A/N: AAAHHH! Part 8 already?! How did *this* happen?! I could barely even manage to write a single story before! Gah! Insanity! Okay, calming down now. Everything is peachy. On to the story!
Eagle and Lantis walked silently to the car, the blond glancing at his taller friend occasionally. Eagle could tell that something was wrong with Lantis, but he didn't want to press him for answers. He started the car as Lantis threw the bags in the back and then joined Eagle in the car. Eagle left the parking lot at a much slower pace than he had driven before. He glanced at Lantis. The dark haired boy was staring into space, azure eyes filled with a troubled look. //He looks so sad...//
"Lantis?"
The dark haired boy stirred abruptly at the sound of his name. "Yeah, Eagle?"
"Is there anything you want to talk about? You seem upset." Eagle said carefully.
Lantis avoided his friend's eyes.
"I don't want to push you," Eagle continued gently, "But you really seem to be hurting. After you spoke with that boy- Ferio? Is that his name?- you just seemed so upset. I just want you to know that if you want to talk...I'm here for you. That's all."
Both boys sat in silence. Then, Lantis spoke up. "I-" he began, and stopped, shaking his head. "You want to pull over?"
"Sure." Eagle steered the car onto a private side road and pulled over. Lantis seemed unsure of how to start again.
"I..." he shook his head, unable to think of a way to say it, and ended up blurting it all out at once. "My brother's dead."
Eagle started, shocked. "What?!"
Lantis pushed on, looking like if he didn't get it all out now, he wouldn't be able to later. "Before I came here- I mean, to Autozam- I went to Cephiro High. Ferio was my best friend. His older sister Emeraude was dating my brother....Zagato. They went out on a date one night- Zagato was driving. This guy hit them," he said all in a rush, voice husky and slightly choked as if with pain. "He was completely drunk...the accident wasn't their fault at all. It hit from the drivers side. They couldn't have done anything for them, they said. Emeraude probably wouldn't have died at all, but-" he broke off, blinking back tears. Eagle stared at his friend, shocked and horrified that Lantis had been holding all this in for so long. "-the force of the other car hitting them sent Zagato's car flying into a tree, and Emeraude was killed by the impact of it. When they found them..." Lantis choked again, tears forcing their way past the reserve he was trying so hard to keep, and he brushed them back angrily. "They had managed to reach each other. They were holding hands, in their last moments. They took the to the hospital, tried to save them...they couldn't do a thing. I got there in time to see him...before he died. Emeraude was gone already. Zagato held on to see me...he clung to me like I used to hold tight to him when I had nightmares as a child. He whispered my name...told me he loved me..." Lantis broke off, brushing tears away, unable to speak. After a moment, he shook himself, continuing. "In school the next day, Ferio cornered me. He was hysterical, crying, carrying on. He told me it was all Zagato's fault that his sister was dead. I knew it wasn't...*hell*, even *he* knew it wasn't. *Everyone* knew it. He was just trying to cover up his pain with anger, and he directed that anger at me. Said he never wanted to see me again. I couldn't take it...I left the school and moved to Autozam to attend school with you guys. I thought that I could escape them all...escape the pain. It worked, for a while..." he smiled weakly, "I met *you*, Eagle. You made my life such a wonderful adventure again. You, Geo, Zazu- you made life fun once more. When I was with you, I could pretend that I'd forgotten all about Zagato, and Emeraude, and Ferio- about everyone!" He looked down at his hands where they were resting in his lap. "I should have known it couldn't last."
"Oh, *Lantis*!" Eagle leaned across the seat and threw his arms around Lantis, hugging him close.
"Eagle!" Lantis was shocked, looking down at his friend's blond head.
"I'm so *sorry*, Lantis! I shouldn't have asked! Gomen nasei!"
"No, it's fine. I've been wanting to tell you, it's just.... so many bad memories." Fresh new tears streamed down his face. Eagle hugged him closer.
