Summary: When Albel learns about Valentine's Day from Fayt, he decides it is the perfect day to pursue the object of his affections, Nel Zelpher. But with Albel being far from the romantic type, will Fayt be able to tutor Albel the Wicked in the art of romance, or will his quest for love end in disaster?
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Star Ocean Till the End of Time' or any of the respective characters. I also do not own the poem, "She walks in Beauty' or the song, 'Wicked Game' (the song is performed by Chris Isaac and the poem is written by Lord Byron).
Warnings: Language.
A/N: I could not let the 14th of February pass without giving Albel a chance to exercise his romantic side (wherever it might be) and who better to bring it out than Nel? Dedicated to all those celebrating the day of romance on Also, this could not have been written without my sister-thanks for all the comic ideas!
My Wicked Valentine"Look at her," the Glyphian swordsman snorted, "Flaunting herself so obviously in front of me. Thinks she's so special. Pah, it makes me sick."
Fayt glanced up from his book and smiled. "If it makes you sick to look at her, why have you been staring at her for the past hour?"
Albel slammed a fist on the table, his half empty cup of mead rattling ominously. "I have not been staring at that woman, maggot!"
The bluenette rolled his eyes and closed his book with a sigh. "Yes, you have. I'm surprised that your eyeballs haven't fallen out of your head, or that you haven't been accused of stalking her."
"I would not lower myself to the level of an Aquarian, it is she who is staring at me! I am merely glaring back as a warning to her!"
His eyes slid across to where Nel was sunning herself in the courtyard, laughing with a group of Aquarians, including Claire and Tynave. She seemed oblivious to the two men sitting on the other side, and was doing everything but flaunting herself to Albel. "Actually, Albel, I don't think Nel even noticed if you were alive today or not. She hasn't looked your way once."
Albel glared at Fayt before folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair. "What do you know about women anyway, maggot? I do not see why I should even be talking to you, since you obviously know nothing!" he growled, brandishing one hand in a threatening manner.
Fayt only shrugged and returned to his book, waiting for the inevitable. Albel sat slouched in his chair, drumming the clawed fingers of his left hand on the tabletop. A muscle twitched irritably in his cheek as he resisted the urge to ask the question burning in his mind.
"Not even once?" he blurted out, unable to keep it in any longer.
Fayt raised the book in front of his face to hide the smirk growing there, and he could feel the smoking heat of the crimson eyes burning holes in the leather binding. "Maybe," he said playfully.
"A definite answer, earthling! Yes or no?" he snapped.
Teasing green eyes peered over the rim of the book and there was a muffled laugh, at which his eyes narrowed.
"Laugh once more, and you might wake up tomorrow with a very precious part of your anatomy missing!" he snarled.
Fayt gulped, seeing the mad gleam in his eyes. "No," he answered honestly. "Not even once."
Amazing. There was actually a flicker of disappointment on the captain's face but he straightened proudly on his seat. "Ha, she obviously does not know what she is missing, or she would have thrown herself at me months ago!"
"Which is a shame," Fayt pointed out, "Because you obviously do know."
Like lightning, his katana appeared his hand. "Would you like to repeat that statement, maggot?" he snarled, his lips pulling back to reveal his teeth. Fayt eyed the sharp sword nervously but viewed Albel's pointed teeth with even more trepidation.
"Look, Albel, if you need some help with catching Nel's attention, you should just wait for-"
"I need help from no-one, especially you. I will merely wait for the moment when the woman realizes that she is infatuated with me, and then I will allow her to pursue me!"
Looking over at Nel, who was deeply involved in conversation, Fayt was astonished at how dense and stubborn he was being, when it was apparent that Nel was not even currently aware of Albel's existence. "If you wait for tomorrow, you'll be able to get her for sure."
Albel glared at him suspiciously. "What is so special about tomorrow?"
"It's Valentines day. Women can never resist romantic advances on that day," he said knowledgably. "I can guarantee that Nel will fall over her own feet to get to you."
The image obviously appealed to Albel and he regarded the bluenette suspiciously. "So, what exactly is this 'Valentines Day'?" he asked nonchalantly, but there was an eager shine in his eyes.
"It's a special day of the year celebrated on earth, when you show someone how much you love them, or tell someone that you're attracted to them. You can give them a card, have a candlelit dinner for two, flowers, chocolates, and breakfast in bed…all the stuff that women go for, you know? Show them how you feel."
