Author's Note: Hi. How is everyone feeling today? I've been busy with
school, etc., etc.. Seventh Grade sucks... ...Hey, Natia, are you
enjoying Eighth Grade? *PsycheFox groans* But here's an update! Thank
you for the reviews, O wonderful ones! Neko... *hugs Neko until her back
breaks* Thanks! I needed the complement like you wouldn't believe! *Neko
staggers away with obvious pain* Ominix, I WILL write more!!! Steeple333,
I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that this is going to be a
shounen-ai fic. Not a yaoi one. If there is any at all, it'll reach only
a VERY slight lime level (Maybe a kiss or short limey stuff). Shahrazad is
the girl who told the stories for the 1000 some-odd nights. Keep reading
the fic to understand... Kd Zeal? I haven't heard from you since chapter
two of Don't Love Me!! Where HAVE you been?? ...And where has PsycheFox
gone, anyway... uh, now I'm talking to myself. And Laine likes fics about
sleeping... so this starts out with Kuja sleeping! *really stupid grin* I
try to satisfy all readers... By the way... um, this chapter gives a hint
of Zidane/Kuja... but there is none! It's all brotherly love. ^.~ (Hey...
does "brotherly love" really even exist? My two brothers are always
beating each other up... ironically, the four year old beats the eleven
year old...)
...I'm going to start dividing Kuja's part from Blase's. I reread it last night, and decided that it was hard to tell where one person ended and another began. So...
DESERT PALACE
I couldn't help but think of him as a child... for one thing, he was so small-framed, and his smile was so childlike. The silvery tendrils fell in curls around his waist, some at his shoulders and face. He was asleep... he was tired. I had been wrong: without the makeup, he still looked somewhat feminine. But then, there was still that wild hair and the revealing clothes. I was supposed to be asleep, but I could only watch his peaceful face as he slept. He was truly ravishing... more so than Janira ever was. Or as she ever would be... He was confident with his body, whereas she had spent hours fussing over her hair; weight; makeup... I had thought it funny at one point. Now I saw it as foolish and unnecessary. Kuja was so easy. When he had combed out his hair and changed into a kind of sleeping gown, he pretended to fret about his hair becoming tangled in the bed as he slept. I couldn't help laughing at how much he reminded me of Jani... and yet, at the same time, they were nothing alike. Kuja was only teasing... and Jani was so stressful. Kuja was just... so relaxed... and he seemed to be so spontaneous in his actions. Never planning them... never seeming to need to. He spoke when he felt like it, made comments when he wanted to. I hated to compare him to Jani, but... I just kept doing it. Unwillingly, and somewhat unconsciously, I analyzed them.
"Hm..." Kuja said sleepily, opening one eye and looking at me. "Good morning, Kuja." I said playfully, as he stretched his long, beautiful limbs. "Good morning... more like good afternoon." he replied, looking at the clock. "So, how did you sleep?" he asked. "Very well." I lied, still looking at him. He stood, and walked to the bathroom. Presumably to put on his makeup. For some reason, I grabbed his hand gently. He looked back, obviously confused. "Don't worry about it." I said softly, studying his face without the makeup. "You're gorgeous without it." He smiled, sitting back on the bed. "...So, you think I'm beautiful? Is that why you keep staring at me?" he asked. I blushed, realizing that I had just confessed to thinking that another man was just as lovely as any woman. Seeing as how I had been caught... I nodded. "You're an angel, aren't you?" I asked teasingly, running a hand through his silvery mane. Now it was his turn to blush. "...Are you flirting, perhaps?" he asked, his voice very breathy. My pulse quickened as the words 'of course I am.' came to mind. What was *wrong* with me? "I'm not flirting. Only teasing." I said, dropping my hand reluctantly. He nodded, though I think he knew exactly what I had been thinking.
