- Stirring Earth -
.~.
Gomen ne, for the wait. ^^; I was at Shuyokai! ....Wah. I didn't get to say goodbye to Nozomu-baka. ;-; Oh well. I'll see Sashimi SOMETIME... And FF.Net is down! AGAIN! -___-;;;;
[Felix] ....*Sighs*
Nani, baka? I had to spend a total of... Four.. er, close to five hours in a car with STEPHANIE. That's torture! And four days -- FOUR DAYS -- without a computer! That was nearly hell!
[Felix] ....
Ha! And I had to deal with "Ed," "Vincent," and Sofia. ^^ As well as hobo- sensei... Stephanie...
[Felix] Ed and Vincent are girls, aren't they?
Yep. Ed and Vin are anime fanatics, too! ^__^
[Felix] *Shudders*
They've NEVER PLAYED GS, though! Grr!
[Felix] 0_o
....I miss Spiffy. ;.;
[Felix] Spiffy was a camera!
Exactly!
[Felix] ........I think it's the air.
I think so too. ^^ Warnings: Um. Garet's potty mouth, hysterical sisters, a bit of boring stuff... Picard and Felix have a few odd conversations. . . . ^^
[Felix] GAAH!
Deal with it, 'kay? ....::Hugs computer:: I missed you so badly! ;-; I couldn't go NEAR my Sephiroth/Cloud fanfiction! Oh, this chapter is (sort of) LONG, too! I couldn't help but go through with all of Felix and Picard's humorous convos!
[Felix] *Edges away*
::Glares at him:: But... ::Cries:: Sephy... and... Cloud... make... such... a good... couple! And... so... do... Vincent... and... Cid... ::Sniffles:: Sasuke... and... Naruto... Felix... and... Picard...!! Riku and Sora! WAAAH! ::Starts randomly listing other couples::
[Felix] *Whimpers*
And Picard angst! I decided I'd change the ending (Which is the next chapter... There's an epilogue, too! ^^;;), to make it a bit angstier... Poor Picard. I luv him, and I have to make him sad.. ::Turns to Felix angrily:: BECAUSE OF THIS IDIOT VENUS ADEPT'S STUPID DECISIONS!
[Felix] Meep...
.~.
Chapter six: The Great Seas
- Swears of various forms, hysteria, and more angst -
.~.
[Felix] Why me?
Shut up.
.~.
"Felix?"
"Nngmmph...."
"Felix..."
"Mmph!"
"Felix, you better wake up now, or I'll scorch your hair again."
"Nonononono!"
Jenna smiled a very twisted smile. Felix blinked wildly.
"Morning, dear brother of mine."
"Um... Good morning?"
"Yes, yes, GOOD morning... Just tell me..."
Outside the room, Picard waited, holding his breath.
"...What is with all these groans of agony? And... Picard's name? In the middle of the night?"
"Well, about that..."
...Five minutes later...
"I'm waiting, Felix."
Picard then had to breathe, or face suffocation.
"Picard was running after me with... with... an axe!"
He could practically see Jenna's eyebrow raise in speculation.
"Oh, really?"
...That was Jenna, actually...
"Yes."
"And he cut your hair, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"I see..."
The door slammed open, and Picard skittered away from Jenna's imperious form. Jenna's imperious form that was approximately a head shorter than him. Jenna shot him a look, but he was sure she didn't know he had been next to the door.
As soon as Jenna stormed off to her own room, Picard went back down the hallway to his beloved Felix. Felix was merely a lump under the blankets and pillows. A shivering lump, that is.The only thing visible of him was a lock of his brown hair that splayed out on a pillow before what Picard assumed was his head.
"Felix?"
"Jenna... ish... shcary..." Came the muffled response.
"Yes, she is. But our love shall conquer all distances and obstac -- !"
The birds sleeping on the tree outside Felix's window flew off after a vicious WHAP! woke them from their slumber.
"I thought I burned those books." Felix muttered sourly as he sat up, tugging at his precious mop of messy hair. Picard spat out some feathers from his mouth.
"That was nice, considering, if I wasn't here, you'd be just a mess of depression and pointless angst. And Lemurian books won't burn, untrue to popular belief."
Felix glared at him, blinking slowly. Picard shivered, patting at his hair to see if any feathers remained. Finding none, he grinned devilishly and leaped at the Venus adept, nuzzling his neck. Felix sighed.
"Do you want to?" Picard whispered huskily into his ear. Felix laid his cheek on his forehead, closing his eyes.
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"Jenna's onto our case. No."
"You can be so boring sometimes..."
"Do you always have to be the risk-taker in the relationship?"