"I am not going to chase after her," Albel informed him frostily. "And I do not cook, or give women flowers. I despise that kind of behavior from men, especially me. I will simply tell her that she should be with me, and she will either accept it or not."
Fayt stared at him and threw his hands up in exasperation. "If you take that kind of attitude with Nel, all you're going to get is a slap in the face. You need to be subtle, more romantic."
Albel fixed Fayt with a glare that made him want to curl up and hide in a dark corner.
"Romantic?" he asked, glowering malevolently at the bluenette.
"Yeah, romantic. I think Nel would appreciate being treated like a woman, instead of a soldier. I know what lines you would be thinking along, Albel. A romantic evening to you is probably hours of frantic sparring."
"Yes, but what kind of sparring?" Albel asked, a wicked grin flashing across his face.
Fayt blushed. "Sparring with swords! Fighting! The other kind is a little premature for you, I think."
"Fine…then you tell me what I should do to get the woman's attention."
"M-Me?"
"Do you see anyone else around who knows about all this romantic nonsense?"
The bluenette sighed mournfully. "C'mon, isn't there anybody else? I mean, what about Woltar?"
Albel normally did only confide in the old man, but this was different. His old fashioned ideas about love and romance were practically antique, and well, not entirely suited to his purposes. Albel was not interested in romance; he was interested in seduction. Which was now Fayt's problem.
Albel did not have a romantic bone in his body and Fayt was not going to help him seduce Nel.
"Woltar is not an option," he told Fayt. "And if you do not help me, I will go after Nel in my own way."
Uh oh. That could be potentially disastrous. The two of them were the feistiest and most stubborn people Fayt knew, and if left to his own devices, Albel could cause some serious damage. Never mind that Nel would not respond to his advances well, and would probably want to knock Albel's head off after howls of derisive laughter.
"Well, I can't make any definite promises, and you have to do exactly what I say."
Albel interest had already drifted to focus back on Nel, and he merely grunted in acknowledgment of Fayt's offer. "Whatever."
"Okay, then let's start of with something safe. Now," Fayt said, his tone businesslike and brisk. "This is what you do tonight…"
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It was completely dark when Albel sneaked out of the castle, careful not to alert any guards. When he was out of hearing range, he smoothed out the piece of paper crumpled in his fist and favored it with a lethal glare. He could not believe what he was actually about to do, and he briefly considered turning back. But the thought of Nel staring at him in adoration drove him on.
He came to a halt at the foot of the tower where he knew Nel slept, and his gaze traveled upwards. Now, how was he going to get her attention? He spotted a small rock lying on the ground and picking it up, wondered if it was a little extreme.
Tch, like he cared. Besides, it wasn't as if it was actually going to hit somebody.
He narrowed his eyes, taking careful aim and pulling back his arm, he threw it. Albel watched with an air of satisfaction as it sailed directly through his target. The next moment, though, he cringed at the muffled curse that answered him.
"What the-?"
A disheveled woman with bloodshot eyes appeared at the window and glared down at the dark figure standing at the bottom of the tower. "Albel? What in Apris's name do you think you're doing?"
He took a deep breath. It was fine, Fayt had told him that all women loved this type of thing, and with that, he began to read.
"She walks in beauty, like the nightOf cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies."
Nel stood motionless at the window, her wide eyes fixed on him. Albel took that as encouragement and continued bravely.
"One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place."
By now, there was a big grin threatening to break his face in half at the thought of the expression of rapture on her beautiful face.
"And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!"
Albel finished with an extravagant bow and glanced up to receive his praise and reward, hopefully a kiss. "Do you feel weak at the knees, woman?"
"Are you crazy?" she whispered furiously, dark bags obvious under her eyes. "It's the middle of the night!"
"And your point is?" he said, giving her a whimsical smile.
"You woke me up, not to mention probably half the castle, to recite a stupid poem that you probably stole, and for what?"
"I did not steal that poem!" he said, slightly offended. "And as for what I was hoping for, well…"
From the window, she could see the suggestive leer on his face. "Did you think thatpathetic display was going to make me want to get into your pants? Or in your case, under your skirt?"
"Come on, woman, its Valentine's Day!" he shouted, forgetting that he had promised Fayt that he would try to be nice.
"You insensitive lout!" she shrieked angrily. "Just because you enlisted Fayt in your idiotic scheme, doesn't mean you can take me for a fool!"