"So... where was I last night? Where did I end..." he asked, lying back into the bed. I lied back down, looking at him. "You said you wished you were dying... and then you reminded me that I was supposed to be." I replied, smiling at him. His eyes got that faraway look, and he began once again....
=I was somewhere around eight years old, I suppose, when he was born. He was meant to be my replacement, though he was never really given a test for his aptitude. I never gave him the chance. He was just like all of the others, no matter how often Garland insisted that he was better. I knew that he was just another Genome, and that he was just as useless as any of them. But Garland wouldn't believe... the one I speak of is named Zidane. I admit it, I never really hated him personally. I hated the reason for which he lived... to take my place. Garland looks at all of his Angels of Death as interchangeable pieces of his puzzle, if one no longer fits... he can just replace it. And I had never seemed to fit in this plan of his... so there was Zidane. But I digress...
Zidane was created a short while after my birthday, which in case you were wondering, was very uneventful. I had known about him for quite some time... after all, Garland always liked to brag about his latest creation, and how much better it was than myself. Bastard. - "Can I ask why you speak of him in both past and present tense?" - ...He isn't dead... but a lot has changed. I'm not afraid of him any longer, and that is quite an impressive feat. But anyhow... Zidane thought of me as an older brother. In truth, I suppose I felt like his brother... I felt responsible for him. Garland never payed him much attention, even with all of his persistent claims that he was he "Perfect" one. Even though I secretly despised the little brat, I played with him when he was bored. I talked to him when he was lonely. I got him food when he was hungry, water when he was thirsty. I held him when he cried. I was always willing to listen when he was complaining. I argued back when he wanted to debate... I was like his personal servant. After a while... I guess I started to like him... maybe even love him, as my brother. He was the only one who ever spent any time with me. Maybe that's the reason I showered so much attentiveness on him... I didn't want him to grow up feeling as lonely as I was... I didn't want him to long for love. He usually snuck into my bed at night. He'd whisper to me in the darkness, telling me that I wasn't alone... no matter how so I felt.
** "Kuja, are you awake?" Kuja opened one eye sleepily, looking at the tiny boy at the side of his small bed. "...I am now," he replied, smiling falsely at him. "What is it, little Zidane?" it hurt to sound friendly to this little nuisance. Zidane's face turned pink, and he looked at the floor. "...I had a nightmare. I can't sleep." he looked up. "...Can I sleep with you, Kuja? Please?" Kuja sighed, scooting over slightly to allow room for the petite Genome to climb into the bed; without having to touch Kuja at all. However, Zidane wasn't one to respect personal space. He cuddled up to Kuja, burying his small face in his brother's shoulder-length hair. His stubby tail lashed Kuja's leg affectionately, as the older boy's wrapped around Zidane's waist loosely. A show of false love for the child. "I had a nightmare that you were runnin' away from me. I called your name, but you didn't turn around... I started to follow you. When I caught up, you told me you felt lonely... and that you didn't have anyone who cared 'bout you, so you were gonna run away." Zidane said quietly. "Hm..." Kuja replied, rolling over and reluctantly nuzzling against his small brother. "Kuja, I wanna tell you something." Zidane whispered. Kuja groaned, then tried to make it a noise he hoped sounded like a stifled yawn. "What is it, Zidane?" He asked quietly, thinking of how he would have to play with this little brat again tomorrow. He needed rest. "I love you, Kuja... and you shouldn't be so lonely. 'Cause you've got me. I'm your brother and... I love you!" Kuja's heart jolted suddenly, startled by the whispered words. Tears ran down his cheeks in the darkness, silent tears of... sadness? ...joy? ...love...? "Do you love me too, Kuja?" Zidane asked, his breath tickling Kuja's neck. The older boy bit his lip, praying that his voice was going to be steady. He pulled his tiny brother closer.
