Hey there, everyone. I'm glad to be publishing again. I did a bit of a series. All of these stories have Glou in them, or at least mention him. This one just mentions him, but the other two will have him as a character. This is the second story from this series that I'm publishing, so they are sadly out of order. The one I already published is Family Heirloom. Anyway, this story is an AlNel story. It's out of my usual comfort zone and I'm rating it M just in case because there is an illusion to sex. Its not explicit though, so no problems. Ok, so after all that...

Synopsis: Albel and Nel are taught to swim and jump in the water by Fayt. TRhey discover they like each other ansd seal the deal. Pretty straightforward. But definitely not my best work. I wrote this without sleep, so its a little all over the map. I hope my editing helped.

ok, disclaimer, sorry forgot that one on my other story. I do not own Star Ocean or any of its characters.

Enjoy the story everyone.

Swimming Lessons

Fayt woke up and smiled. This was going to be an exciting day. He was going to teach Nel and Albel how to jump into the water without hurting themselves. For that, he needed water. They had a long trip ahead of them, so they left early in the morning.

Fayt was going to go ahead and wake them up and get them packed and in the car. They would stay at the cabin on the lake for three days while Fayt taught them and they practiced. But first, Fayt needed some valuable information…

Fayt shook Albel's shoulder. "Albel, can I talk to you? I need to ask you something." Albel turned over and looked at Fayt.

"Whatever."

"Ok, so about your packing. You are a special case. There are a couple of things I need to know. First, no offense, but that claw, what is it hiding? Were you hurt, or is it just an accessory that you don't let out of your sight?" Fayt smiled awkwardly. Albel could tell he was embarrassed.

"Well, I was hurt. A long time ago, I hurt my arm real bad in a fight. And I lost two fingers. I cover it up because no one is supposed to know about it. It's weak. Anyway, why do you ask?" Albel studied Fayt's face. He didn't see any signs of disgust yet.

"Oh, ok. That's what I thought. Thanks for telling me. So you are gonna need to bring something to wrap it up while we're in the water, because that claw will rust. And that would suck. So you'll have to take it off before you get in the water. I was wondering if you had what you need, because if not, I do."

"Well, ok, I guess. I never take it off in front of other people, though. I don't know how either of you will react."

"Oh, I'll be fine. I know this dude that's missing his little finger, and Nel's a soldier. I doubt it'll bother her." Fayt wanted to say more, but figured it was a good idea not to. He gave Albel a reassuring smile instead.

"Alright. I'm still not sure, but I'll do it. I need to learn how to swim." Fayt looked at Albel, surprised. "And we'll get you a life jacket while we're out. Thanks for mentioning that you can't swim. I never would have guessed."

Fayt and Albel went out and bought life jackets and the bandages that Albel would need. When they got back, they helped Nel pack, and they headed out for the lake. The car ride was pretty uneventful and they were able to get to the lake in about an hour and a half. They stopped for food on the way and ate in the car to save time.

When they got to the cabin, Fayt let them in with his key and they unpacked while he bustled around the cabin, dusting and sweeping. Fayt hated when things were dirty. Albel went ahead and took the claw off and wrapped up his arm. He figured it would be better if they didn't see what was underneath.

They all got changed and went down to the water, Albel and Nel wearing the new life jackets. They certainly didn't want to drown, but Fayt loved the water. He was not wearing a life jacket. At least not until he got tired later on.

Nel took one look at Albel's bandaged arm and asked bluntly what Fayt had been too shy to ask. "What happened to your arm that you need to cover it 24/7, even around us? Let's see it."

"Aww, Nel, leave him alone. He's not hurting anybody by covering it up." Fayt was starting to get upset. Albel's honor had to be defended.

"It's fine. You want to see? Fine." Albel undid the bandages on his arm and showed Nel his missing fingers. "See? Are you happy now?"

"Yes, actually. You know you can keep that uncovered. It's not the worst injury I've ever seen…" Fayt interrupted her. "Really? You've seen a worse injury than that in your line of work. Damn, girl. What kind of stuff do you guys do to each other in war?"

"Well, we fight. We use swords and knives, stuff like that. But my guess is that that was done by a dragon from his own country. A training accident of some type? Or a failure in the Accession of the Flame ceremony?"

Albel looked down at that moment and Nel knew that this must be the case. She almost wished that she hadn't said it. It was probably the most defining moment in his life, and she just reminded him of his greatest failure.

"Anyway, can we move on and get to the lesson now, please? I'm sure neither of you really want to talk about this right now. It seems you've embarrassed each other, and I just think this is way too awkward. So without further ado, watch me jump and try to imitate me."

Fayt demonstrated the jump for Albel and Nel and then watched as the two carried it out. Fayt thought Nel did well, but Albel seemed to be compromising his form for the sake of not touching the bottom. Fayt had suggested he wear water shoes, but Albel had refused for the sake of his misguided dignity. Good or not, they still both needed practice, and it would be a long day. Fayt wanted to be critical about it so they'd learn well.

They jumped until lunchtime and Fayt let them swim around for a little while and float while he went inside to make lunch. While they swam, they had a conversation…

"Hey, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have brought up the ceremony, but I had no idea you took it and failed. That was pretty rude."

Nel looked ashamed of herself and Albel was inclined to accept her apology. "Sure. I just got upset because of what happened during that ceremony. The failure wasn't the big deal. My father was killed in that ceremony. I still miss him, and it was my fault he died. If I hadn't been so weak, he would still be alive. My arm is a constant reminder of what I did, and that's why I cover it. With metal or a bandage, makes no difference."

Nel looked at him with pity in her eyes. "It's not your fault that your father died. If he died saving your life, the only one to blame is the one who was trying to kill you, in this case, the dragon. He did what any father would do in that situation. So don't blame yourself. You don't deserve to be miserable."

Albel was stunned. Was Nel trying to say that she liked him or just make him feel better? He decided there was only one way to find out. He leaned forward and kissed her. She didn't pull away. The kiss lasted until they couldn't breathe anymore, and they heard Fayt's voice calling them for lunch. They went upstairs and acted as though nothing had happened.

After lunch they went down to the water again and practiced jumping. They steadily got better over the three days. They hopped in the car and went home.

It was late when they got back home, so they all went to bed. Nel and Albel, however, stayed up and confessed their love to each other in another way. When they had had their fun, they fell asleep, Albel holding Nel in his arms. They slept like that until morning.

That morning, Fayt went out to his trunk because he had the nagging feeling that they had left something in there last night, and sure enough, there was Albel's claw. Fayt knocked on Albel's door and hesitantly opened it when he got no answer, thinking Albel was away. But instead he was greeted with a startling scene…

Fayt dropped the claw on a chair, ran out the door, and shut it, blushing like a madman the whole time. That was more of Nel and Albel than he ever needed to see. That scene was not going to leave his head anytime soon. He went back down the hall, sure that he shouldn't give Albel and Nel swimming lessons anymore.

Read and review. Hope you liked it.