Am I evil? Yes I am. Upon closer inspection of this series I am beginning to see some love triangles and (on request of my lovely corrupting friend), I have written a short fic on angsty Erts. He may seem somewhat out of character and yeah yeah I know I made him a wuss..but this is my interpretation on his feelings for Zero and why he can't confess to the boy even though we all want him to. All situations in this fic (like the things Ernest tells Erts) are made up by me so don't go flipping through the manga or hunting down the anime episodes to find this stuff..tis all made up ok? *sniff* warning you now..this is a sad, 'torment me' type of fic..no happy ending here.

Forbidden Fruit
By: Nanashi

You run your fingers shyly through your hair as you calm down your excited chuckles. The other hand extends to grasp mine, like it has done so many times before. There is something a little more reserved about you this time, as your feelings and thoughts surge through my veins at the contact. I can feel you are holding back..not as honest and free as you were the other times. There is something changing about you, and from the bits and peices I gather from your soul, I can tell, you are falling more and more in love with me. You pull back suddenly and blush slightly, perhaps realizing you have let me know too much by mistake and just then your partner calls you off.

"It's great to see you again Erts.." you sigh with a final, more confident grin.

I know you are being honest, your excited happiness to see me again radiates from you as strong as a million suns.

"I'm happy to see you aswell Zero." I reply, returning your pleasant grin.

Your partner calls again and you turn warily to her threatening voice. You whirl to face me quickly and in a more hurried tone you say you hope to see me around again before I leave GOA. I nod and watch you run off with a last wave.

I only have a moment to revel in your retreating figure as a sharp, painful emotion invades me. I turn to the source, only to see the back of a silver head strolling off in the opposite direction. He's warning me again.

The day passes slowly and I find myself in the cafeteria, absently chewing on food. I don't know why I'm eating, I'm not very hungry..but perhaps just the action of doing so relaxes me. I let my thoughts drift off to your smiling face again. Ernest was right. I still remember the words he told me once when I was younger.

"Someday you'll find the person you were meant for Erts, the same way I did. Throughout your life you will always be able to feel the thoughts and emotions of others, and you will grow accustomed to this. But the day one emotion reaches beyond the others..hits you so hard and so sudden that it stops you in your tracks forcing you to forget for a moment, where you are, who you are with and what you are doing, you will know that day..you found your soulmate."

I grin to myself. At first I hadn't known what he meant completely. I could have never imagined a single person's thoughts overwhelming me more than the usual..untill the day it happened. I knew you Zero..before we ever laid eyes on each other, I had already met you..that day in the corridor. I can still remember the shock of it all. Walking down the hall with Aracd, keeping my steady pace behind him, hearing him talk to himself. Then suddenly out of nowhere your desperate stubborness surged through the air and my body absorbed it like a sponge on reflex. It was a feeling I had not felt before from anyone and it had caused me to turn in all directions searching for it's source. Of course the event had not gone unnoticed by Aracd who promptly asked me if there was anything wrong..and when I finally came back to my senses I realized I had no choice but to give up on the matter and continue on..for the time being.

Then, the day we actually met and you gave me your hand without restraint, Ernest's words rang through my head once again.

"Gareas was the only one who ever let me touch him directly. He confided in me with all his being and that is when I realized..he was the one I cared for most."

And lost in my thoughts at that moment I barely noticed as you blinked at me. A silent question to why I had flinched at your touch. Only you confided in me enough to touch you..even knowing ahead of time my ability, being warned of what I was capable of, and still you hung on to my hand firmly..and my astonished face quickly melted into one of sheer happiness. I had found the one I would care for most.

But my happiness was not to last very long. Just as I started coming to terms with this new revelation I became aware of another. It was the cold stare of Hiead Gner that made me think twice about falling for you completely.

In your naive and stubborn ways you fail to notice what is only too clear to me. Hiead has stamped you as his property. His one and only rival to the end. This sort of thing has no room for another, and I can tell from the way he looks at you, that his extreme hatred is only one of the many layers of emotions he feels for you. In fact it is THE only expression he ever wears on the surface..but I know of many more that lie beneath, and he knows that I know.

In fact, he makes it a point to remind me whenever we cross paths that you are "Off-limits" to anyone but him..just like he is doing now from across the room. I nearly drop my fork as his unblinking narrowed eyes glare at me from his corner of the table. He is saying it again. His stone-cold ruby gaze burns into me with their inscription that blatantly reads "Zero is mine."

My own sadness sweeps over me. It's hard knowing you chose me a long time ago..seeing you hesitate, each time trying to find the words to tell me what you feel..as if I don't already know it. And each time I back away just a little more. Each time our contact is that much more breif. I'm fated, as was my brother, to love you from a distance, Zero. Because although I belong to you, you unknowingly belong to another. I hope you can forgive me someday, you see, I don't have the courage to stand up to Hiead. He is a demon I cannot contend with. But keep in mind I will always love you..the day he is through with you, the day he grows bored and sets his sights on another, I will be there to pick up your peices.

I'm jolted out of my sulking as a bare hand touches my shoulder. And I know without turning, it's you. Your beaming face takes a seat beside me, plate in hand. I can't help but lose myself in this moment and smile back. You sheepishly offer me one of the extra fruits that I know all too well you don't like. I accept, of course, and our fingers brush over each other for a moment. Time itself seems to freeze at this action and I can see myself holding your hand under the guise of a fruit. Your heartbeat quickens, and my eyes widen the same as your grin does. You are thinking the way I do..and if only..if only you knew. In less than a second the moment has passed and I bite into the forbidden fruit. Forbidden only because you touched it..only because you are forbidden to me.

Across the room Hiead stands abruptly and stomps out of the room, noisily discarding his leftovers in the process. You snort in his direction and lean in close to my ear.

"What's wrong with that guy? It's like the day I'm not close enough to fight he has to take it out on the food or something? I don't understand him." you hiss.

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't understand him either."

I wish that were true.

The silver-haired pilot stops right before the exit and turns quickly to throw me a poisonous glance.

I know Hiead..I know.

I quickly shrug you off my shoulder and stand up in a departing gesture. You whine disbelieving that I would leave so quickly and I try to cover up as best I can with a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry Zero, I promise to spend more time with you later ok? I have something to discuss with Tune about Reneighd Klein..you know the pilots will be leaving GOA soon." I explain.

Your hand drops from it's location on my shoulder as you nod dejectedly allowing me to leave. I give you a half cheerful wave as I disappear from sight.

I'm sorry Zero..I'm so sorry.

~ Owari