Kao-tan: Sorry it took so long to update this story. XD I'm being a bit on the lazy side when it comes to my fan fiction and, frankly, this story has kind of got me stumped. I typed myself into a corner and didn't know how to continue. Hopefully this chapter turned out well, ne? Though it really didn't turn out how I wanted it to…still…I promise the next chapter will be better. I actually have plan for it.
Special thanks to: Animesaki, FantasyGirl222, nanami, loonytwin, and Hatemylife68 for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
"Z-Zidane! Zidane! Get off of me! You're heavy!"
"Kya! Stop squirming so much and I will!"
"I'll stop squirming when you stop crushing my body!"
The sound of pained yelps and rustling armor filled the once empty air as the two males struggled along the ground. Zidane had made a slight miscalculation when he had jumped off the cliff and had found himself rushing to meet the small figure of the Onion Knight. As they had crashed to the ground his first thought had been that their position was rather favorable for him. The second had been more concentrated in the sharp pain that had come from Luneth elbowing him in the ribs.
The small boy had, at first, thought he was being attacked by the enemy. After all…he hadn't really thought that one of his friends and a fellow Warrior of Cosmos would pounce on him. But once he had seen the flittering movement of Zidane's tail and the actual coloring of the male he realized that it had been his lost companion. That didn't mean he appreciated being crushing against the ground any more then he first had.
It took a few more moments of yelling and whimpering before the two managed to untangle themselves from each other. Luneth sat, brushing away the dirt from his outfit as he went back to straightening out the disheveled cloak. His hat had been tossed from his head since he hadn't thought to strap it down before leaving, and the feathered helm lay just a few feat from it's usual wearer. Zidane sat opposite of the male, not minding his own tousled clothes as he was more fixated on the sharp pain that was still concentrated on his ribcage.
"Damnit, Luneth…you're too bony for your own good." He winced as he looked down, fingers gently rubbing and prodding at the sore spot.
The younger male huffed as he pushed himself up, taking a few steps away to bend down and pick up his helmet. "Well, sorry. I didn't exactly expect to get pounced on by someone who wasn't an enemy." He dusted off the edges of the helm. He didn't mean to sound rude, really. He was just a bit on edge and the sudden drop by of Zidane had only spiked his nerves.
"Glad to know you're ready to elbow the enemy to death." Zidane grinned up at the small Onion Knight as he leaned back on one hand, monkey tail twitching happily behind him.
Luneth furrowed his eyebrows as he stared down at the other, unsure of how Zidane could act so carefree when they could be attacked at any given second. But as the thief grinned up at him Luneth couldn't stop the edges of his lips twitched up a bit. When Zidane noticed this his grin seemed to brighten ten fold. He leaned forward a bit, taking his hand back from holding him up before he rocketed himself back. He arched his back as he did, hands positioning themselves before his head could hit the ground and helping to catapult him backwards so he landed on his feet.
The small boy watched with amazement as the small gymnastic stunt, his eyes a bit wider then usual and his cheeks dusting a light shade of pink due to the awe he felt. Perhaps it was because he was the youngest of the group and the less experienced when it came to fighting. Or perhaps it was just the grace that Zidane was able to uphold as he moved because he was a thief.
Vaguely he wondered if he could be a thief too.
While Luneth became lost in his own thoughts Zidane felt his grin slip into a hidden smirk as he tilted his head to the side a bit. Blonde bangs slide in front of his eyes but he paid them no mind as he watched the dazed expression on the other's face. Luneth…he was still such a child. Awed by such a little thing as a back flip.
But it was deliciously cute how his expression turned dreamy and dazed. It almost made the elder want to lean forward and…
"Hey Zidane!"
The sound cut off Zidane's own thoughts, the monkey boy not even realizing he himself had become lost in his own thoughts. He blinked for a moment as he tried to regain his thought process. The normal one. Not the one that wanted to shove Luneth to the ground and-
"Can you teach me that?"
That did it.
"What?" Zidane tilted a bit, pushing his hip to the side as he scratched at his blonde locks in confusion. "Teach you what?"
"To do a flip like that!" Luneth's eyes were still sparkling even after he had regained his composure. One of his arms were curled up around the helmet he still held, the fluffy and overly-large feathers swaying with every small movement the younger took.
Any thought of the boy that had been dirty seemed to be suppressed as Zidane crossed his arms over his chest and gave the other a teasing smirk. "You mean you can't do that? You're a warrior of Cosmos and probably the faster due to your size…and you can't do a simple back flip?"
Luneth parted his lips, eyebrows furrowing once more. "Hey! Don't underestimate me!" His voice was a bit more raised then he had intended but Zidane had kind of hit a tender spot when he brought up the Onion Knight's inexperience.
"Hey now! I was just teasing!" Zidane brought his hands up in a mock-defensive position as he took a step back, still not realizing the tender spot he had just hit.
"…" Luneth felt his shoulder's drop as well as his gaze as he pressed his other hand to the top of his helm. "Sorry…"
The thief paused for a moment, lowering one hand as he scratched the back of his head again. "Well…I was kidding…but um…seriously?"
