Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean or its Characters.

Note: Alright, I had a request for romance and couldn't help myself. Don't blame me, I couldn't get the thought outta my mind. This chapter will contain some OOC, but it's explained and justified. Don't worry, things are starting to pick up.

Dialog – "Blah"

Thoughts – 'Blah'

Bitter-Sweet Motivations

Chapter 6: Emending Sentiments

Sophia was getting frustrated. She sat there, her head propped against the wall for what felt like an hour. Her eyes were closed, but it didn't matter how hard she tried - she couldn't sleep.

She finally gave up and opened her eyes. Her head was tilted up and the ceiling was the first thing to come into view. She let her eyes wonder over the ceiling for a while. She thought briefly of how the ruins were unlike anything she had seen before. The walls seemed to glow. There was a light in the room but no evidence of a light source. It was fascinating and very much unlike the ruins on Earth.

Slowly she let her chin come down and her gaze set on the figure across the room from her. He sat with his back to the other wall. One knee was drawn up and both his arms were draped around it. His head was tilted down, facing the floor between his knee and other leg.

She almost laughed at the situation. Suddenly, she didn't feel so bad. Our lass, you see, had a way of taking the blame on herself. Though she had argued with our swordsman earlier, she agreed with every word he said. She felt it was her fault that he was now locked in a room in the middle of the desert. But for reasons beyond her comprehension, she didn't feel like letting it hinder her.

She stood up as quietly as she could and looked around the room. Besides the rubble that littered the place, there was a short podium in the middle of the floor. On the podium sat a bowl. She walked over to the bowl and looked inside. Clear water shimmered from within. The lights from the room glistened in the reflection. Her eyes became fixed as if hypnotized.

Then the reflections shifted. She recognized the form in the water almost immediately. Still, her eyes never strayed from the liquid. "What is it?" she asked Albel's reflection.

"Don't know…" His voice was soft. "I suppose it could be the legendary water of the shrine." As he spoke, his words came out slow but steady.

"Water of the shrine," Sophia repeated as if in a trance. "What's that?" Her tone was even and unwavering.

"There's an old fools legend about the time the world was formed. It is said that Apris started creation with water. Water is the base to life."

"I…didn't think you…believed…in such."

"Legends are the dreams of idiots," he responded in an unconvincing voice.

Sophia was so taken in by the water that she didn't know she had reached for it until her finger had submerged in its cool depth. The water was surprisingly cool. So cool. So relaxing.

She lifted her finger from the liquid and studied it as if it was foreign to her. She felt like a child. She just had to know what it tasted like.

Albel broke his trance just a second too late. He opened his mouth to protest, his hand in mid-swing for her. But he wasn't fast enough. She had already placed the finger in her mouth and had tasted the water.

He stepped quickly around the podium and pulled her away from the bowl. He shook her slightly by her shoulders. She looked at him through half closed lazy eyes. "Fool! You have no idea what could be in that!" He was all but yelling at her.

Instead of receiving the reaction he expected, she just smiled at him. "Oh, you worry too much. I'm fine. You should try it, it's soooo good." Her words were slightly slurred.

He released her shoulders. "This isn't…" His words faded as he stepped back.

"Isn't what?" she asked, taking a step forward to match his step back. "Isn't like me? Um? You know, I use to think that one day I would become Sophia Leingod. I over heard my parents talking to his parents one day. They talked about how compatible we were. And the sad thing is - I thought it was true. I fell in love with him. But he's not who he use to be. He's no longer the same boy I knew."

Albel ran through his memory, searching for an answer. There was something about the water in the legend. He never paid attention to legends. He never believed in them enough to comment them to memory. The water had an affect on people, but he could not recall what it was. At this point he was starting to believe, unwillingly, in the nonsense. That was the only way he knew to explain his previous trance like state and the fact he knew what the water was.

