Hmm…what's 5 months between good friends anyway? Hope this update makes up for it. There's even a bit of slash! And a large portion of 'behind the scenes' slash! Yey?

"Freedom!" Zelos proclaimed and made a show of falling down to the ground in worship. Kratos frowned at the display as he stood before the academy doors, the same doors Zelos had just burst out of happily, their 3-hour lesson having just ended. Honestly, was the history of the Balacruf Dynasty and their significant contributions towards modern day weaponry that boring? Kratos had always found it rather interesting. But he supposed he really shouldn't be surprised that a boy who was more absorbed with studying the female body rather than his textbooks didn't think the same way.

"You can have the weekend off, I think you've worked hard enough… for now," Kratos offered as he watched Zelos get up and dust the dirt off his hands and knees. The Chosen had at least stopped his incessant whining of boredom and the past few days had gone by relatively smoothly.

"Thanks. So what are you gonna do with the time off?"

"I haven't really thought about that," Kratos lied. He was supposed to return to Derris Kharlan that evening to give his progress report to Yggdrasil. After that was over with, he was eager to resume some of his personal research.

"You should stop by my house tonight. I'm having a few people over."

"I'm afraid I'm not too interested in parties." Kratos spoke harshly. It was bad enough that Zelos had already shown such a frivolous attitude towards his studies, the last thing Kratos wanted to do was indulge him in such a way. Still, despite all that he was still showing promise. The boy was obviously bright, that wasn't the issue, but Kratos got the feeling that he still wasn't taking their lessons as seriously as he should.

"What? Who's not into parties? There'll be lots of cute chicks there, you know."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, I just figure you need to get laid." Zelos shrugged nonchalantly and grinned at the affronted look on the other man's face. "Come on man, lighten up!" he laughed but Kratos still stood firmly with his arms crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched tightly shut. "What I meant to say was… I just thought you should get out more, loosen up a bit, have some fun." Zelos stressed out the last word as if he was afraid Kratos wouldn't be able to understand it.

"Zelos, I am your instructor, not your playmate," Kratos stated simply but didn't miss the slight hurt look flash across the boy's face, but it was gone as soon as it came, replaced with his trademark grin.

"Hmm… well, if you're going to put it that way," Zelos put a finger to his lip in mock thought before shrugging, "I'll just have to fire you." Kratos snorted at this, more than a little annoyed at Zelos' condescending attitude.

"So now I'm obligated to be your teacher and your friend? I don't recall stipulating this when we made our agreement."

"Yeah you're right, you're not obligated." Zelos stopped grinning immediately and fixed Kratos with a much more serious stare than the seraph thought he was capable of. They locked eyes for a moment before Zelos smiled again and brushed some hair back from his shoulder. "Just stop by if you feel like it. Then I'll know once and for all where we stand."

Kratos unlocked the door to his hotel room and groaned as threw himself down on the squeaky mattress in a huff. He didn't like this. He wished that Zelos had stood by his ultimatum. Then he would have no choice but to go to the stupid party because, unknowing to the Chosen, there was no way he could get fired and abandon this job. Instead, the boy had left it up to him and that meant that Kratos had to now make a choice between two options he didn't like. It was clear now that he could no longer remain indifferent. Kratos grimaced at the thought.

If he didn't go, Zelos would most likely resent him and he would lose whatever trust or respect the boy had for him, if he ever had any at all, thus making it even harder for Kratos to tutor him and fulfill his mission. If he did go then Zelos would consider him a friend and that was not professional nor was it a relationship that he particularly desired.

Finally making up his mind, even though he was still feeling hesitant about the whole thing, Kratos left the hotel at about half-past ten. The flickering windows lighting up the mansion as he approached were inviting against the dark starless night. He knocked on the door a bit loudly in order to be heard over the commotion that was emitting from the place. A young girl whose hair was in disarray greeted him and she was stumbling slightly.

"Hello there!" she exclaimed happily and slowly began taking in the sight of the man before her, "Oh… hello there," she purred out the words this time, chuckling slightly to herself and nearly falling over on the doorframe.

"Ming, what are you doing?" a male voice called from inside the house, and the girl was pushed out of the doorframe as Zelos caught up to her. "Go lay down already, you've had too much to drink," he scolded and Ming pouted but relented anyway.