"...yes, my little Zidane...." **
After a long time, Zidane replaced my loneliness with laughter. He started becoming more and more of a child, less an Angel of Death. I guess in a way, I was Garland's cause for failure yet again... you see, it was because of me that Zidane was becoming a little boy instead of a weapon of mass destruction. And I, quite honestly, was proud of that fact. I didn't want Zidane to be a robot whose only mission in life was to destroy... I wanted him to be the smiling, loving child he was... forever. We were brothers for four years. Then, something terrible happened...=
"What happened?" I asked, looking at him as he paused. "It... it hurts to think about it..." he said softly, sadly. "I didn't want it to happen... and I did my best to prevent it... but it still happened..." a single tear rolled down his face. I caught it on my fingertip, tilting Kuja's face until his eyes met mine. "Tell me. My purpose is to not judge you. I won't go back on my word, Kuja." He looked away mournfully, closing his eyes. "...you'd judge me for this one..." he whispered. "No, I wouldn't, I promise you." I replied, wrapping my arm around his thin shoulders; the way I had done for Jani as she told her first lies... 'I love you, Blase! I regret it so much... I'll never do it again.' 'I don't know what came over me! I promise, it'll never happen again.' 'Blase, you know I love you... please, give me one more chance.' ...I had been a fool to believe her all of those times. It had happened once, it would happen again. But unlike Jani, Kuja wasn't crying tears that were just as false as the words he spoke. No... I could tell this was something truly awful. But it couldn't be so terrible that I couldn't forgive him... or could it? No. Whatever it was, I'd let it be just a part of his past. The present was the only thing that mattered... "Kuja, just tell me. I won't judge. I haven't judged so far..." I reminded him. He leaned into my embrace, and I let my other arm wrap around him, as well. It wasn't love... not that way. I just wanted to comfort him. I released him gently, and he took a deep breath.
=Zidane was four years old, and such a little ball of energy. I had trouble keeping up with him! ...And Garland was furious that Zidane had no interest in killing. My little Zidane only cared about playing and enjoying himself. And pleasing me. He had fun playing with me, seeing me smile. And I always thought "that's the way it should be."...the way it should have been for me, as a child. Garland's plan was ready to begin... and as they say, the show must go on. Even if the star doesn't want it to. I was the star of Garland's premier... Madain Sari, village of Summoners. Have you heard of Eidolons...? Magical creatures that can be called by a special tribe known as Summoners. Each has its own powers... each has its own skill. And each has its own Summoner... when the Summoner becomes sixteen, they choose their Eidolon, and they can then leave the village. But to continue, Garland feared the Eidolons. He wanted Madain Sari destroyed, and to do that, he needed special powers. ...Thus, I came in. I have my own little summoning ability... the Invincible's eye. Garland can only use it by drawing that power from me... it's a painful process. Until that night... I hadn't known... I hadn't known that I had that ability. I remember being scared... Garland called me to the Invincible's bridge. - "What is the Invincible...?" - Oh, of course... you wouldn't know... it's an airship, but a very well-decorated one. It was originally designed to be a battleship, but Terra's civilizations were wiped out before there was ever need to use it.
Garland had called me to the Invincible's bridge, from which he led me to the control room... you see... the Invincible's eye has two stages. Mechanical is simply a red sphere which can use quite a bit of power to destroy... entire cities. In fact, this is the stage that destroyed Alexandria. Then there's the Magic eye... which looks like a real eye. This is the eye that I can call... this is the eye that destroyed Madain Sari. Garland told me about this eye as though he had already received the power. And then... then he told me to stand on the eye. I was a little unsure... but for reasons which I trust you can guess, I did as I was told. He raised a hand... and oh, how I regretted obeying him...
