Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia:FF or any related aspects, which belong to their respective owners. No money made.
Summary: "I vote for making Garland see how many expressions he can get out of WoL," says Alex Damien. And Mei, being the Garland/WoL fan that she is…
Rating: T
Warnings: Yaoi, shounen-ai, violence, language, sexual themes.
[Dissidia:FF] Stressor [Garland/Warrior of Light]
It was not the healthiest of relationships.
In fact, it couldn't quite be called a relationship at all, though Garland entertained the idea regularly. The two of them had, however, progressed from violence-based interaction to tamer, more pleasant encounters.
They would have conversations.
…Without the clash of metal in the background.
The Warrior did not mind. On the contrary, he seemed almost happy about the development. Garland sensed almost… a jittery feeling emanating from the Cosmos warrior every time they met, as if the younger man wished to blurt out his latest thoughts all at once upon seeing Garland arrive.
It was one of the effects this world had on the two of them and everyone else in the war: loneliness, along with the need to converse with anyone. Usually, this was oneself, one's comrades, a wall, or one's weapons.
For the Warrior this was usually himself or his weapons, and for Garland, this was often a wall.
But the two of them together were intellectuals and found that they had much to debate. The fighting, the rule of the gods, the world they were in, their teammates, and, on occasion, each other.
This was one of those occasions.
"Who were you? Before this, I mean."
The Warrior leaned back on his tailbone, gripping his legs to his chest and rocking in place on the ground. "I cannot remember. You know this."
Garland quirked an eyebrow beneath his helmet. "I know only what you have told me, which is little to nothing."
The Warrior stilled. "You know that I remember nothing of my past."
"I thought that you remembered nothing of your past. Considering the way you've been acting of late, I am beginning to doubt that assumption."
The way I've been acting of late? The Warrior of Light paused and tried to recall his recent behavior. He had remained authoritative and indifferent the whole day, speaking only when needed and reminding everyone of their duties before going off his own way.
That was staggeringly typical.
"The way I've been acting of late?"
Garland nodded. "Your eyes light up when you see me, the way a dog's would upon seeing its master. Or something of the sort. You're regaining memories of the world before this one, correct?"
How do those statements even connect? The Warrior thought. The first thing Garland had said troubled him. Did he really look that way? He had meant to acknowledge the enemy's presence with his eyes… apparently this had failed.
"…You think I look like a dog…? I'm mildly insulted."
Garland nodded again "Like a puppy. It suits you."
If the Warrior had something in his mouth, he would have spat it out. He nearly threw up his hands in exasperation. How did it come to this? "My past is scattered in a series of broken memories and pictures throughout my mind. I can hardly piece them together, let alone recall myself within them."
Garland almost snickered at the way the Warrior answered the question. The man had a realm of emotion swirling inside of him and it only took a bit of provocation to incite it. "And am I in any of those… scattered memories?"
The Warrior jolted.
And Garland had his answer.
"That is as much as I needed to know."
The Warrior bit his lip. What was this feeling of anxiousness? It was as though he was waiting for Garland to pass judgment on him.
"What do you mean?"
Garland rose and stretched, stifling a yawn. "I will be taking my leave now."
The Warrior uncurled his legs and made to get up, unable to speak but hoping that he could physically keep Garland from leaving.
Before he could, Garland had turned back to him. "Light?"
The Warrior jumped to his feet. The use of his name without its title was so unexpected and surprising and startling and personal and so, so familiar… His heart raced. His head pounded. "Yes?!"
And Garland recorded this victory so that he would remember it for eternities to come.
"There it is. You have the puppy eyes again."
And Garland had made the Warrior of Light mortified.
[A/N] See the last line? Here's what I accidentally wrote:
"And Garland had made the Warrior of Light fortified."
I have no idea what I was thinking.
I was writing in my computers class again and I laughed so hard I nearly cried. My teacher accepted my explanation of "stomach cramps" and I went to the bathroom and laughed while sitting on the toilet seat with my pants on. If someone had come in, they would have called the police or something. Really.
Thank you very much for reading.