A/N: Done for the 30kisses community on Live Journal; check profile for links to Live Journal and other challenges that I take up. My memory for when the group enters Grand Chokmah for the first time is blank, so if things are a little off, I apologize.
Title: What's Mine
Pairing: Jade Curtiss x Guy Cecil, hints of Asch the Bloody x Luke fon Fabre, implied one-sided Peony x Guy
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Prompt: #26 – if only I could make you mine
Rating: PG, some swearing
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss; wish I did, but I don't. No suing.
Summary: What I want is not something I can have. It's forbidden but I still want it.
What's Mine
There's an almost unnerving feeling that grips your heart when you know that the one person you want cannot be yours; truely yours. The envy and longing that fills you is almost enough to consume you at times; and you wish that you didn't live in the society which you do.
Jade Curtiss knew that; he knew that he could never have Guy as his own. Things wouldn't work out like that between them. Guy had the Gardios house to rebuild, and Jade had his own family to deal with. There was no chance for them to be together; what they had was secret; never to go anywere.
But to him, Guy would forever be his. No matter what; Jade still considered Guy to be his. Jade would never marry; no woman had ever captured his attention as his little blonde vixen had. If it was only in the small moments they had together; that would be enough.
To him, those moments were priceless, and he wouldn't trade them for the world.
"You know, I sometimes think it might have been better if I'd never revealed that I was the sole living heir to the Gardios house..."
"And why is that?"
Guy frowned, "Maybe... maybe because it's why I can't have you. At least, it's part of why I can't. If Daath can be so accepting of it; why can't the rest of Auldrant?"
Jade watched carefully, thinking out his answer, "The world isn't the happy place it is in fairy tales. Besides, fairy tales only show the hetrosexual views that people can accept easily. People don't easily accept what is different."
A small smile quirked the corners of Guy's lips, "You've said something similar like that before... except it was in reference to replicas." He looked up, "People wouldn't accept Asch and Luke either. But then... maybe it's because Asch is Luke's original and they look so much alike that people won't accept it."
"Oh? I never heard anything about the two of them."
"You're not Luke's best friend... you could say, I caught them at it one time." The faintest tints of rose colored Guy's cheeks, "But what if all it takes is for us to take a chance? For us to try and make it work."
Jade sighed, but couldn't help the tiniest of smiles to grace his lips. Guy's idealism and determination were perhaps two of the blonde's most admirable qualities. "Daath is accepting of it because of Yulia's teachings. Despite the fact that even they have shunned the Score; the teachings are still valued.
"One of them is to accept people for who they are, regardless of their sexuality. The nobility of both Kimlasca and Malkuth have shunned that teaching. Although, I would not be surprised if Kimlasca's princess makes changes to that."
"What about Malkuth?"
"Even if the emperor did decide to make changes around those policies; I highly doubt that some of the noble families would accept that. But the emperor has talked about such changes for personal reaons." Jade felt a flare of jealousy at the thought of that; knowing the reason why Peony would make such a decision.
"Really? His majesty never came across to me as someone who swung that way..."
"I would not like to delve further into those reasons." Guy looked up, slightly confused at Jade's words and the clipped tone he used to deliver them. His royal blue eyes sought out Jade's garnet ones and locked onto them. Jade sometimes wished, very much so at this time, that Guy couldn't read him so easily by looking into his eyes.
When it seemed that Guy had finally realized why Peony would go through with this, emotions flashed across his face in rapid succession. Realization, shock, replusion, fear. His face finally settled on terror, "Wh-what?! Me?!"
Jade looked away, unable to offer anything to the younger man, "... I'm sorry."
"Why the hell are you apologizing?!" Guy had come over, and grabbed his shoulder roughly, forcefully turning him to face him. "Dammit! Look at me!" When Jade didn't, Guy got more agitated, "Why won't you look at me?!"
"I didn't want to tell you... I was hoping we could avoid this conversation altogether."
"And why the hell did you think that?! Did you think I wouldn't find out?! Is it because you don't trust me?! Why the fuck didn't you tell me sooner?!"
And that was that, they were arguing again, "Why didn't I tell you?! You want to know why?! Because I was scared shitless about what might happen if you even returned his feelings in the slightest!"
Guy backed away a little, slightly afraid of the Malkuth colonel. Jade could be scary when he was mad. But Jade wasn't finished yet apparently.
"How do you think I feel about all this?! I don't like it as much as you do! And it's my fault that you're even in this situation in the first place! I should have insisted that you stay there and recover instead of letting you meet the emperor! If I had, then you might never have been faced with this situation!"
"Jade..."
"He won't stop Guy! He won't give up on you like he gave up on Nephry! Unlike my sister, you're a noble and if he makes the nessacery changes, he can have you! There's no stopping him when he sees something he wants! He'll have you Guy, no matter what it takes for him to get you!"
Grabbing Jade's shoulders, Guy shook him, "Get a hold of yourself Jade!"
He was afraid, that was what he was. Nothing made Jade Curtiss lose control of himself like that, and that had Guy worried. Also, that look of panic in Jade's eyes made Guy's blood run cold. He wasn't going to doubt that what Jade said was true.
"I... I'm sorry Guy. I shouldn't have lost control like that..." Guy looked into Jade's eyes, the panic was still there, but it was now accompanied by sorrow.
"Do I not get a say in this matter?"
Jade tensed, "I'd like to say yes, but the truth is that I don't know... in fact, I'm inclined to say that you wouldn't."
Guy leaned forward to rest his head on Jade's shoulder, slightly surprised when the older man wrapped his arms around him possessively, "There is no happily ever after for us, is there?"
"Not that I can see."
Wrapping his arms around the colonel, Guy wondered what he should do, "What if... Jade?"
"Mmhmm?"
"What if we ran away?"
"Ran to where?"
"I don't know... Kimlasca? Baticul? I'm sure that Luke would be fine with us staying with him... Asch is a different story, but Natalia... she and Luke would understand."
"How do you suggest that I leave this country? How would I even get into Kimlasca? I doubt they'd let Colonel Jade Curtiss the Necromancer just waltz right into their territory."
"Don't wear your uniform. Leave the Malkuth military! I don't care how you do it, just come with me!" Guy pulled back so he could look Jade in the eyes, "I love you Jade Curtiss, and there is no way in hell that I'm going to leave this place without you."
And with that, he leaned in to kiss him senseless.
There's my first one. I am prone to changing my mind at sudden notice. With these, it's one of those. Here we are with the first one, I have twenty-nine more to go. I may or may not post them all here, but chances are I will so I can help fill up the JadeGuy section. w00t.
Done for the 30kisses community on Live Journal.
Kat.