Pain. Excruciating pain... it coursed through my body, like acid was flowing through my veins. I had to close my eyes... all I could see was red. I was terrified... screaming... begging him to stop... but... he wouldn't... At one point, I was lying on the eye, as pain pushed me to the breaking point. I opened my eyes... The screaming must have made me burst a blood vessel, because I had a nosebleed. I was in pain... so much pain... it hurt... so damn bad... and Garland was smiling at me. And behind him stood Zidane. He was crying, whispering my name... but I couldn't react to his voice... I wanted to lie to him, to tell him it didn't hurt that badly... that I was just a big baby... like a grown man who cries when he gets a flu shot. But I opened my mouth and only shrieks of agony came out...I was afraid he would shrnk away from me... though he was reaching out one of his small hands for me. I reached for it... and I grabbed it. The pain meant nothing after that. I had his reassurance... He was protecting me. Garland wasn't happy... but he did nothing. I almost wanted Zidane to leave... I didn't want him to see me in so much pain. I was bleeding, crying, still screaming... but the pain barely even got to me. I held onto Zidane's hand tightly... so tightly... while below us, Madain Sari was being destroyed. But I didn't know it... I didn't understand why Garland was putting me through this torture... I thought the pain was all my fault... a punishment for something I had done. When I learned that Madain Sari had been destroyed, I knew. I knew it was me... I knew that destruction had been my fault.=
"You're wrong!" I yelled, grabbing his slender hands. He looked up, surprised. "You're wrong, Kuja. It wasn't your fault! Garland used you. It wasn't you... you didn't put yourself through that pain... God, Kuja... what would make you even assume it was all your fault..." There were tears in his eyes, but now he was smiling. "...you... you don't think it was my fault...?" he whispered softly, touching my cheek gently. I shook my head. "No. I don't. ...I'm sorry... I think I just judged." I smiled, as I pulled him back into my arms. I loved him... once again, not that way, but I loved his soft voice, his stories, his smile, his warm nature that clashed with his cold outer appearance. He rested his forehead against my neck, relaxing. "...I had to get rid of Zidane the next day... I didn't want him to go through that pain... so..." he was crying. "It's okay... just relax... it's getting late." I whispered to him.
...Thus, he kept me alive another day. He was my Shahrazad... telling me stories, more every night, until I couldn't resist them. Couldn't resist him.
Author's Note: ^___________^ What more can I say, huh? Yeah, it's gonna have some definite shounen-ai, possibly VERY brief yaoi. I love this fic! Not as much as my other ones, but hey. Anyhow, I made this chapter a little longer 'cause I don't know when I'll be able to update again... O.o Wait for me, wonderful reviewers! *begins crying* Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?
Twilight's Star, about those writing lessons... I'll give you the best advice you can get: Write what you love, love what you write, accept advice, improve on perfection! ^.~ Advice I live and write by! (I don't assume I'm perfect, but I do my best and try to do better with each new chapter!)
I'm also on fictionpress.com. Look for Azrael's Servant. ^.~*
...I'm going to start dividing Kuja's part from Blase's. I reread it last night, and decided that it was hard to tell where one person ended and another began. So...
DESERT PALACE
I couldn't help but think of him as a child... for one thing, he was so small-framed, and his smile was so childlike. The silvery tendrils fell in curls around his waist, some at his shoulders and face. He was asleep... he was tired. I had been wrong: without the makeup, he still looked somewhat feminine. But then, there was still that wild hair and the revealing clothes. I was supposed to be asleep, but I could only watch his peaceful face as he slept. He was truly ravishing... more so than Janira ever was. Or as she ever would be... He was confident with his body, whereas she had spent hours fussing over her hair; weight; makeup... I had thought it funny at one point. Now I saw it as foolish and unnecessary. Kuja was so easy. When he had combed out his hair and changed into a kind of sleeping gown, he pretended to fret about his hair becoming tangled in the bed as he slept. I couldn't help laughing at how much he reminded me of Jani... and yet, at the same time, they were nothing alike. Kuja was only teasing... and Jani was so stressful. Kuja was just... so relaxed... and he seemed to be so spontaneous in his actions. Never planning them... never seeming to need to. He spoke when he felt like it, made comments when he wanted to. I hated to compare him to Jani, but... I just kept doing it. Unwillingly, and somewhat unconsciously, I analyzed them.
