Welcome to my first Tales of Symphonia story! ToS is my favorite RPG of all time; it's a masterful work of video game art. I love the relationships the characters go through in the story, and I've always had favorite pairings. SheenaxLloyd has been a favorite of mine for some time, and I wanted to try my hand at creating one. This is an alternative universe story; you won't get to see everyone, mostly just Sheena and Lloyd, and Colette's personality is bitchier in this. The story is a one shot, and was inspired by the song "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder, for which I have so titled the story. I hope you enjoy it, and all feedback/comments are appreciated! Enjoy!

PS. When it says (ToS), that's a time jump or a scene change. Stupid document editor won't let me put what I want, hmph!

7 years ago we met…

Sheena Fujibayashi played the number over and over in her head, counting up and down again, each number plinking in her brain like a drop of water. They resonated and echoed in her mind, stirring up memories in her brain. They appeared before her, as if fading up from the bottom of the murky recesses of a lake. Flashes of faces and smiles, hurricane brown eyes, and Sheena was lost in the train of thought.

"Would you like fries with that ma'm?" These words brought Sheena back to the conscious world, back to staring at the face of an auburn haired teenage girl with many freckles. A white, linoleum counter with a register plopped on top separated the two beings, a wall between customer and employee.

Sheena shook her head at the girl. "No, just the burger" she said. The worker handed her a standard, white paper bag, already slightly greasy on the bottom from the burger inside. Sighing internally, Sheena took the bag and walked out of the fast food restaurant into the cold December night. The bitter wind of Christmas Eve chilled her as she hurried back to her apartment in Manhattan. Her light purple winter jacket and pink scarf kept out some of the cold as the black-haired woman strolled down the sidewalk, black flare jeans falling over her sneakers.

Sheena was 27 years old, a Japanese immigrant, and a resident of New York City. She'd moved to the United States from Japan when she was five, never really remembering her homeland. They'd grown up in a small town in Michigan, just her and her parents, and she'd moved to the city for college when she turned 18. She'd been living there ever since.

The store windows were filled with décor for the holiday times, last minute shoppers were rushing to purchase items, and Sheena passed quite a few Red Cross Santas trying to take advantage of the rush of people filling the stores. She didn't need to do shopping however. She'd sent out presents to her parents a little earlier that week, and other than that, she'd had no one else to buy for. Her college friends… Sheena sighed. Sometimes I wish I'd kept in contact… even though…

The colored lights of a window drew her eyes away from where she was walking, and she didn't see the man carrying packages in front of her. He didn't see her as well, because the packages blocked most of his view of the street. They both yelped as they crashed into each other, packages spilling onto the snowy sidewalk along with the girl. She landed on her back, cringing slightly as she felt the wet white powder melting onto the back of her pants; her jacket , luckily was waterproof.

"Sorry!" cried the man, bending down to help her up. Sheena's head looked upwards towards him, and they both stopped moving towards each other when they saw who was looking back at them. "Sh… Sheena?" the man with the styled brown hair said, staring with brown eyes down at the girl. He wore a red winter jacket and black jeans, and had fairly long ponytail hanging from the back of his hair. Sheena shuddered internally, but her face remained that of happy surprise. Hurricane eyes she thought to herself, allowing the man to help her to her feet.

"Sorry Lloyd" she said, her cheeks reddening slightly. She bent down to start picking up his packages. "I wasn't looking where I was going." Lloyd said nothing, but bent down and collected the packages with her. They stood, holding his gifts and staring at each other. Lloyd was the first to speak.

"How have you been?" he asked her, staring intently at her face. Sheena shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, but held it with her own.

"I've been good. I'm doing secretarial work right now, but I've been getting acting auditions around the city, so I might start in the career soon." True, she'd only gotten two auditions and had failed them because of nervousness, but she needed him to think she'd moved on. The last time they'd seen each other, Sheena had been a bumpy acting student, and he'd most likely think she should've improved somewhat by now at least. She continued the conversation. "How about you?"

