A/N: I decided to do a rather large jump in the story. So it's the end of the game, after Venus Lighthouse but before they set sail. Ah, well school starts on Monday, which might limit my posting. I may end up pushing Mui to two weeks and this can stay a once a week thing.

To Roksu: ;x haha I was just kidding when I called you Roxas. I would have has Axel but... haha. Indeed their relationship is established, I don't see them as the type to take things back once it's out in the open. Also, since Ivan's used to people being scared of him because of his powers, I'd expect him to be rather shy about romantic relationships. As for Robin, he strikes me as the polite, gentleman. Anyway, the first two games are really great. Haha, yeah I have a guide saved in Firefox so I don't miss the djinn in Dark Dawn. I should have a list made up for the kids Japanese names. Aw so Ivan's not in Dark Dawn? That's a bit disappointing. I'd expect him to have glasses and be cute and nerdy, I can't see him with facial hair. Ah. I think this is the longest review I've ever gotten, I'm so happy. Haha I kept rereading it. Thank you so much. It means a lot to me.

I wrote this after reading Glimpses: The Bond by Lynn Flewelling... so I think Robin and Ivan ended up getting a little more frisky than I intended. Maybe not "change the rating or die" frisky, but...I giggled a little while writing it. It's frisky by my standards anyway.

Read, review and enjoy. School! I'm getting nervous -hates going out in public-

Smile

No matter what I do, I can't get his face out of my mind. This isn't like what happened years ago…how could he possibly survive this time? As capable as Garcia is…I don't think he could manage.

I feel empty. Why do I feel so empty…?

I barely register a presence behind me before arms slip around my shoulders, the owner pressing their forehead to my shoulder. Soft blonde hair slides down, lying across my chest…

Ivan.

I reach up slowly, touching my hand to his. He must know what I'm feeling, he always does. He stayed out with Mary and Gerald since morning to give me space. He probably wanted to stay with me the entire time. "Someone found him and saved him back then….don't you think that will happen again? That Alex…he has those powers, maybe he rescued Garcia and Sheba." I hadn't thought of that. Alex did seem to have some affection for Garcia.

I rub the back of his hand, his skin smooth beneath my fingertips. I take a deep breath, tilting my head back to look up at the sky. It's a strange pale orange. There's not enough contrast here—from the sky to the sand to the beige stone buildings…I feel like I'm going mad.

"Is the ship ready yet?" I'm sick of just sitting here. I need to travel again or I will go mad.

He hesitates, his hands clutching at my shirt. "I just came from there. They're making sure the ship is fit to sail, they said as soon as they're done we can leave." I lay my hand on his head gently.

I still feel like I'm being unfair to him. He's accomplished what he set out to do and yet he's still with us—of his own volition…but… "Come here." He lifts his head, blinking. He cheeks color as recognition brightens his eyes and he slips around to face me. I pull him onto my lap, locking my arms firmly around his waist so he wouldn't be tempted to escape even if someone interrupts. Even when I hold him, I can't shake this empty feeling.

He leans against me, his back pressed to my chest and tilts his head back to look at the sky, watching a flock of birds pass overhead. I rest my chin on his shoulder, breathing him in.

It's hot in Lalivero, nearly uncomfortably so. He's switched from his usual wool tunic to an airy cotton shirt, the neck loosely laced up. I smile absently as a breeze billows the fabric, revealing his chest for a moment and with it a dark spot—a memento from the last time we were alone together.

It seems like a long time since then. Is it going to be the same?

"Robin." He twists around in my arms, reaching out and cupping my cheeks, fixing me with a stern gaze. Such beautiful eyes. "It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. If you'd gotten to him in time, we would have lost you too. What would we do without you? What would I do without you…?"

I touch his cheek lightly, pressing my forehead to his. "I won't let you find out." I kiss him, rubbing his side with my thumb. He relaxes slowly, tilting his head and returning the kiss, making a soft sound against my lips. I smile against him, tugging at the edge of his shirt and sliding my hand along his stomach. He pulls back to meet my gaze, his face turning red.

"R-Robin…? We shouldn't be doing this…you're still…" He struggles, pressing his hands to my chest and pushing against me halfheartedly.

"It'll take my mind off things while we wait…"

"But if we do that…" He blushes, shaking his head quickly, his hair tickling across my cheek. "The ship will be ready soon…there won't be enough time..." I smirk a little, sweeping his bangs out of his eyes.

"You're so cute." I pull him into another kiss, sliding my tongue along his bottom lip. He lets out a soft sound; a mild protest before he tangles his fingers in my hair. I break the kiss, tugging off my tunic and spreading it out on the floor. I turn him, pushing him onto my tunic gently, resting my hands on either side of his head and leaning over him. He places his hands on my chest and runs them down my cotton shirt. He slips his hands under and around, sliding his hands up my back and pulling me down to rest on top of him. "Ivan…"

"Hey! Robin! Ivan!" I jerk back, looking around. Ivan sits up quickly, blinking. Gerald. His voice comes up to us from the street below the balcony. I fix my shirt, leaning over to peer through the gaps in the railing. "The ship's done; we need to get our things together and get going."

"We'll be down in a second." He waves, heading down the street. I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck, "I guess we'll have to cut this short."

He smiles softly, passing me my tunic, "At least he interrupted before we were too…invested into this." I laugh softly, reaching out and clasping the nape of his neck, kissing him gently.

The feeling of emptiness is gone, replaced by the warmth his smile brings.

-TBC-

I don't know how long Lovely Smile will keep going. I did want to try to go into their part of the story from TLA...but I might not. I also should stop checking on the other GS stories...they have a lot more reviews than mine...a little depressing.

Alex: There, there.

Oh well, one or two sweet reviews mean a lot more than a mess of sloppy reviews any day. As long as at least one person likes my stories, that's good enough for me.