A/N Hey everybody! I've decided to do one of those 100 themes challenges, and this is the first theme to go up! All themes will be related to Tales of Symphonia. Also, all themes will have individual ratings, posted at the top, so if you are looking to stay within a certain range, just check the top and skip the ones you don't want to read! This also doubles as a present for my lovely Lexxie. 3 She loves Zelloyd and I let her pick the first theme so here it is!

Theme: No 24. I can't

Yaoi

Pairing: Zelos x Lloyd

Rating: M for moderate adult themes.

I Can't

In Meltokio, two men going down a seedy looking alley was not an odd site. Not even when one of the men was blind-folded and being led by the other man. It wasn't even odd when the one man leading the other was none other then the Chosen of Tethe'alla and the other was Lloyd Iriving, who was not yet famous for being the hero who reunited the worlds. Lloyd still had quite a reputation in Meltokio. After sauntering in after just crash landing in the new world and demanding the King allow him to research how to save the Chosen of Sylverant, harboring half-elves and rescuing them from their fate of death, exposing the Pope for the swine he was, and most recently, helping Zelos rescue Princess Hilda. There was no doubt every Meltokian knew who Lloyd Irving and his friends were.

Zelos trotted into the living room of his home where most of his guests were gathered, grinning his stupid grin.

"Hey Bud! I've got a surprise for you!" he chirped happily, leaning in the entry way of the room, his arms crossed over his chest. He had noticed Lloyd seemed incredibly glum lately. He wouldn't blame the boy though…He had to go fight for the fate of the world tomorrow. The others looked up and Raine raised an eyebrow.

"Zelos, it's late, we'll be leaving early tomorrow for…" Well, she didn't have to say it for everyone to know what it was. Especially Lloyd. He hung his head slightly so the others would not see his expression. He was dreading tomorrow. What if he failed? Two worlds were counting on him. Two worlds full of innocent people and other creatures. If he failed…Their fate as lifeless beings was sealed. He felt a hand on his back and glanced up. Sheena was smiling as warmly as she could under the circumstances at him. He smiled weakly in return before switching his gaze to Raine who seemed to have taken the motherly role for the night.

"Aw c'mon Raine! Lloyd could use a little cheering up! And who better to do that then me?!" Zelos pouted, giving the woman his best puppy dog face. Raine frowned slightly and took a few moments to decide before finally sighing and shaking her head.

"Don't be out too late. We've got a big day tomorrow."

'Yeah, no kidding' Lloyd thought bitterly as he rose up. Zelos was beaming at him. By the time the brunette reached his oh-so-cheerful companion, Zelos looked as if he had something much more then a surprise up his sleeve. Lloyd almost wished Raine hadn't told them they couldn't go. He knew better then to try and tell Zelos he really didn't feel like going.

"Thanks Raine! We won't be out too late, promise!" The Chosen winked at the half-elven woman and flung his arm around a reluctant looking Lloyd's shoulders.

"Where are we going Zelos?"

"You'll see Bud!"

'I wish he would stop calling me that.'

Lloyd really did wish Raine hadn't let them go now. He was blind folded, and being led by Zelos down what he figured was probably a dark alley. They had already broken their promise to not be out late. The last time he had checked, the clock was just striking noon…Er wait no. Midnight, that's right, noon during the day, midnight at night.

"Zelos" hic "Zelos, where are we uh…uhhh…Where are we going?" the young brunette slurred, stumbling along and almost bumping into the man in front of him. Zelos grinned mischievously over his shoulder at the stumbling boy behind him. Not that he could see it, but the look was of pure satisfaction. His previous plan hadn't gone so well. But it was nothing the Great Zelos Wilder couldn't fix up in a jiffy! He flipped some of his long red hair over his shoulder, smirking

"You'll see Bumpkin! We're almost there!" Lloyd groaned and trundled drunkenly along after Zelos. He wrinkled his nose, feeling something that felt a lot like hair tickle at his nose for a moment before it fell away. Well…That was kind of creepy.

"Every time you blind fold me, you say that! I don't want to go to another bar Zelos!" The boy said, a loud belch that stank of alcohol followed.

"Don't worry, we're not going to another bar, Lloyd. We've already been kicked out of every bar in Meltokio!"

"And jeeze Bud, what do you say?!"

"Excuse me… And it's your fault you know, you're the one that got us kicked out of all of them, groping those women!" Zelos rolled his eyes and smirked. Yeah, it was mostly his fault. But if ever asked about it, he would insist it was part of his plan.