She stopped and put her hands on her hips. "But you, you don't change. Not the least. You are you. I can't understand why you are the way you are, but at least your constant. And," she leaned forward, tilting her head up. "You're very attractive."

"Look wench, there's something in the water…"

She laughed. "Something in the water? I've heard that one before." She winked at him.

She took another step at him. In turn, he took a step back. Only he was unable to see the path behind him. A loose piece of debris shifted under his weight. His attention had been on the brunette and not on his balance; which he lost completely. He fell back, hitting his head rather hard.

For a second, the whole room was engulfed in a blinding white light.

When he regained his sight, he was greeted by Sophia. She had seated herself on his torso and was glaring down at him. Her eyes were greener then he ever remembered them to be. She was smiling as her face hovered over his. For a brief instant he almost smiled back. Almost.

She rested one hand on his cheek. "You're not hurt are you?" Though she was clearly concerned for him, Albel couldn't help but to notice the seduction in her voice.

"No, now get off of me wench." He lifted his arms and grabbed her waist as she bent her head closer.

She giggled. "You really should watch where you're going, you know."

He opened his mouth to argue, but was never given the chance . His lips had just parted to speak when her mouth was on his. Her hand slid from his cheek and to his hair. He was rendered motionless, unable to comprehend what had taken place. She was kissing him again. Again! Only this wasn't the same little peck she had given him earlier. This time the kiss was more passionate.

His grip on her waist eased as she darted her tongue between his opened lips. He couldn't help but to notice how she tasted. Even when his mind screamed at him that she was under the influence of the water, he didn't fight the new attention she was giving him. He returned the kiss. She tasted sweet and he ached for more. Then a realization hit him. He wasn't only tasting her, but the water as well.

He clamped his lips closed. She responded with a light giggle as she moved to plant small kisses on his chin. She moved her head, kissing him under his chin as she made her way to his neck. He knew he should stop her. He wanted to stop her; but at the same time, he savored the chills that ran through his entire body.

She tenderly kissed his neck. One hand played gently with his hair and the other drew lazy circled on his chest. She continued to kiss his skin until she had made her way to his ear. "You know," she whispered in his ear. "Despite your bitter attitude, you make me feel… safe…"

She fell silent, her face moving to his neck. She buried her face close to his jaw line as her body relaxed. Her hands stopped their playfulness and went limp. He moved slightly to look at her. Her whole body was completely relaxed. She was lying on top of him, and she was asleep.

He rested his head back and looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. His skin still tingled from her freshly removed kisses. He took a deep breath. The water – there was something he couldn't recall.

Then it hit him and he almost chocked. The Water of the Shrine. That was a story which all children were familiar with. Leaders from every country had also spent time in the past searching for it to verify if the legend was true or not. The water possessed an ability, according to legend, that would make it a valuable tool. It acted like a truth serum.

He relaxed his claw to his side. He left his other hand on her waist as he ran through what she had told him. Everything she had said had been the truth. Thanks to the water, she had just reviled things that she would probably never have told anyone.

Had she said she was in love with the blue haired maggot, or that she once was? She was clearly displeased with how he had changed. She had left the topic of her affections for the maggot and directed her interest to him. Then she had seduced him. If the water was a truth serum; that would mean that her actions steamed from thoughts she had but would not have acted on before.

He was about to push her off of him when the soft sounds of her breathing caught his attention. She was sleeping so soundly. She had said he made her feel safe. He paused for a moment, debating what to do. The hard floor dug ruthlessly into his back. If he stayed like he was, then sore and stiff muscles would be a sure thing. Still, something in him didn't want to move her, yet.

He smirked to himself. He never would have known that the girl harbored hidden feelings for him if not for the series of events which led them to the water. Oddly enough, he found their current position amusing. So many times had they argued. He had found her annoying and irritating, but also strangely intriguing. If not for the hard floor, he wondered if he wouldn't allow her to remain as she was.

