A/N: Well... I waited for some suggestions. I got some, but it didn't really give me much. So if you don't like the way that this goes... sorry. I promise I'll make it as happy as I can...

Touched By An Angel

Chapter 6

Another few weeks had passed. Lloyd and Colette were finally on their way to collect Expheres. Genis and Raine were still out on their journey, and Regal and Presea were in Altamira, running the Lezareno Company in co-ownership. Zelos had headed for Meltokio, and then his path headed for a small hidden village...

"Sheena!" Zelos paraded through the entrance and lifted his hands as if to throw confetti. The one named was sitting on the couch, her hands busied in a piece of cloth she was repairing. She could only perk her head up, confused for a moment. When the confusion subsided, her chocolate eyes lit up.

"Zelos... wh-what are you doing here?"

"I came to visit of course! Everyone else is off having fun..." he pouted, sitting down beside her. "What's this? Repairing a shirt that you're well developed female body ripped?"

"Why don't I rip off your face?" she suddenly snapped, nervously trying to focus back on the needle in her hand. But alas, she couldn't focus, and even if she could, her hands were shaking violently.

"Oooh... cold," Zelos chuckled. "Okay, okay, so all jokes aside, what's it like being the Chief of Mizuho? Huh? Huh?" He knudged her annoyingly. So he had heard... but she remained silent. Not because she was angry... but because the words were caught in her throat. "Aww... Sheena? Did I make you mad? I--"

"It's lonely," she quickly remarked. He was stunned for a moment. "I mean... it's... not because of this title..." The word title stung at the previous Chosen's heart, but quickly faded and was forgotten. "...but it's because... I miss you," she squeaked.

"Aww, really? I'm touched Sheena!" A quick smile flickered upon her lips, which froze Zelos' insides on reaction. It had just occured to him how dense he was being... why couldn't he see what she had been trying to say? "W-wait, it's not what you--" A harsh pair of lips crashed into his own, cutting off his sentence that was supposed to stop that... He pushed her away on reflex and simply murmured, "No."

"No? What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head. "B-but you said..."

He shook his own head, a straight face trying to hide his frown. "It... I... the things I said... they weren't because I loved you." And it only took that much to freeze time for a few minutes. When everything melted back into a ticking reality, he breathed and finished, "You've been a great friend, Sheena. But... I can't have feelings for you... like that. I'd only hurt you."

Tears were quick to run down her face. "That's not fair, Zelos! You led me on! Why?"

"Just like I led on all the other girls on Tethe'alla. Did you think you were special? ...Wait, that didn't come out right--" Sheena buried her face in her hands and ran out the door, the cloth abandoned on the wooden floor. He picked the work up gingerly, holding it. It hadn't been clothing... it was a blanket. He remembered this blanket... it had been something he had given to her on a cold night in Flanoir...

And she had kept it?

He knew there was no point in chasing her. She acted just like Lloyd-- it was quite funny. Lloyd... the thought drifted his mind into sub-reality, thinking where the brunette and his possible lover, Colette, were now.

When she returned later that night, she found Zelos right where she had left him. But surprisingly, she saw a needle bob up and down through the fabric, the redhead feeding it through thoughtfully. He finally tugged the twig of metal from the string, and tied it in a knot. "All fixed," he murmured, seeming to talk to himself.

"Zelos..." He jumped at his name, looking up into the woman he had clearly upset. He braced himself for a slap instantly, when he felt himself being pulled into another embrace. "You... you're so stupid..." she spoke, her voice cracking. "But... I can't..." He felt her head shake back and forth in a thoughtful manner. "I cannot stop you from loving him..."

"I'm so sorry to you too. I'm just a screw-up... that's why I should have died... Kratos, Lloyd, Sheena... all of you... I'm so sorry..."

Sheena had allowed him to stay at her place, even if she was still upset at him. He accepted her kindness without a dirty or raunchy word. He simply took the couch as his bed, while she slept in her own bed, even after much persistanting that he was the guest. He stared into the plain white ceilings, observing the emptiness. "Kratos..." was all his mind could think. The name echoed in his head so many times before the memories came flowing back. The day he had met him in Derris Kharlan, the time that he had met him in the woods, the grim associations between cities, the night he had left Symphonia... just remembering him brought hot tears to his eyes, as he battled to fight them back. At least Lloyd had understood... but it was expected that he wouldn't prefer the situation.

There was barely a chance that Kratos would ever come back, if the chance even existed. He was up there, all alone on that meek little planet. He should have gone with Kratos... dammit, why did he only think of this now? He could have been there too, and could have stayed by his side! Screw the best! He could have been happy if he would have been there, by his side!

But on the other hand, had he not stayed, Lloyd could have been angry at him forever. Understanding would have never met, and possibly putting his life into chaos. It was so complicated... but it didn't much matter, seeing as how they couldn't do much now.

He did not realize that his inner thoughts were being cut short, because his mind was drifting into other less-important matters. Of course, he was shaken from his sub-conscious when a moderately loud bang came from the opposing side of the door. He shook his head and sat up on the soft cushions, thinking it was all in his dream. But he heard soft knocking, and knew that what he heard was incredibly real.

He draped the blanket over his shivering body. It was 20 degrees Farenheit or below that outside, and he was not about to have cold blast on his bare chest. But he was not naked, of course he would be wearing pants... just really baggy, light tan ones. Finally he reached the door and opened it, growling angrily. "What is it? It's in the middle of the night, and Sheena's asleep..."

"Zelos? What are you doing here?" The young man's eyes began to finally focus, revealing the faces of two young, shivering teens, one brunette, one blonde.

A/N: Yes... it's only two pages. But... so is every other chapter.

Anyway, this might take... feh... two chapters more. Which is good... I guess. It'll be sooner than I thought... but it would be longer than first intended. Hmm...

Please review! My reviewers are so dry as of late... I wonder why... (ponder)