"What!" This was what he got for all his effort? "How did you know that?"
She looked at him scornfully. "Please, as if I believe you can come up with something like that on your own! I saw the two of you sitting and plotting together in the courtyard today!" she snapped, and whirled away from the window, out of his sight.
A warm feeling, however, was spreading through his body and he smiled gleefully, ignoring the obvious snub from Nel. "Ha, and that maggot said she was not looking! She could not take her eyes off me!"
And with that he strolled back to his room, feeling undeniably chuffed and self-important. He would try again in the morning, and this time she would fall into his arms without a fight.
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"I thought the pink roses would be more suitable for the day, and you can give her the red ones tonight…" the bluenette mused, arranging the delicate flowers in a pretty vase and looking pleased at the result.
Albel could not take his eyes off him.
Or rather, what he held in his hands.
"Albel! That's for Nel!" Fayt snapped as he batted away the hand sneaking over the tray to grab a morsel of food.
Albel frowned at him resentfully. "Like she will even notice the food if I'm there. Besides, I did not have time to eat before youdragged me here."
This man is unbelievable, Fayt thought. Aloud he said, "Well, she will probably be hungry and I don't think she's awake yet. And she will appreciate the flowers, because I brought them especially from earth. Now, remember Albel, knock before barging into the room, be polite, and for God's sake, look more cheerful. You look awful."
"So would you if a maggot woke you up before dawn."
"Albel, you're a naturally bad tempered and cranky person. Believe me, it's not because I happened to wake you up a little early."
Albel eyed the tray enviously and then looked at Fayt. "So I have to give her this in bed?"
"Yeah, simple right? Remember to compliment her on how she looks, but don't sound like you're leering at her. Please, whatever you do, do not stare at her breasts. You have a habit of doing that, and she will be offended. And don't try anything with Nel, just because she happens to be in bed."
He picked up the tray, arching a brow in the bluenette's direction. "Why? Jealous, earthling?"
Fayt blushed, a mortified expression spreading across his face. "No, Albel. I am not jealous."
Albel smirked, tossing his hair over one shoulder as he sauntered out of the room. Gradually (but very slowly), the heat left Fayt's cheeks and he sank into a nearby chair with a sigh. Was he really satisfied with playing matchmaker?
Or was he only searching for his own Valentine?
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The vase of roses wobbled precariously atop the tray and Albel swore as he took a swipe at yet another snickering soldier, while making his way to Nel's room. The woman had better appreciate this, he thought dangerously, because he knew the castle would be gossiping about this for weeks and the servants would never let him live it down, no matter how much he threatened bodily harm. He rounded a corner and promptly collided with a petite female figure. Albel managed to steady the tray, but the flowers, finally bowing to fate, toppled to the floor with a resounding crash.
He cursed again and knelt down to rescue the roses, picking them out from among the broken glass.
"Albel? What are you doing?"
He glanced up at Claire and frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here, you know." Her gaze slid to the flowers and the breakfast carefully laid out on the tray. "Are you going to see Nel?"
"So? Do you have a problem with that?" he said defensively, absentmindedly holding the roses in his clawed hand.
"Oh no, no. Absolutely not," she said, backing away from him. "Personally, I think it's sweet, being Valentine's Day and all."
"Yes, well, whatever," he said, concentrating on the tray but then suddenly glaring at her. "Now would you mind getting out of my way?"
"Sure. Never let it be said that I stood in the way of true love," she said pleasantly, stepping out of his way.
Albel shoved his way past her anyway. "Keep your mouth shut, maggot."
"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Albel!" she yelled after him, miffed that even in times of peace, he was still a rude jerk.
A few moments later, Albel came to a halt outside of her room and raised his left hand to knock loudly on the door. Puzzled, he stared at the pink rose petal stuck on one claw. What was a petal doing there, of all places? He paused; confusion etched onto his face and then looked down at the roses he had picked up off the floor with his…left hand. Dismay flooded over him as he saw the mangled mess that remained of the roses.
"Goddamn pieces of shit!" he hissed loudly, when the door opened and Nel stood before him, blinking sleepily.
"Albel?"
He froze, before regaining his usual poise. "My, you look lovely even when you wake up," he said brightly, but his smile slipped when he realized how wrong he was.
