She was flattered that he had admitted he had feelings toward her, but she had no idea how she felt toward him herself. Well, she had a small inkling, she had to admit. When he had held her the first time, she had been more shocked than anything else. Still, the second time, she had allowed herself to relax in his grasp. His body was warm and comforting to say the least, even if she had been wary because of his claw arm. His movement had been much more gentle than one could have expected from someone entitled "wicked," that was for sure.
She had brought herself to care for the man, but to what extent was still a mystery even to her. She felt a pull to him when she had seen him sleeping earlier. The woman admitted that the kiss he had given her a few moments back had also felt-- well, right. It had sent a small tingle through her spine that she hadn't felt before when she was in the presence of any other person. Maybe it really was that she was falling in love with Albel the Wicked.
What a disturbing thought. She wondered how Clair would take to it. Or if she'd even believe her. More than likely Clair would, since the two were that close and trusted each other very much. Didn't mean that the other woman would like it though. Nel herself didn't know if she liked it. She wasn't the happiest to learn that she was taking an interest in one of the men of the group and especially not the only one from Airyglyph.
She just wanted some time to sort things out, that was it. Truthfully, she would have enjoyed it just as much to simply claim the man as hers and surprise the others, but it would interfere with her duty. Duty and missions always came first. This had nothing to do with her feelings. What exactly was she proposing?
"I don't know." she admitted. "All I know is that this isn't the time to be worrying about this. We need to make sure our world exists before we can try to be happy in it."
"......bah."
Nel frowned, not wanting to hurt her comrade. He looked somewhat uncomfortable in the chair, anyway. With a sigh, she shook her head. "Let's just sleep for now."
She shut her eyes, taking quite some time before she could fall asleep. She woke early too, and with a sigh, knowing that if she took any more time that she would cause the others to be late. Albel seemed to be still sleeping, his head tilted down and his arms folded. She watched him for a moment, then decided it was safe enough to get dressed as long as he didn't happen to wake during the movement. Thankfully, he didn't stirr until she was done and stepping back toward him. A soft mutter escaped the man's throat, and she couldn't help but smile faintly. "Good morning," she said, keeping her voice quiet.
"..........." Albel took a moment to stretch in the chair, looking rather tense. Without another word, she moved behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders. He glanced toward her, his expression questioning.
"Relax." she commanded, beginning to massage his shoulders. He stayed tense for a while, then seemed to return to normal after a moment, allowing himself to shut his eyes and enjoy the movements. Once, he let out a quiet whimper, and she had a deep urge just to hold onto him. She resisted though, finishing the movements up when she felt his whole form relax. "Better?" she asked, sending him a quick smile when she noted the dreamy look on his face.
"Where did you learn how to do that, wench?" He stood up, seeming refreshed. Or as much so as he dared show.
Nel shrugged. "Doesn't matter does it? Unless you wanted to learn too." she stifled a yawn as she gathered her things. "Did you get a good night's sleep?"
"As much as I could in such an object." Albel was ready to go before she was, which didn't surprise her too much. He wandered off to figure out wherever the showering device was around the area, leaving the woman to stay in the room and ponder.
The next few days were rather uneventful in the context of the two's developing relationship. Or not so developing actually. It had come to a stunning halt, and the two had returned to barely speaking to each other. The end was coming, and they needed to be as prepared as they could get. Communicating with Blair had brought them back to Kaddan and then back to Mosel, until they could get into Firewall. Once they had reached the Spiral Towers, everyone was basically tensed up. Nel found that Albel had stayed purposely behind her most of the time, and sometimes she had felt tempted to turn to look toward him, but she didn't bother, keeping her mind on what was to come. Luther was surprisingly easy-- compared to what they had expected at least. Of course they had not escaped the final battle unhurt, but it hadn't been what she had expected. Finally, the Executioners would be gone and the vile wind that had flown in on Elicoor had vanished. True, they had learned that they were programs from another higher being, but it didn't stop them from being--
Alive.
The group separated after the long adventure together, Fayt returning to see his remaining parent and Sophia's relatives. Mirage wandered off to return to her father's dojo, and Cliff was to wait for her and Fayt. Nel had heard rumors that he had a "hunch" that Fayt would return soon enough. Adray she knew was antagonizing poor Clair like he always was, but she had grown used to his strange habits. Still, when Adray was around, Nel didn't really care to go visit Clair much. She loved her friend dearly, but Adray was too eccentric for his own good. The redhead also heard a few rumors about how Maria had actually been asked out by Lieber. The response she couldn't really tell if it was positive or negative. Either way, it would prove to cause more havoc than necessary, in her eyes.
And what happened to the Elicoorians?
