A Very Riviera Christmas
DISCLAIMER: I may not own Riviera, but I -DO- own the Item Manual, Album, Music Sheet, Spiral Shell, and Magic Mirror in the aforementioned game. Sadly, no Black Feathers yet, but I'm getting there... and then of course I'll be at THAT stupid scene... (grumble) (stabs Sting)
Author's Note: Hello, whoever happens to be reading! I do these long ranty things at the beginning of some chapters, and none of my muses seem to be able to do anything about it... (giggle)
Ghaleon: You can say that again.
Karst: Yeah, she never shuts up.
Envy: I've seen her take up entire pages with these.
Me: T.T;; I feel so unloved. Shut up, you stupid people. You're damaging my self-esteem. ...Anyway, I hope I'm reaching other fangirls who support this underappreciated pairing; it'd be nice to have some of them ending up reading this (and reviewing, of course). And if you don't particularly care for Ledah/Ein (why do I list their names in opposite order to the dominance rule anyway?), I hope you stay around for a while anyway just to read one of the precious few Riviera fanfics on this site. I'm trying really hard and I've got about eighty fanfics I'm supposed to be writing all at once, so be patient with me please.
I have so much fun with the dialogue between the characters--and I love the fact that I can use Serene and Rose's unwillingness to give anyone a break to give people like Ein a hard time. I've been playing him the way he's been acting in my particular save file, so if he seems a little OOC every now and then, it's prolly because yes, his personality DOES change depending on which girl he's courting or which goal he's attempting to achieve. I also expect Ledah to seem somewhat OOC sometimes, but that's mostly because he has his emotions back now, duh. He's gonna care about things a little more... like Ein for example. (evil kitty face) (dodges kitchen appliances)
So what's my big attraction to this particular pairing anyway, when Ein goes so well with any of the six supporting characters? Because I am naturally drawn to angst and it don't get much angstier than these two's in-game relationship. Besides, they work--Ein really does care a lot about Ledah, being the guy he is. And contrary to popular belief, Ledah cares too--or else he'd have ditched Ein and left him to die a million times in the first stage when he was still an idiot noob. (sweatdrop) Seriously! His behavior at the end of Chapter 6 should've been a major tip-off. You don't throw yourself between danger and someone you don't like, especially if you're in Ledah's condition at the time. No matter how the hell you portray their relationship, it always ends up being cute, ESPECIALLY if you're a fangirl like me.
I could rant about that subject forever, but more on that in later chapters. Next topic. Although the thought somewhat scares me, the rating on this story is probably going to go up in the future. There's a certain scene that I've been planning that's going to go somewhere in a later chapter, and if I write it the way it's supposed to be, then this fic is SO going to end up rated M. Which is scary. This is supposed to be a cute and fluffy Christmas story, which I hope will be done around that holiday.
And on that subject: While the Riviera characters are anything but Christian, this particular holiday has rubbed off on most other cultures (they celebrate it in Japan, for instance, which is a Shintoist country), so it's usually okay to include it if you're not getting too preachy about it. Which trust me, I won't be.
I think that's it for now (see, Envy? This was less than a page), so here's today's warning: More Ein-is-a-pervert on the way, along with his characteristic peeping attempts... though this one turns out in a way that you might not expect. And of course more shonen-ai. Read and enjoy!
---
"What do you mean, the door won't open?" Ein asked, sitting straight up.
"We've tried. The snow's built up too high on the other side," Fia told him helplessly. "At this going rate... we'll be completely trapped here within a few hours. And with the snow so fresh, we can't risk opening any windows on this floor. Whoever went out could fall through and end up buried."
"But shouldn't Cierra be able to melt the snow with her fire spells?" the wingless angel asked helplessly.
The red-haired witch shook her head, seeming almost tearful. "I thought that too, but... what if I mess up again? I could end up killing us all with a fire spell! Any water spells I'd try to use to put one out could flood the entire house. I... I'm sorry... but we just can't risk it!"
"Ledah?" Ein turned to his longtime friend, looking uncertain.
The blonde shook his head. "I could try using Lorelei... but that would require an open door, which we don't have. And I would have to keep attacking or casting spells hour after hour... this blizzard doesn't seem as though it's going to let up anytime soon. My power would run out quickly, and then I'd be of no use to anyone... it just won't work that way."