Nel was clad in a rumpled white nightdress and her hair resembled a rat's nest, and the way she was glowering at him in that moment, he almost wished he could throw breakfast in her ungrateful face.
"What the hell do you want?" she demanded bluntly.
Albel had to force himself to smile and reply politely. "Breakfast for you, my dear."
"Are you serious?"
"But, of course. And only for you."
She regarded him suspiciously for a second, and the delicious smell coming from the tray made her decision for her. "I suppose you can come in then," she snapped irritably.
Albel strolled into the room and stopped at the bed, looking at her expectantly while she closed the door.
Nel folded her arms across her chest when she saw where he was waiting. "You have got to be joking," she said in disbelief. "Surely you do not expect…"
"It's breakfast in bed, Nel. Therefore you have to be in the bed." His eyes roved over her however, and he winked saucily. "We have plenty of time for other activities in bed."
Once she was in bed (after much argued persuasion from him), an annoyed Albel unceremoniously dumped the breakfast tray into the lap of an equally moody Nel.
"Thank you," she said shortly and Albel sniffed.
"You're welcome."
The food, to her surprise, was quite tastefully prepared to her palate and it disappeared very quickly, especially when she saw the way Albel was eyeing the contents of the plate. She smiled sweetly in his direction when she lifted the last bite to her lips, and she took great delight in the way his eyes widened hopefully, as he greedily watched the pathway of the fork. Nel grinned when his face fell and took extra time in savoring it.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Albel, did you want that?" she asked, pretending to only notice him now. She was still simmering about being woken up at two am just to hear a poem.
With great control, he swiveled his head away from the empty plate to meet her gaze. "No, by all means, it was meant for you."
"Well, it certainly was delicious. One of the most exquisite meals I have had in a long time. You must complement the chef for me, Albel."
His teeth were gritted and he could barely answer. "I wouldn't dream of missing the opportunity to thank a chef in your honor," he growled, staring at the wall.
Her eyes strayed to the roses that still lay on the tray and her interest piqued, she held them up to her nose, breathing in their beautiful fragrance.
"Albel, what are these?"
"Roses."
"From Earth, I suppose?"
He nodded grudgingly and she sighed. "I would have appreciated local flowers, you know."
"Yes," he said, looking at her as if she were an idiot. "But these are more special."
"Maybe, but what did you do to them?" she asked, bothered at the way he had looked at her.
He did not answer but looked angrily at his clawed left hand and she felt a rush of sudden understanding and pity. Hell, how could she continue leading him on like this? Sure, it was fun and hugely entertaining, but what if he was really serious about her? He was being unusually nice, after all.
"Would you like to accompany me to the Valentine's Ball tonight?" she asked in a sudden rush, avoiding his gaze.
Albel blinked in surprise. "Are you serious?"
"Deadly. So, is that a yes?"
"That depends…if you explain to me exactly what you mean."
Nel rolled her eyes. "Please tell me you at least know what's happening tonight." At the blank look on his face, she sighed. "Well, Fayt told Aquaria and Airyglyph about Valentine's Day, and they're using it as another opportunity to celebrate their engagement, by holding a dance. And since it seems the whole of Elicoor Two has been caught up in this new holiday fever, half the population of our countries will be attending. It's been the talk of the town for at least three weeks, Albel, don't you notice anything?"
He scratched his head and smiled mischievously at her. "Provided that it is of interest to me. This dance, though, sounds incredibly boring and stuffy."
Her face fell slightly and she tossed her head. "It makes no difference to me, Albel, whether you go or not," she said distantly.
"But I think your presence might make it all the more bearable. So yes, I suppose I will allow myself to escort you to the ball."
A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and he rose, returning her grin. "Until tonight then, Lady Nel," he said grandly, seizing her hand and planting a wet kiss on it. "I shall await you in the ballroom with bated breath." He retrieved the tray with a flourish and had almost swaggered toward the door when her voice called him back.
"Albel, make sure you wear something suitable tonight. If I am going to be wearing a dress, I do not wish to dance with a man in a skirt. Unless, for some strange and obscure reason, you want me to wear the pants."
"I will wear something that will be guaranteed to bowl you over," he assured her with a wink. "But Nel…"
She looked at him, arching her brow questioningly.
"I expect the favor to be returned then," he said suggestively. "I can't wait to see your dress. And how you look out of it."
The wicked gleam in his crimson eyes mocked her as he slammed the door to avoid the pillow thrown at high speed from her bed and she could hear muffled laughter echoing in the passage.