"Lantis..." he whispered helplessly. "I wish there was something I could do to help, some way I could make you feel better." He rubbed Lantis' back sympathetically, soothingly. Lantis blinked back tears suddenly. He couldn't say it to Eagle, but it felt so good to just be *touched* again, to be hugged and cared for...to be *loved*. With his parents long dead, Zagato had been the only one to ever love him or hug him. He had missed the gently loving embrace for so long. Lantis turned his head ever so slightly to look at Eagle. Eagle stared back into Lantis' azure eyes, his own wide brown eyes looking more than ever like two giant pools of deep golden-brown. He gave Lantis a slight smile, reassurance written in his eyes and on his face. Lantis looked at Eagle, and leaned into him, and let himself be held.
"It's alright, Lantis," Eagle whispered into his ear, one hand carding through Lantis' ebony hair. "Everything will be alright."
And somehow, Lantis believed him. Because sitting there, being held like that, he simply knew that as long as he had Eagle...as long as Eagle was there to hold him....to support him....to *love* him....everything would be okay. He smiled into Eagles shoulder even as the tears continued to fall. //So nice to have such a friend again...// And for now, it was enough to just be held.
~fin~
A/N: AHHHHHH! TOO DAMN SHORT! I UNDERSTAND! I'M SO SORRY! GOMEN NASEI! *beats herself with a dry noodle instead of a wet one and it shatters all over her head* Yummy...pasta! Okay, attempting to end the insanity now. Sorry it's so short...gomen. I'm having writers block right now...I know what's going to happen much later in the story, but I just had prom, so I'm running on like, 5 hours of sleep, and I have NO CLUE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH! *munches insanely on the crunchy, uncooked pasta and then rams her head into her computer, knocking herself out and making writing any more of the story impossible* Heheh...I wish I had an excuse as good. Anyways, unless more people vote and differently, it looks like it's going to be Umi/Ascot. Okay? Please, don't flame me for whatever choice I end up making...I asked for voters, and I'll choose what gets the most...as long as I can think up good material for it. ;) Yeeah.....so, if you don't like my pairing, don't whine. It's *your* fault for not voting, or for not threatening enough of your friends into voting for your choice. Okay, shutting up now, before I offend one of you, especially since you're all such wonderful readers and you leave me such nice notes and put up w/ my insanity. I LOVE YOOOOOUUUU! Shutting up now...*puts the Shrek Burger King crown on her head and does indeed shut up*
Eagle and Lantis walked silently to the car, the blond glancing at his taller friend occasionally. Eagle could tell that something was wrong with Lantis, but he didn't want to press him for answers. He started the car as Lantis threw the bags in the back and then joined Eagle in the car. Eagle left the parking lot at a much slower pace than he had driven before. He glanced at Lantis. The dark haired boy was staring into space, azure eyes filled with a troubled look. //He looks so sad...//
"Lantis?"
The dark haired boy stirred abruptly at the sound of his name. "Yeah, Eagle?"
"Is there anything you want to talk about? You seem upset." Eagle said carefully.
Lantis avoided his friend's eyes.
"I don't want to push you," Eagle continued gently, "But you really seem to be hurting. After you spoke with that boy- Ferio? Is that his name?- you just seemed so upset. I just want you to know that if you want to talk...I'm here for you. That's all."
Both boys sat in silence. Then, Lantis spoke up. "I-" he began, and stopped, shaking his head. "You want to pull over?"
"Sure." Eagle steered the car onto a private side road and pulled over. Lantis seemed unsure of how to start again.
"I..." he shook his head, unable to think of a way to say it, and ended up blurting it all out at once. "My brother's dead."
Eagle started, shocked. "What?!"