"We need to figure out what we're going to do," Rose said sternly, one ear folded back. "We've got enough supplies to last us about a week or so, and the water lines are still running, even though we've got to be really careful and conserve it anyway. We'll have to ration everything off really well."
"It does seem like there's nothing we can really do but kick back and wait for help to come..." Ein said softly.
"Lina's scared," the little carrot-top whimpered, clinging to Fia's side.
"Don't be too worried," Serene told her. "Everyone else'll be fine too, and we've got Claude and Soala underground at the Academy... they'll think of something."
"I hope so," Ein said, shaking his head. "I really do..."
---
It'd been about six hours since Ein's abrupt awakening, and he hadn't been able to get back to sleep, so he'd just gone downstairs with everyone else. There were a few logs in the fireplace, and the blaze in the small hearth was all that was keeping the house warm. Although snow could be insulating in the right conditions, it was still very cold.
Fia and Lina were both sitting on the bed by the far wall; the very terrified Lina had gone to sleep at last, and Fia was sitting and stroking her hair, looking as if she'd keel over at any second.
Serene and Cierra were working to clear up the two futons that Ein and Ledah had used for the past few days; it would be too cold to stay in them now, especially downstairs. And the house only had two down blankets, placed over both the upstairs and downstairs beds.
Rose was sitting in the large chair that Ledah had napped in only yesterday; there was a candle set on a table near her, and she carried a huge tome in her lap, writing at a furious pace with a quill that looked suspiciously like one of the solitary angel's feathers.
Sitting just in front of the fire, only as far away as the occasional spark couldn't reach, were Ein and Ledah, with the former leaning heavily on the latter's shoulder. Ledah's eyes were closed, but Ein knew he was awake--his breathing was still erratic, and every now and then, the black wing that kept the dark-haired young man against his side would twitch and resettle.
"We're gonna be okay, right?" Ein asked softly.
There was a short silence, and then a shift as Ledah put an arm around Ein's shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. "What an odd question, coming from you."
"I was just thinking... what a sad way to die this would be... cut off from everyone around you, slowly starving as you're forced to eat less and less each day. Alone and forgotten by the world..."
"No one's going to forget you. Elendia considers you a hero. Everyone will be worrying for your well-being, and once the others are sure of their own safety, they'll try to get to you." A pause. "And you're not alone. You have us." And even more softly, spoken so quietly that Ein couldn't be sure he'd heard it, Ledah whispered, "You have me..."
The moment was broken when Serene and Cierra tramped down the stairs, causing everyone to look up. "Alright everybody, we're going to have to set up sleeping arrangements for however long we have to wait to outlast this thing," the last Arc announced.
"The problem is, there are seven of us and two beds," Cierra explained with a sigh. "We all know it's too cold for futons, but there don't seem to be any other options. And none of us girls will really want to sleep in the same bed as a guy--no offense, Ledah. I'm sure you understand."
The red-clad Grim Angel nodded; Ein sulked. "What about me?"
"You are a pervert and the reason we have to think of things this way," Serene told him, stabbing a judgemental finger in his direction.
"You don't have to be so harsh," Ein grumbled, going red.
"There is one other option," Ledah said slowly. The girls and Ein looked at him curiously.
"Like what?" Rose asked, blinking over her book.
"Here. It's warm in front of the fire... there's room enough for three, and if I stay down here, I can shield two others with my wings. That should keep the cold away, no matter how bad it gets out there."
"But what about you?" Ein demanded. "You're gonna get really cold if you don't use your wings to protect yourself!"
Ledah simply shrugged. "That isn't the issue at hand. It would be easy for one of the others to catch cold in this weather, Lina especially. Sprites--and even familiars--generally have a weaker constitution than angels."
"Hate to admit it, but it makes a lot of sense," Serene quipped. "And there's no way we're going to let you keep your monopoly on those down feathers Ledah is supposedly growing. We want in on the fluff too."
"..." Ledah stared skyward and let out a short sigh. Ein, looking at him, couldn't help but wonder--was that reddish tinge on his old friend's face what he thought it was?
"Don't mind her," Cierra said, looking apologetically at Ledah and wringing her hands. "We're all a little... anxious, being stuck here, and this is just her way of whistling in the dark."