"OUR relationship, dearest Felix."
"Well?"
"Yes. That's what makes life fun."
"Says who?"
"Says me."
"...The self-proclaimed god of entertaining nighttime activities. Ahem."
"I never said I was that!"
"You certainly act like it."
"We haven't done it THAT often!"
"Picard, just shut up. I'm afraid you'll go into one of your 'Make Felix queasy' sessions."
"It's fun!"
"You like that phrase, don't you?" Felix shoved him off the bed ruthlessly and stood, frowning down at the smiling Lemurian. After a moment's silence, Felix sighed once more, bent down, and kissed him on the cheek. "I have to have fallen in love with one of Lemuria's greatest idiots of time..."
"I know you don't regret it." Picard said, sticking out his tongue at Felix. Felix saw this, however, and much to Picard's surprise, crouched down altogether and kissed him again -- on the lips -- with raw passion.
However, the beloved sister of Felix's heard them.
"Mmfh!"
"Grr..."
"Felix?!"
The door bursted open, and Jenna gaped at the scene before her.
"STOP IT, YOU TWO! Picard, get off of him!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Then tell me, WHY WERE YOU BITING MY BROTHER?! On the SHOULDER?!!"
"It was in self-defense! He was choking me!"
Jenna mulled over this briefly before looking between her overly pale brother and the Lemurian, who was rubbing (very suspiciously) at his neck.
"....I thought you got over the choking habit, Felix." Jenna said slowly.
"When I have Garet for a brother-in-law, it's hard to break habits like that." He snapped, but he was looking very pointedly at the ground. "It's his fault."
"You always say that!" Picard shot back, continuing to rub his neck. Jenna glared at first Felix, then him. Picard shifted backwards, bumping into Felix's bed.
Jenna appeared as though she were going to drop into one of her 'You do NOT choke your housemate for daily amusement, and you do NOT anger my brother for pointless reasons!' rants, but she shook her head.
"Today... I'll let you two idiots off. Another day, though..." She waved her index finger warningly, walking back out and closing the door behind her. As soon as her footsteps died away, Picard sighed in relief, and Felix collapsed, panting.
"That was a close one." Picard muttered, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the bite on his neck.
"I'll say." Felix said tiredly. His pale back was completely explosed to his lover, but for once, Picard decided to let it go. "I always tell you -- "
" -- 'No nighttime activies during the day while Jenna is around, no biting, no noisemaking, and certainly no public displays of affection.'" Picard recited lazily, propping his chin up with his hand. "I know, I know. Jenna's been around for a week. We normally -- "
"Okay, don't go there." Felix said quickly, waving his hands, his face hot and red.
"Why are you still so shy?" The earth adept couldn't see Picard's face, but he just knew that it was amused. "You certainly don't hold back during OTHER times..."
"Picard, just shut up before I make you." The brunet growled crossly, sitting up and twisting around to face him. Picard grinned at the sight of the red mark on his collarbone.
"Oh, that sounds fun."
Picard never saw the pot that was thrown at him.
.~.
Ow. That hurt... Maybe Felix is trying to tell me something? ....Ooh. Maybe he wants to be . . . . . no, he's not top-material though. Certainly violent enough, but he doesn't... doesn't fit the description. Hm... When will that barbaric sister of his ever leave? Doesn't she have more amusing things to do with Garet?
Felix would kill me if he knew I said that, wouldn't he?
.~.
Picard, with a bag of ice resting on his head, watched Felix very closely. The Venus adept's movements were short and jerky, and, well... Something was definitely up. With a sigh, Picard reached up and took the icepack, then dropped it onto the table.
"Felix, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Picard rolled his eyes, massaging the bump on his head carefully.
"I've known you for more than... say...five years, Felix. And, I'm your lover. I'm supposed to notice things like this."
Felix stopped his plate washing a moment to toss his hair over his shoulder.
"Picard... I'm fine..."
"You certainly don't seem fine."
Picard stood and went over to him, leaning on the counter.
"I've come to a decision. If anybody finds out about our relationship... without meaning to... I... I'll leave."
Picard thought this over in his mind. What about him, then? Where would he go? After Felix? Back to Lemuria?
"You... might get off... But I still kind of doubt it." Felix said softly, his voice barely heard over the scrubbing. "You will have to leave as soon as possible..."
"Felix, I don't want to leave your side."
Felix bowed his head, his shoulders slumping slightly. Picard reached out to touch him, but he jerked away.
"I can't help it! I don't want you to be hurt! What's the use of banishing two people when you could manage one? You're not the citizen of Vale!"
