- Stirring Earth -

.~.

Warnings: Picard's thoughts that happen to refer to Felix. . . . Slight shonen-ai in his introspectives. Oh, wait -- watch out for the ending. Really random bit there! Er, not so random. Yaoi! . . . . And Picard has a potty mouth! Only on his bad days.

.~.

Chapter two: Rapids

- Emotions rushing out at you -

.~.

Felix scowled darkly at him while they ate dinner in silence. But he was smirking slightly, only causing the brunet to growl in an animalistic sort of way.

"Is anything the matter, Felix? Indigestion, perhaps?"

The Venus adept growled more.

"Worried about being unmarried?"

Felix kicked him.

"Ow. Or is it the fact Garet's your brother-in-law? Or is it because Jenna's married to him?"

"Shut up, Picard." With a sound *thok* of metal meeting wood, Picard noticed the knife next to his elbow, embedded into the table.

"I think somebody needs more sleep." He said, dabbing at his mouth with his napkin. Felix watched him, daring him to turn around as he took their plates and placed them in the sink. The glare he was giving one of his closest friends could melt steel -- so it could easily melt human flesh, couldn't it?

Finally, Picard finished the plates off. Felix was very unpleased to find that there were no scorch marks on him, or that there were no scratches, either. Dang it, and it supposedly worked with Garet, but only as long as the oaf was cooking... Hey! Wait a second....

"Why are you still here, Felix?"

Alright, this was just --

Felix leaped at him.

With a very uneloquent "Urk!" from Picard's mouth, they tumbled to the ground in a flurry of blue and brown, arms and legs.

"You're such an idiot, Picard," Felix hissed, pinning his shoulders.

"I thought we went over this?" Picard said demurely, finding Felix's eyes rather nice to look upon, even though they were currently clouded over with fury that erupted from unknown origins. The brunet's eyebrow twitched.

"You're being an idiot."

"You might as well be an idiot for calling me an idiot, for not only are you an idiot for calling me an idiot, only an idiot calls a Lemurian idiotic." Picard said quickly, hoping it would mess up the already-mentally unstable Felix and make him get off of him.

Felix blinked, processing all of that in his mind.

"Doesn't matter, you're still an idiot." He said, after a short time.

"Can you get off of me, please?" Picard sighed.

"I don't think so. I rather like seeing you this way -- as vulnerable."

Picard blinked. Now he *knew* Felix was off his rocker.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, an eyebrow tilting upwards.

Felix blinked away the glaze covering his eyes, then blinked some more.

"Did you just curse?"

"I only curse when I have no idea as of what's going on, Felix. And normally, I start off my bad days with cursing. What did you mean exactly by that statement?"

"I... I meant... never mind..." Felix got off of him, rubbing his head as he walked up the stairs, leaning on the railing heavily.

"Are you sure it's not indigestion?" Picard called. There were some very colorful words that echoed back down to him. "I guess not."

.~.

-introspective-

I'm not supposed to like Felix in that manner! Of course, it doesn't help that he has beautiful eyes. . . . . He doesn't seem to know what he's doing, or what he's saying... He doesn't know what he's doing to me.... Why? Damn that Felix. You aren't supposed to -- to. . . to fall in love with a friend! (Although a very homicidal friend at that.) It never works out, this kind of relationship isn't supposed to exist in Vale. . . What am I going to do?!

.~.

Picard was scowling at his pillow, who was currently offerning no spoken advice. He was clutching at the bedsheets in a white-knuckled grip. They, too, were silent, only rustling occasionally when he moved his hands. His eyes, normally bright like the morning sun, were gradually darkening as his tumultuous thoughts ransacked his mind endlessly.

.~.

What can you do when you're slowly falling in love with a friend that tries to kill you regularly and calls you a cow occasionally? I'm hopeless... I've fallen for a pale twig that enjoys bothering me. I must've really screwed up or something in my past life...

.~.