"I know." However, that reddish tinge was still there. It was probably as close to blushing madly as Ledah ever got, or would ever get.
"It's sweet of you, but there's also your health to consider," Rose told him, nibbling the end of her quill. "Where would we be if you got sick?"
"I don't get sick."
"You don't get sick often. But what if you did? You'd end up really feeling awful, considering the limited medical supplies in this house. And then whoever should've been sleeping in front of the fire with you would end up smushed in beds with everybody else anyway."
"There aren't any other options," Ledah said simply. "Ein and I will stay down here. Anyone who so desires is welcome to join us."
"If you say so," was Rose's skeptical reply. But she gave no more protests.
---
As Serene and Cierra had continued to explain, the condition of the underground waterways meant that baths would have to be taken sparingly, with as many as possible going at the same time. They'd furthermore said that they'd be going with Fia and Lina when the little carrot-top woke up. Rose, who was generally very clean, had decided that she'd go whenever the next opportunity arose. Ledah and Ein would probably have to make do with the washbasin most of the time, but it was still better than nothing.
Lina had woken up about half an hour ago.
Ein'd had to wait until Rose had fallen asleep writing, of course, but it would be worth it. The house's old tub was large and would probably fit all four girls easily--the thought of them all curled together in the water, passing soap and scrub brushes back and forth nearly made Ein's nose bleed. And with Rose sleeping and Ledah who knew where, he'd be able to try to risk a look.
Slipping off his shoes and gloves, Ein padded softly as he could manage down the hall. The bathing room was situated at the back of the house, dug slightly into the ground next to one of the huge roots that formed the giant tree which sheltered all of Elendia. There was only one room between--a spare storage room, where Fia and Lina kept their food, mageware, and arrows. It, too, seemed occupied--the door was closed except for a crack barely wide enough to look through.
Curious, Ein paused in his pursuit. He'd never been in the storeroom before. And maybe there'd be something worth looking at in there, too?
Just to be safe, of course, he'd try looking through the crack first. Carefully, he crept up to the crack, leaning close enough to it to take a peek.
The storeroom was lit by a soft cream-colored candle which dripped low in its brass holder. All the boxes and things that one would expect to find littered about the floor in such a room had been pushed as close to the walls as possible, even stacked up on top of each other. And in the center...
He was perched on what looked like a low wooden footstool with a neatly folded pile of dark cloth on the floor beside him. His ebony wings were carefully folded at his bare back, the tips of the lowest pinion feathers trailing on the ground. Though Ein couldn't see exactly what he was doing, the soft sound of dripping water and the slight dampness at the very ends of his hair, which clung to his skin and gently curled around the nape of his neck, told the wingless angel all he needed to know.
There was a sharp, swooping lurch somewhere behind Ein's ribcage, as though something had been hooked there and then yanked against the bones. What accompanied the odd feeling was the even odder sensation that had never before occurred to him while watching someone bathe--the idea that what he was doing was wrong.
Because it was... wasn't it? This was no cheerful or playful image like those he'd borne witness to with the girls. Ledah was silent, his mood somber, the scene itself intimate in ways that brought fire rushing to Ein's face.
I shouldn't be doing this.
But for some reason, Ein just couldn't tear himself away. His head was telling him "move", but his feet stayed rooted to the floor, silently and shamefully watching.
There was a rustle of feathers as Ledah shifted on the footstool, and to Ein's shock, he spoke. "You know... you can come in if you want. We're both men--it's not like you haven't seen this a million times before..."
H...how did he...? Shocked, Ein reluctantly pushed the door open; it creaked riotously when he closed it again behind him. "S..sorry. I didn't really mean to barge in..."
"It's fine." But as Ledah turned slightly to face him, that soft red-pink hue was back on his pale cheeks, a truth that belied his words.
Ein walked around to the other side of the washbasin and reluctantly sat. He knew he was probably still blushing like mad, but there wasn't much he could do about it; at least Ledah wasn't giving him that look anymore, and had gone back to running a soaking washcloth over his side.
"Hey, listen..." Ledah paused in the middle of scrubbing and looked up at Ein through his bangs, a silent question within the carmine depths of his eyes. "I just wanted to ask if... if you've been feeling more... more normal lately. I know that's a really bad way of phrasing it but... I keep thinking of how the man who healed your heart said it was going to take time for your emotions to fully resurface. And I can't help worrying about if you're really getting any better at all...?"