Felix kept his eyes away from the Lemurian, afraid he would break down if he saw those haunting, molten gold eyes.
"I swear... I will leave..." He said breathlessly.
But he fell into the embrace when Picard reached out to hold him to his chest. His harsh breathing calmed, and the hand running up and down his spine was soothing.
"Nothing like that will happen, Felix. We'll tell them someday..." Picard reassured him, cradling his head to his shoulder. Felix clutched at his vest. "Nothing will go wrong."
"I hope so." Felix whispered as Picard's hand clutched at his hair.
...How ironic it was, then, that somebody saw it all.
(GASP! XD)
Outside, under the shade of a tree, a man crouched, as though trying to catch his breath. His blonde hair shadowed normally calm eyes -- now lost in a storm. That... just wasn't possible. He clutched his forehead, the other hand on his chest, on his rapidly beating heart. That scene... It was just his imagination. He had gotten hit on the head too many times by one of Jenna's fists. Yes, that was it...
"Ivan?"
(Guwahahaha!)
"Oh... Jenna!" He stood hastily, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Jenna frowned at him.
"I thought I told you to run to my house to get some sugar!"
"I, um..."
"You were taking so long, I decided to come and check on you! Do they have any?"
"Um, no." He said quickly, stepping in front of Jenna as she took a step towards her house.
"I could've sworn Felix had some stashed away somewhere... There has to be a reason why Picard's so happy all the time..."
Of course he's happy. He has Felix. Ivan thought to himself sourly.
"I'm sure Mia has some, Jenna..." Ivan said, pushing her slightly back onto the main path. Jenna gave him a look that read 'Jupiter adepts ARE weird,' but nodded and continued on her way. Ivan sighed, following after her, looking back at the house. Felix and Picard -- whoever knew?
.~.
Picard awoke one morning feeling something... odd.. in the air. As far as he knew, Jenna hadn't tried using the oven (Did they have something similar to ovens then? ...0_o;... Gomen, ne, if they didn't...) as of late, Garet didn't try getting rid of the weeds with a blast of fire anymore, and certainly nobody except Kraden smoked anything.
Well...
...Maybe. Nonetheless, though, he just *knew* something was wrong. Felix was back to normal...
"I think they know."
Picard blinked quickly, glancing over to the doorway where Felix was leaning almost casually. The only thing off was that Felix's dark hair was loose, and he appeared to be glowing ever-so-slightly. The first thing to come to his mind was to say that they didn't, but the deathly serious look silenced him.
"Do they?"
"It's hard to tell. But Jenna has been avoiding me, and Isaac and Garet aren't as open..."
.~.
Who could've found out? Nobody knows... I hope... Nobody knows. Of course. Felix just hasn't gotten enough sleep... Figures, I haven't been tiring him out that often. But --
.~.
"Will you still leave?"
Felix looked away.
"I think so..."
Picard nodded slowly.
"Even if we do have to go separate ways, we'll... we *will* meet up again, right?" Felix asked, as though he had been meaning to all along. Picard smiled sadly, tossing aside the covers and standing. He strode over to Felix and hugged him tightly.
"Of course we will... Nothing can ever hope to separate us..."
They stood that way for a few more minutes, until a pounding from below made Picard open his eyes. Footsteps. On the stairs. Letting go of Felix hastily, he slammed the door, bolted it, then leaned against it as a loud slam was heard outside in the corridor.
"Felix?" Jenna called. "I know you're in there!"
"Open up, Picard!" Garet yelled. "We need to settle a few things! A few *important* things!"
Felix had the idea that most of his life was over when the doorknob clattered to the floor.
"Felix... Go..." Picard said, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep the door from sliding open.
"Where?!"
"The window..."
"That's a long drop, Picard..." Felix said, glancing quickly around the room. "Anywhere else?"
A thud told him it was too late. Picard sat up weakly, rubbing his shoulder with a pained expression on his face. Felix knelt next to him as his sister and her husband walked in.
"What's been going on, Felix? Picard?"
"Sheba told me... that Ivan had seen some things..."
Ivan, Felix thought darkly to himself, was dead the next time he saw the blonde squirt.
"Felix, tell me... Do you and Picard... have a *relationship* of sorts?" Jenna dropped to her knees before them, a sincerely concerned look on her face.
"An *illegal* relationship?" Garet added.
"Garet, shut up." Jenna said, her face still worried. "Felix..."
Her brother's dark eyes were shadowed by his bangs, keeping them hidden from her own. Jenna took his hands in her own, clutching them to her chest.
"Felix?" Jenna whispered.
"Answer her, dammit!" Garet growled. Jenna glared at him for a moment.
