Sorry for the gap in between my updates, I was loss for ideas on the whole plot thing, but my mind was set on the whole shonen-ai thing. And plus, I'm sick so it's hard to keep my mind focued on anything, so I've been having to type a few paragraphs then ly down, rest and think what should happen next in my head. Very helpful, I should try it all the time.

-+- Reply to Reviewers -+-

Kat- Yes, I do lie. But this chapter ought to shock you. No further comment (snicker)

Meowzy- My thoughts exactly, but not yet. Mwahaha.

Black- Yes, I just HAD to make Kratos confess. It was a good cliffy.

Dawn: Yea, alot of people say reading about KRatos and Yuan fight is funny. Mayybe because the fighitng it hiding their love?

Sassy- Lol, thanks!

Emerald Flame
Genuine Concern

Aside from the frigid weather, the mood of the seraphims had drastically changed from anixouty, hatred, and confusion to complete silence. No words were said for a few moments, which was the longest they had gone without throwing insults at each other. Whatever effect Kratos did have on Yuan, it was taking along time to sink into him. Either he was glad, or furious beyhond belief and was planning his rage of furry, or he was in thorough shock. Banking on the last idea, Kratos kept his glance off the fellow seraphims for a few moments. The air in the room was completely stale, and was getting colder by the second.

Yuan just looked at Kratos, eyes still looking like he had just seen a ghost. It was a long while before Yuan blinked, and looked at Kratos, with that wierd look people tend to give you when they aren't sure what's going on. Raising his hand to say something, Yuan shuffled it back down and cleared his throat.

"You what!" Clenching his fists tightly, Yuan gritted his teeth together as he looked furiously at Kratos. Lifting his head up to meet Yuan's gaze, Kratos felt the feeling of dread he was so afraid of. Yuan was pushing him away, farther then away. He was losing him, and no other words could express that feeling. Possibly it was to be expected Yuan would feel this way. In his heart, Kratos knew that from the start. But when you feel as much as he did towards Yuan, you have to try atleast.

"If that's all you have to say about this, then I'm sorry I even bothered you with my thoughts," It was Kratos who had looked away and strode to a table to sit down. Burrying his head into his arms as he sat down, he hid his face from the world, and more importantly Yuan.

Watching Kratos stride away, Yuan sighed and looked over at him, almost in attempts to further quarrel with the man, but he found himself speechless. All there was to do was to talk, and sort things about before anything else could happen. Anything at all.

"Kratos, stop sulking and get over here and talk to me," It was more of a command then a request. Yuan's voice was filled with rage, but determination to settle this issue once and for all. Whether it be a physical solution, or a verbal one.

Sighing, Kratos arose to his feet once more, and trugded back over to Yuan who was tapping his foot on the ground waiting for Kratos to return. He was more so fearing what Yuan had to say, so he didn't look him straight in the eye.

"Why must you toy with my mind, human?"

"Toy..with your mind?" Kratos' words lingered on his lips when he heard what Yuan said. He was expecting a 'are you insane!' or something along the lines of 'gay pervert' but that wasn't what he was hearing. He was hearing Yuan's voice on this whole situation.

"Yes, that's correct. Do you honestly think you can shift loyalites and expect everything to be the same when you switch back?" Gazing intently at Kratos, Yuan crossed his arms as he felt the need to tell Kratos this.

"I desire to tell you my reasons for siding with Mithos, Yuan. But that's something I cannot do. Just please, hear me out when I tell you that it's killing me inside to see Lloyd, and you suffer because of me," Kratos looked down uneasily and closed his eyes tightly. Yuan's eyes widened as he heard Kratos give sympathy towards him. A roll of amusement passed the seraphim before he dared to reply.

"If you claim you 'love' me, how can you not express your goals to me?" Yuan only chanted those words with the slightest bit of care towards Kratos. Just trying to understand Kratos was something to be proud of, if you could find a way to do that.

"Can you promise me you won't tell my son any of what I'm going to tell you?" Kratos' was biting down on his bottom lip when he was saying those words. He was acting as if it literally was hurting him to say that. And maybe Mithos was hurting him, but he'd never confess to that. He had dug himself into a pit that had one exit.

