She jumped and looked at him, surprise registering in her eyes. He looked entirely too pleased with himself. "You're so easy to mess with. Of course I sent them. It's our flower, isn't it? I should be the only one sending them to you."

"What…Arc, you big jerk!" she cried, slapping his arm. He laughed and caught her hand as she went to slap him again. He brought it to his mouth and kissed the back, making her blush. "So…they were from you, then?"

"Of course," he said. He winked at her. "And you're welcome."

She just smiled and turned back to the path ahead of them. She continued her trek along the wall, and he smiled as he followed after her. She riled entirely too easily, much to his enjoyment.

Cold

The castle was large, old, and drafty. It took Yucie ages to get used to this fact. In the morning, under three blankets of luxurious quality, she was fine. When she left the safety of her blanket cocoon, however, she found herself chilled to the bone the moment her feet touched the hardwood floors.

Her fourth weekend in the palace found her under such a blanket cocoon with a refusal to remove herself from its warm depths. The sun was steadily creeping up the sky, warming the air, but there was still a crisp chill that told of late autumn. She knew the floor would still be as ice, and she dreaded 'waking' with everything in her. A knock sounded at her door, and she refused to risk the floor to answer it. The knock sounded again, and when she still refused to answer she heard the door open.

"Yucie?" Arc called, and she peeked out of her blankets to see his head sticking into the room. He grinned when he saw her glaring at him from under the blankets and entered the room, quickly striding over to sit on the bed beside her. "What on earth would Mother say about this? It's nearly noon, and you're still in bed!"

"I am not getting up," she said. He quirked a brow at her, and she burrowed deeper into her blankets. "Arc, it's cold! I'm not leaving my blankets!"

He chuckled at her whine, and she screeched as he lifted the blankets and let some of the cold air in. The blankets quickly lowered again as he scooted under them with her. She squeaked as he pulled her back against him, but any protests died on her lips as she realized how warm he was.

"Well, if the princess is cold, who am I to order her up and about?" he asked. He kissed her cheek, and she couldn't help the blush as she realized how they must look. "I'll just have to stay here and warm you up."