Li: after much thought, I have decided to extend this into a series of fluffy Kralloyd oyako one-shots, in no particular order, not related in any way, save for being oyakos. Enjoy the fluffiness!!! I do not own ToS or 'My Wish' by Rascal Flats.
I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
Kratos couldn't help but gape at the young boy before him. It couldn't be...But there were too many similarities to miss; the brown hair, the reddish eyes, that cocky smile so like hers, the Exsphere on his hand...that lust for life...
This was his son. This was his Lloyd.
This was not supposed to happen, he didn't want his son involved with Cruxis. And yet here he was, forced along by fate. And yet, Kratos couldn't help the giddy happiness that burned inside his heart.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,
Lloyd didn't know why, but whenever Kratos stood by his side, teaching him the more refined sword attacks, he felt uncontrollably happy. Something about the stoic man seemed so familiar, and yet so strange at the same time, a half forgotten dream shrouded in mist.
He wanted the mist to go away, wanted to find out just who Kratos was to him, and what he had been in his past. He wanted to know why the purple clad mercenary felt so...special, why those typically cold eyes had a special light that was only shown to him alone, a light that made him feel safe and secure at the same time.
But more than anything, more than anything,
This was the night before it all ended, the night before they reached the Tower. Kratos stared in sorrow at the ivory tower, his mind in a fog. If he was lucky, Lord Yggdrasil would spare his son, and let him join them up in Welgaia. If he was unlucky, he would lose the last member of his family.
"What're you doing, Kratos?" Lloyd's question at his ear startled him, nearly making the man jump. Looking at him, Kratos felt the familiar twinge in his heart that was half-remorse, half-guilt.
"Simply looking at the view." He replied, noticing that Lloyd seemed to be worried about him. Walking past him, he stopped and placed a hand on his shoulder. 'He's grown taller...when I first met him, he was barely at my chin... Now, we're nearly even.' He thought, staring gently into the eyes that mirrored his own.
"Uh...is something on me?" Lloyd asked, unnerved by Kratos' intense stare, even if it did make him feel safe. Sighing, the older man squeezed his shoulder and smiled softly.
"Don't die, Lloyd." 'I would be nothing if I knew you had died.' With that said, he walked on down towards the inn. Lloyd stood there in shock for a few minutes before regaining his voice.
"I won't die, Kratos. What are you worried about?" He asked the air, unaware that the angel below him heard every word.
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
They were staying at Zelos' place for the night, and Lloyd couldn't sleep. Sitting on the spacious window seat in the Chosen's room, he stared up at the stars. He couldn't believe that Kratos, the person that he had admired, had betrayed them, had betrayed him! He didn't know why, but it broke his heart.
And yet he couldn't bring himself to hate him. Something deep inside his psyche prevented him from hating him. He never could explain it, and yet the feeling of security that Kratos' presence had brought him had somehow ingrained itself into his soul in the brief time that they had been comrades.
Or had it been there longer, and the journey had simply renewed its strength?
Yeah, this, is my wish.
Kratos sat on the roof of the building next to the Sybak inn, eyes latched on the form of his sleeping son. He looked so peaceful, so angelic that it hurt. He wanted so badly to be down there beside Lloyd, running a hand through that messy brown hair like he used to. It was such a powerful urge that it hurt him, in both mind and soul, to be separated from him.
And yet it was for the best, wasn't it?
I hope you never look back, but ya never forget
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
The quiet nighttime around Mizuho was his to see alone, a young idealist lost in his mind. He couldn't bring himself to hate Kratos even then, no more than he could hate Presea for doing what she had done, for it was not something she could control. He didn't want any sacrifices, didn't want anyone to suffer.
He didn't regret not hating Kratos, he never would. Whatever made him so special to Lloyd would always resurface when he was mentioned, causing him confusion and also joy.
Staring up at the stars, like they had done so often on the journey together, one of the many things they had in common-along with a strong hatred of tomatoes- Lloyd often felt as if he could read the Seraph's soul in the words he had spoken then, their arcane tones a balm to the crazed laughs of the professor and Genius' taunts.
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake
And you always give more than you take.
Kratos stared at him again; once more they were fighting on the same side. Lloyd's skills with the blade were progressing incredibly well, and he simply wanted to give into the nagging urge to hug him and say that he was so proud of him.
Yet he couldn't, and it hurt him so much.
And when he had told him that they were enemies, he swore that he saw a heart wrenching grief overtake Lloyd's eyes before being masked by acceptance. And yet it hurt him that he had hurt Lloyd so.
But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
Lloyd was standing there, on the strip of sandy beach beside the great resort city, staring up at the eclipsing moon as his mind drifted. He wanted Kratos to be there with him, to talk about all that the shadowed body could mean. He didn't care that he was over four thousand years old, he just wanted his mentor and comrade back.