"Why would I wish to banter to Lloyd about your affairs?"

"Yuan..."

"Alright, I promise," Yuan sighed and looked at Kratos, ready to hear an explanation on his activies and reasons for staying with Cruxis.

"Do you know about the crafting of the the ring of pact?" Kratos looked meekily at his fellow comrade as he utterted those words into the open. Shifting his head uneasily, Yuan gave a look of confision.

"I believe so, why?"

"To craft it, the fire must be fueled by-"

"Sacred wood..." Yuan's thoughts to himself cut off Kratos' explanation. Looking at Yuan, stunned by his sudden knownace, Kratos gave a greeable nod.

"That's correct. And I assume you know what the ring of pact does?"

"Allow a human to wield the Eternal Sword. But how are you going to get the sword away from Mithos long enough to allow a human to wield it? You do know he never leaves it for two seconds," Yuan became stiff from confusion,and could only dare to know what Kratos wanted to tell him.

"I'm in the process of persuading him to leave it as a lure to the chosen's group when they head towards the Tower Of Salvation, and that could give me time to give Lloyd the ring," Kratos looked at Yuan hopefully, as if he wanted acceptance from the blue-haired seraphim.

"I doubt it'll work," Yuan yawned and became uneasy with Kratos looking at him. "But please, give me the details about this 'killing storm' Mithos had caused." Everything always came back to their current crisis. Kratos looked at Yuan and sighed.

"He made the storm to kill you. Martel wished for your survival, and for Mithos not to kill you, but if he caused a storm it'd look like an accident. Of course, he confronted me about this idea, and I was going to protest, but he hasn't been listening to me lately. So after guessing he'd go along with his plan, I came to find you before the storm got the best of you," A light blush flickered on Kratos' face, but his mental control pushed it away.

"So it wasn't just a concidence," Yuan murmured, and lightly smiled at Kratos for a second, before acting like this information didn't pase him.

"Precisely."

"But, if Mithos learned you saved me, he could possibly kill you. Don't you care if you die!" Yuan suddenely became alarmed at the aspect of Kratos putting himself in danger. But what he wasn't understanding was that Kratos was putting himself in danger for him.

"I did consider that, but it was a chance worth taking."

"A chance worth-, wait a second Kratos," Going speechless, Yuan's sterness and alarm-ness had faltered and he was left with a new sense of respect towards Kratos. He was finally starting to understand how much Kratos was putting on the line for him.

"Are you too cold Yuan?" Kratos smiled lightly.

"I, uh, of course I am. We're in the middle of a glacial region and you're asking if i'm-" Yuan began but Kratos sent a blast of fire at the fireplace setting it ablaze.

"I'd attempt to blast us out of here, but my mana is limited," Kratos looked wearily and looked at Yuan. Staring blankly back at Kratos, Yuan found himself stunned by his sudden kind gesture of warmth.

"That was, I mean, it's warmer, I," Yuan looked away, obviously not capable of finding the right words.

"Thank you?" Kratos spoke, tilting his head as he smiled.

"Yes, that's it," Yuan glanced back over and sat down, staring at the fire. Kratos also took a seat, and watched the roaring flames. It was truly warmer in the room, but the stale and bitterness the two seraphims had, had diminished, leaving the room surprisingly more enjoyable.

"And Yuan," Kratos asked, glancing at the seraphim who was siting next to him.

"Yes?" He asked, trying to stay clam.

"I meant what I said earlier." Kratos declared.

"About Mithos?" Yuan asked, unsure what he was talking about at this current moment.

"No, not that."

"Then what?"

"Do I really need to refresh your memory?" Kratos snickered kindly, and could only shake his head at how dense Yuan could be. He found himself staring at Yuan's emerald eyes for a few minutes before daring to look away.

"Refresh my memory? I believe it's your memory that should be refreshed," Yuan chimed. Kratos starred at Yuan, trying to understand what Yuan had just said, or what he had meant by that.