"Anything for you, Zel," she giggled as she made her exit.

"Zel?" Kratos raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, hey there, Kratos! Glad you could make it," Zelos exclaimed. "Come on, let's go mingle."

Kratos was grabbed by the elbow and herded inside before he could protest. He took in the room before him. Was this really Zelos' idea of 'a few people'? It seemed like half the people of Meltokio, well, at least the noble half, were crammed into the room, making the normally large space seem unusually small. There was also a large band stuffed into the corner playing music for the guests to drunkenly dance to. Kratos immediately tensed at the prospect of being crowded. It was bad enough he already had Zelos latched around his arm, efficiently invading his well-kept personal space.

Most of the crowd was of the female gender but there were a few regally dressed men strewn around the room as well. All of them came equipped with small rapiers or fencing swords strapped to their belts, weapons which Kratos irritatedly assumed had never seen any sort of battle.

He felt like a new toy brought to show-and-tell as Zelos lead him around the room, making small talk with the various groups of nobles.

"Want something to drink?" Zelos asked as they approached the refreshment table after slinking away from yet another group of female admirers.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Suit yourself," Zelos shrugged and finally let his arm slip away from the other's so that he could wander over to the refreshment table.

"Ah…so we meet again, Sir Kratos," Kratos heard a seductive voice purr from behind him and turned to see the woman he had met earlier when he had first come to the mansion. "You look dashing."

"You look lovely as well," Kratos stated out of pure politeness but it still wasn't too far from the truth. She was dressed in a sheer red satin dress which draped so low across her front and back that it showed just enough skin while still leaving something to the imagination. Around her neck she had a string of pearls the color of blush that were quite rare and expensive looking; a badge or symbol of her place among society.

"Forgive me, I've completely forgotten to introduce myself!" she laughed and rested a hand on Kratos' shoulder to steady herself. "I'm Alyssa, pleased to meet you once again."

"As am I," he stated but made no attempts to continue the conversation. He looked around for Zelos, suddenly wishing the boy was glued to his side as he was before.

"Oh hey! I see you met Alyssa! Gorgeous, ain't she?" Zelos came up from behind him and rested a hand on the woman's slim waist, sipping slowly at a glass of wine as he did so.

"Please, Zelos, you flatter me too much," she laughed as Zelos proceeded to take her hand gently and give it a kiss. "Excuse me while I go freshen up. So nice to see you again, Kratos." She smiled and Zelos bid her farewell as she made her way upstairs.

"Man, she's totally into you," Zelos stated as he watched the woman's backside as she walked up the stairs with a grin on his face.

"She's not my type," Kratos shrugged, figuring it was a reasonable enough answer to give Zelos. He really didn't need to know the more complicated and rather private details as to why Kratos really wasn't interested.

"Really? Hmm, what's your type then?"

"Quiet," Kratos blurted out the first attribute that popped into his head. He knew it probably sounded cold, but Zelos didn't seem too offended.

"Ah, I get it," Zelos laughed and looked over to the refreshment table to see and winked at a girl who was peeking over her shoulder at the two of them. "I'll tell you this though; Alyssa is notorious around these parts for getting what she wants. That includes men." Kratos sighed at this and Zelos frowned at the complete look of boredom on the man's face. He must have really meant it when he said he didn't like parties. "Hey, you wanna get out of here? I know a pretty cool jazz lounge a few blocks away."

"Wouldn't it look a bit strange if you left your own party?"

"Nah, I do it all the time. Besides, I'm getting pretty bored myself." Zelos shrugged and glanced around the crowed room. There were a group of men arguing rather loudly about politics and Zelos shook his head at the display.

"Alright," Kratos agreed, "Shall we go then?" Zelos nodded his head and held open the door graciously for his companion as they left the mansion. Sure enough, the party continued as if their host had never left.

Zelos' demeanor visibly changed as they entered the dimly lit lounge. Kratos watched him curiously as they made their way to an unoccupied table. The normally friendly redhead didn't bother to greet anyone as they passed by the occupants of the room, nor did he even make eye-contact with anyone as he took his seat and turned his attention to the stage. A woman was singing in languorous tones as she draped herself over the large piano as if it were a long lost lover.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" a woman dressed as a cocktail waitress asked, looking to Kratos first and then to Zelos.