"I've been working on my doctorate" he said, smiling slightly. "Professor Sage really rubbed off on me I guess, I haven't had as much trouble since taking her class." They both smiled, recalling the wacky young doctor and her encouragement of both of them in their chemistry class. Both had found it to be their favorite class, though they'd never admit that chemistry turned out to be so much fun.

"What are the gifts for?" Sheena asked. Lloyd had never had that much money. True, his father, Dirk, had run a successful manufacturing plant in California, but that never really meant that the family reaped as much as they would've liked to. Still, Dirk had always been generous with money, he'd felt empty without a family the first few years of running the factory, so he'd ended up adopting Lloyd from an agency so he could have someone to share with.

"They're for… Colette never told you, did she?" Lloyd asked. Sheena's eye twitched the slightest bit, but she hoped Lloyd hadn't seen. Colette, her ex-friend, hadn't talked to her in at least five years or so, not since college. Sheena shook her head.

"Colette and I got married three years ago" he said, waiting to gage her reaction. Sheena's eyes widened. "I'm sorry you found out this way" Lloyd murmured, shuffling slightly. He didn't want to start up another uncomfortable situation.

Sheena put on a face of indifference. "Congratulations" she said, giving him a small smile. "I hope you've been happy." Lloyd nodded eagerly… a little too eagerly she thought to herself. His eyes seemed saddened when she mentioned it, despite his smile.

"We're going to her parents' house tonight, and these are for them, hence all the hurrying" he said. Sheena realized something suddenly and handed him back all the packages that she had been holding and smiled.

"It was nice to see you again" she said. Lloyd nodded in agreement. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. "If you ever want to meet up for some coffee or lunch, you can reach me on that number" she said, putting it into the free palm of his hand.

The man produced a card from his other hand and held it with his fingertips so she could take it. "Same to you" he said, smiling. She took the card and looked at it. Lloyd watched her eyes widen at seeing the object. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Sheena grinned at him. "You used the same font type, color, layout and size on your card as I do" she said, giving a chuckle. "Are you sure you haven't stopped copying everything I do?"

Lloyd rolled his eyes and winked at her. "Great minds think alike" he said. His grin melted away into a look of seriousness. "It's really great to see you again" he said sincerely. "I hope to do so again."

Sheena knew her cheeks were about to redden from the embarrassment she felt. "I'll see you!" she said, turning and running away, opposite to the way she had been walking before. She didn't care however, as long as she could get away from Lloyd Irving.

She didn't stop running until she reached her apartment, taking side streets to make sure she avoided seeing Lloyd again. Climbing the stairs, she burst the door open to an empty, darkened living room. She shut the door and flicked on the light switch, bathing the room in a dull yellow color. The couch looked awfully welcoming right then, and Sheena flopped onto it after tossing the burger on the counter of the kitchen.

Her mind raced as the memories that were only faintly visible on the edges of her brain came flooding back into her head. She let them play out like a movie reel of twisted torture, knowing that refusing to remember them would only be more painful.

(ToS)

Sheena had met Lloyd Irving at Columbia College during her sophomore year there. Lloyd was a freshman, barely capable of feeding himself, and hopeless at living on his own. He had been asking around the dorm for laundry detergent when he happened upon Sheena's door. The woman had found him dazzlingly handsome and charming in his seeming innocence, and she and her freshman roommate Colette had quickly befriended him and made sure he survived college life.

The three were known as the Musketeers among their friends, always hanging out together at coffee shops and museums. They even had a special spot in Central Park that they went to every weekend for relaxation and fun. They knew everything about each other, and helped each other through the difficult times of remembering past pains. Sheena was an outcast through middle and high school, Lloyd was an orphan without a mother figure, and Colette's mother had been abusive. Each shared themselves with each other and held nothing back. This was one of the reasons Sheena began falling for Lloyd. The boy was so willing to forgive and protect people; Sheena admired his wishes to help people in his life and idolized him a little for it. He was such a warm soul that you couldn't help but love him.

She'd told him in junior year about her feelings, and was overjoyed to find he felt the same way. Lloyd loved Sheena's spunkiness and ferocity when attacking problems, her compassion, and her ability to understand what people were feeling. They began dating and became an official couple around campus. Sometimes they were seen kissing in alleyways or curled up together on park benches, staring at the sky. The time Sheena was with Lloyd was the happiest time in her life; they took care of each other and shared a deeper connection than Sheena had ever known.