"Refresh my memory? Why would you need to do-"

"Shush and listen," Yuan commanded, glowering at Kratos to silence himself. Nodding, Kratos awaited Yuan's words.

"Ah, right," Kratos spoke with a slight grin. Sighing, Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"I do want to know more about your plans, and how we are going to escape this trap, but for now," Yuan began but stutterted.

"For now what?"

"For now, I'd like to know more about you Kratos Aurion," Yuan lightly said, with the first smile he had for the longest time.

"About, me?" Kratos asked, stunned to death.

"Learn more about you, and in return, you learn what I have to say," When Yuan did manage a smile, it was accompanied with the look like he was glowing.

"What do you have to say?" Kratos joked, trying to sound as interted as ever.

"If you ever close your mouth long enough for me to show you, then maybe you'd learn!" Yuan snapped, then looked away frok Kratos momentarily. His face was beat red, and showing Kratos this wasn't such a good idea.

"Alright, then what do you have to say" Kratos just sat there, looking at Yuan trying to figure out what was on the seraphims mind.

"I-um, well," Yuan glanced away for another moment before sharply turning back, in attempts to go on with what he was saying.

"Well what?" Kratos tilited his head, waiting for a reply.

"I don't feel comfortable with telling you this at this current moment." Yuan declared, eyes darting away from the auburn angel, and down to his own feet.

"Oh, that's fine. If you do feel the need to release what's on your mind, you can," Kratos smiled and looked at Yuan.

"But now, is not the time," Yuan shifted uneasily.

"Surely if I can tell you what's on my mind, you can do the same?"

"You wouldn't understand it."

"Yuan, we're over four thousand years old, how can I not understand what's bothering you?" Kratos snickered and watched Yuan intently, trying to see if his joke had any effect on him. But it did have an effect, all the effect.

"Do you really want to know what I think?" Yuan suddenely hissed.

"Of course I do," Kratos replied cooly, trying to keep his sudden alarm hidden.

"I think that you should forget about Mithos and Derris-Kharlan," Yuan snapped.

"Why's that?" Kratos spoke as a grin rolled across his face.

"Wh..y? I don't need to explain my reasons to you," Yuan was now stuttering as he spoke. Not a good sign for him, but a grand sign for Kratos.

"You'll never change."

"I can change if I want to, and I don't need the verficiation that it's alright from a human," He changed from anxiouty to anger in the blink of an eye once more. It was his way of hiding what he really wanted to say, and only Kratos knew that about him.

"Humph, well I respect your wishes, and I won't bother you on this issue anymore until you feel comfortable with enlighting me about it," Kratos stood up and walked to his room, not angriliy, but almost to toy with Yuan's mind, and possibly pry what Yuan was going through out of him.

"Kratos, wait." Yuan murmured. Kratos turned around, and remained at the beginning of the hall.

"Hmm?"

"I-"

"Once more, you what?" Kratos yawned, alittle tired of this conversation.

"I, was just going to say rest well, but I changed my mind," Yuan sneered, and looked back at the fire, away from Kratos'.

"Ah right, of course," Kratos turned around, alittle disappointed that Yuan hadn't let spill what was on his mind.Did Yuan really love him? Or was he just playing him for the fool he really was. Either way, Kratos had a long road ahead of him to find out how Yuan really did feel. And along that road was the hardest thing he would ever have to do, the worst thing he had to make Yuan go through. He had to release Origin's Seal, and he had to die. Kratos looked down and walked into his room and lightly shut the door. Yuan perked his ears up and turned around to stare at the closed door, he closed his eyes and sighed before talking to himself.

"Does he honestly love me? Or are these feelings I have about him pointless? Do I really love Kratos?..."

AN:

Like I said, are you happy now? And like three to go. Dun dun dun. And Yes, Yuan really hasn't 'confesed' about loving Kratos yet, that's in a later chapter. So right now, Kratos isn't too sure how much Yuan really does care.And uh-huh, they will escape the hotel of doom in the next chapter. So, yep. Until then, this is Lady Rina