"Picard? I'm going to go to sleep." Felix said quietly at his door.

"Why do you need to tell me?" He snapped. Felix blinked, running a hand through his loose hair.

"Why are you so touchy now? Was it something I said earlier?"

.~.

Something you did earlier... Of course it's something you said. Everything you say... is like a song to my ears.... Gods, Felix is right, I *have* been reading too much Lemurian poetry as of late... Oh, and feeling your god-like body on mine... Good gods! That's just... uck...

.~.

"Sorry. I'm... I'm just thinking."

"You're never so uptight when you think."

"Well... Things change. People change, Felix. Everyone has mood swings now and then." Picard said tritely, refusing to face him silently. He knew Felix was frowning at him.

"This can't be brought on by a mood swing." His voice was drawing nearer. Picard sighed.

"It is, Felix." The bed squeaked as the brunet sat down on it. "Why else would I be angry at you for no apparent reason?"

"I don't know, let me think," his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Earlier today, I came after you with kitchen knives after calling you a cow. And for several hours, I ignored your existence. At dinner, I gave you a further silent treatment, tried to make you lose an arm, then later tackled you and called you an idiot. I don't know what could make you mad." He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, his eyes stone-like in quality.

Picard grit his teeth in frustration. Couldn't he just leave? Before either of them happened to do something particularly stupid?

"Felix, just... just leave, please."

Felix's pale hand brushed aside some of his hair, his hands lingering on his face momentarily.

"Let me see your eyes."

"No."

"Let me see your eyes."

"No! Felix, just go -- "

And he found himself in a remarkably similar position as the one before, when Felix had tackled him.

"Felix, I'm warning you!"

"Go on ahead." Felix said softly, studying the Lemurian's eyes. Picard wanted desperately to take his own eyes off of the russet colored ones, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

.~.

Why can he understand that I need my privacy sometimes? I know I'll do something stupid if he stays any longer! And why must he stare at my eyes? Can he tell my future just by staring at my eyes? ...Felix, you are an odd one...

.~.

"Felix?" Picard whispered softly. "What are you doing?"

"Something's bothering you. It deals with somebody else, and you want to tell them, but you can't..." Felix said, his hands flat on Picard's chest. Picard blinked rapidly.

"Uhm?"

"I've been listening to Mia and Sheba too long, I think..." Felix chuckled morosely. He got off of the Mercury adept, not seeming to notice the heavy flush that had spread over Picard's cheeks, and for that, he was grateful. "I'll go now."

"Felix, wait."

The Venus adept paused at the doorway, not turning his head.

"I... I'm sorry."

Felix appeared to bow his head in acknowledgement, shutting the door softly with a click behind him.

.~.

Two days had already passed. Felix made no rude comments, or started arguments and, thankfully enough for Picard, he didn't try tackling him anymore. But the comments and the arguments -- he was used to receiving those and shooting off his own remarks as well. (The twig and the cow, remember?) He felt very much like picking up Felix and throwing him off a preferrably high cliff, but chances were, he wouldn't be able to 'cow around' with the boy anymore then.

So, unable to vent his homicidal tendencies any other way, here Picard was, glaring daggers at Felix while he fidgeting, occasionally dropping things under his steady gaze. Picard's current goal was make him turn around and yell at him -- at least then, it'd be similar to arguing with each other. So he glared, glared some more, to the point his eyes were dry.

Felix twitched, knowing Picard was still watching him. The Lemurian had such odd fetishes... Reading romantic Lemurian poetry at two in the morning (on occasions; he had to admit he read at even odder hours of the morning than that)... That was odd. Always insisting upon wearing those strange red ribbon-sorts of things around his wrists... That was odder. But staring at him? Since when was this a new hobby?

"Picard, what do you want?" He said, managing to keep his voice rather even while he scrubbed at a plate, knowing very well it was completely clean.

"Why... aren't you arguing with me? Or saying that I'm an idiot? And most importantly, why did you let the cow-thing drop?"