Zelos yanked the blind fold off of Lloyd's head, grinning. They were standing inside a crowded bar with dim, multi-colored lights and loud music. Lloyd could barely hear himself think. This was Zelos' surprise? A loud bar that was already packed full? He found himself being tugged by his companion towards the bar. He was sat down on a stool and immediately women flocked around them.

"Oh Master Zelos! Where have you been?"

"Oh Zelos, I missed you!"

"Oh who is your cute friend?"

Just as suddenly as the women appeared, a drink was thrust in his hand by the grinning Zelos. Was it just Lloyd, or did all these women have to say 'Oh' at the beginning of every sentence? He stared down at the glass in his hand. It was full of an amber liquid he couldn't name. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to drink it or not. He had never been much of a drinker.

"Now, now, ladies! Calm down, one at a time!" The red head cooed, smirking slightly.

"This is my bud, Lloyd, we've been traveling together for a while now. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so we came to loosen up!" The girls around them giggled and moved in closer, squishing their bodies closer to the two males. Lloyd frowned slightly. Didn't they have any self respect? He knew all too well how little Zelos really cared for each of these women. And yet he still acted as if he loved each and every one of them. Though…Even he wouldn't hesitate to confess, Zelos was a bit of an attention slut.

"Ooooh!" the girls squealed as Zelos began pinching and groping and generally riling them up. Lloyd shook his head slightly and began sipping at his drink. Well, some surprise, Zelos shoved a drink in his hands and then ignored him for the ladies. What else should he have expected? Zelos, despite his feigned ignorance of Lloyd at the moment, was actually keeping an eye on the boy. He wasn't responding well to his surprise! It bothered him somewhat, to see Lloyd still so down. It bothered him a little more when the women slowly migrated to the 'mysterious' boy. But…he found the reason was something he wished would not surface tonight.

'It's for Lloyd's own good!' he thought to himself. Before he could stop it, a small frown had come to his face. He downed the rest of his fruity drink before wiping the frown from his face

"Hey! Instead of sitting at the bar, why don't we all get a booth?" He suggested, much to the delight of the girls. As soon as he had finished his drink, Lloyd was being dragged away from the bar and as soon as they reached the booth, was promptly squished between two very large breasted women. His face heated slightly and he tried to swallow down his discomfort. Another drink was shoved into his hand, which he promptly downed to keep from having to speak to the women on either side of him. The alcohol however, was particularly strong and made him grimace. His reaction only made the girls giggle and smoosh closer to him.

After a few more drinks and women getting progressively more physical with him, Zelos managed to get them thrown out by harassing the waitress too many times. Lloyd sighed, this being after his fourth drink. He had loosened up a bit, his mental state was impaired. But he didn't seem able to enjoy himself. Zelos grabbed the blond fold again and tied it around his eyes. When his sight was give back to him, they were in a similar bar with a similar out come. He wouldn't be surprised if they spent all night like this.

This happened a few more times until they had exhausted all the bars Zelos would consider going to in Meltokio. But Lloyd's resistance to the women had Zelos stymied. He was making his plan difficult. And now Lloyd was thoroughly smashed! He could barely walk for himself. And if he wanted Lloyd to get his real surprise tonight, he was just going to have to go to extreme measures! The Chosen pushed the door of a back alley building open and smirked he didn't allow Lloyd sight just yet.

"Zelos…Where are we?" Lloyd stumbled over the thresh hold of the door and he nearly fell into Zelos. The cool night air had sobered him some, but he still couldn't see. And he was still fairly under the influence. He could detect a few scents on the air. One was alcohol. But it didn't sound like they were at another bar. Another was…One of the most pungent perfumes he'd ever smelled. The combined scents along with a few others made him wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"Just a minute Bud and I'll take the blind fold off!" Zelos said cheerfully. He kept a hold of Lloyd and leaned over the counter with a sly smirk.

"We'll need a room for the boy and a few good ladies." He said in a hushed tone so the brunette behind him couldn't hear. He reached in his pocket and pushed a pouch of gald to the woman behind the counter. She nodded and checked inside the pouch before answering the man.

"Room seven, you've got an hour." She said firmly before going back to what she was doing.

"What have we got an hour for, Zelos?" Lloyd pestered as Zelos began guiding him again.

"You'll see~!" Zelos chimed, leading the boy up a flight of stairs. It was a bit of a trip, Lloyd was stumbling all over the place. Drunk and stairs didn't mix well. When they arrived at room seven, Zelos stopped and reached around Lloyd's head. He undid the blind fold and grinned. Lloyd blinked several times and rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. Once his eyes had adjusted to the dimly lit room, he looked upon the man before him. Before he could respond however, Zelos had opened the door behind him and shoved Lloyd in.