The boy almost groaned as he turned around. "Never mind. Just…never mind." He turned the helmet over in his hands as he continued to brush off unwanted dirt, preparing to jam the piece of armor back on his head when he felt strong fingers wrap around his elbow. He let out a small yelp as Zidane tugged him back, their bodies colliding and poor Luneth almost tumbling into the slightly taller male. He let out a soft grunt as he was forced to lean against his comrade for fear of losing his balance at the awkward angle the other had on him.
Zidane took the chance to glance over Luneth's features as he held onto his elbow, the small boy squirming a bit as he tried to pull himself into a position that wouldn't make him look ridiculous with his face planted in the dirt. He even remained quite as Luneth let out a growl of frustration that made his own blood boil. The sudden serge of heat that pulsed his body made him let the boy go. He was, however, quick to fix his mistake once he realized the small boy was heading toward the ground. He wrapped his arms around Luneth's small frame and lifted the boy to his feet, letting him regain his small sense of balance.
"H-hey! What was that for?" Luneth stumbled forward a bit as he wrenched himself from Zidane's grasp, turning around as he stared up accusingly at the other. "Just because I was brushing you off?"
The thief wanted to say yes to that. To tell Luneth that he wasn't allowed to brush him off. Ever. That he'd have to start punishing him if he did and that he didn't' want to punish his little Knight.
He was quick to snap himself out of those thoughts once he realized they weren't helping the heat in his body from cooling down.
'What's happening to me?'
"Zidane! Answer me! What's your problem?"
"Oi! Calm down, Luneth! I was just trying to help!" Zidane took a few steps back though this time it wasn't for defensive purposes. It was to put some distance between him and Luneth. Because he was hot right now. Feeling the other's body so close to him had triggered something. Some sort of feeling of dominance and he was afraid that if he got too close right now nothing would stop him from actually dominating the boy. Nothing to stop him from enjoying the way Luneth squirmed and yelled.
"Help nothing! I knew I shouldn't have asked…" Luneth turned his angered gaze to the floor as he turned around again, a bit more guarded because he didn't want Zidane to take the chance to pick on him again. He was sure before that the other was only trying to humiliate him by making him seem weak. Or maybe that was still the paranoia talking.
"A-ah! Luneth, wait! Come on buddy!" The elder groaned a bit, half of him wanting to fallow after the Onion Knight for two different reasons while the more logical part that he never listened to warned him that he needed to calm down again and get away before he was too tempted.
"No! All of you just see me as this inexperienced child! Well I'm sorry if I'm too small to be able to keep my balance well!" He snapped slightly. He refused to say that his emotions were another thing he wasn't able to keep in check well.
"…What?" Another thing that instantly clicked off Zidane's primal side.
Luneth chewed on his lower lip as he kept his back turned to the other. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. To voice his doubts. The doubts that always nibbled at the corner of his mind about how the others felt about him. Everyone else was so much older and so much more experienced. "I…I didn't mean it like that. I mean…I just…I can't even fire a magic attack without being knocked back and sent rolling on the floor. And if an enemy dodges my attack I can't just regain my balance like that. I always end up stumbling back and flailing to keep from falling to the ground…I just…I thought that maybe if you could teach me how to flip like that then maybe it could help me to recover quicker so I could fight better…"
So that was it. Luneth was self-conscious. Zidane hadn't seen that coming. He watched Luneth intently. Watched the way the muscles in his arms twitched as he gripped onto his helmet tighter.
"I'm sorry for snapping. I guess I'm really just stressed and tired. I-I hope we can rest up enough before this whole thing ends." A subject change. "But now's not the time. Come on Zidane, I was only out looking for you to make sure you were fine and because we were all worried." We. "We should get back before the others start looking for both of us and-"
He was cut off as Zidane joined him, almost knocking him off balance as the thief casually slung an arm over his shoulders and pulled him forward as the other walked.
He was going to hate himself for this. Hate what might come of it. But even if Luneth was the person he was having a problem with he was still a friend. Still a comrade in this fucked up battle that no one really understood yet…
And the helplessness in his voice had made something in Zidane's chest twinge with pain.
"Alright…let's keep up this group for another night. Having four of us will make it easier to find a safe spot to get some real rest at."
"Ah...Zidane?" The boy gasped softly in confusion as he craned his neck to stare up at the other, unsure of what he meant.
"Don't Zidane me." The elder grinned, not even sparing the boy a glance for fear of what it might cause. You wanted me to teach you how to move like that well…we'll need a safe place to do it." Luneth didn't fully understand what had just happened but a smile of excitement tugged his lips up. He wanted to shout and throw his arms around the older male. To thank him over and over again but he had to remind himself that they were warriors and warriors didn't do something as childish as that.
Even if Zidane secretly wanted him to.
"Ah…thank you so much…Zidane!"
The monkey boy just chuckled as he lead the younger back toward the others. Because he wasn't really sure if what he was going to teach the boy would be something he should be thankful for or not.