But Nel could not stop the wide smile of pleasure from spreading across her face and hours later, it was still there.
And she was not the only one who was grinning like an idiot as the day drew on, hastening towards the evening dance.
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Albel tugged irritably at the collar of his shirt, missing the coolness of the metal collar that normally decorated his throat. He hated the soft material that was scratching his skin but even he had to admit, it looked good.
"Uh, Albel?"
He glanced up to see Fayt standing next to his table, shuffling his feet nervously. Curiously, he noted the way the boy's cheeks were flushed and the drop of nervous sweat that dangled on his temple.
"What do you want?"
"Just to give you this." Fayt thrust the large box at him hurriedly.
Albel rattled the brightly colored box warily. "What is it?"
"Something I brought from earth. It's called chocolate, I'm sure you'll like it."
"Chocolate? Like you give someone for Valentine's Day?" he recalled, frowning at the box.
"Yeah…" an odd expression was twisting the bluenette's face.
"Fayt? What the hell is your problem?"
The use of his name by Albel seemed to prompt him into action. "Happy Valentine's Day, Albel!" he blurted, sounding half strangled as he ran off, disappearing instantly into the crowd.
Albel stared after him and then looked down at the box in puzzlement. What was wrong with the maggot now?
But he soon forgot about Fayt's odd behavior when he opened the box out of sheer curiosity. It would make a nice gift for Nel when she arrived, he thought as he examined the heart shaped chocolates nestled in a deep tray. But maybe he should try one, just to make sure. After all, what would she think if they tasted terrible?
He unwrapped one, and tossed it into his open mouth, prepared to spit it out if he had to.
Albel could not describe with mere words what the chocolate tasted like. He sat in a dreamy stupor, savoring the delicious creaminess in his mouth. What magic, what sorcery was this from Earth? He felt as if he were floating like a cloud and he, Albel the Wicked, actually laughed in pure delight.
Later, when Nel descended the stairs, she immediately spotted his dark head amongst the crowded table and felt immediate relief that he was wearing pants. She smoothed her hands nervously over her meticulously selected dress, hoping that he would like it and fiddled with her hair.
"Nel, if you keep touching your hair, it will come undone."
She jumped and turned to see Claire coming down the stairs, arm in arm with a tall blonde. "You startled me, Claire. And Cliff, I didn't expect to see you back again so soon."
The blonde winked and hugged Claire closer. "Yeah, Fayt called to tell me how you all were gonna celebrate Valentine's Day, and no way was I gonna pass up a chance to take my girl out to a party."
It was sweet the way he was devoted to her, Nel thought wistfully. Cliff had romanced the Aquarian commander soon after the war, but was forced to divide his time between planets as Claire was not permitted to leave Elicoor Two, because of the UP3. But he spent the majority of his time here in Aquaria, except when duty to Quark dictated otherwise.
Right now, Claire was radiant in a gorgeous midnight blue gown and Cliff was equally handsome in a black suit that fit his tall frame very well. Nel hoped that Albel looked as good, or there would be hell to pay.
"So, I assume you're with Albel?" Claire asked, an impish twinkle in her eye.
Cliff raised an eyebrow and his face lit up with a grin. "No way, Albel's here? To dance? Man, I gotta see this!"
"Well, I'll be sure to tell him what you said Cliff."
"Where is Albel?" Claire asked, craning her neck to stare into the crowd. "Are you meeting him here?"
"Yes, I was just on my way to find him."
Cliff's eyes fell on Nel, noticing her dress for the first time and he whistled appreciatively. "Nel, you're gonna knock Albel dead."
Nel blushed, unused to such compliments. "Thank you, Cliff."
Claire smiled gently. "He's right, Nel, you look stunning."
Flustered, Nel smoothed the front of her dress again. "I should go meet Albel, he's probably been waiting for a while."
The couple smiled and moved off into the crowd, waving cheerfully back at Nel, who took a deep breath and went off in the opposite direction to locate Albel. She wondered why she was so nervous, after all, it was not as if she had never attended an event like this before. Yes, but never with someone quite like Albel.
Her mouth went dry when she saw him, sitting slouched at a table and idly drifting his clawed hand in the flame of the candle. She licked her lips anxiously and approached the table. "Albel?"
He jumped up from where he had been playing with the candle and as he turned to face her, his jaw dropped.