"W-wait I-!" Zelos had slammed the door in the face before he could get the rest out. Slowly, he turned to see what looked like a hotel room. Well, aside from the three very scantily clad women who were smiling seductively at him. He swallowed hard as he realized just where Zelos had brought him. Two of the women advanced on him, licking their lips and smiling.

"Hey honey, come to have a little fun?" the left on asked, leaning up and licking his ear. Lloyd shuddered and attempted to pull away, only to be tugged by the second girl.

"C'mon love, don't be shy!" she encouraged, giving him another forceful tug. Stumbling forward, Lloyd's face reddened as the first girl started slipping out of her sheer night gown. This was part of Zelos' surprise? Getting him a few prostitutes? This really was turning out to be one head ache of a night. He yelped as he noticed his shirt was fully unbuttoned and the girl in front of him was working on his pants. Now all three were pressing themselves up against him, and he felt his face might explode at any moment. Dammed Zelos!

His eyes widened as a hand slid down his pants and gripped his crotch. Another yelp jumped from his throat. Panicking, he bolted backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet. He had suddenly gone very white. The three looked at him, puzzled as he scrambled out the door.

"Done so soon?" Zelos asked, looking quite surprised to see the disheveled Lloyd returning so quickly. Lloyd glared at him and fixed his pants before doing up his shirt. Where they that good? He couldn't have been in there for more then a minute!

"I can't believe you did that Zelos." He muttered. Bars, fine, ignoring him, fine, but sending him in a room to practically get molested and raped without even asking him? That crossed the line. This night was over. Zelos raised an eyebrow, not seeming concerned.

"Come on, Bud, I was just trying to give you a good time!" he argued, leaning against the banister.

"A good time? Even you of all people should know, that isn't my idea of a good time." He snapped, retreating down the stairs from the man. A brief expression of concern flitted across Zelos' face before it disappeared. Lloyd was already gone by the time he had turned to see him on the lower floor. Perhaps…he had gone too far.

Lloyd stalked grumpily down the side streets of Meltokio, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Zelos picked the wrong night to be a jerk. When he finally made it back to his room in the other's mansion, he didn't feel quite so drunk. In fact, he felt upsettingly sober. He glanced at the clock. Two A.M. He would need to go to bed soon. He stepped out onto the balcony that faced over Zelos' sprawling back lawn and garden. Soon was not this very moment.

"I'm sorry Lloyd…I just wanted you to forget about things for a while…I didn't mean to upset you." Zelos hovered down, his orangey wings cast a glow on both his and the brunette's faces. He had been watching Lloyd from a perch on the roof for about forty minutes now. He seemed troubled. Touching down beside the other, Zelos allowed his wings to stay out, they were the only source of light while the moon hid behind cloud cover.

"I can't forget about things right now Zelos. I can't forget that we have to fight tomorrow. I can't forget that if I fail...If I make a mistake, I cannot just try again. I can't forget if I fail, Mithos wins. And everyone's fate will be as a lifeless being. I can't forget about that Zelos." Lloyd said quietly. He leaned on the railing of the balcony, looking out into the dark. Zelos frowned and moved a little closer to Lloyd.

"I know Bud…I guess I knew before I took you out…But I wanted to try." He mumbled, placing his hand atop Lloyd's head. His fingers threaded slowly through those thick chocolate locks.

"And I can't have sex with those women either. I don't love any of them. I don't even know them." Lloyd sighed, leaning slightly into Zelos' touch. Blinking, the red head raised an eyebrow.

"If we do fail, you'd die a virgin just because you didn't love the women? " He asked, looking slightly confused. He had had sex with a few women, he hadn't loved any of them, but that hadn't stopped him! A man had needs you know! Sometimes they just needed to be taken care of! Lloyd chuckled and nodded. Could Lloyd seriously suppress those needs until he found the person he loved? Well, Zelos found it hard to doubt Lloyd's will after all they'd been through.

"Yes Zelos. Call me old fashioned, but I want to save that for someone I really love. If we fail, I don't mind dying a virgin. I don't want to do it just to do it. I want it to mean something." The brunette chuckled softly. Even in the light of his wings, Zelos could see Lloyd blushing. Grinning, he ruffled Lloyd's hair fondly.