The night before the group separated, they had taken a moment to celebrate. Albel had stayed put in the farthest table from the group that day, excusing himself early from the "scum", and Nel had followed him out soon enough, knowing that if Cliff was in the group, the party wouldn't be ending any time in the near future. Not surprisingly, the Airyglyph ex-captain had left his door unlocked, and when she entered, he seemed almost as he was expecting her. She lowered her eyes faintly, shutting the door behind herself. There was nothing stopping her from relaying how she felt now, she knew. She didn't know if she was quite ready to speak, but knowing that it was either now or never, she took in a deep breath and started. "Albel, I--"
"I'm returning to Airyglyph." he cut her off, his tone harsh. "There's still a few things that I have left to do there. After that I'll be helping the old man Woltar out in his mansion. He's too senile to do anything on his own anymore." his gaze moved toward hers. "You'll be going back to Aquaria?"
Aquaria was her home. She wasn't willing to give such a place up so quickly. She nodded a few times.
"I thought as much. What were you saying?"
The redhead shook her head. Her resolve was slowly wavering. "The Executioners are gone, and so I'm here to respond to you as I should have in the Diplo." she kept her voice steady, though inside she was still utterly lost. "I love you, Albel.." That wasn't it. She couldn't stop there. She took a deep breath, her voice growing softer with each word. "..but I can't commit to you. We have our duties. They come before anything else."
Albel stayed quiet, his gaze lingering on hers.
So, she had finally admitted it. She didn't know since when she had harvested such strong feelings for the man, and she didn't know if they were right in the very least. Still, it wasn't as if she had any control over them. She had learned to restrain when she was young though, which had also prevented her from propelling herself into his arms. That and the mere fact that she just wasn't that sort of person.
The man nodded after a pause. "So I take it that means this will be farewell."
The concept tore at her inside, but she nodded, purely professional. "Of course, if duty brings myself to your country, I'll be sure to visit. I hope you'll plan on doing the same?"
"Bah. I guess I can manage that, wench."
If he was hurting inside, he sure didn't let on to it. Nel, on the other hand, felt a sharp pain inside at the whole concept, and tried her best to remain as stoic as he was. "It was a pleasure traveling with you, Albel Nox."
The whole statement seemed so empty that she moved forward, extending her hand out to him. He reached out to take it, and before she knew it, she had been swung forward into his arms. "Stupid woman." he said softly, his voice betraying his fondness. His undamaged hand lifted to stroke her hair and she quietly leaned against him. She was starting to regret her decision, but the queen and Aquaria needed her. Plus, she had to help Clair in the rebuilding of Arias. She couldn't expect Albel to leave his duties for her either. He may have had some feelings for her, but not enough to make him drop everything he had once known. It was just like her. To her, she didn't have much of a choice.
She slowly wrapped her arms around the man, taking in a deep breath. She had to admit she was most comfortable in such a position, and she shut her eyes a little, putting her head down on his chest. If it was the first and last time she could stay with him, she would try and allow it to last as much as possible. They stayed silent for some time, each simply enjoying the other's warmth and company. She felt his hand lift from her back to her shoulder, then trail up toward her cheek, resting there for a moment. Her body shivered involuntarily and she glanced upward, questioning him with her silent gaze.
To the woman's surprise, he leaned forward a bit, pushing aside her scarf and brushing his lips against her neck gently. Her heart skipped a beat when he nipped at her ear once before speaking. "Nel..."
Ah, it was the way he said her name-- so very infrequently but in such a manner that made it worth the wait. For a split second, she wondered if this man really was one and the same as Albel the Wicked she had loathed from long ago. She reached up to brush aside a few of his long locks from his face. He was, well, beautiful. His body showed few scars, proving either his strength or the strength of those who had healed him when he had gotten injured. That and figuring he showed enough of his skin, there had to be some mark on it somewhere. The two weren't anywhere close enough to be intimate enough for her to be allowed access any further than her eye could see already, and up to there, there seemed to be little scarring. His words interrupted her thoughts.
"Stay here with me... just a little longer."
The redhead simply nodded, pressing up against his form. The only thing that would have torn her apart from him at that moment was a call from Her Majesty or the end of the world. She was secure from either or for at least the night, she knew that much. "They weren't so bad, now were they, Albel?" she stated, giving him a small smile.
"Hm? Those scum?" a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "...I guess. They could have been worse." He would have never saved them if that was the case.
"I guess you weren't so bad after all either." she added in, humored. She leaned in to exchange a quick, chaste kiss. "I'll miss you."
"Hmph." He responded with a quick squeeze, his arm bringing her just a bit closer. She knew he wouldn't dare say the same-- it would show some sign of weakness, and he was obsessive with his strength. "It's not the end of the world, fool. When everything is cleared up..." he trailed off.
She knew what he was thinking. When everything was cleared up, they still had a chance to be together. The thought was probably nothing more than a faraway dream though, as they both had plenty to do. It was a nice fantasy though. Something that she could try and work toward while doing missions. The woman knew the harsh truth of reality though. More than likely, the man would get settled with someone else before everywhere was set back to normal. Same went for her, if Clair or Her Majesty ended up setting her up with someone. If she was to marry for the kingdom, she would, even if that meant going against her own feelings. Just for now, though, she basked in her love's warmth. After that night, they would go back to being strangers. Once comrades in battle, but then nothing more. Each had a silent vow to themselves not to admit anything about their relationship lest it make things confusing later on. What would everyone think if the Airyglyph ex-captain had fallen for some woman in Aquaria? That would most definitely ruin his image. And that wasn't saying much for Nel, who would get much more interrogation on her end. The only person she was planning on speaking to was Clair, just because they were close enough to trust one enough with that sort of thing. Nel knew the same with Albel and Woltar, though Woltar had a larger habit of leaking out some unnecessary information.
