Stubbornness & Little Secrets (YuanxKratos)

Summary: Kratos was going to leave. Yuan didn't want him to. Will both of them realize that neither wants the other to go? Their past lovers watch on with baited breaths... YuanxKratos

The women knew those 2 were bi. They always did. One was engaged to the 1st, and the other already married to the 2nd. But they always found it amusing that the 1st and the 2nd never knew that about each other. It was a 'little secret', and as they watched from their places in the heavens, that 'little secret' was making life a 'little' difficult...

He sighed as he gazed out into the Elvin Forest. The slight breeze blew locks of his slightly wild and long auburn hair in front of his eyes. Then all was still once more. This was where he had sealed up Origin, so long ago. This was where he was supposed to die when he released the great entity, so his son could save the world. Now the worlds were one again, surviving from the Great Tree of Mana. But he had to go to Dherris Kharlan soon.

One week, the summon spirits had proclaimed. One week until it floated too far away for Lloyd's great Eternal Sword to send him there. Inwardly, he felt something suspiciously like sorrow. He was supposed to be dead. So he should go off into the reaches of eternity on Dherris Kharlan; it was the next closest thing to death, right?

Blue eyes gazed out at the man, too caught up in his own contemplation to notice him there, slightly behind a tree. A rich, low soothing voice asked quietly "What are you doing here, Yuan?" Rats. He supposed that Kratos wasn't too deep into contemplation to let his guard down. He NEVER let his guard down, which made trying to read him from a distance or sneaking up very difficult for the blue haired half-elf.

"Kratos." Yuan greeted, stepping forward from the side of the tree. "What could possibly be large enough to cause you to look so deep in thought?" The human who came off cold for once sighed and had a confused look. Something HAD to be big if it meant losing his cool know-it-all outer appearance.

"It's not something I should tell anyone but my son. Perhaps not even him." He said finally, brushing a hand through his wild bangs, moving them out of those deep, dark crimson eyes.

His son resembled him, with wild brown hair and red eyes, but those were just red. It was the deep, dark endless crimson ones that Yuan was captivated by. He moved up closer and sat down beside his long-time friend and companion. "Come on, I've known you more than long enough to know something's up that's really getting to you." Kratos chuckled, a low, soft noise in his throat that pleased his ears and stirred something within his ancient heart.

"You've known me far too long and well than I care to admit." He said, gazing out at the tranquil water. "...It's about Dherris Kharlan." "What about it?" The other asked curiously, head tilting in the familiar habit only shown around the human angel. It caused his blue hair, the long pieces that weren't tied back, to fall further to the side, framing his face nicely with those blue eyes. Those stunning, vivid pools of blue. He blinked to clear his mind of those thoughts and return them to the situation and the question just asked. "I'm going to go with it as it leaves."

The reaction he got was certainly not what he had expected in the least. Yuan bolted to his feet and glared down at him. "WHAT?!" the elf practically shouted. An eyebrow was raised. Why was the man so frazzled? He was normally just as calm and collected as Kratos, if not more so since he had had to deceive 3 parties at once. "I'm not about to repeat myself, Yuan."

This, however, only BARELY managed to calm him. Mustering up all the calmness he could to drive away anger, he asked quite frankly and curtly "And WHY are you going to leave?" No answer. "You've got your son Lloyd here and your daughter-in-law Colette. You've got-" He paused. Almost let it slip there. "You've got a new life ahead of you," he continued, "and you're throwing it away? This better be a damn good reason." Now, normally he refrained from swearing as it was vulgar for the somewhat elegant elf. Same for the human who had wisdom to match his prolonged age...

"Because I should have died from my sins long ago. And it didn't happen when I released Origin."

...But then again, sometimes the same human who had lived for over 4000 years was strangely clueless when it came to his own mistakes—or rather, mistakes that weren't his but he still took responsibility for. And there was only a one word response that he had to this answer: "Explain."

"To atone for my sins, it should have been my death that day in this very forest. When I released the seal on Origin, I should have died. I deserve to die."

"THAT'S LUNACRIC!" Yuan exclaimed. "I will NOT have perhaps my only trusted companion for 4000+ years speak that way! Even though you may not believe you're needed, or should be alive, if you died or upped and left, AGAIN, what do you think will happen?" Yuan demanded. Silence met him. "You and I both know that the dwarf Dirk died soon after the worlds were reunited. Should Lloyd lose his real father as well as his foster one, do you not think that he will be negatively affected?" Yuan asked harshly.

"Lloyd's strong." Kratos murmured, "He's got Colette now, and his friends."

Yuan covered his eyes in exasperation. So STUBBORN! A sudden question from a certain stubborn man caused him to snap his attention back though: "Why did you donate some of your mana to save me back then?" Great. Now how was he supposed to explain THIS without revealing he went both ways and had feelings for his friend...? "...Because you're needed." He said finally.