"Why the hell do you want me to argue with you? I thought you enjoyed your peace and quiet and sanity of mind. And if I do remember correctly, you yourself said things change. People change. Everyone has mood swings."

"This isn't a mood swing. And going a day, much less two days, without yelling, arguing, and making rude comments is just odd."

"You can stay out of my personal life, Picard, and I'll be just chipper about it." Felix said, picking up a bowl. Odd, you say? He was slightly amused.

"A mood swing doesn't last two days, I believe." Picard went on, ignoring his comment.

"No, I suppose it doesn't." He set the bowl down. "But people do change. Alex has changed, hasn't he?"

"He isn't on homicidal rampages anymore. I guess that is a change."

"Ah, the wonders an old man with too much time on his hands can do to a poor, already-defeated soul."

"Hm. And you? Does this mean you're going to be nice to Garet from now on? And not ridicule him in front of his children?"

"You think? That'll be a lifelong sort of hatred -- er, dislike." He paused, suds slipping down his arm and dropping into the sink at his elbow. "And how'd *you* know about the kid-thing?"

"I know about plenty of things." Picard said, smirking ever so slightly. Felix sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you do, but they're the really useless things. Ow!" A spoon that he had left behind on the table was flung through the air and met his head with a satisfying *thunk.*

"I knew it! Just a good ol' knock on the head and you'd be back to normal!"

"A knock on the head normally means a concussion or at least a black eye for me, Picard. What makes you think a *spoon,* especially since I was back 'to normal' *before* -- "

"Do shut up, Felix." Picard said, drumming his fingers on the table boredly.

Felix flicked some suds at him, apparently forgetting he was dealing with a Mercury adept. Before he could have the chance to mutter, "Oh phoo on you," a jet of water had thoroughly doused him from the side.

"Now you're really asking for it." He said, pointing a knife at Picard, who was whistling and looking innocent.

"You know, you look really threatening when you're wet and your hair is all plastered to your skull." Picard snickered, and Felix lowered the knife, sighing.

"You shut up, Picard, and while you're at it, finish the dishes for me." He trudged off, grumbling a few choice words under his breath while he went to change.

.~.

He looks kind of sexy wet. .....Good Iris! Did I just say that? Oh, I always knew it was a bad idea for me to even step *foot* in Vale...! I bet he looks hotter in suds. Good holy --

.~.

So things were settled. Felix was back to normal, running after him with knives, his Levatine (He had found it recently, much to Picard's chagrin), among other sharp pointy things. They nearly ran over Jenna, who had been exiting Garet's house, when they ran by. (And thusly, Jenna joined the chase as well.) And finally, after dog-piling Picard (The poor thing!), they carried him home (They as in the other residents of Vale, who had also joined the chase) and dumped him on the bed, where he fell into a deep sleep.

But in the middle of the night, Picard awoke from a frightening dream of his parents crying out to him, to help him, but he could do nothing about it. He was only a wee child, so what could he do? That question loomed around him, in the shadowed corners of the walls, as he lay there in bed, his eyes wide, refusing to see the images dance before him. He heard a squeak of the floorboards -- please not now! Night intruders after a dream were just too much to handle . . . .

"You okay, Picard?"

Felix.

"Fine..." He said in a quavering voice.

"Nightmare?"

He nodded. Felix sighed softly and padded over to the bed, his hands traveling through his aquamarine hair slowly.

"Nothing can happen. Not with me around, anyhow." Felix assured him, his pale hand on the Lemurian's cheek. Picard found the ability to snort, however softly.

"I feel so safe." He said, rolling his eyes. Felix smiled slightly. Picard shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"Not... really..."

Felix's smile turned into a smirk as he dipped his head lower, his eyes unseen underneath his bangs. Both of his hands were on Picard's cheeks.