Nel actually glowed in her dress, an exquisite creation of cream silk that left her shoulders bare and flared out at the waist. Simple in design, it undoubtably had the effect Nel had wanted, especially when combined with her scarlet hair, which had been twisted upwards in an elegant knot behind her head with a few tendrils framing her face. A sheer wrap around her shoulders completed the ensemble.
"Nel…you look…amazing…" he stammered, nerves flooding him in sudden wave.
Seeing Albel struck speechless was almost as good as looking at his appearance. The Black Brigade captain was clad in a pair of simple black pants and boots, coupled with a deep red shirt that had been left partially unbuttoned to reveal a smooth expanse of chest. Most of his hair lay loose over his shoulders and down his back, and he held a single red rose in his hand.
"You look…much better than I expected," she answered, a shy smile sliding over her face. "Quite dashing, actually."
Albel offered the rose to her and moved to take her hand in his other. "For you, sweet lady."
Skeptically, she took the rose he offered and the hand. "Such charm from such a-ow!" She snatched her hand back, gazing at the reddened fingers in surprise. "You burned me!"
"Not on purpose!" he exclaimed, looking down at his clawed hand in surprise. "The heat from the candles, I think…" he said sheepishly, his expression apologetic.
She was nursing her fingers and he bit his lip, wondering what he could do to ease the exasperated look on her face. "Here, I brought something else for you!" he said almost desperately, shoving the box of chocolates into her hands.
"What is this?" she asked, forgetting her hand in favor of the strangely wrapped box.
"Chocolate."
"What?"
"Just try it," he urged and she sighed, flipping the lid open. A mess of papers met her eyes, amidst the few remaining chocolates. "You've already eaten half of it, you pig!"
Great, Albel had forgotten that fact. Hurriedly, his eyes flickered around, searching for something to distract Nel. "Why don't we sit down and I'll open some champagne to lighten the mood."
Nel sat down reluctantly, already wondering if this evening was going to be a disaster. "Oh, you…all right, I suppose."
Albel gallantly helped her into a chair and she regarded him doubtfully. "You persuaded Fayt to bring more champagne from Earth?"
"Well, I simply told Fayt that I required some champagne for this evening and he had no choice but to comply."
Nel laughed and relaxed a bit into her chair. "Typical."
He smiled, relieved that she had not left in a huff by now. Albel brandished the bottle with a flourish and took a sword that lay propped next to his chair, into his free hand. Her green eyes lit up with concern. "What are you doing?"
"Opening the bottle," he answered, examining the sword that was mostly decorative in nature.
"With a sword?"
"This is how Fayt told me they do it in fancy restaurants on Earth," he reassured her. He grasped the bottle firmly and swiped the sword upward with a swishing motion. The cork shot out of the bottle, bounced off the chandelier above and hit Nel squarely in her eye. She shrieked, flinging herself backwards with her hands covering her eyes and landing flat on her back. Albel froze, horrified.
"Nel!" he said, hurrying around the table to help her to her feet. His horror grew in leaps and bounds when he saw the dark bruise already forming around her eye.
"Look what you did!" she yelled angrily amidst titters and whispers from the crowd.
"You think I hit you on purpose? Are you crazy?"
"I am perfectly sane, you're the one who's psychotic!" she screamed, her face reddening in embarrassment. "I should have known something like this would happen," she hissed as she got to her feet, revulsion creeping into her voice.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You! Here I was, for months and months, hopingthat you would open your mouth and actually have the nerve to tell me how you feel, and you go and pull a stunt like this! You want me to kill you, don't you?"
His mouth fell open. "What about you? You should have opened your mouth first if you wanted to tell me something!"
Both were oblivious to the circle of people that had formed around them to witness the shouting match going on that was quickly growing in volume. Nel's face was flaming red from both humiliation and anger, as was his.
"Why should it have been me? Are you incapable of talking to a woman?"
"I've had enough of this," he said in disgust. "I'm leaving. Enjoy the dance."
"Fine, run away!" Nel yelled after him, as he stalked away. "See if I care, you jerk!"
"What is going on here?" an amazed voice asked into the stunned silence.
Albel and Nel both turned around to see Woltar standing on the edge of the circle, an amused expression on his lined face.
"What is so amusing, old man?" Albel snapped.
"The two of you," he answered, stepping closer to them. "Acting like children."