All of this connection with Lloyd seemed to make Colette jealous. She wasn't as open with them as she used to be once they started dating, and sometimes avoided spending time with them. After talking to her about it, she seemed to be rid of her jealously, and the three proceeded as normal.

That was why it was so hard for Sheena when she found Lloyd and Colette kissing in the girls' dorm room in the last half of senior year. Sheena had bolted from the room in tears, both Lloyd and Colette running after her. The older girl managed to escape them however, leaving the campus for a week and running home to her parents. They'd comforted her and tried to convince her that sometimes those things happened, that he wasn't right for her, she'd find another boy. Sheena didn't want another boy, however. She wanted Lloyd.

When she'd returned, she moved out of the dorm she and Colette shared into an apartment in Manhattan. Lloyd's calls to her place and visits, begging for forgiveness were ignored. He said that he'd only done it because Colette had begged him for one kiss, and he wanted to humor her, but Sheena didn't believe him, and slammed the phone or the door in his face. When she graduated that year, her yearbook was empty of signatures, the only two people who she'd wanted now outcast from her life.

(ToS)

The memories faded from her mind as the tears began to flow. I gave that boy everything, my love, my hope, my… virginity, and my heart, and he rejected it all for that bitch. Sheena had seen the way Colette looked at Lloyd during college, but she didn't think Colette truly appreciated Lloyd the way she did. She supposed she'd been proven wrong though by the fact that they were married.

The burger wasn't appealing to her anymore. Going over to her freezer, she pulled out the cookie dough ice cream that she reserved for heartbreaks, of which she had seemed to have many over the past few years. All boyfriends paled in comparison to Lloyd. I'll never be happy she thought, taking her first bite of the addicting cream. I never got to see what it would be like.

(ToS)

Across town, husband and wife were preparing for a dinner out at a ridiculously fancy restaurant in the city. Colette, now a voluptuous woman of grace, turned for Lloyd, who was sitting on their bed. Her glittering white dress shone in the lamplight, her attractiveness was no doubt. Lloyd gave her a smile, but his eyes were distant. Colette scowled, she despised it when Lloyd got his far out looks. He never paid attention to her or anything else for that matter when it happened. "What're you thinking about?" she asked him casually, slipping on her heels.

"Do you know I saw Sheena just now?" he asked. Colette looked up sharply, his eyes were faded again, she hated that! She scowled and continued to dress. "Don't you even care?" Lloyd asked her, looking over.

"That girl put you through heartache, never returned your calls, and ignored you over a kiss, and did the same to me. Why should I care?" She tucked her cell phone into her purse and went over to the mirror to check her hair once more.

"You didn't exactly give me much choice, you practically pinned me to the bed for a kiss that night" he murmured, just loud enough so she could hear. He didn't want to fight again, they'd just had one that morning, but he needed to say it.

"I don't want to fight right now, let's just go and have a nice dinner with my parents" she said, draping a silk shawl over herself. Lloyd sighed internally and nodded. Standing up, he walked over to Colette so she could help him with the tie that was to go with the suit he wore. She put it on him and quickly tied it, reprimanding him with a "you should learn to do this yourself" before walking out to the car.

Sheena never minded doing that Lloyd thought. He shook his head and sighed, then walked out after his wife.

(ToS)

It was New Years Eve, close to midnight, and Sheena was alone again. Well, not completely alone, she did have her terrier Corrine by her side as she sat alone that night, as well as a few bottles of booze. She'd been drinking and crying throughout the day, not knowing why, an ache in her heart throbbing and slowly growing. After trying a bottle of Coors light and finding it to help ease the hurt, she had raided her freezer and produced a full pack, of which she had drunk half. Sheena didn't usually drink a lot of alcohol, and 6 bottles of beer were definitely affecting her personality. She was talking to thin air and pacing around the coffee table in her living room.