"Hm..." Kuja said sleepily, opening one eye and looking at me. "Good morning, Kuja." I said playfully, as he stretched his long, beautiful limbs. "Good morning... more like good afternoon." he replied, looking at the clock. "So, how did you sleep?" he asked. "Very well." I lied, still looking at him. He stood, and walked to the bathroom. Presumably to put on his makeup. For some reason, I grabbed his hand gently. He looked back, obviously confused. "Don't worry about it." I said softly, studying his face without the makeup. "You're gorgeous without it." He smiled, sitting back on the bed. "...So, you think I'm beautiful? Is that why you keep staring at me?" he asked. I blushed, realizing that I had just confessed to thinking that another man was just as lovely as any woman. Seeing as how I had been caught... I nodded. "You're an angel, aren't you?" I asked teasingly, running a hand through his silvery mane. Now it was his turn to blush. "...Are you flirting, perhaps?" he asked, his voice very breathy. My pulse quickened as the words 'of course I am.' came to mind. What was *wrong* with me? "I'm not flirting. Only teasing." I said, dropping my hand reluctantly. He nodded, though I think he knew exactly what I had been thinking.
"So... where was I last night? Where did I end..." he asked, lying back into the bed. I lied back down, looking at him. "You said you wished you were dying... and then you reminded me that I was supposed to be." I replied, smiling at him. His eyes got that faraway look, and he began once again....
=I was somewhere around eight years old, I suppose, when he was born. He was meant to be my replacement, though he was never really given a test for his aptitude. I never gave him the chance. He was just like all of the others, no matter how often Garland insisted that he was better. I knew that he was just another Genome, and that he was just as useless as any of them. But Garland wouldn't believe... the one I speak of is named Zidane. I admit it, I never really hated him personally. I hated the reason for which he lived... to take my place. Garland looks at all of his Angels of Death as interchangeable pieces of his puzzle, if one no longer fits... he can just replace it. And I had never seemed to fit in this plan of his... so there was Zidane. But I digress...
Zidane was created a short while after my birthday, which in case you were wondering, was very uneventful. I had known about him for quite some time... after all, Garland always liked to brag about his latest creation, and how much better it was than myself. Bastard. - "Can I ask why you speak of him in both past and present tense?" - ...He isn't dead... but a lot has changed. I'm not afraid of him any longer, and that is quite an impressive feat. But anyhow... Zidane thought of me as an older brother. In truth, I suppose I felt like his brother... I felt responsible for him. Garland never payed him much attention, even with all of his persistent claims that he was he "Perfect" one. Even though I secretly despised the little brat, I played with him when he was bored. I talked to him when he was lonely. I got him food when he was hungry, water when he was thirsty. I held him when he cried. I was always willing to listen when he was complaining. I argued back when he wanted to debate... I was like his personal servant. After a while... I guess I started to like him... maybe even love him, as my brother. He was the only one who ever spent any time with me. Maybe that's the reason I showered so much attentiveness on him... I didn't want him to grow up feeling as lonely as I was... I didn't want him to long for love. He usually snuck into my bed at night. He'd whisper to me in the darkness, telling me that I wasn't alone... no matter how so I felt.