"Excuse me," Nel began, "He is the one who is acting like a child…"
"No, Lady Nel, I beg to differ. The two of you are acting like a bunch of spoiled children who each want to get their own way."
Albel scowled. "So? What business is it of yours?"
Woltar ignored Albel, turning his attention to Nel. "Albel has been putting quite a bit of effort into wooing you, Nel, even if his attempts are dismal at most. I would think that you would be more appreciative of the thought behind that. And you, boy," he said turning to Albel, who only glowered at Nel, "Should stop making a fool of yourself by trying so hard to obtain something you already so obviously have. Both of you are on the verge of ruining this ball, now for the sake of Their Majesties, please grow up!"
Albel and Nel both stared at the old captain in angry silence and he smiled. "Now by all means, return to the ball, and enjoy yourselves. That is an order," he added as he melted back into the crowd. "And someone please disperse these people, the show is over for the night."
The two soldiers stood in stony silence while the crowd mingled around them, all earlier tension and intrigue forgotten. His red gaze slid sideways and met hers, and her green eyes bored into his.
"You know, Albel, even though I didn't show it, I really did love the poem," she volunteered after a while.
"You did?"
"Yes, I did," she said, stepping closer to him.
"Even though it was so obviously not mine?"
"Even so, it is the thought that counts," she replied, so close now that she could touch him.
The scent of her perfume filled his nose and hesitatingly, he slipped his arms around her waist. "Would you like to dance?"
"If you can," she said teasingly, her eyes lighting up with mischief and she linked her hands behind his neck.
Slowly, they began to sway together to the music. Nel closed her eyes as she rested her chin on his shoulder, the material of his shirt pleasantly soft and the fragrance of his hair clean and sweet. Albel enjoyed the feeling of holding Nel in his arms, her body warm against his. Absentmindedly, he began to sing the song that was playing in her ear. Nel giggled as his breathe tickled her ear but she listened carefully to the words.
"What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way…what a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you…"
"And oh, I…wanna fall in love…"
"Do you mean that?" she murmured.
His arms tightened around herand he smiled. "Maybe. Only time will tell."
An explosion of sound erupted around them and they glanced upward to see fireworks bursting above them through the glass dome of the ballroom. Nel laughed out loud in delight, and grabbed Albel's hand, pointing excitedly at the rays of falling stars. Her excitement and that of those around them was infectious and he could not help but exclaim in wonder along with them.
"Nel? Happy Valentine's Day."
She glanced at him, her eyes shining like twin stars and kissed him gently, ignoring the throngs of people around them. He soon lost himself in the sweetness and tenderness of her lips, and was disappointed when she pulled away.
"Happy Valentine's Day to you to, Albel."
He pulled her to him possessively and kissed her passionately, the very heavens above them exploding in a dazzling array of sparkling light and magic.
Albel would always be a special part of her heart, Nel realized as they spun under the beautiful light of the Elicoor star. He would always be her wicked Valentine.
As Fayt watched Albel dancing with Nel, the couple's happiness was reflected in their bright smiles and he sighed from where he sat alone at a table. How pathetic was that? Moping over someone he was never even with?
"Fayt?"
He jumped up in shock to see Sophia standing behind him, looking very pretty in a pale pink dress that ended just below her knees. "Sophia, what are you doing here?"
"I thought I might visit and see how the Elicoorians celebrated Valentine's Day."
"Oh."
"Fayt? Would you like to dance?" she asked and he noticed how nervous she was, twisting her dress in her hands. Well, maybe he was not in love with her, but she was his best friend. And who better else to spend Valentine's Day with?
"Sure, Sophia. I would love to," he said, taking her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor.
Elsewhere, Claire and Cliff were dancing, enraptured in each others arms and Fayt grinned when he saw the tall Klausian dancing quite elegantly with his girlfriend. He laughed and Sophia looked up at him inquisitively. "Is something wrong?"
He smiled down at and spun her out from him. She giggled when she came back to his arms and looked surprised at the strangely wistful expression on his face. "Fayt?"
"You know what, Sophia?" he said, looking at Albel and Nel staring at each other in adoration. "Maybe everything is exactly as it should be."
She smiled and laid her head on his chest. "Really? I'm glad."
"Yeah? Me too."
Everything is as it was meant to be.
And that was all that mattered on the first Valentine's Day for the people of Elicoor Two.
The End.