"It's a foolish question to pose to me. No matter what I'm doing, I'll seem 'normal', as you put it, to myself. It's something you need to consider... I'll have no way to tell."
"Well, you've been smiling so much more, and you're actually reading and doing fun things again, but..." Ein shrugged helplessly. "I want to hear you laugh again... you haven't for years, Ledah..."
Ledah sighed and shifted the washcloth to his other hand. There was a moment of silence as he gently ran it over his right shoulder; he sighed again and spoke softly, his voice a dry breeze on an empty autumn street. "You're a much better person than I will ever be... just look at you, Ein. You care so much for the sake of others, it sometimes comes at your own expense. You care almost too much... and yet... it makes up so much of who you are..." The blonde shook his head. "Ein..." There was a pause in which Ledah seemed to steel himself to say something, but just as he took a breath to speak, he closed his eyes. "Never mind."
"You should tell me if there's something bothering you," Ein pressed. "You're my friend, Ledah... of course I worry about you."
"You still consider me your friend?" the elder Grim Angel asked in a very small voice. "Even after everything I've cost you... the years you could have spent in peace, in this town...?"
"Of course," the dark-haired young man insisted, scooting over so that he sat closer to Ledah. "You're one of my... my most precious friends. You know I'd do anything for you, without regrets."
There was another long silence; after what felt like hours, a small smile stole across the blonde's face, and he dipped the washcloth into the basin of water before him, wringing out the extra moisture before beginning to scrub his shoulder and upper arm again. "Perhaps when I regain tears and laughter... I can be considered 'normal', as you put it, once again."
Ein wasn't quite sure why he did it, but the gesture just felt right, somehow. Reaching out, he let his right hand gently rest on Ledah's cheek, tilting his friend's face up so that their eyes met. "You cried at Yggdrasil... remember? Two years ago... when I almost lost you..."
Ledah stared up at him, crimson eyes wide with some hidden thought or emotion he didn't seem able to express.
That word, beautiful, was running through Ein's mind again, with him helpless to stop it. He didn't understand what was making his heart race, and that scared him. But all the same, the word was too strong for him to suppress forever. And so, he began to speak.
"You're..."
Catching himself just in time, Ein pulled his hand away, getting very red in the face. What am I DOING? "I... I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. I've been acting so weird lately and... sorry."
Was Ein imagining things, or had Ledah's face fallen for a few moments there? It must have been--his expression was normal by the next time Ein blinked. The blonde angel sighed, and held out the still-wet washcloth to his friend.
"Well, as long as you're here, would you mind making use of yourself?"
"Um... what do you want...?" Ein asked, his voice wavering slightly. For some reason, his mind was coming up with a few very suggestive things to do with that cloth.
"I can't reach the spot right between my wings--they get in the way. If you would, please?"
"Uh... n-not at all." Ein took the washcloth, scooted around so that he was kneeling behind Ledah, and got to work, scrubbing the bare space his friend had indicated, which lay directly in the center of his back, between his shoulder blades and the spots where the softest and smallest of his black feathers sprouted.
Ledah let out an immense sigh, speaking in a dreamy tone and apparently not thinking at all about what he said the next moment: "Hmmmmmmmm... that feels really good..."
Ein sweatdropped. "I always thought you hated being touched here?"
"Depends on who's doing it. You're my friend, so I don't mind." Ledah arched his back inwards, his wings stretching and resettling reflexively. "The skin's just sensitive up there. I don't want anyone I don't trust taking advantage of that fact."
"I'll keep that in mind," Ein said, trying to keep his voice as flat as possible.
Ledah twisted to look over his shoulder, his eyes suspicious. "Try anything funny, and I'll be introducing you to Lorelei's business end," he said slowly, sounding unamused.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Ein told him honestly, starting to smile. "You trust me that much?"
The back of Ledah's neck was suddenly flushed. "Of course I do... I owe you my life, in more ways than one..."
"Heheh... thanks for the vote of confidence. It means more than you'd think."
"Don't let it go to your ego."
"I won't."