"Martini, please," Zelos replied, his gaze still fixed a bit boredly on the stage. The waitress nodded and turned towards the other man.

"And you, sir?"

"Just water, thanks." Zelos frowned at this reply and turned to his companion.

"Come on, drink with me? It'd be kinda pathetic if I'd do it by myself," Zelos pleaded and Kratos rolled his eyes slightly before he looked back up at the woman.

"Fine, I'll have the same."

"Wonderful," Zelos cooed and beamed over at Kratos immediately turned his head to the side, not liking those curious eyes fixed on his. "So, are you having fun yet?"

"Well… I," Kratos started awkwardly. He was mostly here out of obligation but it wasn't exactly torture. Still, he could think of better things to be doing on a free night rather than trouncing around town with a rich playboy.

"Yeah, me neither," Zelos sighed and rested his head heavily on his palm, once again returning to study the stage through the strands of red hair that had fallen over his eyes. They sat in silence like this for a few moments until the waitress returned with their drinks. Zelos thanked the woman and took his own glass. Kratos watched numbly as Zelos stirred the liquid in circles over and over again. Finally, Zelos lifted the pick out of the glass and sucked off the olive skewered on it.

"So… does this mean you 'know where we stand' now?" Kratos asked a bit hesitantly after a few moments, remembering the redhead's earlier words. It wasn't something he was horribly concerned about, but he still felt as though he should break the growing silence. This quiet, almost brooding version of Zelos was not something he was accustomed to and it was starting to get a bit unsettling.

"Hmm," Zelos paused to take a sip of his drink before looking up at his companion, that familiar glint of mirth in his blue eyes back for a moment. "I don't know yet. It's still too hard to tell. Maybe if you talked a little bit more…" Zelos trailed off and looked down to study his drink but subtly glanced every so often across the table.

"Alright," Kratos sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"You're a mercenary, right? What's that like?" Zelos asked a bit eagerly once he had the other man's full attention, almost as if he had waited the whole night to ask that question.

"I accept various jobs for money, mostly from people who want my protection." Kratos paused and racked his brain for any other information he could offer. It was true he had been a hired sword once, in his mortal years, and it was how he eventually ended up joining with Mithos and becoming his teacher as they traveled with the boy's sister and her fiancée. But that was a long time ago and Kratos would rather not recall, never mind reveal the details of those memories. Though he still played one rather well, that was how he always approached the Chosens; as a mysterious mercenary come to aid them on their quest. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, I just never met one in person before." Zelos shrugged and took another swig of his drink, looking over at the stage again as a small smile spread across his lips. "If I weren't stuck here, I'd like to be doing something like that, traveling the world, saving hunnies… man, you must get a lot of action! The dark and brooding thing really works for you, you know."

"I'm afraid it's probably not as great as you imagine." Kratos shook his head and smiled slightly. "Great feats of heroism, saving the day or the lady… only happens in story books. Besides, it's a rough profession; I highly doubt you'd be cut out for it."

Zelos frowned and brushed some hair back from his shoulder, "What is it, you don't think I'm tough enough?"

"Zelos," Kratos folded his hands in front of him in a diplomatic manner, looking into the Chosen's eyes evenly, "You were late to one of our classes this week because you had a manicure appointment. Need I continue?"

Looking offended, it seemed like Zelos was about to continue his protests until the two of them were interrupted. "Ah, fancy seeing you two here, what a coincidence," a sultry voice spoke and Zelos turned to look at the woman, his frown fading into a smile.

"Alyssa! I didn't know you hung out at this place."

"Once in awhile. The music is good." She smiled at the redhead, her icy-colored eyes warm and friendly as she turned her gaze to Kratos. "How are you enjoying Meltokio's night life, Sir Kratos?"

"It's wonderful," Kratos spoke and buried his face in his drink a second later, taking big gulps and adverting his gaze from the persistent woman.

"I see. Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go freshen up a bit. I hope you two don't mind if I join you when I get back," she addressed to the two of them but her heavy, meaningful gaze remained on Kratos.

"Not at all!" Zelos beamed, secretly eager to have a more suitable conversational partner since Kratos was proving more of a buzz kill than anything. Kratos shot the boy a harsh look a moment later and Zelos gave him a puzzled stare in return.