"I swore I'd leave."
Jenna blinked.
"What? ...Leave? What do you mean by that?"
"He said he'd leave if any of you found out." Picard said slowly, sitting up.
"I have to leave. I... I can't disgrace Vale by being thrown out." Felix murmured, staring into his sister's auburn eyes. "The healers will find out... And they'll..."
"We won't let them. We're the reason why they have the right to throw you out!" Jenna said persuasively, clenching his hands tighter.
"I thought you'd say something like that." Felix said bitterly. "I still have to leave..."
"At least leave tomorrow, or the day after, Felix... So... So we can help..."
Felix nodded slowly. Jenna rose, pulling him with her. Kissing him on the cheek, she mussed his hair fondly, then left. Garet gave him one last glance before leaving that showed the very emotions Felix was afraid of getting: anger, disgust, hatred...
.~.
I'm sorry, Felix. I couldn't... I couldn't prevent anything... Like I was supposed to. Your eyes haunted me when I slept. So sad, so desolate, so *emotionless*... Completely unlike you. And now... I miss those eyes, even if they were so unlike you... Because you're gone. You left during the night -- not even a note left behind. The only things you left behind - - your scarf, your special, aged cinnamon scent, and a lingering kiss...
...Why?
.~.
(Angsty Picard introspective... Gomen, ne!)
"Come on! Rise and shine, Felix! Unless you've decided against going, which is good, but... you've... left... already..."
Picard didn't bother to turn at Jenna's voice, his heart wrenching further as her voice dwindled away. He was struggling not to sob, not to break off from the world and fall into a depressed state. But he had every right to cry -- his love had left him during the night, leaving barely anything to remember him by...
"He left, Picard?" Jenna asked blankly; her voice traced with disbelief. "Without... without us giving him a proper... goodbye?"
"He left." Picard said. When he had woken up to find Felix gone, he himself hadn't said those very words until now. Until the complete realization, with his very sister beside him, sank in. "He left..."
"What are we going to do?" Jenna sank down to the floor, face in her hands. "He... He said... But..."
"Felix never does what he is told." Picard said fondly, softly. "I'll find him, though."
"You... You're going to go find him?" Jenna looked up quickly, and he could see tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "How?"
"I know him. I'll find that bastard and bring him back if it costs me my life." He said.
Jenna took a deep breath, reaching out with one hand to him. Picard took it and pulled her up, and in those brief seconds, Jenna could feel the warmth, possibly the very essence of the meaning of love in his hand. Her fears quelled somewhat knowing that this was the man that would track her brother down to the ends of the crumbling earth.
"When will you leave?" How it hurt so badly for her to say the word 'leave'....
"Today. I can't risk taking more time... He could be in Contigo now for all we know, he might've taken the Teleportation Lapis..." Picard turned and left the room, heading towards his own. Jenna followed him, hands clenched in front of her.
"I hope you find him." Jenna whispered.
"I hope so too."
.~.
End VI
.~.
::Hides under umbrella:: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It'll have a happy ending, though! ...Wah! Not the pumpkins!
[Felix] Hmph. Serves you right. *Tomato hits him in the side of the face* Ow!
They're mad at you, too, for leaving our dearly beloved Picard-kun!
[Felix] *Swears* Well, it's your fault for writing it that way!
*Squash bounces off the umbrella, and, well, squashes* Eww...! Next chapter... Might be up shortly...
[Felix] -__-;;
A big thanks to the reviewers... I'm kinda shocked I got this far! ^^;; And to the peeps who reviewed "Let Me Touch It!"!! Haa..... Yes, aren't we ALL on something? ^___^
Gay Witch: Thankies. It's all thanks to Selena, really. ^^
Shiro: 0_o.... Hey... That's MY job!
Dragoness: Impatient, aren'tcha? ^^
Kavria: ::Sigh:: Taylor, what are you doing reviewing?
[Taylor] Hmph.
-_-;;
Riyn: Yeharharharhar! ...Yeah, that's all I have to say.
Killing Perfection: I'm doing that!
Taidigimon: Yes, but love can come in between ANYONE! My friends' parents are sixteen years apart. ^^
[Felix] Gah.
Saturos: ^^ Sorry... Actually... Since I love you guys, and because I decided to change the end, !!!! Alex WILL show up one final time, next chapter !!!!
[Felix] I swear, you're devoted to your fans WAY too much.
Nah. I just luv them soooo much! ^__^ Next -- and last, not counting epilogue -- chapter is coming up SOON!
-time flies, suns rise and shadows fall. let time go by. love is f o r e v e r. ~ anon -
.~.
