Author's Notes: Chapter Three up and edited! I'm a roll, with all the chaps I know. I know you want to read this! I know you want to read this, read this! That was a sad spoof attempt at a song by the Offspring. Eh, keep reading.
Warnings: I write yaoi folks, no ifs, ands, or buts about that. If that irks you in the least, click the backspace button. There is also angsty content, along with romance. That's right kiddie, boys snogging boys. If you're highly offended by that which is mentioned above, there is a backspace button. Click it.
Title: Alluring Passion
Rating: PG-13 (T if you actually follow this webbies new rating system.)
Pairing(s): Zero/Erts (main) Gareas/Ernest (minor, and mentioned)
Disclaimer: If you didn't read the Disclaimer posted in both the Epilogue and Chapter Two…you are an asshole. I don't own Megami Kouhosei.
Alluring Passion
Chapter Three: Admiration
After their departure, chaotic chatter broke out amongst those remaining.
"Did you see them?" a blonde girl with pig tails and a round face squealed to her equally excited friend.
"They're cute!" Another girl, but with freckles and brilliant orange hair, commented.
"Come on," a candidate with a rather protruding nose scoffed, "The only thing worthwhile about them is the fact they get to pilot an Ingrid."
"But that Teela gal!" his friend commented, nudging him in the side. "Now that's a woman!"
The babble seemed never-ending. Hiead found it all childish. The way they spoke, and how they couldn't keep to themselves their thoughts. He turned to find Zero to be just like the others, equally childish.
"Obviously," Hiead thought maliciously as he listened in on what Zero Enna was saying. "Only an idiot like Enna could understand these simpletons..."
"Did you see him?" Zero called out, rather loudly, to Kizna.
"Of course I did Zero," Kizna answered, trying to calm him. They were receiving a lot of stares due to Zero's level of speech.
"I wanna go talk to him!" Zero nearly shouted, practically oozing enthusiasm.
"You can't see him now," Clay interjected pushing up his glasses with his middle finger. "He does have a life outside of you Zero. He is probably extremely busy at the moment."
Zero stuck out his tongue at Clay. "Nuh uh!" Zero childishly countered.
Clay rolled his eyes. "Zero," Clay suddenly asked, something seemed to have triggered his curiosity. "Why are you so anxious to see him?"
Zero blinked. He zoned, entering into a rare state of thought. "It's hard to say," Zero mused. "I guess because were friends and...HE'S A PILOT!" Zero had said the last part so loud it caused Clay to take a step back and rub his now ringing ear.
"Very interesting," Clay muttered pushing up his glasses once more.
"I should have known it'd have something to do with his rank," Kizna muttered, smiling and walking away with her friends to discuss both the Repairers and their partners on their own time.
Zero silently sighed in relief. It wasn't like he had lied. It was just...he hadn't told the whole truth as to why he really wanted to see his blonde-headed friend. To be honest, Clay's question insured a loaded answer, which Zero didn't feel up to answering entirely. At least, not at the time anyway.
"Erts..." Zero thought silently.
Whilst Zero pondered his dear friend, Rioroute seemed to be having quite a blast chatting it up with his fellow pilots.
"Did you see all those kids?" Rioroute questioned, laughing as they walked. "Most of them gawked at us like we were Gods or something!"
"Yeah," Gareas agreed, and grinned at the thought. "I can't believe they're the ones in line to become future pilots. Makes you wonder what our future is going to be like, they're all so young."
"Really," Rioroute added.
"Oooh!" Rioroute mocked in an unusually high-pitched voice, "look at all the pretty pilots!" Rioroute was obviously overdoing it, making them appear much more childish than any of them really were, but it got Gareas laughing along with some of the others.
"All those candidates are like fifteen year olds with no maturity," Rioroute airily commented, forgetting that some of his friends happened to be fifteen.
"What was that?" his partner Phil asked, eyebrow raised and obviously amused, "You act as if you think you're mature!"
Rioroute blushed slightly. "Well," he said hastily trying to erase what his partner had said. "They're just kids right now, its not like they can do much at their age yet."
"You should think before you speak Rioroute-san," Yu spoke up, startling what appeared everyone except his sisters, Kazuhi. He rarely ever said anything.
"What was that?" Rioroute asked confused, and slightly miffed.
"Erts-san is 14 years of age," Yu spoke so softly, everyone had to really listen just to hear what he said. "He is younger than most candidates and their repairers, he spent less than a year training on G.O.A, and he also the youngest pilot we have." Rioroute looked startled by this information, and the fact that Yu had probably said more then and there than he had in his entire life.
"Oh...shit…" he thought looking over at Erts.
"Are you really just fourteen?" asked Rioroute, curious to know if it was true. If so, he'd be younger than Teela.
Erts didn't speak, only nodded.
"Oh..." was all Rioroute could say before everyone fell silent, which was nothing new for Yu or Kazuhi, who rarely ever spoke to begin with.
Just then someone walked in interrupting the silence, probably someone who worked in the kitchens considering how he was dressed, apron and all.
"You may report to the cafeteria for lunch," he said so quickly that he left right after, before anyone could get a word in edgewise.
Everyone got up to leave at a seemingly fast pace, except for Yu and Kazuhi who calmly exited the room.
"I didn't know he was that young..." Rioroute thought. "Now he probably doesn't like me. Why didn't I think before spouting my mouth like Yu said? Why does Yu have to always be right? Who names their kid Yu? Yu…Yu…wait! Shit! Erts! He probably thinks I hate kids fifteen and under...how was I to know he was fourteen? How did Yu know he was fourteen? I thought he was at least sixteen and just a bit short was all! Oh man..."
Rioroute suddenly looked up to see Erts walking toward the entrance to the mess hall. This gave him an idea.
"Hey Erts!" Rioroute called out, causing the young blonde to turn and face him.
"Yes?" he asked calmly giving Rioroute time to catch up. Erts seem to radiate with an eerie feeling of maturity that made Rioroute wonder if he wasn't a twenty-year-old man trapped in a fourteen-year-olds body. This though only caused Rioroute to stare blankly at him for a moment or so.
"Rioroute?" Erts asked, noticing his lack of response.
"Huh?" Rioroute muttered before realizing what he was doing.
"You wanted to say something...?" Erts asked, patiently waiting.
"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Rioroute, coming back to his senses. There was a moment of silent before Rioroute decided to start.
"I just wanted to say sorry if you were offended by anything I said earlier..." he muttered. "I wasn't being serious, you know? I was just joking around. I didn't know you were so young though! Not that it's a bad thing! Uh…this is awkward…sorry." Erts just stared at him for a few minutes, while he bobbed back and forth on the heels of his shoes.
"I understand," Erts finally responded, and smiled. "I wasn't in the least bit offended. Thank you for your concern Rioroute." Erts waved goodbye after saying that last bit, and turned to leave. Rioroute also waved slightly as what he said registered.
"Wait..." Rioroute thought, as something Erts said seemed to stick in his mind. "Did he just call me Rioroute? That's so...formal..."
"Hey Erts!" Rioroute called out again, waving slightly to get his attention.
"Yes?" Erts asked, turning back to him, hand on the door as he was just about to enter the cafeteria.
"It's Rio!" he grinned. Erts smiled.
"Fine...Rio..." Erts quietly said entering the mess hall.
"I think things between us are going to be a little better from now on," Rio thought as he too walked into the cafeteria, making a straight line toward Phil, with the obvious intention of cutting her.