This is also a repost, because I wanted to fix it up a little.

Disclaimer: I really don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Sweetness

"Thank you, your Majesty." I bowed in respect and left as the king dismissed me. I was so irritated I could barely see straight. I always felt like that after speaking with the king or with any high leader for that matter. Most of them treated me like dirt and ignored my requests. Especially the king of Tethe'alla.

Now that I had been deemed the Emissary of Peace-thanks to the former Chosen of Tethe'alla-for Tethe'alla, I had to report to the king after every assignment. And meanwhile, back at home in Mizuho, I was training to become the new chief to replace my grandfather.

Grandfather…

No. I wouldn't think about that just yet. I pushed away the sadness threatening to engulf me. I couldn't deal with it right now.

After leaving the castle, I sat down on the stairs by the entrance to think for a while, shivering in the chilly night air. I really didn't want to go home yet. I just couldn't face Grandpa with this attitude. Seeing him every day I was in Mizuho was hard enough already, knowing he wouldn't be there for long…

I sighed as the overpowering sadness pushed at the edges of my mental barriers again. I missed the good old days, when my companions and I had traveled both existing worlds in order to unite them. Back then, things were so much better. True, they weren't any easier, but at least we got to explore and discover. We got to see so many things. We were free.

I missed it so much. All of it- the adventure, the freedom, the excitement. But most of all, I missed my friends, every single one of them.

"Sheena?"

I looked up in surprise to see the previous Chosen of Tethe'alla standing in front of me. I felt a tug at my heart.

"Hey Zelos," I said indifferently, although inside I was excited. I had barely seen him since the end of our journey a month and a half ago. And, I didn't know why, but he was the one I thought of the most often and missed the most of all my companions. Maybe because, despite his lewdness, he had always been there to cheer me up. He could see into me like no one else. He was a real person beneath his carefree guise.

"How are you?" he asked, sitting next to me.

I shrugged.

"Busy," I said. "I'm training every day to be the new chief, plus I've been going on assignments a lot since a certain someone decided to convince the king to make me an emissary of peace."

I looked at him pointedly, and his bright blue eyes danced with laughter.

"Anything for my favorite hunny," he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Zelos, I am not your hunny," I said firmly, half-hoping to get it through his head.

He just smiled.

"Did you just come back from a meeting with the king?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I nodded, then scowled. "I wouldn't come here for fun."

"You know," Zelos started. "You could always come and visit me. That would be fun."

"No comment," I said flatly.

Zelos laughed, then tilted his head curiously.

"What did the old man want this time?" he asked.

I frowned, the anger I had felt earlier returning.

"He just decided that I need a bodyguard now. I don't need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself. And if I have some stupid soldier following me around, it'll just slow me down. But, no, the king didn't agree with that."

I exhaled in frustration, and Zelos laughed again.

"Slow down, babe," he said. "You could so take the king any day. Don't let him get to you."

I eyed Zelos, my brief flare disappearing.

"Sometimes I wish I could," I admitted, then sighed. "Tell him what I think, I mean."

"You, know," Zelos said after a moment. "I'm not doing anything. In fact, I've been pretty bored. I could always hook it up with the king for me to go with you instead of a soldier. I'm definitely the hero type."

He flashed me a bright smile, and I couldn't help it-I laughed.

"Right," I said sarcastically. "Because it would be just like Heaven with you following me everywhere."

"Oh, Sheena," he said dramatically. "You cut me so deep. How can I ever recover from your harsh remarks?"

He grinned mischievously then, and said, " The only way I always do recover is that I know they're really words of love."

"Zelos, dream on," I snapped. "But I guess you can be my bodyguard- not that I need one-as long as you behave. It would be better than travelling with a stranger."

His face lit up.

"I knew you'd say yes, my Mizuho hunny!" he exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Zelos, ugh, let go," I said with burning cheeks, squirming out of his grasp. We sat in silence for a few moments then, each of us lost in our own thoughts. My lip trembled a little bit as my mind wandered back to my troubles at home.

Suck it up, I told myself. You can't cry now, especially in front of him.

Luckily, Zelos didn't notice, or if he did, he didn't say anything. And with extreme effort, I pulled myself back together.

"Hey, do you want to stay at my place tonight?"

I looked up in surprise as the sound of Zelos' voice broke my train of thought.

"Well…" I said, furrowing my brow. "Grandfather won't be expecting me home until tomorrow…"

"Great!" said Zelos. "I knew you missed me."

I rolled my eyes again, but he had no idea how right he was.

XXX

"So, what's new?"

We were sitting on Zelos' sofa back at his mansion. I had the feeling he knew I was upset. Something about the way he was looking at me made me think he could tell.

"Not much," I replied. "Just training, mostly…"

I sighed.