Gomen ne, for the wait. ^^; I was at Shuyokai! ....Wah. I didn't get to say goodbye to Nozomu-baka. ;-; Oh well. I'll see Sashimi SOMETIME... And FF.Net is down! AGAIN! -___-;;;;
[Felix] ....*Sighs*
Nani, baka? I had to spend a total of... Four.. er, close to five hours in a car with STEPHANIE. That's torture! And four days -- FOUR DAYS -- without a computer! That was nearly hell!
[Felix] ....
Ha! And I had to deal with "Ed," "Vincent," and Sofia. ^^ As well as hobo- sensei... Stephanie...
[Felix] Ed and Vincent are girls, aren't they?
Yep. Ed and Vin are anime fanatics, too! ^__^
[Felix] *Shudders*
They've NEVER PLAYED GS, though! Grr!
[Felix] 0_o
....I miss Spiffy. ;.;
[Felix] Spiffy was a camera!
Exactly!
[Felix] ........I think it's the air.
I think so too. ^^ Warnings: Um. Garet's potty mouth, hysterical sisters, a bit of boring stuff... Picard and Felix have a few odd conversations. . . . ^^
[Felix] GAAH!
Deal with it, 'kay? ....::Hugs computer:: I missed you so badly! ;-; I couldn't go NEAR my Sephiroth/Cloud fanfiction! Oh, this chapter is (sort of) LONG, too! I couldn't help but go through with all of Felix and Picard's humorous convos!
[Felix] *Edges away*
::Glares at him:: But... ::Cries:: Sephy... and... Cloud... make... such... a good... couple! And... so... do... Vincent... and... Cid... ::Sniffles:: Sasuke... and... Naruto... Felix... and... Picard...!! Riku and Sora! WAAAH! ::Starts randomly listing other couples::
[Felix] *Whimpers*
And Picard angst! I decided I'd change the ending (Which is the next chapter... There's an epilogue, too! ^^;;), to make it a bit angstier... Poor Picard. I luv him, and I have to make him sad.. ::Turns to Felix angrily:: BECAUSE OF THIS IDIOT VENUS ADEPT'S STUPID DECISIONS!
[Felix] Meep...
.~.
Chapter six: The Great Seas
- Swears of various forms, hysteria, and more angst -
.~.
[Felix] Why me?
Shut up.
.~.
"Felix?"
"Nngmmph...."
"Felix..."
"Mmph!"
"Felix, you better wake up now, or I'll scorch your hair again."
"Nonononono!"
Jenna smiled a very twisted smile. Felix blinked wildly.
"Morning, dear brother of mine."
"Um... Good morning?"
"Yes, yes, GOOD morning... Just tell me..."
Outside the room, Picard waited, holding his breath.
"...What is with all these groans of agony? And... Picard's name? In the middle of the night?"
"Well, about that..."
...Five minutes later...
"I'm waiting, Felix."
Picard then had to breathe, or face suffocation.
"Picard was running after me with... with... an axe!"
He could practically see Jenna's eyebrow raise in speculation.
"Oh, really?"
...That was Jenna, actually...
"Yes."
"And he cut your hair, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"I see..."
The door slammed open, and Picard skittered away from Jenna's imperious form. Jenna's imperious form that was approximately a head shorter than him. Jenna shot him a look, but he was sure she didn't know he had been next to the door.
As soon as Jenna stormed off to her own room, Picard went back down the hallway to his beloved Felix. Felix was merely a lump under the blankets and pillows. A shivering lump, that is.The only thing visible of him was a lock of his brown hair that splayed out on a pillow before what Picard assumed was his head.
"Felix?"
"Jenna... ish... shcary..." Came the muffled response.
"Yes, she is. But our love shall conquer all distances and obstac -- !"
The birds sleeping on the tree outside Felix's window flew off after a vicious WHAP! woke them from their slumber.
"I thought I burned those books." Felix muttered sourly as he sat up, tugging at his precious mop of messy hair. Picard spat out some feathers from his mouth.
"That was nice, considering, if I wasn't here, you'd be just a mess of depression and pointless angst. And Lemurian books won't burn, untrue to popular belief."
Felix glared at him, blinking slowly. Picard shivered, patting at his hair to see if any feathers remained. Finding none, he grinned devilishly and leaped at the Venus adept, nuzzling his neck. Felix sighed.
"Do you want to?" Picard whispered huskily into his ear. Felix laid his cheek on his forehead, closing his eyes.
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"Jenna's onto our case. No."
"You can be so boring sometimes..."
"Do you always have to be the risk-taker in the relationship?"