** "Kuja, are you awake?" Kuja opened one eye sleepily, looking at the tiny boy at the side of his small bed. "...I am now," he replied, smiling falsely at him. "What is it, little Zidane?" it hurt to sound friendly to this little nuisance. Zidane's face turned pink, and he looked at the floor. "...I had a nightmare. I can't sleep." he looked up. "...Can I sleep with you, Kuja? Please?" Kuja sighed, scooting over slightly to allow room for the petite Genome to climb into the bed; without having to touch Kuja at all. However, Zidane wasn't one to respect personal space. He cuddled up to Kuja, burying his small face in his brother's shoulder-length hair. His stubby tail lashed Kuja's leg affectionately, as the older boy's wrapped around Zidane's waist loosely. A show of false love for the child. "I had a nightmare that you were runnin' away from me. I called your name, but you didn't turn around... I started to follow you. When I caught up, you told me you felt lonely... and that you didn't have anyone who cared 'bout you, so you were gonna run away." Zidane said quietly. "Hm..." Kuja replied, rolling over and reluctantly nuzzling against his small brother. "Kuja, I wanna tell you something." Zidane whispered. Kuja groaned, then tried to make it a noise he hoped sounded like a stifled yawn. "What is it, Zidane?" He asked quietly, thinking of how he would have to play with this little brat again tomorrow. He needed rest. "I love you, Kuja... and you shouldn't be so lonely. 'Cause you've got me. I'm your brother and... I love you!" Kuja's heart jolted suddenly, startled by the whispered words. Tears ran down his cheeks in the darkness, silent tears of... sadness? ...joy? ...love...? "Do you love me too, Kuja?" Zidane asked, his breath tickling Kuja's neck. The older boy bit his lip, praying that his voice was going to be steady. He pulled his tiny brother closer.
"...yes, my little Zidane...." **
After a long time, Zidane replaced my loneliness with laughter. He started becoming more and more of a child, less an Angel of Death. I guess in a way, I was Garland's cause for failure yet again... you see, it was because of me that Zidane was becoming a little boy instead of a weapon of mass destruction. And I, quite honestly, was proud of that fact. I didn't want Zidane to be a robot whose only mission in life was to destroy... I wanted him to be the smiling, loving child he was... forever. We were brothers for four years. Then, something terrible happened...=
"What happened?" I asked, looking at him as he paused. "It... it hurts to think about it..." he said softly, sadly. "I didn't want it to happen... and I did my best to prevent it... but it still happened..." a single tear rolled down his face. I caught it on my fingertip, tilting Kuja's face until his eyes met mine. "Tell me. My purpose is to not judge you. I won't go back on my word, Kuja." He looked away mournfully, closing his eyes. "...you'd judge me for this one..." he whispered. "No, I wouldn't, I promise you." I replied, wrapping my arm around his thin shoulders; the way I had done for Jani as she told her first lies... 'I love you, Blase! I regret it so much... I'll never do it again.' 'I don't know what came over me! I promise, it'll never happen again.' 'Blase, you know I love you... please, give me one more chance.' ...I had been a fool to believe her all of those times. It had happened once, it would happen again. But unlike Jani, Kuja wasn't crying tears that were just as false as the words he spoke. No... I could tell this was something truly awful. But it couldn't be so terrible that I couldn't forgive him... or could it? No. Whatever it was, I'd let it be just a part of his past. The present was the only thing that mattered... "Kuja, just tell me. I won't judge. I haven't judged so far..." I reminded him. He leaned into my embrace, and I let my other arm wrap around him, as well. It wasn't love... not that way. I just wanted to comfort him. I released him gently, and he took a deep breath.
=Zidane was four years old, and such a little ball of energy. I had trouble keeping up with him! ...And Garland was furious that Zidane had no interest in killing. My little Zidane only cared about playing and enjoying himself. And pleasing me. He had fun playing with me, seeing me smile. And I always thought "that's the way it should be."...the way it should have been for me, as a child. Garland's plan was ready to begin... and as they say, the show must go on. Even if the star doesn't want it to. I was the star of Garland's premier... Madain Sari, village of Summoners. Have you heard of Eidolons...? Magical creatures that can be called by a special tribe known as Summoners. Each has its own powers... each has its own skill. And each has its own Summoner... when the Summoner becomes sixteen, they choose their Eidolon, and they can then leave the village. But to continue, Garland feared the Eidolons. He wanted Madain Sari destroyed, and to do that, he needed special powers. ...Thus, I came in. I have my own little summoning ability... the Invincible's eye. Garland can only use it by drawing that power from me... it's a painful process. Until that night... I hadn't known... I hadn't known that I had that ability. I remember being scared... Garland called me to the Invincible's bridge. - "What is the Invincible...?" - Oh, of course... you wouldn't know... it's an airship, but a very well-decorated one. It was originally designed to be a battleship, but Terra's civilizations were wiped out before there was ever need to use it.