"You had to come back now" she moaned, sloshing the bottle to her mouth and taking another sip. "Now, of all times. I was finally semi-happy and you just blow that all away! Well that's it, no more Ms. Nice Sheena. Ha-ha, that's funny, me, nice!" Oh yes, she was definitely wasted.

She picked up the card that Lloyd had given her. It was on the small table next to the couch, right where the phone was, and she proceeded to pick this up as well. First she tried his house number, but all she got was an answering machine. Not wanting to rant to a machine, as well as not wanting to hear the happy couples' machine message, she called him on his cell phone, which rang, each ring making the drunk woman more impatient.

Lloyd was across town that night with Colette, at a semi-large New Years Eve Party held in a rented hall. Colette was in the same dress that she'd worn on Christmas, Lloyd had refused to buy two dresses that she would only wear once, and this was making her grumpy. He was avoiding his wife at the moment his cell phone rang. Ducking into a janitor's closet, he answered it. "Hello?"

"Lloyd, you bastard" came the voice from the other side of the phone. The man could instantly tell that the voice was a very inebriated Sheena. He knew what Sheena was like when she was drunk, she babbled on everything she felt, all her secrets, and showed off all her true emotions. Lloyd didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Sheena, I'm sorry, I can't talk right-"

"YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU JERK!" she yelled into the phone. Lloyd had to pull his ear away; the woman could be very, very loud when she was angry. "I'm going to tell you what you did to me-"

"Sheena, you're drunk, get off the phone, you shouldn't be-"

"I've been out of my mind the past week because of you, asshole" she moaned into the phone. Staggering against the wall and leaning against it, she continued. "I was all ready to be over you, and then you come walking back into my life. Do you know what it's like to be confronted with the one man you love after he's rejected you?"

Lloyd's heart skipped a beat. Love? he thought to himself, staring at the phone. Sheena loved me? "Love?" he said into the phone, his throat dry.

"YES, LOVE!" she yelled. "I didn't like you like you, I LOVED you. I wanted to marry you Lloyd Irving. I was going to tell you that night that she, that bitch, kissed you. But I never got to!" The alcohol was beginning to wear off, and Sheena was able to think more clearly. "And the worst part is, I think I still love you, and I can't stop it! I've been drinking all day to kill the pain, but it won't work, and I can't have you, and that's the worst pain." She started to cry into the phone. Lloyd was too shocked to say anything except a few guttural noises.

"Lloyd, where are you!" Colette called from the dance floor. "It's thirty seconds till midnight!" Lloyd didn't move, his brain was unhinged. What had he truly done to Sheena those years ago?

"That's why you were so upset..." he said into the phone slowly, muffled sobs catching his eardrum.

"Yes" Sheena said softly. "I loved you and you never gave me the chance to tell you."

"Lloyd, ten seconds!" called Colette. Again, the man didn't move.

"Happy New Year Lloyd." Sheena broke back down into sobs after saying this. There was only one response Lloyd could think of.

"Happy New Year Sheena." He heard the phone click off as noisemakers went off in the room next to him, midnight had come. He put the phone back in his pocket and numbly walked out of the closet to give his wife a New Years kiss, not caring that she glared at his tardiness in arriving to her. He didn't feel much like caring about anything at the moment.

(ToS)

Sheena slammed the phone down onto the receiver, tears flowing freely down her face. She leaned against the wall closest to the phone and slid down to the floor, gathering her knees in her hands and sobbing into them. The room was quiet except for her crying; even Corrine stopped moving and watched her from his seat on the couch.

Eventually, the tears stopped. Sheena dried her eyes and got up, moving to sit on the couch. Corrine jumped onto her lap and curled up as the woman stared blankly out the window into the midnight hour. The blackness of the outside was only broken by the dim glow of the streetlamps below her, barely casting shadows onto her windowsill.

Well, I finally got it over with she thought, taking another swig of the beer. So why don't I feel any better? The question plagued her for the rest of the night, and she never did get to sleep. When morning came, her eyes were still looking out the window, but her mind was lost in the depths of her conscience.

