Kitchens
Disclaimer: I don't own ToS.
Random Lloyd/Raine drabble from Lloyd's point of view. It's very…unique. Please review!
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I remember when I first confided in Genis…he completely freaked on me. I guess I shouldn't blame him, though…
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"EW!" he shrieked, "You're in love with my sister!"
"SHH!" I panicked, "I never said that!"
"Yes you did!" his already big eyes were huge, "You said—"
"—Genis, shut up! I…" my face was turning slightly red, "Look, it doesn't mean anything. It's not like she likes me or anything! I just wanted to tell you! So…don't talk about it anymore!" I was starting to regret ever confiding in anyone in the first place…
"But I thought you liked Colette," Genis said weakly as I stared at my knees.
"I…as a friend, yeah," I said carefully, "Colette means a lot to me…you know what I mean…but I…" I shook my head hopelessly, "It's different with…with the Professor…I dunno…"
"Whatever, Lloyd," Genis' voice had resumed its usual smart-aleck tone. He leaped up and walked away, leaving me alone with all my confusing thoughts…
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He kind of got used to the idea after a while, I guess. He stopped giving me 'don't-you-dare-touch-my-sister' looks every time I ended up sitting/sleeping/whatever within ten feet of her, and smirked at me instead. I really hoped that Raine didn't catch on or anything…and she didn't. She probably just thought we were being stupid boys.
That was what bothered me sometimes. It was so hard to…to like her in secret. She thought of me as a student, and I was expected to think of her as a teacher, nothing more. I hated it when she would just brush me off like she didn't care. Even though she did that to everyone…it still hurt, you know?
But I loved it when she was actually nice to me…and when she treated me as an equal. Like when we were staying in Flanoir, and she asked me to take a walk with her. It had been nice to stand where no one cared, and see the side of the Professor I rarely got to see…the side I loved the most.
As I sat in the old schoolhouse in Iselia, thinking about all this, kind of embarrassed at all the mushy thoughts I was having, I thought to myself…why was I in here again?
It wasn't like there was a whole lot to see or anything. Just the hole that Colette made in wall, a bunch of empty desks, and the teacher's desk…damn that desk! It was making me think of the Professor…
Professor Sage…I loved saying that…I don't know why…
Why was I in love with her? Why did it have to be her, of all people? Why not Colette, whom everyone expected me to like? Why was I asking questions about things I couldn't change?
I wondered what it would be like to kiss her…not for the first time, mind you…and then I wondered how long I would be out cold afterwards. That's usually when I tried to think about something else…
But I couldn't.
This woman is driving me crazy! I realized in frustration. They always say that if you love someone, you should just tell them—that you'll feel so much better. I wonder who made that up. Not someone who knew what it was like to be in love with Raine, that was for sure.
That's it, dammit, I thought angrily, I'm going to tell her, no matter what! I'm going freaking insane!
In a sudden burst of decision, I leapt up from the desk I had been sitting at and marched out of the schoolhouse. But as soon as I stepped outside, my determination faded away and I felt hopeless again.
Why does this always happen? I screamed silently, Why am I such a coward? What's my problem!
"Lloyd."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Quickly, I looked around for the speaker, and guess who I found? The cause of all my problems! She was standing there with her head tilted to one side and her arms crossed.
"W…what?" I asked nervously.
"Why were you…stomping around and waving your arms?" the Professor questioned, raising an eyebrow and looking amused. I felt a wave of…anger and sadness, I guess. Everything I did was stupid and childish to her…wait a minute. Had I really been doing that?
"Um…I dunno," I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly and she sighed loudly.
"As long as you don't start screaming or anything," Raine began to walk past me, but before I knew it…words came tumbling out of my mouth.
"ProfessorIloveyoubutIjustdontwannatellyou." Crap. CRAP! Please tell me she didn't catch that…!
"What?" she looked genuinely confused. She didn't catch it. Thank Martel.
"Nothing," I mumbled, feeling my face turn red. I wished she would go away before I did something else stupid.
"Lloyd…" something in her voice made me look up. Her big blue eyes were staring at me…it made me nervous…
"…What?" I asked.
"Nothing," she quickly turned her head and walked away. I watched her go. Orange was such a pretty color…so was blue, and silver, and…
"Geez."
Someone else had snuck up on me! I turned around and…aw, crap. Just the person I needed to see. Zelos.
"What do you want?" I demanded.
"Nothing, nothing," he said casually, "Just watching the love blossom."
"What love?" I hoped I wasn't turning red again.
