Disclaimers: I don't own Tales of the Abyss. The characters and plotline are all, by law, owned by the marvelous group named Namco. If I did own the game, I would change it all to AschLuke and GuyLuke madness! I do own a copy of the game though.

Author's notes: Well… here I am again with another one of my ToA fanfics and another one of my AschLuke madness.

Title: Warmth

Summary: Coldness is something that people hate, but sometimes, the cold night brings two people closer together. Asch and Luke spends a rainy night…together… AschLuke

Pairing: AschLuke

Author's notes: Heehee…

How many times could something like this happen to a normal person?

Second to none… we might all believe.

However, Asch the Bloody is absolutely not a normal person.

What could have happened to out beloved god general to make such a situation possible?

Well… why don't we find out…

Asch gave out a glare as he glanced at the large bundle that he was currently holding in his arms. Actually… to call it a bundle would be an obvious understatement. It wasn't actually a bundle… It was a human! White cloth dangled from the person's robes at his clothes contrasted the color of his own tabard. His long red hair swayed in sync with his movements as the gentle wind blew against his tired body. His body was worn out because of the accidental hyperresonance that had occurred between the two of them. He had no idea what exactly happened. All he knew was that he was fighting with his replica when a hyperresonance suddenly occurred when their swords clashed.

His replica totally annoyed him to no end, that's for sure. He even wondered why he was helping his replica in the first place – the replica who took everything away from him. He could just kill him and get it over with. It wasn't like it even mattered in the first place. However, the fact that he was helping the other boy remained. He blinked as he heard the other groan in his unconscious state before realizing that something was soaking his tabard. He glanced down and frowned as he saw that was seeping through a wound on his replica's side. It was a very clean cut. There was no doubt that he was the cause.

Now that the bleeding was known to him, Asch cursed out loud. He didn't have anything to use as first aid, and if he left the wound alone, the boy would surely bleed to death. With both of them lost and night close by, he gave out another annoyed sigh and decided to look for a place to stay for the night. It didn't matter where. He heard his replica's moan due to the pain as the bleeding refused to stop. If you were in his place, would you panic? Some people may say yes, but this was Asch that we're talking about him! He wouldn't panic… would he?

He cursed the sky as he felt the first drops of rain fall down on his cheeks. His eyes narrowed even further upon that. "Damn the rain…! Why did it have to rain at a time like this?!" He started to run and decided to enter the first shelter that he saw, which was, luckily, a cave. As the original entered the temporary haven, he placed his replica down on the semi-wet ground as he glanced at the unconscious one before him before he took off his tabard. His tabard was someone made of leather so it really didn't look like the best material to use as a makeshift bandage. He glanced at himself and then glanced at his replica. His clothes were mostly made of leather, so that left him with no choice.

He walked over towards his replica and tore off one of the hanging pieces of cloth at the back of his clothes and tied it on the wound to stop the bleeding.

"There." He murmured. "That should stop the bleeding temporarily." He glanced around the cave to look for something to use for fire, but found none. He glanced at his replica once again. He saw him shiver, and without even thinking, placed his tabard over Luke's body to keep him warm. He turned his head around to look outside. "It's definitely a storm…" He whispered to himself. However, he paid that no heed as he rushed out of the cave…

Finding wood was definitely not an easy task… especially if someone was looking for them while under a storm. But well… he still managed to find some anyway. It made him wonder… Why was he even helping his incompetent replica in the first place? He could have just left him there to die and he could finally claim back what was rightfully his: his family, his home, his name… his life. He could have taken all of those things back easily now. All that he had to do was kill his replica. He knew that fact, and yet here he was, saving the said replica's life.

He wanted to find the answers, but before he could find them, he found himself standing in front of the cave again as he held the small bundle of surprisingly dry wood protectively under his arm. He entered the cave and ignored his sleeping lookalike. He then placed the wood on the ground and decided to light it using one of his fire fonic arts. He sat down by the fire to warm himself. He was, after all, soaked by the rain. He glanced beside him as his own ones met with identical green ones.

"Asch…?"

The original glanced away to hide the surprised look that he had on his face. He wasn't actually expecting the other boy to wake up any time soon. He had wanted to disappear before the said other boy wake up… "You better go back to sleep, replica. You haven't been able to get enough rest yet. You're still bleeding." He said in a harsh voice to show his annoyed mood, but his words told the other otherwise. He felt the other's eyes on him as his mood almost snapped in two. "What are you staring at?!"

