He was the lowest piece of scum to ever walk the earth, but yet I could not help but feel slightly intrigued by him. I wasn't sure what it was about him that kept me so interested – enough that I would actually accept an offer to dinner or a drink now and then – but somehow, Cross Marian caught my attention.
Maybe it was that famous charm of his that he used on almost every woman that crossed his path. Maybe it was because he was one of the strongest generals in the Order. Or maybe it was the mystery behind his long disappearance.
Whatever it was, I was sure it wasn't enough to convince me to stay in his company. Yet, many times in the past, it had.
When I was told by one of the finders that was watching him that he had invited me to a drink with him that evening, I wasn't sure how to react. Every time I received one of these invitations, I would choose to ignore it, and then at the last minute, I'd go and meet him. I would make up some silly excuse in my mind that justified my acceptance of his date and go along, never knowing the true reason that I did. The same happened when I received this invitation today – I decided not to go, that is. This time, I would stick to my decision, though. As a strong, independent woman and a general of the Black Religious Organization, I was not going to give in to Cross Marian's charms this evening. I would resist that shameless flirt and show him that he couldn't have any woman he wanted. Not every one of us would stoop to his level and fall prey to his trap. I surely was not. Not this time.
I felt a little aggravated for some reason. Maybe it was the image of him in my mind, flirting with young Lenalee Lee earlier in the halls today. There was just something about Cross that was making me a little irritated, and I felt the need to walk it off. I stormed down the halls as fast as I could without bringing attention to myself. I continued until I was out of the building, allowing the cool breeze to brush over me. The sun was just beginning to set as I took a seat outside, leaning against the side of the building. I stared up at the orange clouds, wondering why I was allowing one man to annoy me so much.
There was just a sense of pride in me, I guess. I hated that he felt like he could do whatever he wanted without a trouble. I hated that he was right about that. What I hated even more is that my irritation with him had caused me to storm outside and to sit there, staring at the slowly darkening sky.
The stars were out in the night sky by the time I heard his footsteps behind me. He slowly stepped over to me, taking a seat next to me, one leg stretched and the other bent in front of him. "You never showed up for my date, Cloud."
"I said I wasn't going to. Why do you sound so surprised?" I demanded, refusing to meet his gaze. I continued to stare forward, out over the land around the Order.
"You always say you aren't, and then you show up anyway."
"I never do that."
He laughed. "That's a lie and you know it. You can be so proud sometimes, Cloud."
"And you can be so shameless sometimes, Cross, drinking and lying about the Order like you do."
"I can't argue that," he said, laughing again. I still refused to look at him, though I could still feel his gaze was on me. "Why was tonight different than the others?"
"I just didn't want to come," I responded, not wanting to give out any details. Not yet, at least.
I looked at him from the corner of my eye and saw his eyebrow rise. "Why? You're not doing anything better with your time, are you?" He gestured around where I was sitting.
"Generals have a certain responsibility," I reminded him. "I'm better off out here, thinking about the war, than sitting on your couch getting myself drunk."
"You're never drunk."
"I've gotten close enough quite a few times."
"What good times."
I shot him a dirty glare, which he returned with a smirk. I almost wanted to laugh at his childish retorts, but resisted the urge, not wanting to sink to his level. I had to admit, though, that sometimes when I talked to Cross, I too felt childish. There was something about him, I guess, that calmed you down a bit. The way he acted like he didn't have a worry in the world. Either that, or it was extremely annoying.
"Will you come now, or are you going to continue to sit here and ponder over the Earl and akuma and all that?"
"I'm not going with you now. The evening's over."
"So?"
I rolled my eyes, pulling myself to my feet and storming back to the Order. "You're disgusting, Cross. You need to learn some manners."
"Impossible," he laughed from where he continued to sit. "It's far too late for that."
I swung the doors open, ready to step inside. "You're telling me."
Just before I shut the door behind me, he called after me, "I'll give you one more chance, Cloud! Come by tomorrow, same time as you were meant to today."
I slammed the door behind me. I was never meant to do anything for him.
--
I would be kidding myself if I said I didn't consider meeting him. I thought about it quite a few times the next day. It had been a while since I had cooled down and allowed myself to have some fun. I didn't need fun, though, when I had responsibilities. For some reason, though, I kept seeing Cross' carefree smirk in my mind, and I felt the urge to accept his offer and escape those responsibilities, if only for a little while. I could listen to his silly stories and have a drink or two – just forget about everything else. It was tempting, but I didn't want to give in to Cross Marian. I had to stay strong. If I did it yesterday, I could surely do it today. Besides, it probably wouldn't be the last time he'd ask me for a date.
I spent the evening alone in my room, with only my Innocence to keep my company.
--
It was a funny thing about Cross. He kind of gets under your skin. I woke up the next morning and found myself thinking about what fun I would have had if I had accepted his invitation instead of sitting alone in my room all night.
Perhaps I was a little too strict sometimes, and he was a little too carefree. It was kind of like our blind eyes, and how they were both opposite from each other. He was seeing something I wasn't. We were practically polar opposites in every way.
That wasn't really a bad thing, though. As I sat up and pulled myself out of bed, I decided that I'd accept his next offer. What did I have to loose, anyway? I'd gone before. One more time wouldn't make a difference.
I walked through the halls of the Order and spotted the finder that was watching him. He was scurrying through the halls nervously. I held up a hand stopping him.
"Where's Cross?" I asked.
"I wish I knew," he muttered, trying to walk past me.
I stopped him again. "What do you mean by that?"
He shrugged. "He's vanished again, General. Leave it to Cross Marian, right? One second he's sitting right there in his room, the next he's no where to be seen, leaving not even the slightest trace." He pointed past me. "Can I go now, ma'am?"
I stepped aside, slowly resuming my walk down the hall.
'Leave it to Cross Marian'. That was right, for sure. Hadn't he been there just yesterday?
I peered out the window, over the deserted grounds, not really knowing what to think. I was a little taken aback, but not surprised. There was no such thing as being surprised when it came to Cross. It wasn't the first time he'd pulled a vanishing act. I just wondered if this was the last one he'd ever make or not.
The logical side of me was relieved he was gone. He was wrecking my concentration and messing up my mind. The other part of me wished that I had accepted his invitation a few days ago.
I guess my problem was that I was overly proud and never took chances, especially when it came to my heart. For the first time, I regretted standing up Cross Marian.