(ToS)

6 Months Later, early July

(ToS)

The sun shone brightly on the marble white steps of the Brooklyn courthouse. It was high noon, told by the large clock on the tower of the building, and the street was quiet for the most part; taxis and cars drove past the empty sidewalk and steps. Pink flowers bloomed brightly in flower gardens on the sides of the courthouse, and a few trees were scattered on the grassy lawn. Altogether it was a nice setting, peaceful and calming, as opposed to the commotion happening inside.

The large doors of the courthouse opened, and a small stream of about a half dozen people walked out. These included a judge, who was talking jovially with the bailiff next to him. Two women dressed in business suits walked out, talking quietly and carrying briefcases; lawyers it would seem. The final two people were a young, brown haired man and a blonde woman. Sheena and Lloyd paused at the top of the steps and turned to each other, each carrying a small bundle of papers.

"I hope everything was agreeable to you" said Lloyd, a little stiffly. Colette nodded and looked over her pile of papers. "I gave you that stock so you have some assets to hold on to."

"I don't need charity" she said, rather snottily. Lloyd glared but said nothing. "Anyways, we have to sign the divorce papers on Sunday, I'll see you then." She turned and walked down the steps, out to the taxi waiting for her.

Lloyd chose not to go home to his new apartment yet. Instead he wandered through the city, his feet taking him to Central Park. Instinctively, he walked down the path along the lakeside and came to the spot where he and Sheena and Colette had spent many weekend afternoons hanging out. He was surprised to find he was not alone.

Sheena was there, wearing a tight, purple T-shirt and blue jeans, lying with her back against a tree. Her eyes were closed in slumber, and the book she had been reading was flopped on her lap. Lloyd remembered seeing her like this many times, and flashbacks of their time there came rushing back. "Whoa, dejavu" he murmured to himself.

The murmuring was enough to wake up the sleeping woman. He knelt in front of her as her eyes opened slowly. When she saw who was there, she yelped slightly and leapt up into a standing position. He stood to face her. "Uh, hi Lloyd" she said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "What are you up to?" They hadn't spoken since Sheena's drunken call the New Years before.

"I just came from the courthouse" he said, holding up his stack of papers.

"I can see that by the business suit" she said, pointing to him and smiling. The man's suit was messy, and his tie was coming apart. "Here, let me help you…" she got closer to him and fixed the tie for him easily. They shared a few awkward moments as she put her hands down, and Sheena stepped back to lean against the tree. "I heard about you and Colette from Genis, I'm sorry" she said quietly.

Lloyd shrugged. "It's nothing to be sorry about. She just wasn't the right person for me I guess." Sheena nodded, understanding through his talk that he was still hurting from the divorce. "I guess I just can't believe that it's happening." He decided to change the subject. "So do you come here often?" he asked, hoping to avoid her awkward questions.

This question however produced a slight blush on Sheena's own cheeks. "Well, I… er…" she stuttered. Sighing, she nodded. "A lot, actually" she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I just sit here and… remember."

Lloyd smiled at her and nodded, understanding. He moved next to her and turned to stare out over the lake. They stood quietly for a few minutes, reflecting on the gentle waves and the sounds of nature. Lloyd's mind wandered calmly; he felt comfortable next to Sheena. His hand moved towards hers and he slipped it into her grasp. Sheena didn't move, though her brain had just exploded in a mess of thoughts.

After a few moments, their hands separated and they turned to face each other. "Do you want to go for a cup of coffee?" Lloyd asked her. Sheena looked to the side, thinking for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I've really got to go" she said, looking to the ground. "I've got plans and things." She saw her book in the space between their feet, and reached down to pick it up. Lloyd saw the book at the same time and reached down also, wanting to pick it up for her.

"Here, let me ge-"

Both faces were now less than an inch apart from each other. They'd squatted down at the same time to pick the object up, and their faces perfectly aligned to face each other as they did so. Sheena was now off balance however; the place her knees were supposed to go to during the squat was blocked by Lloyd's own legs. She tipped back and forth for a moment, shooting her arms out to try and recover her balance, but it was no use, and she toppled forwards, knocking into Lloyd and sending them crashing to the ground, his papers flying everywhere.

