*salutes* Chapter three, some possible spoilers for the middle of the game (ya know, when you visit the SS Zelbess in the homeworld and meet that Slash and you find out all that weird stuff about his family that's even harder to sort out then the whole Squall/Laguna thing in FF VIII) ^^;
"Are you still alive under there?" The softly spoken question caused Slash to pull the blanket from his face once again. He saw Serge standing uncomfortably by the door.
"I think so. I hurt everywhere."
Serge smiled a bit, "I don't think dead people feel pain."
"And I don't want to find out."
Encouraged by the conversation, Serge moved closer to the bed. "So, who brought you that tea."
Slash shoved his deep red hair out of his eyes, "Can we talked about something else for a little while? To get my mind off the pain?"
"W-well, sure," Serge stammered, unsure of what to say, knowing that any conversation would lead to last night.
Slash pushed at his hair again, "My hair bugs the crap out of me. Maybe I should cut it short."
"No!" Serge yelled a bit more quickly than he had intended, "I mean, no, what would your fans think?"
Slash smiled, "Sure that's what you meant," He suddenly smiled wickedly, " Sergie."
"Sergie?!" Serge choked and turned red as his childhood nickname rolled off Slash's tongue in his sweet, soft voice, "Where did you hear that?"
"When we were visiting your village in the 'Homeworld.' It's cute."
Serge rolled his eyes and sat on Slash's bed, "It's embarrassing! Rena made it up when we were about six and ever since then I've been 'Sergie' or 'Sergie-poo' to all of my peers in Arni."
"'Sergie-poo?'" Slash stifled his laughter with the pillow, and winced as the consequences rocketed through his body.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, aches and pains, you know?" Slash smiled to cover for the throbbing in his sides. "Sergie-poo."
"Just don't tell Kid." Serge pulled at his bandanna, "besides, what about the name 'Slash.' Please don't tell me your parents named you that!"
"I don't know if they did or they didn't. I never found out what my birth name was. I've been 'Slash' for as long as I can remember."
"Oh…" Serge was silent, he couldn't think of anything else to say to the slender boy breathing quietly next to him. After minutes dragged by, Slash spoke again:
"You were worried when I fainted outside?"
Serge jumped a bit as his voice cracked through the silence, "Of course! You just went limp in my arms! I was in a panic!"
Slash gave him a genuine smile, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For…worrying about me," Slash shifted on the bed so that his head was leaning on Serge's shoulder.
"Why wouldn't I worry?" Serge spoke softly and rested his arms on Slash.
"Only you and Miki do. It often seems to me that everyone else is only in on my project for the money. Especially the manager, he doesn't understand the message Miki and I try to convey with our performances. To him it's always, 'Slash! Ticket sales for this concert were doubled!' or, 'Slash! Everyone wants to interview you! We'll make a bundle!' he was pissed when I decided to travel with you but I don't really care about the money or what he thinks. I just want to reunite my family and help everyone to get along, demi-human or not."
"Slash," Serge bit his lip, "Is this because of your mother?"
Slash sighed, "My second goal is a little because of her, I suppose. I've always wanted to see my family together again and my gift for music gave me a way to do so. Now that I know what happened to my father and sister on this world and another, I want to help end the discrimination against demi-humans because it was my mother and Irenes' dream."
"Of course, your maternal heritage does explain your voice and your build," Serge mused out loud.
Slash looked slightly puzzled, "You mean how mermaids are gifted with song? But what does 'and your build' mean?!"
Serge reddened, "W-well…I mean, because you're so slender! Like a mermaid!"
Slash smirked and grabbed Serge's hand to move it along his own side, "So you're saying I'm built like a girl?"
"No! Just thin, and good-looking,," Serge watched his hand moving up and down, feeling smooth, warm skin beneath it, "See, I can feel your ribs. You have a 'guy's body' you're just…delicate."
Slash wrapped both arms around Serge, "And what would you consider your build?" He teased, " I've never seen it up close for any length of time, after all."
Serge felt slightly dizzy and continued to run his hand along Slash's side, "Average?"
"You wanna find out?" Slash began to pull Serge's shirt off, his lips warm on the blue-haired boy's ear.
A loud pounding on the door interrupted them., "Y'all ok?" A familiar female voice called out, "Oi, Serge! We need ta see you!"
"Talk about spoiling a mood," Slash fell back on the bed.
Serge stood up, feeling a bit disappointed himself, "I'll see you later."
"Yeah. And Serge? In case you haven't figured it out by now, when I told you I had someone I loved…it was you I was talking about."
Serge's eyes widened a bit. He had figured this out somewhere deep inside that morning but had kept the feelings at bay, afraid to be wrong. His heart began to beat faster and he grabbed Slash up again in an embrace, "You just made me so happy! I think I knew, but I just couldn't-I was afraid I was-"
"You're stuttering."
"I'm sorry I was being such an ass earlier." Serge stood again and grinned in embarrassment.
"We all act like an ass one or two times in our lives," Slash smirked.
"You mean like when we first met?" Serge laughed, "I was all for letting those cassowaries get you! I'm just glad now that Kid made me help, that would have been one of the biggest mistakes of my life." Serge grinned once more before opening the door and joining Kid in the hallway.