"OUR relationship, dearest Felix."
"Well?"
"Yes. That's what makes life fun."
"Says who?"
"Says me."
"...The self-proclaimed god of entertaining nighttime activities. Ahem."
"I never said I was that!"
"You certainly act like it."
"We haven't done it THAT often!"
"Picard, just shut up. I'm afraid you'll go into one of your 'Make Felix queasy' sessions."
"It's fun!"
"You like that phrase, don't you?" Felix shoved him off the bed ruthlessly and stood, frowning down at the smiling Lemurian. After a moment's silence, Felix sighed once more, bent down, and kissed him on the cheek. "I have to have fallen in love with one of Lemuria's greatest idiots of time..."
"I know you don't regret it." Picard said, sticking out his tongue at Felix. Felix saw this, however, and much to Picard's surprise, crouched down altogether and kissed him again -- on the lips -- with raw passion.
However, the beloved sister of Felix's heard them.
"Mmfh!"
"Grr..."
"Felix?!"
The door bursted open, and Jenna gaped at the scene before her.
"STOP IT, YOU TWO! Picard, get off of him!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Then tell me, WHY WERE YOU BITING MY BROTHER?! On the SHOULDER?!!"
"It was in self-defense! He was choking me!"
Jenna mulled over this briefly before looking between her overly pale brother and the Lemurian, who was rubbing (very suspiciously) at his neck.
"....I thought you got over the choking habit, Felix." Jenna said slowly.
"When I have Garet for a brother-in-law, it's hard to break habits like that." He snapped, but he was looking very pointedly at the ground. "It's his fault."
"You always say that!" Picard shot back, continuing to rub his neck. Jenna glared at first Felix, then him. Picard shifted backwards, bumping into Felix's bed.
Jenna appeared as though she were going to drop into one of her 'You do NOT choke your housemate for daily amusement, and you do NOT anger my brother for pointless reasons!' rants, but she shook her head.
"Today... I'll let you two idiots off. Another day, though..." She waved her index finger warningly, walking back out and closing the door behind her. As soon as her footsteps died away, Picard sighed in relief, and Felix collapsed, panting.
"That was a close one." Picard muttered, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the bite on his neck.
"I'll say." Felix said tiredly. His pale back was completely explosed to his lover, but for once, Picard decided to let it go. "I always tell you -- "
" -- 'No nighttime activies during the day while Jenna is around, no biting, no noisemaking, and certainly no public displays of affection.'" Picard recited lazily, propping his chin up with his hand. "I know, I know. Jenna's been around for a week. We normally -- "
"Okay, don't go there." Felix said quickly, waving his hands, his face hot and red.
"Why are you still so shy?" The earth adept couldn't see Picard's face, but he just knew that it was amused. "You certainly don't hold back during OTHER times..."
"Picard, just shut up before I make you." The brunet growled crossly, sitting up and twisting around to face him. Picard grinned at the sight of the red mark on his collarbone.
"Oh, that sounds fun."
Picard never saw the pot that was thrown at him.
.~.
Ow. That hurt... Maybe Felix is trying to tell me something? ....Ooh. Maybe he wants to be . . . . . no, he's not top-material though. Certainly violent enough, but he doesn't... doesn't fit the description. Hm... When will that barbaric sister of his ever leave? Doesn't she have more amusing things to do with Garet?
Felix would kill me if he knew I said that, wouldn't he?
.~.
Picard, with a bag of ice resting on his head, watched Felix very closely. The Venus adept's movements were short and jerky, and, well... Something was definitely up. With a sigh, Picard reached up and took the icepack, then dropped it onto the table.
"Felix, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Picard rolled his eyes, massaging the bump on his head carefully.
"I've known you for more than... say...five years, Felix. And, I'm your lover. I'm supposed to notice things like this."
Felix stopped his plate washing a moment to toss his hair over his shoulder.
"Picard... I'm fine..."
"You certainly don't seem fine."
Picard stood and went over to him, leaning on the counter.
"I've come to a decision. If anybody finds out about our relationship... without meaning to... I... I'll leave."
Picard thought this over in his mind. What about him, then? Where would he go? After Felix? Back to Lemuria?
"You... might get off... But I still kind of doubt it." Felix said softly, his voice barely heard over the scrubbing. "You will have to leave as soon as possible..."
"Felix, I don't want to leave your side."
Felix bowed his head, his shoulders slumping slightly. Picard reached out to touch him, but he jerked away.
"I can't help it! I don't want you to be hurt! What's the use of banishing two people when you could manage one? You're not the citizen of Vale!"