"C'mon Bud, wake up and smell the pheromones!" he clapped me on the back. I hate it when he does that, "You've got Ultra Cool Beauty at your feet!"
"No…no I don't," I protested. It was more like the other way around…but I felt that glimmer of hope I tried so hard to avoid…
"Don't be so modest," Zelos insisted, "I'm experienced at this sort of thing. I can totally tell this kind of stuff…"
"Go away!" I roared, lashing out at him. He dodged and walked away, rather quicker than before, muttering, "Man! Him and his hormones…no one loves me…"
Now that he was out of my way…I actually began to consider his words. Raine had looked at me funny…but that was probably because I had been acting like an insane asylum escapee in serious need of anger management.
"By the way, Lloyd!" Zelos' voice drifted over to me, "I would tell her, if I were you! Nothing's gonna happen if you keep it cooped up like that…"
Where did this guy learn to read minds? AAAH! I contemplated ripping my hair out, but decided in the long run, that would be a bad idea. I settled for giving a rock a severe beating with my shoe. This was so frustrating…the entire freaking journey of regeneration…all those times…in Flanoir, and Heimdall, and Derris-Kharlan…and I had never told her how I felt…and now Zelos was in on the joke, too?
A sudden memory came drifting to mind, and I smiled a teensy bit. When we were much smaller, Colette and I used to have this stupid thing. Whenever we got really mad, we would scream as loud as we could. Just scream and scream and scream. It always worked. Hmmm…I sucked in my breath.
"AHHH!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs, as long and loud as I could. Now I remembered why we liked to scream so much. For a moment, I forgot about everyone…even Raine…
When I stopped, I noticed quite a large crowd of villagers had gathered around me. They were giving me blank stares.
"Um…hi," I pushed past them, feeling slightly embarrassed at my sudden outburst. I had kind of forgotten that I was in the middle of a crowded village…
I headed absentmindedly down the street, not sure where I was going…okay, okay. I was looking for Raine. Happy?
I found Genis sitting outside the newly rebuilt Sage house…reading a book! I never would've guessed…honestly…
"Hey, Lloyd," he called to me as I came within earshot, "What was all that screaming about just now? That was you, wasn't it?"
"Yeah…" I answered distractedly, passing by quickly. No way was I gonna ask him where Raine was.
"Raine's inside, just in case you were wondering," Genis' taunting voice went in my brain and struck a nerve. Raine…did he say Raine? I was looking for Raine…Raine is such a pretty name…
I doubled back and climbed up the steps, roughly pushing a tittering Genis aside. I hesitated as I neared the front door. Should I knock? I mean, it was the polite thing to do…but it was just the Professor…
"Oh honestly Lloyd, just go in!" Genis said.
"Shut up!" I retorted. I turned back to the door and opened it, trying not to make any noise.
Well, the front hall was empty. During the rebuilding, their house had definently gotten a lot bigger. I could hear noises drifting in from the kitchen. Oh sweet Martel…I hoped she wasn't cooking anything…
Hoping against hope, I peeked inside the kitchen. Phew. She was just sitting at the table…reading a book as well! Geez!
"Oh, hi Lloyd," I jumped as she addressed me, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, really," I admitted, "Just…wanted to say hi…and stuff." Why did I say and stuff? It sounded really lame.
"Feel free to sit down." She had put down the book and was staring at me again, so I felt obliged to take a seat. Next to her…oh shut up.
"So…um…" I tried to start a conversation, but it hung in the air and died. The Professor seemed content to just stare at me. It was kind of freaking me out.
"Uh…Professor? Profess—"
"-- Lloyd, you don't have call me Professor. Just Raine is fine."
Ooh. Score one for team Lloyd!
"Um…Raine, then."
"That's right."
I realized how close we were. And it was really close. I tried not to look at her, but…it was kind of hard.
"Lloyd…" she just let my name drift off into nothingness, never taking her eyes off me.
In my mind's eye, I could see Zelos and Genis leaning forward eagerly in their front row theater seats, shoving the popcorn in at a mile a minute. It was my turn to make a move. And I had to make it a dramatic one.
Slowly, unsurely, I leaned forward until her features became a blur…and I felt our lips touch. I got kind of spooked and almost back away…but it felt too good. I kissed her again. And again. And aga—
There was a loud snort from the hallway. Raine and I nearly jumped out of our skin, and looked towards the noise to see none other than…
"GENIS!" Raine stood up so fast her chair fell over. Genis ran for his life. Before she left the kitchen, the Professor—I mean Raine, I guess—gave me an apologetic glance.
I tried to smile. My face was burning up. Curse that midget! Ruining my fun…
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