Kratos shook his head, still in denial. No one needed him, just wanted him there. They could still live without him. But though he hated to admit it, his feelings towards his blue haired friend were even stronger than his ones for his female partner, Anna. If anyone could convince him to stay, it was this man sitting to his left, and that was what worried him. They were just friends, right? But if he really thought about it, he wanted it to be more...

Yuan sighed at the still not responding Kratos. Honestly, what did it take to change the mind of this, again, STUBBORN man? "...Alright, I'll admit it, I didn't give you my full answer." He relented hesitantly.

"Then what is it?" Kratos asked, genuinely curious.

Yuan kneeled next to where Kratos sat. "Don't blame me you asked for it and you're too stubborn for anything else to get through." He said quickly, and without giving the other man any further warning, Kratos felt himself pulled forward by a hand at the back of his head and his lips caught in a warm kiss.

The 'stubborn' man was caught by surprise, which wasn't an easy feat, but still kissed back, which seriously shocked himself. Wasn't Yuan straight? Sure, HE was bi, but if the situation was really the way Yuan was implying it was, then...they both were bi? That would be a little too good to be true.

Yuan pulled back slightly, an intense look in his blue eyes. "NOW do you get it, stubborn, stubborn fool? I. Care. For. You." He made sure to emphasis that point. If this didn't get through to him and get him to stay, not much else would, and the one he cared for most would be gone for eternity on a hunk of rock in space. What an oh-so-lovely prospect. "And because I probably know what you're thinking right now, YES, I'm bi. Go ahead and be disgusted, I don't care, but you had to know-" He was cut off by a hard kiss from the auburn haired man.

Kratos couldn't believe what he had heard as he pressed a hard kiss on his blue-haired angel. Yuan was like him? Well that made things a heck of a lot easier. In every way. He became more dominant as the kiss continued, feeling a light moan from the other that was smothered by his mouth. He felt arms go around his neck. Kratos pulled away slightly, his face still only centimetres away from Yuan's. "Yuan..." He breathed.

Yuan shuddered as Kratos said his name in that oh-so-sexy voice, warm breath brushing across his lips as he stared into those dark crimson eyes. "Yuan, I can't be disgusted by it. I'm the same. And I feel the same way." That had to be the BEST thing he had ever heard in his life, even better than if Martel had come up to him and said 'hey there Yuan, turns out Lloyd found a way to save my spirit and bring me back so here I am and the worlds are saved and you won't have to worry ever again!'. But despite the whirling thoughts in his brain, all that came out was a soft "You're serious..."

Kratos shot the other angel an amused look that clearly stated 'I-normally-am'. Yuan smiled at that. "If you went off on a chunk of rock and mana with the thoughts that you should have died, I'd go insane." He leaned his head against the other's chest, taking in the scent that was Kratos. He smelled of the forest and of fire, mixing surprisingly to form a very gentle, soothing scent.

Kratos chuckled, his hand resting at the back of Yuan's head, letting his fingers glide through the silky blue strands. "Heaven forbid I let that happen."

"So you'll stay?" Yuan asked hopefully into Kratos's shirt front. He felt the man nod, and a low chuckle vibrate through his chest. "Yes Yuan, I'll stay."

Yuan sighed in relief at those soft words, and looked up at the face of the man he adored. "It's a promise then; I won't settle for anything less."

"Then I'll give you something more; I vow to stay with you, Yuan, and not go to Dherris Kharlan." He leaned down for a soft, tender kiss this time.

Yuan practically melted into the soft kiss. He had always expected the stoic man to give hard, dominant kisses, but such a tender one...He felt like he wanted this man, needed something more. "Mm...Seal it with some hard proof." His fingers traced light designs along well-toned abs and a little, but not much, lower.

Kratos' breath hitched slightly as the implications of Yuan's words set in. He gave Yuan a warm smile that alone took the elf's breath away. "Very well. I've wanted you ever since I laid eyes on you, so long ago..."

"Then what are you waiting for...?" Yuan smiled back. "You can have me now."

From the heavens above, Anna and Martel giggled.

"It seems they finally revealed to each other that they're bi." Anna said.

"Those men..." Martel sighed, smiling, and shook her head. "And here we thought they were hopeless."

"Yeah. I mean, we knew their top male loves were each other, but they had no idea! Good to see they're happy."

They exchanged loving, knowing looks and laughed again. "Guess the 'little secret' is out!"

In the grass Yuan and Kratos lay, in pure bliss, wrapped in each other's arms. "Mm...Kratos?" The arms around him tightened slightly as he heard a soft "Hm?"

"...I love you."

"And I you."

"But should we tell Lloyd?"

"Mm...I think that can wait for a bit. Let's spend more time with each other first, see what the world's like now, and then we'll tell him."

"Sounds good...as long as you're here..."

THE END