"Aw Bud! I think it's sooo cute you want to wait! If you had told me that, I wouldn't have taken you out tonight!" Lloyd blushed even more and leaned his head away from Zelos so he wouldn't see. That had been the extent of his surprise? Zelos waned to get him laid so if they didn't make it, he wouldn't die a virgin? It was…Something Lloyd didn't agree with, but he couldn't fail to see the sentiment behind the act coming from someone like Zelos. The others would have made sure he visited Iselia one more time or ate his favorite food again. But he supposed for Zelos, the act was as sentimental as he was going to get. But…It was still embarrassing!

"Shut up! It's not cute! It's just…The way I am." He mumbled embarrassedly. The Chosen's grin turned into a soft smile. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around the other and pulled him to his chest. That's what he loved about Lloyd. He was so honest and cute. And…Well, even if he didn't know it, he was quite romantic. Surprised by the embrace, Lloyd glanced up at Zelos. He had gotten many surprise glomps before, but this felt entirely different. A light blush coated his cheeks. Zelos seemed so…serene and peaceful despite what had happened that night and what awaited them tomorrow.

"I like you just the way you are Lloyd, you don't have to be embarrassed." Zelos assured, smiling down at the younger boy. Lloyd forward again and leaned back against Zelos a bit. The two spent several minutes this way, Zelos with his arms wrapped loosely around Lloyd's lower torso and Lloyd leaning lightly on him. Lloyd was not uncomfortable with contact, and Zelos seemed to require it to continue living, but this had never happened between them before. Lloyd didn't fight it, he felt…Safe at the moment. He was going to soak up that feeling as much as he could before tomorrow. He knew when he woke up in the morning…That feeling wouldn't be there.

"Hey Lloyd…?" Zelos leaned down and rested his chin on Lloyd's shoulder. His grip on the boy tightened slightly as well.

"Hm?"

"What if…I told you I loved you…?" The elder asked, sound a bit nervous. Lloyd blinked confusedly and looked at the man beside him. He realized the other was being serious and a blush came to his cheeks. What would he do if Zelos told him he loved him? A few minutes in hushed suspense had Zelos wondering if he should have kept his mouth shut. Lloyd looked conflicted for several moments. He knew he and Zelos were close, despite the outward appearance of their relationship. Could what he felt be love?

"I guess I would tell you…I love you too…" Lloyd admitted quietly, looking down. Zelos let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Lloyd…Would say he loved him too?

"Hey Lloyd?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I love you." Zelos murmured, leaned up to the boy's ear. In truth…It was something he'd been waiting to tell him. He had known for several months now. But until tonight, he had not been able to gather the courage to confess his feelings. He just hopped Lloyd hadn't changed his mind. But he was loosing hope as Lloyd stayed quite.

"I…I love you too." Lloyd said quietly, a shiver running down his spine. Some how this felt right…Good.

"Lloyd, stop thinking about what you can't do or the what ifs. If you keep thinking you can't something, then you really won't be able to do it. You can do it…I know you can." Zelos was so tempted to pull the boy closer and kiss him…But he felt like he needed more reassurance at the moment. Fidgeting some, Lloyd looked down.

"But…But what if I can't-" He was cut off by a pair of warm lips pressing against his. Zelos had tipped his chin up as he spoke. He couldn't help himself. And it was a handy way to shut the boy up!

"Lloyd, I'm going to hit you if you say 'can't' one more time!" the red head threatened against the other's lips.

"I want you to stop thinking like that, do you understand me?" Lloyd blushed and nodded slowly. It was a strange sensation…Feeling their lips brushing together as they spoke. He liked it.

"O-okay…" Zelos smiled, satisfied Lloyd wouldn't say the forbidden word again. He pulled away and grasped Lloyd's hands turned the boy to face him. Silently, the older man led the other into his room. His wings were the only light they had in the particularly dark room.

Placing a few chaste kisses to the boy's forehead and lips, Zelos guided him over to the bed and nudged him down. When Lloyd was lying comfortably, he crawled onto the bed as well and leaned over him on all fours. The orange glow from his wings illuminated their bodies like firelight, flickering and casting long shadows on their faces. Hovering lower, the two soon locked in a passionate kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"…Zelos…?"

"What Lloyd?"

"What if I can't…?" Lloyd smirked against the other's lips as he couldn't help but test the limits of the new vocabulary restraint placed upon him. Zelos huffed and rolled his eyes. He gave the boy's belly a light smack.

"What did I say about that word?"

"I can't use it?"

A/N: Okay, phew, this is the longest of anything I've posted up here so far. I hope you all enjoyed it and there are 99 more themes to go!

~K.A.L.