"Okay, I'll be right back!" She winked as she disappeared into the hazy darkness. Kratos sighed as he set down now empty glass and glared towards the area the woman had went off to.

"What? What's your problem?"

"Do you honestly believe she just happened to show up here?" Kratos asked in annoyance, not believing that Zelos could be that stupid, especially considering the boy seemed far worldly than most. He already had his hands full with his mission and the last thing he needed was a love interest pursuing him during his stay. The situation was likely to soon become a problem. "She's following me now. How wonderful."

"Oh, I see. I guess you really aren't interested, huh?" Zelos laughed and shook his head when Kratos shot him a weary look.

"Would you be? I hardly know the woman yet I already get a vulture-like impression from her."

"Eh, I kinda like her, she… sorta reminds me of someone, at least, looks wise," Zelos stated casually as he rested his arm on the back of his chair, looking a bit more relaxed than he had when he had come in. Strangely enough, Kratos felt like she resembled someone he had seen before as well, but he couldn't place who.

"Sorry, I just… can't get involved in anything like that right now."

"You're such a wet blanket," Zelos sighed but gave the man a pitying smile, "but if you really feel so strongly about it, I can get her off your back for you."

"Really?" Kratos raised an eyebrow at this. Having lived for quite some time, Kratos was perfectly able to fend off the occasional unwanted admirer by himself, should he actually want to expend the energy to do so. He would have taken care of the situation himself, but was now much too curious to see how Zelos planned to deal with it. "I thought you said she 'always gets what she wants.'"

"Well, so do I, and I'm a much better player than her." Zelos winked and peeked behind his shoulder to see the woman approaching, looking freshly powered and painted up and ready for the hunt. "Ah, speak of the devil."

"Oh, were you boys talking about me?" she cooed as she took a seat at the table and picked the olive out of Kratos' glass without a word, sucking the thing off the pick with exaggerated slowness.

"Yeah, we were just saying how maybe you could join us tonight," the Chosen remarked, giving the woman his best charming smile, all the while inching subtly closer to Kratos.

"For what?" she asked, turning her sole attention to Zelos for the first time that night.

"We were just thinking, you know… about things we could do to liven up our sex life. Right, hunny?" Zelos kept his flawless smile in place, raising a finger to trace idle patterns on the other man's chest. Kratos nearly choked on his drink, this was not the tactic he was expecting. Either Zelos really didn't care much about what possible dirty rumors could easily develop from this encounter, or he was already known to have these sort of trysts. Considering what Kratos already knew about the boy's libido, it could very well be the latter.

"What…" Alyssa froze with the toothpick to her lips. "I'm… not sure I follow."

"A threesome, you silly woman!" Zelos laughed and rested heavily on his faux lover, burying his face in the side of the man's neck as he did so. "Oh, she's cute, don't you think so, Kratos? I like her already."

"Uh…" Kratos merely stuttered as he looked down at the boy.

"Ah, ah look," the woman laughed nervously as she let the toothpick drop to the table, "I think that's a bit out of my element, but I'm flattered that you asked!" Getting up hastily, she leaned over to give Zelos a quick peck on the cheek. "But I wish you the best, Chosen, you twomake a wonderful couple," she leaned in closer to whisper in the man's ear before hurrying off.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be." Straightening his hair a bit, Zelos returned to his side of the table and blinked at the blank stare Kratos was giving him. "What, it worked, didn't it?"

"Yes… I suppose. Thank you," Kratos spoke calmly as he looked down to his glass, not wanting Zelos to catch the fact that he was a bit shaken at the boy's unexpected actions. There were very few people he allowed to touch him without permission, and Zelos was certainly not one of them. It bothered him that Zelos had offered to help, and it bothered him that now the boy was ordering him another drink. "You're quite the actor," Kratos commented as an afterthought, even though he got the impression that Zelos had been putting on a show since Kratos had arrived in Meltokio.

"Oh, you picked up on that?"

It was well into the morning before Kratos was able to drag himself away from Zelos' side. Having lived for so long and having built up a solid tolerance, the angel could consume mass amounts of alcohol and not be fazed. Zelos, however, wasn't so lucky and Kratos was beginning to see how the boy could get himself into so much trouble.