Sheena's face was in Lloyd's chest after the fall, but it stayed there for less than a second. She reached out her arms and pulled herself up until she was leaning over him. He grinned up at her. "Clumsy, aren't we?" Her cheeks were redder than roses, and his were starting to turn the same.

She leapt to her feet and helped him up. He grabbed her book on his way up and gave it to her when he was stably on his feet once more. "I'll see you some time' Sheena said, backing up slowly. Before Lloyd could say anything, she had turned and bolted up the grassy hill behind her, and was now on the jogging path out of the park.

Lloyd chuckled to himself as he watched her go. Well, at least I've got that bright spot in my day he thought. However, when he turned to pick up his papers, he let out a groan. They were spread out all over the place and flying away quickly. Exercise time he though, running to catch them all before they disappeared.

(ToS)

Early October

(ToS)

The fall leaves swirled around the downtown streets, painting the sidewalks in a blaze of colors. Reds, oranges and yellows covered the pavement, and the air itself seemed to be colored like the leaves. Sheena mused as she walked next to the wall separating the street from Central Park. Leaves seemed to be everywhere in the city of cement; she wondered how they sometimes traveled so far from the outskirts into the heart of the city.

She allowed herself the indulgence of MP3s. Her headphones slipped over her ears as she walked, her feet kicking up leaves to the beat of the music. Turning away from the block, she headed into the apartment sections, the amount of leaves slowly decreasing as she walked. Still, there were hints of color falling from the small trees planted in the sidewalks. The music allowed her mind to wander, and she didn't care where her feet took her, so long as she knew the way home.

Eventually she realized the way she was walking. Rather than turn and run however, she let herself continue, the leaves guiding her path. Eventually she stopped and turned to face a building. Her hand went into her pocket and pulled out the business card that Lloyd had given her months ago. This is the right address she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she walked up the steps and entered. Finding the right button, she rang for Lloyd's apartment.

A minute later, the man appeared in the hallway. He was dressed casually in black jeans and a red T-shirt. His eyes widened slightly when he saw who it was. Sheena dropped her gaze, partially wondering if she should run, but her brain screamed for her to do what she had come to do.

The door opened, and Lloyd stood there, staring at her. "How have you been?" he asked quietly, still shocked that Sheena had actually come to his apartment. She nodded, then looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes; she couldn't hold back everything she was feeling right now. "Sheena, hun, no, don't" he said, stepping forwards and pulling her into a hug. Hun she thought to herself as she let herself be embraced. He hasn't called me that in… years.

They stood there maybe a minute before Sheena pulled her head up to look at him. "I- came to do- something" she said between sobs. His eyebrow raised as his faced turned to one of puzzlement.

"What do y-"

He was silenced as she reached a hand up and placed it over his mouth. Lowering her hand, she moved her face upwards slowly towards his, keeping her eyes locked onto his own. He stood there, half realizing what was going to happen, but at the same time having no idea.

Their lips met in an enraptured kiss. Sheena savored every sensation, taking it into account and cataloguing it like a math equation. Lloyd, still too shocked to do anything, allowed her the kiss, wondering what this meant to both of them.

When they separated their lips, Sheena pulled back away from him till they were standing about a foot apart. Lloyd was still too shocked to speak. "I just had to let you know" she said, turning. "Just had to let you know how I feel." Her eyes were dry; she was too shocked with herself to cry. "That's all, so bye." Lloyd realized what was happening, but as he reached out to stop her from going, she ran down the steps and down the street. Lloyd followed her, but she turned the corner, and by the time he also turned it, she was no where to be seen.

Lloyd slowly went back to his apartment, ignoring the dirty look his neighbor gave him for leaving the door open. Sitting on the steps, he put his head into his hands. He wanted to release his emotions, but they wouldn't come out, so he just sat there, staring into his palms.

The truth was, he'd been thinking about Sheena for months. Almost every waking moment since their encounter that summer had been about her. He wanted to find her, pull her into his arms, and beg her forgiveness. He wanted to tell her that he'd been wrong and that he loved her, and ask her to take him back. But he could never get the courage up to do it. She has more courage than I do he thought, his heart full of shame. And now she probably thinks I'm mad at her because I couldn't say anything.