Felix kept his eyes away from the Lemurian, afraid he would break down if he saw those haunting, molten gold eyes.
"I swear... I will leave..." He said breathlessly.
But he fell into the embrace when Picard reached out to hold him to his chest. His harsh breathing calmed, and the hand running up and down his spine was soothing.
"Nothing like that will happen, Felix. We'll tell them someday..." Picard reassured him, cradling his head to his shoulder. Felix clutched at his vest. "Nothing will go wrong."
"I hope so." Felix whispered as Picard's hand clutched at his hair.
...How ironic it was, then, that somebody saw it all.
(GASP! XD)
Outside, under the shade of a tree, a man crouched, as though trying to catch his breath. His blonde hair shadowed normally calm eyes -- now lost in a storm. That... just wasn't possible. He clutched his forehead, the other hand on his chest, on his rapidly beating heart. That scene... It was just his imagination. He had gotten hit on the head too many times by one of Jenna's fists. Yes, that was it...
"Ivan?"
(Guwahahaha!)
"Oh... Jenna!" He stood hastily, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Jenna frowned at him.
"I thought I told you to run to my house to get some sugar!"
"I, um..."
"You were taking so long, I decided to come and check on you! Do they have any?"
"Um, no." He said quickly, stepping in front of Jenna as she took a step towards her house.
"I could've sworn Felix had some stashed away somewhere... There has to be a reason why Picard's so happy all the time..."
Of course he's happy. He has Felix. Ivan thought to himself sourly.
"I'm sure Mia has some, Jenna..." Ivan said, pushing her slightly back onto the main path. Jenna gave him a look that read 'Jupiter adepts ARE weird,' but nodded and continued on her way. Ivan sighed, following after her, looking back at the house. Felix and Picard -- whoever knew?
.~.
Picard awoke one morning feeling something... odd.. in the air. As far as he knew, Jenna hadn't tried using the oven (Did they have something similar to ovens then? ...0_o;... Gomen, ne, if they didn't...) as of late, Garet didn't try getting rid of the weeds with a blast of fire anymore, and certainly nobody except Kraden smoked anything.
Well...
...Maybe. Nonetheless, though, he just *knew* something was wrong. Felix was back to normal...
"I think they know."
Picard blinked quickly, glancing over to the doorway where Felix was leaning almost casually. The only thing off was that Felix's dark hair was loose, and he appeared to be glowing ever-so-slightly. The first thing to come to his mind was to say that they didn't, but the deathly serious look silenced him.
"Do they?"
"It's hard to tell. But Jenna has been avoiding me, and Isaac and Garet aren't as open..."
.~.
Who could've found out? Nobody knows... I hope... Nobody knows. Of course. Felix just hasn't gotten enough sleep... Figures, I haven't been tiring him out that often. But --
.~.
"Will you still leave?"
Felix looked away.
"I think so..."
Picard nodded slowly.
"Even if we do have to go separate ways, we'll... we *will* meet up again, right?" Felix asked, as though he had been meaning to all along. Picard smiled sadly, tossing aside the covers and standing. He strode over to Felix and hugged him tightly.
"Of course we will... Nothing can ever hope to separate us..."
They stood that way for a few more minutes, until a pounding from below made Picard open his eyes. Footsteps. On the stairs. Letting go of Felix hastily, he slammed the door, bolted it, then leaned against it as a loud slam was heard outside in the corridor.
"Felix?" Jenna called. "I know you're in there!"
"Open up, Picard!" Garet yelled. "We need to settle a few things! A few *important* things!"
Felix had the idea that most of his life was over when the doorknob clattered to the floor.
"Felix... Go..." Picard said, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep the door from sliding open.
"Where?!"
"The window..."
"That's a long drop, Picard..." Felix said, glancing quickly around the room. "Anywhere else?"
A thud told him it was too late. Picard sat up weakly, rubbing his shoulder with a pained expression on his face. Felix knelt next to him as his sister and her husband walked in.
"What's been going on, Felix? Picard?"
"Sheba told me... that Ivan had seen some things..."
Ivan, Felix thought darkly to himself, was dead the next time he saw the blonde squirt.
"Felix, tell me... Do you and Picard... have a *relationship* of sorts?" Jenna dropped to her knees before them, a sincerely concerned look on her face.
"An *illegal* relationship?" Garet added.
"Garet, shut up." Jenna said, her face still worried. "Felix..."
Her brother's dark eyes were shadowed by his bangs, keeping them hidden from her own. Jenna took his hands in her own, clutching them to her chest.
"Felix?" Jenna whispered.
"Answer her, dammit!" Garet growled. Jenna glared at him for a moment.
