Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VI

Well, we're at the end. That was fast. I have some more lined up for the future, so in about 6-8 months you should see some more.

For now however, enjoy!

050. Eyes - Relm/Gau

"Hey Gau, look at me for a minute." Relm called out the the feral boy - he hadn't been a boy for a while actually, he was more of a man, now. At nineteen going on twenty he didn't count as a boy any more, right?

He looked over at her, and into her eyes resolutely, challenging her

Definitely red. Who has red eyes? No one I've seen, that's for sure. Only Terra's are quite as strange eyes and she's, well, Terra. She's allowed to have sparkly eyes.

"Yeah, thought so." She mumbled under her breath and went back to her painting on the small pad of paper in front of her. Card sized - to be copied for the new year's cards this coming hear, even if it was summer at the moment.

"W-Sorry?" Gau asked, catching himself before he slipped out of his tightly wound manners; he was going to be King of Doma next, after all. But still, after all these years, it didn't sound right to have Gau speak in such a... Normal accent. There was no twang of something wild nor an uneasiness that made his speech fluid - however that worked.

"I was just noticing your eyes." She stayed plainly, putting her art tools down on the table beside her, hoping all the time her arms travelled that the table really was there, and never breaking eye contact with him.

It reminded her, oddly enough, of another time. One time when they were much younger. Well, it was only seven years ago.

"Hey Gau." Relm greeted nonchalantly, nodding her head like Setzer did and grinning like she'd always done.

She was sitting calmly, alone (Sabin did try to perform her vitals when she later told this part of the story to him), in a secluded corner of the rocky wasteland of an island, playing the 'Memento Ring' from Thamasa, as Celes had called it whilst inventorying. But it was her parents, their promise rings it turned out - they weren't pure like Relm had always thought and they weren't married liked she'd assumed they would've been. But that was okay. She gave the plainer band to Shadow, since it didn't really fit anyone else, and he... Well, he was her best friend here. Maybe even in the world. Bar that old man, of course.

But it was Gau who found her, after hours alone. He clambered up the mountain - she could hear him disturbing the rocks of the mountain's face as he climbed up. Why didn't he just use the path? Too long for him? Or maybe he's secretly one of those Mountain Goats...

"Uwooo! What's that?" He asked in a significantly broken lilt. Relm followed the line of his outstretched finger back up his eyes, red and glistening at the ring - or more precisely, the three shiny garnets that were inlaid in the surface.

"It's my mother's promise ring. To my father." She traced her finger over the engraved word on the inside of the ring, her only clue 'Clyde', before holding it up for him to see.

"Can Gau have?" He asked with huge, shimmering, crimson eyes.

Relm floated her outstretched palm and snatched it back towards her before she could really even process what she was doing. "No!" She cried. "I-I mean it's my mother's. It's the only thing I've got left of my mother. And it has my father's name written into the back, it's the only clue I've got." She explained timidly for her - too timidly for the usual Relm, but Gau understood. There was a certain light of intelligence that shone in his eyes, and threatened to burst forth when, tenaciously, she inches her palm forwards and let Gau look at the ring.

"Gau seen Shadow with one like this."

He observed, looking all over the ring, holding it at all angles and heights.

"I gave it to him." Relm explained, to which Gau made an affirmative sound similar to a deep growl.

"Gau hope Relm finds her father." He looked at her with apologetic, red eyes.

Soon after, the two of them went back down the mountain together. They both used the path that time.

"You like to stare at my eyes a lot, don't you?" Gau remarked with a drawled tone and strung out, languid words. He snapped Relm from her reverie in her memories, and compelled her upright.

Relm snorted, just a tiny bit, at his comment. If it'd been anyone other than Gau, she would've axed them. This was something that Edgar would say - that clueless, pompous king.

"I was just checking they're red. I don't meet many people with red eyes."

"You never stared at Shadow's eyes." He pointed out astutely.

"Yes but Pops at least had blue eyes, even if they were all swirly and milky." She retorted swiftly.

Gau moved slightly closer to her, his full height towering above her as she sat down, forcing her to tilt her head to him, until he knelt on the ground. He never once broke eye contact.

"You know Relm, I'm due to ascend sometime in my life, and I really need a Queen."

Relm raised her eyebrows and shrugged slightly. "So?"

"Let's get married." He said, as plainly as if he were stating the hour.

Relm's eyes widened slightly, but she too didn't want to break the eye contact - she didn't want to loose. "Pops would kill you."

"I'd let him try."

"We're too young for this."

"Your eighteenth birthday is soon, isn't it?"

"That's my point."

"None of us live that long."

"You can't just randomly spring something like that on me."

"Can't I?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and sucked on the inside of her cheek.

"Okay. Yes, let's do it."

And the red eyes finally broke contact, and gleamed not only with latent intelligence and a dulled love of shiny things, but with joy.

I felt like this was something that had to be done. Just... the friendship is too strong with these lovers. Well anyway, I'm afraid to say that's it!

So, please review if you've liked any of this story or just this oneshot, and follow for future updates. Thanks!