~Chapter Two~
After the feast, night began falling and everyone said goodnight. They were all staying as guests in the castle and one by one they all filtered into their rooms except for Zidane and Garnet. When the last one had left, Garnet asked Steiner to leave them, and he obliged. He definitely didn't mind being able to spend time with Beatrix. Zidane had taken a seat on one side of the couch, and Garnet came and sat next to him. He was very quiet, staring off at nothing. He smiled softly when she took his hand.
"Zidane." she said, even though she didn't know what to say first.
"Yes?" he asked, looking back to her. She had aged as well, and like he it was not caused by time. It was quiet before she asked.
"Where have you been?" she asked, afraid of his answer. His smile faded and his brow furrowed.
"Trying to get here," was all he said. He knew she wouldn't be satisfied with this. He wouldn't have been either.four years to get back to Alexandria? If she only knew.
"I'll tell you later, I promise," he said, stroking her hair. "I just want to forget about it, just for tonight." He said, his eyes sad.
"Okay," she replied. It was quiet for a long time. Zidane was lost in thought, and Garnet was watching him. Finally, he spoke.
"Garnet, I want you to know that it really did take from the day we said goodbye until today to get back here. I wasn't anywhere else because I didn't want to be here. I never thought of anyone else." He paused, fear gripping his heart. "I was never with anyone else." his voice trailed off. The thought of her with someone else because of his absence had haunted him for every second of those four years. She was so beautiful, he was sure there had been hordes of men lining up to propose to her.
She was smiling when he looked at her again.
"I never thought of anyone else, either," she replied as wild relief ran through her. "I had to wait for you, I couldn't give up." They smiled at each other, when he yawned. "You must be tired," she commented.
"Extremely," he said, standing up and stretching. Garnet sighed, overcome with déjà vu. He smiled at her again. "Goodnight, my beautiful Dagger," he said, stroking her hair one last time. She didn't let go of his hand when he tried to move away.
"You promise you'll be here in the morning?" she asked.
"Of course. I'm home," he said, walking with her through the door and down the hall to their bedrooms.
Earlier, Garnet had arranged it that Zidane's room was a room that was next to and had a connecting door into her chambers. This room had been a private office of sorts, but she had ordered her staff to move everything out and a bed and other things into it, before the feast was over. So now she went to her room, and he went to his. Garnet had dressed and was getting her bed ready when there was a quiet know from Zidane's side of the door. She opened the door quietly and peered into the darkness. There stood Zidane, who had removed his vest and shirt, but was holding a blanket around his shoulders.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just.can we leave this door cracked?" he asked, still feeling the need to protect her, the need to be able to know that she was next door and no where else.
"Sure," she said, and was turning to go back to bed when he reached out for her. She went into his arms and smiled.
"I'm sorry, I just." he trailed off.
"Its okay," she said, her face pressed against his chest. "Me too."
They held each other for a few minutes, then went to go back to bed, when the blanket slid halfway down his back. She turned back to crack the door when she saw his back. Horrible, deep scars were scattered over his shoulders and the rest of his back that was exposed. She gasped quietly and covered her mouth with her hand. He heard her and turned his head, and realized the blanket had slipped. He pulled the blanket back up and Garnet came to his side.
"Zidane," she said quietly. "What happened to you?" she asked. He was quiet for a moment, then looked at her. Her eyes were saddened, and he decided not to keep it from her anymore.
"Alright," he said, his face troubled. "I'll tell you."
After the feast, night began falling and everyone said goodnight. They were all staying as guests in the castle and one by one they all filtered into their rooms except for Zidane and Garnet. When the last one had left, Garnet asked Steiner to leave them, and he obliged. He definitely didn't mind being able to spend time with Beatrix. Zidane had taken a seat on one side of the couch, and Garnet came and sat next to him. He was very quiet, staring off at nothing. He smiled softly when she took his hand.
"Zidane." she said, even though she didn't know what to say first.
"Yes?" he asked, looking back to her. She had aged as well, and like he it was not caused by time. It was quiet before she asked.
"Where have you been?" she asked, afraid of his answer. His smile faded and his brow furrowed.
"Trying to get here," was all he said. He knew she wouldn't be satisfied with this. He wouldn't have been either.four years to get back to Alexandria? If she only knew.
"I'll tell you later, I promise," he said, stroking her hair. "I just want to forget about it, just for tonight." He said, his eyes sad.
"Okay," she replied. It was quiet for a long time. Zidane was lost in thought, and Garnet was watching him. Finally, he spoke.
"Garnet, I want you to know that it really did take from the day we said goodbye until today to get back here. I wasn't anywhere else because I didn't want to be here. I never thought of anyone else." He paused, fear gripping his heart. "I was never with anyone else." his voice trailed off. The thought of her with someone else because of his absence had haunted him for every second of those four years. She was so beautiful, he was sure there had been hordes of men lining up to propose to her.
She was smiling when he looked at her again.
"I never thought of anyone else, either," she replied as wild relief ran through her. "I had to wait for you, I couldn't give up." They smiled at each other, when he yawned. "You must be tired," she commented.
"Extremely," he said, standing up and stretching. Garnet sighed, overcome with déjà vu. He smiled at her again. "Goodnight, my beautiful Dagger," he said, stroking her hair one last time. She didn't let go of his hand when he tried to move away.
"You promise you'll be here in the morning?" she asked.
"Of course. I'm home," he said, walking with her through the door and down the hall to their bedrooms.
Earlier, Garnet had arranged it that Zidane's room was a room that was next to and had a connecting door into her chambers. This room had been a private office of sorts, but she had ordered her staff to move everything out and a bed and other things into it, before the feast was over. So now she went to her room, and he went to his. Garnet had dressed and was getting her bed ready when there was a quiet know from Zidane's side of the door. She opened the door quietly and peered into the darkness. There stood Zidane, who had removed his vest and shirt, but was holding a blanket around his shoulders.
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just.can we leave this door cracked?" he asked, still feeling the need to protect her, the need to be able to know that she was next door and no where else.
"Sure," she said, and was turning to go back to bed when he reached out for her. She went into his arms and smiled.
"I'm sorry, I just." he trailed off.
"Its okay," she said, her face pressed against his chest. "Me too."
They held each other for a few minutes, then went to go back to bed, when the blanket slid halfway down his back. She turned back to crack the door when she saw his back. Horrible, deep scars were scattered over his shoulders and the rest of his back that was exposed. She gasped quietly and covered her mouth with her hand. He heard her and turned his head, and realized the blanket had slipped. He pulled the blanket back up and Garnet came to his side.
"Zidane," she said quietly. "What happened to you?" she asked. He was quiet for a moment, then looked at her. Her eyes were saddened, and he decided not to keep it from her anymore.
"Alright," he said, his face troubled. "I'll tell you."