Garland had called me to the Invincible's bridge, from which he led me to the control room... you see... the Invincible's eye has two stages. Mechanical is simply a red sphere which can use quite a bit of power to destroy... entire cities. In fact, this is the stage that destroyed Alexandria. Then there's the Magic eye... which looks like a real eye. This is the eye that I can call... this is the eye that destroyed Madain Sari. Garland told me about this eye as though he had already received the power. And then... then he told me to stand on the eye. I was a little unsure... but for reasons which I trust you can guess, I did as I was told. He raised a hand... and oh, how I regretted obeying him...
Pain. Excruciating pain... it coursed through my body, like acid was flowing through my veins. I had to close my eyes... all I could see was red. I was terrified... screaming... begging him to stop... but... he wouldn't... At one point, I was lying on the eye, as pain pushed me to the breaking point. I opened my eyes... The screaming must have made me burst a blood vessel, because I had a nosebleed. I was in pain... so much pain... it hurt... so damn bad... and Garland was smiling at me. And behind him stood Zidane. He was crying, whispering my name... but I couldn't react to his voice... I wanted to lie to him, to tell him it didn't hurt that badly... that I was just a big baby... like a grown man who cries when he gets a flu shot. But I opened my mouth and only shrieks of agony came out...I was afraid he would shrnk away from me... though he was reaching out one of his small hands for me. I reached for it... and I grabbed it. The pain meant nothing after that. I had his reassurance... He was protecting me. Garland wasn't happy... but he did nothing. I almost wanted Zidane to leave... I didn't want him to see me in so much pain. I was bleeding, crying, still screaming... but the pain barely even got to me. I held onto Zidane's hand tightly... so tightly... while below us, Madain Sari was being destroyed. But I didn't know it... I didn't understand why Garland was putting me through this torture... I thought the pain was all my fault... a punishment for something I had done. When I learned that Madain Sari had been destroyed, I knew. I knew it was me... I knew that destruction had been my fault.=
"You're wrong!" I yelled, grabbing his slender hands. He looked up, surprised. "You're wrong, Kuja. It wasn't your fault! Garland used you. It wasn't you... you didn't put yourself through that pain... God, Kuja... what would make you even assume it was all your fault..." There were tears in his eyes, but now he was smiling. "...you... you don't think it was my fault...?" he whispered softly, touching my cheek gently. I shook my head. "No. I don't. ...I'm sorry... I think I just judged." I smiled, as I pulled him back into my arms. I loved him... once again, not that way, but I loved his soft voice, his stories, his smile, his warm nature that clashed with his cold outer appearance. He rested his forehead against my neck, relaxing. "...I had to get rid of Zidane the next day... I didn't want him to go through that pain... so..." he was crying. "It's okay... just relax... it's getting late." I whispered to him.
...Thus, he kept me alive another day. He was my Shahrazad... telling me stories, more every night, until I couldn't resist them. Couldn't resist him.
Author's Note: ^___________^ What more can I say, huh? Yeah, it's gonna have some definite shounen-ai, possibly VERY brief yaoi. I love this fic! Not as much as my other ones, but hey. Anyhow, I made this chapter a little longer 'cause I don't know when I'll be able to update again... O.o Wait for me, wonderful reviewers! *begins crying* Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?
Twilight's Star, about those writing lessons... I'll give you the best advice you can get: Write what you love, love what you write, accept advice, improve on perfection! ^.~ Advice I live and write by! (I don't assume I'm perfect, but I do my best and try to do better with each new chapter!)
I'm also on fictionpress.com. Look for Azrael's Servant. ^.~*