She couldn't say that she wouldn't like just letting out the truth and perhaps actually staying with the man, but until they were both settled back into their hometowns, neither was planning on giving any sign of their relations away. It was like it was their little secret.
The woman shivered only slightly when she felt his hand reach up again, trailing down her neck. She reluctantly moved the scarf to the side, giving him more access to her skin. "Albel," she began, pausing when he leaned over, marking her flesh with with his mouth-- an unspoken promise and sign of his love. When he moved aside, she placed her hand over the symbol, then let out a soft sigh. She would have to be careful and keep the scarf on as much as possible now thanks to him. At least until it faded. Not that she minded of course. He, on the other hand, had granted her no access at all to his neck, since the collar was still securely fastened on him. (To which she wondered why on Elicoor he always had that thing on.) He smirked when he noticed her staring at this and shrugged, thinking to unclip the mechanism from behind. How this was done... was another question. (And if he could have done that in the first place, why did he always keep the blasted thing on?!)
She waited a moment before nipping his flesh once, pulling away to look up at his face before finishing the deed. Almost as quickly as he had pulled the collar off, he snapped it back on. It was one of the few places no one would suspect anything of. It was secure enough as is, or so she assumed.
Nel noticed that he was about to speak, and shook her head, putting one finger to his lips. "I know." she said quietly, leaning back down against him. "..I know.."
It would be a few days before the mark would disappear. For at least those few days she would know that all that had happened during their adventure had not just been a figment of her imagination. Maybe it would have been better if it was, because then it just wouldn't hurt as much.
Soon enough, the man let her go and she stood up, giving him a small smile and a nod. "Good night." she stated. At first, she took a few steps away, then paused, turning back to him and giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. "And good luck." She shifted her scarf just in case she would see anyone on the way out of the room. Her face was well hidden enough as it was in the material, and she figured there was nothing to worry about there.
"Hmph. I don't need luck." he stated, his tone anything but harsh. He took one of her hands, brushing his lips against it gently. "Get some sleep, love."
The last words echoed in her head as she left the room, feeling somewhat empty. So, he could be sweet when he wanted to, she decided. It was a shame that they hadn't been from the same country on Elicoor. If they had, perhaps they would have had an easier time staying together.
If only--
The next morning when everyone was to say their goodbyes, Nel learned that Albel had left much earlier than the others, not bothering to share their sentiments. She frowned a bit to herself, but she knew it was probably for their own sake. If he had stayed, her resolve might have broken. She might have stopped him from leaving. Or--
---
The man had not shown it, but the night had been Heaven and Hell in one. He had left early only because he needed to. His restraint only went so far, and it was only his pride that led him not to have just grabbed the woman and not allow her to return home. Once in Airyglyph, he knew there would be plenty of things to take his mind off of the wench, but until then, he couldn't think of much else.
"Bah."
He would just have to wait for her to come visit, he figured. Either that or take a leave to go to Aquaria. Wouldn't that seem a bit... odd though? For the ex-captain to be willingly going to Aquaria to visit a certain Nel Zelpher? He hadn't seemed close to her anyway, and the last thing he needed were questions about what happened during his adventures with Fayt and co. (Or Mystic Dragon Eyes. Or Onward! Defrosted Tuna Team.)
Albel doubted that any of the others would have felt anything about his early leave, and if they had, it would have made him feel somewhat awkward. He wasn't good with farewells, though he had to admit before he had left he had taken a moment to bid goodbye to the team leader Fayt. Fayt had given him his trademark smile, telling him that it was nice to have met him and worked with him in the journey. Take care. The like. Albel had responded no different from any other time. Bah. Fool. He hadn't been able to hide his small smile, though, and Fayt seemed to have noticed, giving him a small nod before they parted.
He shrugged. He had to admit the only time he usually smiled was when he was, well, grinning at some maggot or another. A smile barely touched his face. Smirk, often enough. Smile? Nah. On the other hand, he had seen plenty from the others. Minus Maria, who saved her happy expressions for Fayt and her Quark members. Nel hadn't done the same, he noted. Her smiles were more infrequent than say, Sophia and Peppita when they had seen her, but otherwise... they framed her well. That was, when she wasn't hiding half of her face in her scarf.
Albel Nox shook his head a few times. She was out of his range now, and there was no use crying over spilt milk. That wasn't to say that he was giving up on her completely though. If any man was going to stay with Nel Zelpher, he was more than positive that he would take the spot. When? That was another question. How? Ditto.
"............"
Curse complications.
Well, someday...