"I can help you warm up," He said, his voice husky enough to send a chill down Picard's spine. He pressed their lips together in a fierce, passionate kiss, sparing no mercy for the Mercury adept. As his kisses traveled to his neck, his hands began wandering. His hands were quick, making short work of the loose shirt Picard wore, his fingers dancing over the muscled flesh.

Picard hissed as Felix sucked on the flesh of his collarbone, his own hands working their way through Felix's dark tresses. He had to bite his lip to keep from screaming and waking up the rest of Vale, hard enough to make it bleed. It didn't help much that Felix's knee was prodding his inner thigh rather roughly.

Felix was through with Picard's collarbone, and jerked back up to kiss him again, his lips beginning to swell with his ministrations. He leaned back, but only so far that he could see Picard's eyes (Which gleamed eerily like a cat's in the night).

"I love....... cows."

.~.

"DAMMIT!" Picard yelled loudly as he hit the floor with a loud thud, more at the way his nice little dream ended rather than the unpleasant way he woke up. He panted heavily, wiping at the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. Damnable dreams of his! (Har! I told you it'd be weird! X- P) Where'd cows come -- oh....

"Picard? What's going on?"

"Go away, Felix." He said dully, propping his chin up with a hand, sighing heavily.

"What's going on? I heard a thud and then you cursed..."

"Just go away, Felix, I'm starting my day off pretty damn badly if I do say so myself." He ground out testily, standing and throwing the blanket onto the bed.

"You've cursed twice already! That normally signals -- "

" -- Me starting my day off pretty badly. Just go away, Felix, I'm itching to kill someone."

"I'm going, I'm going. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Anything as long as it's not associated with cows in any way, in any form imaginable."

There was a long pause before Felix answered.

"No milk, then?"

"Just go, Felix."

.~.

Damn the cows!

.~.

End II

.~.

Ha! Yaoi scene there! ^_^ ::Proud of herself::

[Felix] *Growling*

You know you like it. You don't get anyone else, right?

[Felix] Shut up!

I don't think you make your little fangirls do anything.

[Felix] . . . . . . .

So I thought. Anyhoo:

**ChibiD**: WHERE? Where did you see those pictures?!?!! GIIIIVE MEEEE!

[Felix] Nooo! Don't get them to her!! She'll just --

::Shoves him out of the way:: Where? I've been looking all over, the most I've ever found are IsaacxGaret pictures, I find that pairing kinda bland... Tellllll meeeee!!!

**Fortuna**: 0_0!! Wowiee... One of my idols comes up and reviews this little dinky shonen-ai story...

[Felix] It's yaoi. Yeck.

You know you like it! So shaddup, you never get any girls anyhow. And Picard -- ::Sighs dreamily:: -- is a hottie. You should be considering yourself lucky!

[Felix] *Snorts*

What have I done to deserve this honor? I get that feeling, like when Midnight C and Triad Orion reviewed the Matchmaker..... ::Sniffles::

[Felix] Oh no, you've gotten her started... *Makes plot to kill Fortuna*

::Kicks him:: None of that, now! Fortuna's kewl! And I'll be after your head! Which I already am.

**Dragoness**: Har, yeah, cows. ^_^ Mooooo!

[Felix] *Grumbles* Cows... Your freaking tribute to ASHLEY, the cause of the Apocalypse!

The 'cause of the Apocalypse?' Nah, I'd say that's either me, Stephanie, Takuro, Luana, or their kid. Or, now that I think of it, Shadow and Taylor on sugar highs... Or Tsuka's cat... Or Tsuka herself... But... ::Shrugs:: But she'd obviously contribute. And anyhoo, world domination or world destruction is currently not the matter at hand! Review please!

[Felix] *Sighs* Yes, for the sake of my sanity.

PicardxFelix! PicardxFelix! PicardxFelix! ^o^

[Felix] *Shudders*

-dreams can be prophecies-

[Felix] Yeah, right! *A globe hits him in the head* Ow!

Urusai, baka. -__-++