He slid his hand up her back and was shocked to feel the chills return. Intriguing indeed.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sophia woke gently from her sleep. She didn't want to open her eyes yet. She remembered everything she had done prior to sleep and winced at the though of confronting Albel. Keeping her eyes closed, she remained still and tried to ascertain her environment first.

She knew she was sitting up slightly. Her legs were pressed to the hard floor and bent slightly under her. Her left shoulder was against the wall. But her head was resting on something soft. She almost tensed her whole body. Her right arm also rested against the same thing her head did. She eased her eyes open slowly, fearful at what she would find.

Looking forward, she peered across the room. Her vision consisted of the wall in front of her, and a purple mass beside her. She listened, still unbelieving. His breath sounded in her left ear as it moved in his chest.

"Are you awake yet?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice. Abruptly she sat up. It was then she realized that his good arm had been draped around her. She scooted a short ways away from him and buried her face in her hands. "Oh no, oh no," she chanted under her breath.

"Humph." He stood and studied the girl. "Well, are you going to get us out of here or not?"

She looked between her fingers at his feet. Twisting, she stood to face away from him. She just couldn't bring herself to look at him yet. Instead, she set her attention on the door.

She moved unsteadily to the door and placed her hand at the knob. Using the trick Nel had taught her, she concentrated her symbology at the knob and popped the door open. The door swung away from her easily. She stood still, unsure of what to do next. Her mind was filled with the thoughts of what she had done before sleeping. She was blushing uncontrollably and on the edge of tears.

She tensed when she felt Albel brush pass her. He exited the room and turned to the right. He took a step and stopped. "Are you coming?" he said, not turning to look at her.

"Um, yeah," she answered weakly.

She followed him through the corridors, never once looking at anything but the backs of his legs. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. 'I can't believe I did that. This is so humiliating. What I told him…what I did…I just want to crawl under a rock somewhere and die.'

They had found their way out of the ruins and into the desert. Night had settled in and the hot temperature was greatly reduced. Sophia shivered slightly against the chill. Before she knew where they were, they had entered the cave and were headed back to the city.

Another thought entered her mind and nagged at her. I fell asleep on him. I fell asleep and woke up…in his arms. I wouldn't have been surprised to wake up on the floor, but he moved me and stayed with me. He didn't leave me to sleep…alone. What is that supposed to mean?'

He stopped without warning. She almost ran into him, halting herself just in time to avoid the impact. He looked over his shoulder at her. "We're back in Surferio."

"Oh," she sighed as she dared to look up. He had turned his back to her and she was thankful she didn't have to confront him yet.

She was about to step around him, when someone yelled her name.

"There she is! Lady Phia!" Before she could wrap her mind on what was going on, Roger had jumped straight at her and was hugging her tightly around her waist.

"Sophia?" Fayt puffed as he jogged to her. He set promptly to removing Roger.

She blinked at him. Cliff appeared behind him and chuckled. "Looks like we don't have to go out lookin' for 'em after all."

Sophia studied Cliff's smile before turning to Fayt. "What happened to you?"

He giggled. "Well, I don't exactly know. One minute there was this bright light, and the next thing we knew there was a cave-in. Whatever it was that took out Robin Wind. It took out part of the ruins also."

Her jaw dropped. "Took out Robin Wind? You don't mean he's…"

"Yeah," Roger piped up. "He was crushed to little pieces! It was great, half the room was destroyed. But, thanks to me, Fayt got out of the way just in time."

Fayt frowned down at the boy. "If I remember correctly, I was the one that pulled you out of there."

"Oh, yeah," Roger replied with a guilty smile.

"Destroyed?" Sophia spoke softly. "I never meant to…" Her throat closed on her voice. She couldn't bare the fact that she had nearly hurt Fayt and Roger.

"Never meant to what, Sophia? What are you talking about? Do you know what that light was?" Fayt's voice was laced with concern.

"Fool," Albel interrupted. "Her runology has grown. If you want to thank someone for almost getting you killed then thank her."