"You… saved me…" was the answer that he received. The voice was so weak and soft that he almost thought that the other boy didn't say anything.

"Hmp. So I did. What now?"

The replica's voice grew solemn. "Why…? Why did you save me…? You had the chance… to regain everything. You… you had the right to kill me…" He whispered.

He narrowed his eyes upon hearing the words. He didn't know why, but he was annoyed. "…which means that I also have the right to let you live." He stated with a scornful voice. "How dare you say such a thing?! You…! You who took everything away from me! I do have the right to kill you, but you don't have the right to wish for your own death by my hands! Are you insulting me?!"

Luke's eyes fell downcast as he saw the truth behind his original's words. He saw the self made bandage wrapped around his wounded side and the tabard that fulfilled its purpose as a makeshift blanket. His eyes widened as he glanced at the long haired general and placed the conversation at the back of his mind for the meantime. "You're soaked!" Asch didn't reply. The other stood up on his feet as he occasionally gave out soft pained whimpers due to his still bleeding wound. "You're soaked because you used your tabard to make me feel warm while you went out into the rain…" He whispered. Luke didn't know why his original saved him. He knew that he wanted to kill him and that was why they crossed blades with each other… to prove who the real Luke was. Why did…

Why did Asch save his life…?

He didn't know the reason. Actually he didn't want to. He was just glad to know that he was slowly making his way into the general's heart. "Asch… I…" But before he could even finish what he wanted to say, his legs failed him and thus caused him to tumble down… not on the hard cold ground, but on a pair of waiting arms.

"What the hell…!" Asch exclaimed before pushing the other way quite harshly, which made Luke land on the ground with a soft thud. "I told you to lie down!" He stood up, pushed his replica back on the ground, and sat back down near the fire as he watched the flames dance with each other. "Go back to sleep. You're burning up."

"H-huh…?"

He glared.

"Fever."

Luke sighed. "I am…?"

Asch narrowed his eyes even further. "Obviously."

Finally, silence decided to invade the place and kept everything still. The place was very tranquil and the only sounds that dared to interrupt the silence were the splattering of the rain outside and the cackling of the fire. Asch gave out an almost invisible shiver as his hand unconsciously clutched the opposite arm before he vaguely saw the other react in the same way. Despite the fact that they were now dry that didn't change the fact that they were previously drenched with water, and thus can be the cause of physical ailments. The fire wasn't really helping much, and Asch could only think of one last alternative to preserve the warm.

However…

"Hey dreck, I know you're awake." He stated. "Come over here and bring my tabard with you."

Luke opened his eyes and slowly stood up before he made his way towards his original. He (quite sadly) gave the tabard back to its owner, immediately missing the warmth (and the scent) that it once provided. He didn't complain though. He was sure that he already caused the god general too much discomfort to last him a lifetime. He was about to go back to his place on the ground when his original's voice stopped him.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Luke stopped, his green eyes glanced at identical ones. An annoyed look was what faced him as his original beckoned him to side beside him. The replica glanced down. "Asch… why…? You don't have to…"

"You fool. Do you seriously think that I even want to be ten feet near you? You're so near me right now that it's sickening! Don't think that I'm doing this for you. If you die now, then who's going to defeat Van?"

Luke gave out a small smile as he sensed the deepness beneath the other's words. He sat down beside his original as he felt the tabard on his shoulders. "Asch may act cold and brash… but I know that he's a really nice person…" He thought as he unconsciously closed his eyes… "Thank you…"

Asch lightly blushed upon hearing his replica's words, murmured something along the lines of 'fool' and 'stupid' before realizing that his replica fell asleep. He felt Luke's head upon his shoulder but did not do anything to shove him away. He glanced at the peaceful look on his replica's face. His eyes softened and felt uncharacteristically comfortable in the position that they were in as he remember his replica's words…

…thank you.

…and Asch shook his head before brushing his lips on his replica's forehead ever so slightly… with a small smile placed upon his lips..

"Stupid dreck…"

…and he then allowed himself to enter the realms of sleep in where nothing could bother him… into the rare feeling of peace…

Such a nice feeling…

It's been a long time since I've felt something like this...

What could it be…?

Hmm… I know now…

…Warmth…

END

Author's notes: Finally done! I just love Luke acting so submissive! Well… he is submissive when it comes to Asch. I mean… I feel like he'd to anything that Asch tells him to do in short of allowing Asch himself to sacrifice his own life. Heehee…! I hope you liked it!

Comments please!