---
"Thank the gods," Serene said with a sigh, toweling off the back of her neck as she sat in her underclothes. "We managed to take a bath without Ein going all peeping tom on us."
"It does concern me a little bit, though," Fia confessed, pulling her skirts straight. "If he wasn't trying to look in here, then where was he?"
"Hopefully being watched by Ga--I mean Rose," Cierra replied, shrugging. "I don't think she'd let him slip off..."
"Yeah, but Ein's a pervert," Lina told them, trying to pull her wet hair back into its double ponytails. "Lina doesn't like this..."
The four of them headed somewhat apprehensively down the hall to the main room; to their relative amazement, Ein and Ledah were closing the door to the storeroom behind them at about the same time, with the taciturn angel still holding his folded cloak over one arm.
"So Ledah was watching him?" Cierra said with a sigh.
"Incredible," Serene muttered under her breath, whistling.
"Thanks, Mister Ledah!" Lina shouted, waving.
"We're so grateful to you for keeping Ein out of trouble," Fia told him sincerely.
Ledah just smiled and shook his head. "No need. I would prefer to avoid such a scene, myself."
"Was he like this in Asgard too?" Serene asked, cocking her head to one side.
"I'm sorry to say that he was," Ledah explained with a shrug. "And he still hasn't learned to behave any better."
"Aww, c'mon, Ledah, you don't need to tell them that," Ein complained, his whole face as bright scarlet as some of Lina's favorite fruits.
"He spent several days being chased around by a very homicidal Malice every month," Ledah told the girls, not paying any attention to Ein, whose face was getting steadily redder. "He seemed to be under the impression that what he saw was worth getting beaten from one side of the city to the other over and over again."
"You have problems, Ein," Serene said frankly, giving Ein a very weird look.
"So was it?" Cierra asked, looking genuinely curious.
"Wha?" Ein asked, blinking.
"Worth it?" Cierra embellished.
Ein said nothing, but got still redder. He turned to Ledah and smacked him in the shoulder. "Thanks a lot, smart one."
Still smiling wryly, Ledah shrugged again, unfazed. "As your friends, they have a right to know this kind of thing, wouldn't you say?"
"Shut up. I'm going to go wake up Rose," the wingless angel grumbled, leaving the girls laughing and Ledah smiling behind him.
---
Night had fallen once again.
It was hard to tell inside the house, but Cierra had given that as her guess and Ledah had confirmed it. From the lack of sound even upstairs, it had finally stopped snowing, leaving only a tiny crack of sky visible from the tops of the windows in Lina's room upstairs.
Cierra and Rose were up there now, probably asleep already; Fia and Serene had just tucked themselves into the bed on the far end of the room. Ledah sat in front of the fire, with each of his wings folded around someone--Ein on his right side, and Lina, with her hair taken down and a stuffed animal in her arms, on his left.
With a mumbled "nighty" to the boys, Lina had gone right to sleep; Ein and Ledah had spoken to each other in whispers for a few minutes afterwards, until Ein had followed the usually bouncy, treasure-loving little archer. So now, Ledah was sitting up alone, nursing his shyness as he stared unblinkingly into the blaze before him.
He had to say something soon. He had to know. The idea of rejection might shatter him, but it would surely be better than this half-life that trapped him now. What had happened with Ein today gave him a little hope, but he couldn't be sure until he said something.
He should've told Ein the truth two years ago, when he'd had the courage, when he'd thought he was dying, his soul ripped from his body by Hector and quickly being absorbed by Seth's seal. But he'd taken too much time, and he'd been cut off before he could get the words out. Since then, his slow recovery of the emotions he'd lacked had put a huge roadblock in front of him, building it higher and higher with each added complication in his heart--the shyness, awkwardness, nervousness. He'd become less sure of himself, even though he knew the truth of how he felt.
He had to say something... somehow...
But until then...
Silently, Ledah curled againt Ein's warm body, shivering slightly as the cold crawled up his spine. Resting his cheek against the younger angel's soft thick hair, he closed his eyes and sighed.
Somehow...
---
NEXT TIME: Some more detail about the "Ledah ending" of Riviera... :) Plus, of course, a vital lesson for our dear black-winged blondie: When no one's spreading rumors about you, and Ein isn't thinking of you 24/7, why are you sneezing so much? (XD)