"You did that, Sophia?" Fayt's voice was full of pride and wonderment.

Fayt stepped closer to her, but she didn't notice. She set her eyes on Albel's face for the first time. "I didn't mean to almost kill anyone!" she directed her angry tone straight to the swordsman. "And I'm tired of just standing there while everyone else fights." She moved around Fayt and walked into the city.

Cliff giggled, drawing the attention on him. "What? I've never seen her mad before."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sophia had stopped in front of the house they were staying at. She paced a few times before sitting on the ground overlooking the water. She brought her knees up and hugged them as she stared into nothing.

"How are you doing?" Fayt asked sitting beside her.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine."

He leaned back and stretched his legs out. "After the dust cleared, we looked for you and Albel. We saw the cave-in and figured you were trapped behind it, or…" His voice faded out. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, we looked for a while, but couldn't find a thing. We came back here to get help in the search. That's when you two showed up. What happened in there?"

Sophia didn't turn her attention from the dark scenery in front of her. He was asking her the same question she was asking herself. What did really happen in there? 'Oh, yeah…I got drunk on some water and kissed Albel. How would Fayt take that? Would he even care?'

"We got lost. How long were we missing anyway?"

"Almost six hours. How did you manage to stay lost that long?"

'Six hours? How long did I sleep in there? Had to be about four hours. Did Albel let me sleep on him for four hours? I really need time to get this straight, but not with Fayt around. Why am I hiding it from him anyway? I've always told him everything in the past.'

"You know me and my poor sense of direction."

He studied her suspiciously. "That's it. Poor sense of direction is the answer."

She didn't look at him. She couldn't look at him. "Yeah."

"Are you sure you're okay, Sophia? You're acting weird."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I guess I'm just tired, that's all."

He stood up and brushed himself off. "Come on. There's food and a bed inside. I'm sure you'll feel better after you eat something and get some sleep."

'You don't know how wrong you are.'

She stood and followed him inside.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Albel was standing under the tree that had started it all when Mirage approached him.

"I'm sure you're hungry. There's some food saved for you inside and a bed."

"Humph." He gave her a sideways glance. "Is that all?"

She just gave him a small smile. "That and Fayt asked me to tell you that we'll be heading out tomorrow afternoon."

Albel lowered his glance to the ground. She nodded and turned to leave.

"Hey, worm."

She turned back to face him. She chuckled lightly. "Yes?"

"What's a worry doll?"

She arched her eyebrow at him. "That's an odd question to come from you."

"Bah. Either answer the question or leave." His tone was harsh and he was becoming irritated.

She put her hand to her chin and thought about his question. "A worry doll is something from Earth. It's a doll that you tell your worries to at night before you go to bed. It's supposed to help ease your mind. Can I ask about the sudden interest?"

"That is none of your concern," he said walking pass her. "And it concerns no one else either."

She smiled in amusement as she watched him leave.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sophia opened her eyes and blinked against the unforgiving rays of sun which spilled in on her. Her head was resting on the soft pillow and her eyes fought to stay opened. The whole night she had dreamed of nothing but her time trapped in that room.

She turned her head to the side to check on the other occupants of the room, but her vision was blocked by something. She couldn't identify it; it was too close to her face. She sat up and yawned before looking back at the pillow.

Resting on the pillow was her worry doll. The same doll she had lost some time ago. Pinned to it was a yellow flower and a note. She lifted the doll and removed the flower and paper from it.

The flower was the same type she had seen in Arias. She took a moment to smell it before she unfolded the paper. The note read: I accept your offer

The letters were finely written. She searched the front and back for a name, but wasn't surprised to find none. She knew who it was from. She smiled as she hugged the doll to her chest.

'Silly man. Even after I made a complete idiot of myself, he still wants to be my friend.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

(A/N) Yup, that's Albel for you. He can't just some out and say anything in person when it comes to emotions and such.