"I didn't expect to see you here." The deep voice echoed across the water's surface, making the teen spin around, a grin on his face. Spying the white clad angel standing behind him, wine colored eyes locked onto him, he felt a dam of joy inside him break.
"Kratos!!" And in an impulse that he couldn't control, he ran to the Seraph and wrapped him in a hug. Kratos gaped and looked in Lloyd in shock, who gasped quietly and let go, apologies falling from his mouth. The auburn couldn't stop his smile and put a hand on top of Lloyd's head, ruffling the chocolate colored locks.
"You remind me of someone close to me that I lost a long time ago..." he whispered, efficiently silencing the teen, who stared in shock at the older man.
"Someone close to you?" He asked, but before he could get an answer, Raine's shriek of his name called his attention to the bezerk orange clad professor tearing at him across the sands. Kratos turned him and gently pushed him towards her, whispering, "Apologizing will get better results than running away." But when Lloyd tried to ask what he meant by that, he was gone, again, and he felt a pain in his heart.
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
They were facing each other outside of Altessa's house, Yuan squarely between them. The past was finally revealed, and Lloyd didn't know whether to deny it or to simply break down and cry for his father to hold him. Kratos was cursing Yuan for threatening his child, who he wanted to stay safe and unhurt, the child he loved.
When he stopped the attack, they could look into one another's eyes. Kratos smiled weakly.
"Heh... when did you get so tall, Lloyd?" he asked gently, trying to forget the pain of the lightning in his body. The look in Lloyd's eyes was half-shock and half-horror over the fact that his recklessness had gotten his father hurt...Again.
Trying to stand, Kratos found himself falling forward, Lloyd catching him.
"Dad!! Are you okay?! ...DAD!!!" Lloyd's yell for him was the last thing Kratos heard as he blacked out
But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
They were standing side by side in the snow, father and son. Lloyd looked his father in the eye, no longer tilting his head up to be on level with those gently wine colored orbs. Kratos smiled and placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, trembling.
"I'm proud of you." He said simply, registering Lloyd's shocked gasp and the gathering tears before giving in to the renewed urge and hugged him close, wanting briefly to be holding his young son again, the one that could be protected.
"...Dad..." Lloyd couldn't bring himself to not call Kratos that, despite growing up with him absent and gone, presumed dead to the world. Drawing a shuddery breath, he tried to speak, but could only sob gently into those warm, safe arms.
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
They were still in the snowy city, having retreated inside the inn to get out of the cold. Staring at the scenery, Lloyd didn't seem to notice anything besides his father's arm around his shoulders and his fingers in his hair. Sighing and leaning into the gentle touch, he wished fondly that Cruxis would wait for a day, a month, or maybe a year, and let him grow to know his father more.
And yet it wouldn't and Kratos would have to leave soon, to search for the last piece needed to make the Eternal ring. He would be leaving again, and Lloyd was hurt by that knowledge.
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to
I hope you know somebody loves you
He had wanted to die. Releasing Origin should have killed him and ended his misery, and yet hearing Lloyd stand there and call him a stupid jerk made him realize that even if it ended his pain, he would've made Lloyd sad.
He couldn't make the one person he loved suffer anymore than he had already. That would be selfish.
And wants the same things too
This is my wish
It was time for him to go. He stood there at the foot of the destroyed tower, looking up at the true heavens. Drawing a deep breath, he prepared to take a step onto the warp and sail away when a pained cry stopped him.
"DAD!!!"
Before he turned, he felt Lloyd drop onto his back and hug him fiercely, preventing him from moving even an inch.
"I won't let you go!! You're not going away again!!" The teen yelled, making Kratos sigh.
"I have to. An angel of Cruxis cannot remain here and—"
"I don't care what other people think!! I love you, Dad!!!" Those four words shocked him to the core. Leaving was the best thing, wasn't it?
Or... was it the worst thing?
I hope you know somebody who loves you
He couldn't break away from him now, not after he had said that. Kratos drew a breath and turned around in Lloyd's arms, looking his son dead in the eye once more. "Do you mean it?" He asked, voice strangled and uneven. "Do you really...want me back?"
"Of course you big, stupid jerk!" Lloyd sobbed, face buried in the violet of Kratos' shirt. "You're my dad!! I can't not love you!!!" The Seraphim felt his reserve flee him, and he began crying. Wrapping his arms around Lloyd, he rested his head on top of his.
"If that's your wish, I will stay."
May all you dreams stay big...
Lloyd looked up at him, joy and delight in his eyes. Flinging his arms around Kratos' neck, he smiled happily, forgetting the tears on his face.
"I love you Daddy."
This is my wish... Li: -blows nose- I was crying as I wrote this. I thought it was so touching, and the perfect song for these two in a father-son way. –cries- Man!!! Country music says it all sometimes!! –begins bawling-
R&R!!! Please. Don't read this and not review, it makes me sad.
NEW NOTES: 11/23: Fixed the bugs due to the formatting.
