Disclaimer note.. or is it? ok, part of the soryline for this chapter isn't entirely original as my dear muse Zoe suggested bringing a pathetic Kratos-deprived Yuan into it, but the rest is all entirely out of my head. A very scary thought. even scarier: we now have coffee. Decafinated coffee. plunges head in freezer

Yuan lay on the ground, beating his fists on the dirt and pining pathetically as the lift grew smaller into the distance and the moans coming from it grew ever fainter. Sniffing and wiping his eyes he looked altogether pitiful with a hairbrush entangled in his long wet locks, a hunk of mascara clumping his lashes and the eyeliner he had so painstakingly applied running down his cheeks as he wept. His cloak was back to front. He hadn't had the time to straighten his hair so it was in an explosion of ringlets. And the dress he had given up oxygen to squeeze into gave a mournful wail and finally ripped. Not batting an eyelid, a tall skinny youth clad in nothing but red cast a shadow over him and indifferently greeted him.

"Hey Yuan"

Picking himself off from the ground, Yuan set about finding some safety pins to make himself decent and replied

"hi Lloyd"

Frowning, Lloyd picked up the roses he had flung aside in his desperation and handed them back to him

"you.. er.. dropped these. Ah.. you.. I dunno.. alright? You look a bit.. Um.. stressed out dude?"

Normally a Kratos deprived Yuan would have been tempted to explain to Lloyd that his date and his perfectly straight father had forgotten him for a quick spin in a lift with his best friend, but Lloyd was kind of cute in an unbelievably stupid way and he chose not to.

"I -ah- think my date just forgot that he-she- was meeting me"

Shrugging, Lloyd suddenly set about concealing a pink bag he was struggling with

"ya' know it takes less time to get to the top by stairs than in the left. If we flew up I'm sure you could meet him in twenty minutes or something.."

Eyeing him suspiciously, Yuan agreed. " Her. I'm not gay or anything." he corrected, adding hysterical laughter to reinforce it "What about you? Why d'you need to get to the top?"

Blushing inconspicuously, Lloyd shrugged nonchalantly "no reason. Just.. aah.. gotta meet someone."

"rrrright.. Well, um, sure. I brought pink wings to go with my dress anyway" he smiled and pouted "I'm so co-ordinated!"

Lloyd raised an eyebrow "you sure you're not gay?"

"Me? Gay? Who said anything about being gay? Nice weather we're having, what d'you have for lunch today? Oh look I think it's raining , we best find a sequinned umbrella, no this dress isn't lycra, sorry auntie, I meant to call but the universe re-booted, you're just stupid, you're lying , just SHUT UP ALREADY!" breathing heavily, Yuan set upon Lloyd with an icy stare. "we never speak of this again, you understand?"

"um.. Sure."

"now to the top of the tower to fight to the death over Kratos! I'm coming, my love!"

"excuse me?"

"aah. Kratos. I call my glove Kratos. And I left him there last time I was here hehehe wasn't that stupid? Oh look it really is raining, best get going, come on now-"

Meanwhile, Zelos had finally managed to stop Kratos whacking the bottom of the lift and moaning.

" dude, you can see him another time.."

"yeh, but he was wearing the dress I bought him.."

"…"

"whaaat?"

"you never bought me a dress."

"Jesus Christ, ok, when we get to the top of the lift I/will/buy/you/a/showgirl/outfit? Okay?"

Pouncing on him, Zelos grinned wickedly

"and handcuffs..?"

Kratos paused for a moment and then grinned back.

"and handcuffs."