So after dropping the inebriated Chosen off at his mansion and leaving the clean-up to Sebastian, Kratos checked into his hotel room late. The bed looked wonderful, and Kratos was eager to rest his weary body as well as his mind. Unpredictable people were almost as tiring as the foolish ones, and Kratos was still having a hard time figuring out just which one Zelos was. The boy seemed to have a duel nature, but that could have just been the effect of growing up in a society where it was almost necessary to be two-faced. Or it could be something deeper, but Kratos didn't know enough about Zelos' past to tell. Either way, he hardly thought it would be worthwhile to figure the boy out. Soon Kratos would leave, and then it wouldn't matter.

Without bothering to change or even get himself under the covers, Kratos collapsed onto the mattress and frowned at the sound of rusty springs that had been taunting him for the past few nights. He really did need to look for a better place. Still, on top of his priorities right now was sleep, and he would have done just that had he not sensed a strange presence in the room.

Sitting up quickly, Kratos narrowed his eyes as he scanned the dark room. He knew he had sensed powerful mana, and he cursed quietly as he realized he had left his sword on the other side of the room. "Who's there?"

"Relax," Kratos heard the familiar voice, "I've been waiting for you awhile. It's unusual for you to be out so late."

"Yuan," Kratos sighed as his friend approached the bed and sat up to address him accordingly. "I see your love for the dramatic still lives on, but you could have knocked."

"And risk one of the rare chances to see you shaken? I think not." The half elf chuckled slightly. "I guess you're enjoying your time with the Chosen?" Yuan took a seat next to the human on the bed, his question innocent but his tone more than probing.

"He asked me to come out with him; I couldn't very well say no. I feel he's already suspicious of my intentions, and I was hoping to make him more comfortable with me."

"Hmm… comfortable. I'm sure you did." Yuan leered at his friend and let his lips curve into a wry smile at Kratos' exasperated sigh.

"Must you still act so immature, even at your age?"

"Sorry," Yuan held up his gloved hands defensively. "I'm just worried for you, that's all. It wouldn't do to become attached."

"Please," Kratos rolled his eyes, "you needn't worry about that." The very prospect of sticking around this superficial area or making acquaintances with one of its residents was most unappealing to the man. Not to mention completely uncharacteristic of him, and Yuan knew this, which was what made the statement all that more annoying.

"Hm, whatever you say." Yuan leaned against the other man slightly though Kratos didn't seem to mind, and narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the man's face through the darkness. "What is that scent? I've never known you to wear cologne."

"I don't." Kratos stared at the floor, aware of Yuan's close proximity. Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, but he didn't mind it. It had been awhile since he felt another's body heat, and he was no stranger to Yuan's. That was something of a weakness that neither one of them was very proud of, nor it was something they engaged in often. "It's the Chosen's scent." That was a rather foolish thing to say, Kratos realized, especially considering he was trying to convince the man that he had no interest in the boy. At the moment however, he was feeling the need to act contrary.

"Oh, is that it?" The half elf's eyes narrowed further. Kratos wondered if he was just imagining the jealousy in the man's tone. He found himself perversely wishing that it was; Yuan deserved it with the way he was acting tonight. "Well, I just came here to let you know Yggdrasil is quite angry," Yuan spoke as he got up from the bed and stood over Kratos with his arms crossed. "You were supposed to meet with him tonight, and you know how he hates being stood up." Kratos muttered a curse as he heard this, angry at himself for being so careless. "Don't worry, I'll make a story… just make sure you're there tomorrow."

"Thank you, I can hardly wait," Kratos sighed and Yuan smiled slightly as he took a few steps towards the door. "It's late, you can stay here tonight… if you like," Kratos spoke softly, though he wasn't sure why he opened his mouth at all. Yuan seemed just as puzzled when Kratos stopped him from leaving but recovered soon enough.

"You're… in a strange mood tonight." Yuan slowly made his way back towards Kratos' bedside, smiling down at the man in an amused fashion. Kratos didn't say anything as he wrapped an arm around the man's slim waist and pulled him down. He couldn't help but think, as he tangled his hands in Yuan's hair and brushed their lips together, that Zelos was already becoming a horrible influence on him.

Notes: Kratos is such a ho. See? Him and Zelos have loads in common, they're going to be fast friends. Yeah.