Author's Notes: Chapter Four. I'm moving at remarkably face pace. Sure, I'm typing slower than usual, but I'm updating quickly. Hurray!
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: Surely this isn't needed? Surely you are all not such dunderheads that I would need to tell you about how a seventeen-year-old girl could not own something of this caliber, nor could she ever claim to and get away with it.
Alluring Passion
Chapter Four: Regret
Gareas Elidd took very little notice to Erts Virny Cocteau as he sat a few seats away from his comrades. This was nothing new; Erts had always chosen to sit a couple of seats down. Gareas had a feeling this was probably due to his telepathy, Ernest had been the same way during their candidate years, but he could only assume.
The group had been allowed in the cafeteria earlier than normal due to their rank, and as to avoid being swarmed by candidate-repairer mobs. Gareas took this as an added bonus as he allowed his gaze to fall back onto the food placed in front of him.
"Why does he always do that?" Rioroute asked Gareas curiously.
"Do what?" managed Gareas through a mouthful of only God knows what.
"Sit over their by himself," Rioroute responded.
"Who?" Gareas asked, knowing he was slowly ticking Rioroute off. It took him everything he had not to grin.
"GARU!" Rioroute snapped, glaring at Gareas. "You know who I mean!"
"No I don't," Gareas declared, smirking at Rio's frustration.
"Erts!" Rio whined out once more, causing Erts to stare at him briefly before returning to his own plate. "Why does he always sit by himself?"
"I don't know," Gareas hissed, "but if I were you I wouldn't scream out his name so loud. You act as though you want the entire world to hear out conversation!" Rio's face faulted slightly.
"You mean I went through all that for a shrug and a, "I don't know, shut up or else people will stare?" Rio shouted upset.
"That's about right," Gareas stated, continue onward in his quest to devour all the provisions on his place. Rio frowned, but quickly recovered as his eyes spotted his own food.
"Poor sap," Gareas, thought, inwardly shaking his head. "All he ever thinks of is food."
Gareas looked over at Erts once more, considering him, and how he seemed to give off the feeling of a priceless glass doll.
"Just like his brother," Gareas thoughts trailed as he looked toward the ceiling. "Ernest...why did you have to die? It should have been me. Not you. Never you. All those times you told me to look out for myself… it should have been me telling you. Ernest." Gareas turned back towards Erts, his deceased best friends younger brother.
Since Erts appointment as Goddess Pilot of the former Luhma Klein, Gareas had felt the need to protect him, and immediately integrate him into the group. He wanted to make it up to Ernest, to do for Erts what he could not for Ernest. This was his penance, and the only way he'd ever forgive himself for Ernest's death.
The pounding of feet interrupted Gareas' thoughts, and the roaring combination of both feminine and masculine voices that could only come from hunger ravaged teenagers about to enter the cafeteria for lunch made his lips curve into a frown of annoyance.
They were all acting normal right up until they spotted the Pilots and their Repairers sitting at the table, a table that happened to be right in the middle of the cafeteria. Before the any of them could prepare themselves for the on slaughter, they were surrounded.
"Hey!" Rioroute happily exclaimed. "Talk about publicity!"
"Really!" Gareas managed to say while trying hard to understand what the kid next to him was talking about.
Just then Zero and his friends entered, Hiead included. Gareas watched as Zero's eyes lit up at the sight of Erts. At least, it appeared that way, could he really have been so delighted at the sight of Erts? He watched as the brown-haired boy raced toward him. Where had he seen that kid before?
"Erts!" Zero exclaimed wide-eyed, obviously excited, and just like a hyper puppy welcoming his master home, he jumped him. Before Erts could respond, Zero had wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a bear hug as he started rambling on.
Erts smiled at him and followed his every exact word, which was a miracle in itself seeing as how Zero seemed to be talking at light speed. It didn't really bother him though, he felt comfortable just being in Zero's presence.
"Don't you guys agree?" Zero asked, pausing briefly to look at everyone at the table who, all except one, stared at him blankly.
"Come again?" Kizna retorted.
"What Zero said was that he thinks the cafeteria food could due with some improvement," Erts offered, smiling. "That is to put it bluntly."
"You mean to tell me you actually understand his rambling?" Yamagi questioned, staring at Erts, eyebrow cocked.
Erts nodded as Zero's grin grew. Gareas looked to the other pilots and his repairer, wondering if they found this sudden intrusion both rude and a little strange.
The newcomers conversed at the end of the table for a bit, and though Gareas and co were busy with other candidates, he couldn't help but stare at the ones surrounding Erts. He couldn't place where he had seen the brown-headed blue-eyed one.
Soon after, when Erts had to leave with the other pilots to their rooms for the night, Zero hugged him goodbye and wished him adieu. Zero would do almost anything just to stay close to Erts, but even he couldn't follow him everywhere.
As Erts walked down the corridor with the other pilots, he walked by a not so long-forgotten classmate from his candidate years.
"Hey Erts," the familiar voice called out. "Long time no see." Erts looked up and over to see Force smirking down at him. Erts felt abnormally uncomfortable around Force at that moment. He got this feeling Force was up to something, but he couldn't place and, and instead, said nothing.
"Come on Erts!" Rioroute yelled to the younger pilot. "We gotta go!"
"Coming!" Erts responded, and began to take steps towards Rioroute, but not before turning to face Force.
"I suppose I will be seeing you around?" inquired Erts.
"Probably," Force replied, smirk never leaving his face. "Maybe you could you meet me at the conservatory around twelve o'clock?"
"I…" Erts paused, that devious feeling he had felt emitting from Force appeared stronger now.
"Sure," Erts said smiling as Force waved goodbye.
"What did I just do?" Erts decided not to dwell on that question too much, it caused him a great deal of discomfort, and he could not shake that eerie feeling of deceit that Force had given off throughout their short conversation.
"I did say yes though..." Erts concluded. "I'm just being paranoid. Force has always had a strange aura to him, that is all." Erts smiled, though still slightly unnerved, he managed to catch up with the others.