He knew that she loved him. But how could he tell her without scaring her away? His brain worked like clockwork, and the steps remained occupied for another hour until his brain struck upon an idea. "I've got to call Genis" he murmured to himself, jumping up and running back into his apartment.

(ToS)

Christmas Eve

(ToS)

Genis, where are you? Sheena thought to herself, working her way through the throngs of people in Rockefeller Center. Her friend had told her to meet him in front of the tree at eleven thirty that evening, but so far she hadn't been able to find him. He's probably too short to find she thought, giving an internal chuckle.

Parking herself on a bench, she decided to wait for him to come to her. Her eyes wandered over to the huge tree before her, decorated in beautiful lights and garlands. They sparkled in the cool night air, and were enhanced by the fact that snow was beginning to fall, adding an even more festive feeling to the area.

Her eyes again wandered until she spotted a window display across the street from her. She smiled at the classic North Pole scene being displayed, and tried to recall if she'd seen any others like it that year. She realized, however, that she hadn't even seen a window display for some reason before this one. I haven't seen one since… last year…

It reminded her of Lloyd. All of her encounters with him over this year had been awkward, and each one had sent sparks flying from Sheena's heart. At first she tried to ignore them, but it became harder and harder as the year went on, until she felt ready to burst. Their last encounter, in October, had been the release. She needed to do that, it would let her move on; because it would dispel any former feelings she had for him. At least, that's what she thought would happen.

The truth was, the pain of her heart had increased tenfold since the kiss, because Sheena realized that she did have feelings for him. Everything she'd ever felt for any past boyfriends were nothing compared to what she had felt for Lloyd Irving. It was even more painful because he had seemingly rejected her. Sheena had expected him to either burst out in anger or joy at the kiss, but the worst of her fears had been realized. She saw his silence as fear, and that fear would prevent them from even becoming anything again, not even friends.

I've ruined that chance she thought to herself, pulling her eyes away from the window. I ruin everything. She closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears from coming, but they came anyways, and she turned her face to the ground to keep people from seeing her cry.

She suddenly felt a figure sit next to her on the bench and a hand slide over hers. The grasp was too familiar to be anyone but Lloyd.

"Sheena?" The voice only made her cry harder. It's him. Great, now he'll want to talk about what happened and explain why nothing can never occur. Damnit Genis, you planned this, didn't you?

She was shocked when she felt his other hand gently grasp her chin and move her face until it was looking to him. She opened her eyes, thinking she'd find a serious, cold expression, but instead found a warm smile awaiting her. The tears kept on coming however. He probably pities me, that's why he's smiling she thought.

"I'm sorry" he said, his smile fading. Here it comes she though. She was partially right, something did come. However, it wasn't what she expected. His face moved towards her's slowly, and they met for the second time that year in a kiss. Sheena's fears were wiped away with that kiss, and all she could think was Oh… my.

When they broke apart, all she could manage to say was "Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry I hurt you like that" he said, pulling her close with his arms. She leaned her head against his chest and breathed in, smelling his musky scent. "I'm sorry that it took a kiss from someone else to make me realize how much I love you, I should've realized it on my own. And I'm sorry it took me this long to act on my love."

She lifted her head up to stare at him. "All that matters now is that you're here" she said, smiling softly. He leaned his head down, and they kissed again. He suddenly wrapped his arms around her torso and stood, lifting her up off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist and they kissed again, the snow falling gently upon the two lovers in the moonlight.

They broke the kiss, and Lloyd let her slide back down to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. They stood for a while, watching the tree, and waiting for the clock to strike midnight. When it did, the crowd around them cheered. However, the only thing they heard was the beating of their own hearts in time to the chime of the clock, and the whispering of the wind in the city block. And that was enough for them.


Thanks for reading this! You may be asking, "Why was Colette such a bitch in this?" I decided that Colette was too sweet and innocent for her own good, and it'd be too hard for Sheena to beat out her when Colette could just guilt trip Lloyd into loving her, which she ended up doing in this, but it was more apparent than it would be in normal ToS. I know their personalities aren't perfect in this, but hopefully next time will be better.

Comments welcome, thanks!