"I don't know how to be a chief, Zelos," I said. "I'm not ready to lead a village. In fact, I don't even want to. I can't tell anyone that because they're all depending on me so much. It's just, I have to give up so much freedom. I hate being so tied down to the people who hate me."

"You can do it, Sheena," Zelos said seriously. "You could make anyone listen to you, even the people who don't give a sh-- about how you feel or who you really are. The only thing to do is show them what you're made of, and don't give in to their low expectations. Most people won't change who they are. They just sit back and judge you before they even know you.

"Heh," he laughed bitterly. "They don't even try to get to know you."

"Thanks Zelos," I said. "I guess you of all people would understand."

Zelos grinned.

"Just tell them who's boss," he laughed.

"Very funny," I said, smiling.

But my face fell when I thought of home.

"Sheena?"

I didn't respond, but looked at my feet. I didn't trust myself to speak. I might lose it.

"Sheena?"

Zelos scooted over to me and put a hand under my chin. He lifted my face up, and he looked me in the eyes.

"Sheena," he half-whispered. "What's really wrong?"

"Zelos," I choked out. "My grandfather's dying."

My whole body started to tremble. Saying those words made the hurt in me so much more tangible. I hadn't even realized how upset I was until I actually said the words out loud.

"He only has a couple months left," I went on. "And then he'll be gone. And I feel so sad because he's the closest thing to a parent I've ever had. He raised me, until I-until I-"

I took a deep breath and looked down.

"And I feel so guilty," I continued. "Because I made him sleep for ten years, and he was suffering, and he just came back. He's only been awake for a few months. He doesn't deserve to be killed a second time so soon, especially when I'm the one that as good as killed him the first time. I took away his only chance to live."

I looked back up at Zelos, and my barriers finally broke. I started to cry. Zelos moved his hand to my face and wiped away my tears.

"Sheena," he said. I just cried harder, feeling like I was in way too much despair, and I couldn't escape.

"Sheena," Zelos repeated, and he pulled me over to him and put his arms around me. I sobbed into his chest uncontrollably.

"Shh, Sheena, it's okay," he whispered, rubbing my back. "It's not your fault your grandfather went into a coma. And it wasn't your fault Volt decided to blow up Mizuho. You can't let yourself shoulder that responsibility when it's not yours to carry.

"And, anyway, you'll be a good chief. You can get through all this. You are definitely the strongest woman alive."

"If I'm so strong, then why am I crying?"

Zelos titled my face up to his again.

"Because you're human," he said gently. "It's not healthy to hold everything in. And being strong means you still go on even when you have things like breakdowns."

"Since when have you been an expert on emotions?" I sniffed.

He smiled sadly, and his blue eyes were full of care and sympathy. I leaned my head on his shoulder and continued to cry. He held my shaking body close.

"It just hurts," I half-whispered.

"I know," he said, and I knew he meant it.

He pulled me all the way into his lap and just held me. I hid my face in his neck as I cried.

Eventually I ran out of tears. I took deep breaths to relax, and I inhaled Zelos' fresh clean smell. It comforted me.

I yawned. Crying always exhausted me and left me with a pounding headache.

"Better?" asked Zelos.

"Yeah," I said, looking at him. His eyes searched my face with an emotion I couldn't place. Reaching up his hand, he wiped away the rest of the wetness on my cheeks. His hand was warm.

"I hate crying," I said sulkily, scowling. "It just makes me feel like crap."

Zelos laughed at my expression.

"It's good for you sometimes," he said.

I leaned my head against his shoulder again.

"Thanks for listening," I whispered.

"Anytime," he replied.

He kissed my forehead lightly and lay his cheek on my head. Taking my hands in his, he laced his fingers through mine. I closed my eyes, feeling very warm and comfortable and safe.

XXX

"Mmm…" I mumbled, opening my eyes. I couldn't move. Why?

Oh. Looking around, I could see I was still on the couch, lying down. Zelos was lying behind me with one arm secured around my waist and the other under my head. His face was buried in my hair. All in all, it was extremely comfortable.

But I knew in the morning things would go back to normal. He would provoke me, I would yell at him.

I sighed softly. I knew by now that I was completely and utterly in love with Zelos. There was no doubt about it; I couldn't deny it. It was definitely there, even if I would never admit it. But how could I ever have a chance with a guy like him? A little sadness welled up inside me.

Because I knew I loved him. I knew it because I missed him so much when he wasn't there. It was like there was this big void that only he could fill. I also knew because he always knew exactly what I was thinking, and he knew exactly what to say to cheer me up. He could read me like an open book. No one else could. And I knew because I always felt at peace when he was there, and I felt safe. Actually, now that I thought about it, I realized that whenever I was in a tight spot, in battle or mentally, he was always the one to save me. He was always there for me. He was my everything.

With a yawn, I closed my eyes again. I put my hand on top of the back of his and laced my fingers through his.

I smiled as he stirred and pulled me closer to him.

I loved him.