"I swore I'd leave."
Jenna blinked.
"What? ...Leave? What do you mean by that?"
"He said he'd leave if any of you found out." Picard said slowly, sitting up.
"I have to leave. I... I can't disgrace Vale by being thrown out." Felix murmured, staring into his sister's auburn eyes. "The healers will find out... And they'll..."
"We won't let them. We're the reason why they have the right to throw you out!" Jenna said persuasively, clenching his hands tighter.
"I thought you'd say something like that." Felix said bitterly. "I still have to leave..."
"At least leave tomorrow, or the day after, Felix... So... So we can help..."
Felix nodded slowly. Jenna rose, pulling him with her. Kissing him on the cheek, she mussed his hair fondly, then left. Garet gave him one last glance before leaving that showed the very emotions Felix was afraid of getting: anger, disgust, hatred...
.~.
I'm sorry, Felix. I couldn't... I couldn't prevent anything... Like I was supposed to. Your eyes haunted me when I slept. So sad, so desolate, so *emotionless*... Completely unlike you. And now... I miss those eyes, even if they were so unlike you... Because you're gone. You left during the night -- not even a note left behind. The only things you left behind - - your scarf, your special, aged cinnamon scent, and a lingering kiss...
...Why?
.~.
(Angsty Picard introspective... Gomen, ne!)
"Come on! Rise and shine, Felix! Unless you've decided against going, which is good, but... you've... left... already..."
Picard didn't bother to turn at Jenna's voice, his heart wrenching further as her voice dwindled away. He was struggling not to sob, not to break off from the world and fall into a depressed state. But he had every right to cry -- his love had left him during the night, leaving barely anything to remember him by...
"He left, Picard?" Jenna asked blankly; her voice traced with disbelief. "Without... without us giving him a proper... goodbye?"
"He left." Picard said. When he had woken up to find Felix gone, he himself hadn't said those very words until now. Until the complete realization, with his very sister beside him, sank in. "He left..."
"What are we going to do?" Jenna sank down to the floor, face in her hands. "He... He said... But..."
"Felix never does what he is told." Picard said fondly, softly. "I'll find him, though."
"You... You're going to go find him?" Jenna looked up quickly, and he could see tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "How?"
"I know him. I'll find that bastard and bring him back if it costs me my life." He said.
Jenna took a deep breath, reaching out with one hand to him. Picard took it and pulled her up, and in those brief seconds, Jenna could feel the warmth, possibly the very essence of the meaning of love in his hand. Her fears quelled somewhat knowing that this was the man that would track her brother down to the ends of the crumbling earth.
"When will you leave?" How it hurt so badly for her to say the word 'leave'....
"Today. I can't risk taking more time... He could be in Contigo now for all we know, he might've taken the Teleportation Lapis..." Picard turned and left the room, heading towards his own. Jenna followed him, hands clenched in front of her.
"I hope you find him." Jenna whispered.
"I hope so too."
.~.
End VI
.~.
::Hides under umbrella:: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It'll have a happy ending, though! ...Wah! Not the pumpkins!
[Felix] Hmph. Serves you right. *Tomato hits him in the side of the face* Ow!
They're mad at you, too, for leaving our dearly beloved Picard-kun!
[Felix] *Swears* Well, it's your fault for writing it that way!
*Squash bounces off the umbrella, and, well, squashes* Eww...! Next chapter... Might be up shortly...
[Felix] -__-;;
A big thanks to the reviewers... I'm kinda shocked I got this far! ^^;; And to the peeps who reviewed "Let Me Touch It!"!! Haa..... Yes, aren't we ALL on something? ^___^
Gay Witch: Thankies. It's all thanks to Selena, really. ^^
Shiro: 0_o.... Hey... That's MY job!
Dragoness: Impatient, aren'tcha? ^^
Kavria: ::Sigh:: Taylor, what are you doing reviewing?
[Taylor] Hmph.
-_-;;
Riyn: Yeharharharhar! ...Yeah, that's all I have to say.
Killing Perfection: I'm doing that!
Taidigimon: Yes, but love can come in between ANYONE! My friends' parents are sixteen years apart. ^^
[Felix] Gah.
Saturos: ^^ Sorry... Actually... Since I love you guys, and because I decided to change the end, !!!! Alex WILL show up one final time, next chapter !!!!
[Felix] I swear, you're devoted to your fans WAY too much.
Nah. I just luv them soooo much! ^__^ Next -- and last, not counting epilogue -- chapter is coming up SOON!
-time flies, suns rise and shadows fall. let time go by. love is f o r e v e r. ~ anon -