Lantis pushed on, looking like if he didn't get it all out now, he wouldn't be able to later. "Before I came here- I mean, to Autozam- I went to Cephiro High. Ferio was my best friend. His older sister Emeraude was dating my brother....Zagato. They went out on a date one night- Zagato was driving. This guy hit them," he said all in a rush, voice husky and slightly choked as if with pain. "He was completely drunk...the accident wasn't their fault at all. It hit from the drivers side. They couldn't have done anything for them, they said. Emeraude probably wouldn't have died at all, but-" he broke off, blinking back tears. Eagle stared at his friend, shocked and horrified that Lantis had been holding all this in for so long. "-the force of the other car hitting them sent Zagato's car flying into a tree, and Emeraude was killed by the impact of it. When they found them..." Lantis choked again, tears forcing their way past the reserve he was trying so hard to keep, and he brushed them back angrily. "They had managed to reach each other. They were holding hands, in their last moments. They took the to the hospital, tried to save them...they couldn't do a thing. I got there in time to see him...before he died. Emeraude was gone already. Zagato held on to see me...he clung to me like I used to hold tight to him when I had nightmares as a child. He whispered my name...told me he loved me..." Lantis broke off, brushing tears away, unable to speak. After a moment, he shook himself, continuing. "In school the next day, Ferio cornered me. He was hysterical, crying, carrying on. He told me it was all Zagato's fault that his sister was dead. I knew it wasn't...*hell*, even *he* knew it wasn't. *Everyone* knew it. He was just trying to cover up his pain with anger, and he directed that anger at me. Said he never wanted to see me again. I couldn't take it...I left the school and moved to Autozam to attend school with you guys. I thought that I could escape them all...escape the pain. It worked, for a while..." he smiled weakly, "I met *you*, Eagle. You made my life such a wonderful adventure again. You, Geo, Zazu- you made life fun once more. When I was with you, I could pretend that I'd forgotten all about Zagato, and Emeraude, and Ferio- about everyone!" He looked down at his hands where they were resting in his lap. "I should have known it couldn't last."
"Oh, *Lantis*!" Eagle leaned across the seat and threw his arms around Lantis, hugging him close.
"Eagle!" Lantis was shocked, looking down at his friend's blond head.
"I'm so *sorry*, Lantis! I shouldn't have asked! Gomen nasei!"
"No, it's fine. I've been wanting to tell you, it's just.... so many bad memories." Fresh new tears streamed down his face. Eagle hugged him closer.
"Lantis..." he whispered helplessly. "I wish there was something I could do to help, some way I could make you feel better." He rubbed Lantis' back sympathetically, soothingly. Lantis blinked back tears suddenly. He couldn't say it to Eagle, but it felt so good to just be *touched* again, to be hugged and cared for...to be *loved*. With his parents long dead, Zagato had been the only one to ever love him or hug him. He had missed the gently loving embrace for so long. Lantis turned his head ever so slightly to look at Eagle. Eagle stared back into Lantis' azure eyes, his own wide brown eyes looking more than ever like two giant pools of deep golden-brown. He gave Lantis a slight smile, reassurance written in his eyes and on his face. Lantis looked at Eagle, and leaned into him, and let himself be held.
"It's alright, Lantis," Eagle whispered into his ear, one hand carding through Lantis' ebony hair. "Everything will be alright."
And somehow, Lantis believed him. Because sitting there, being held like that, he simply knew that as long as he had Eagle...as long as Eagle was there to hold him....to support him....to *love* him....everything would be okay. He smiled into Eagles shoulder even as the tears continued to fall. //So nice to have such a friend again...// And for now, it was enough to just be held.
~fin~
A/N: AHHHHHH! TOO DAMN SHORT! I UNDERSTAND! I'M SO SORRY! GOMEN NASEI! *beats herself with a dry noodle instead of a wet one and it shatters all over her head* Yummy...pasta! Okay, attempting to end the insanity now. Sorry it's so short...gomen. I'm having writers block right now...I know what's going to happen much later in the story, but I just had prom, so I'm running on like, 5 hours of sleep, and I have NO CLUE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH! *munches insanely on the crunchy, uncooked pasta and then rams her head into her computer, knocking herself out and making writing any more of the story impossible* Heheh...I wish I had an excuse as good. Anyways, unless more people vote and differently, it looks like it's going to be Umi/Ascot. Okay? Please, don't flame me for whatever choice I end up making...I asked for voters, and I'll choose what gets the most...as long as I can think up good material for it. ;) Yeeah.....so, if you don't like my pairing, don't whine. It's *your* fault for not voting, or for not threatening enough of your friends into voting for your choice. Okay, shutting up now, before I offend one of you, especially since you're all such wonderful readers and you leave me such nice notes and put up w/ my insanity. I LOVE YOOOOOUUUU! Shutting up now...*puts the Shrek Burger King crown on her head and does indeed shut up*