I'll Protect You
The battlefield was a dangerous place, he knew this all too well. That's why he kept a careful watch on all of the people fighting, those on his side and those against. And especially on…
She was fighting alongside them all. Cards twisting like daggers in her hands she slashed through her opponents like rice paper. Her hair was flying wildly; it had somehow escaped the tight bun that had been there moments before. Although she seemed to be doing well there was no telling what might happen should she let down her guard. He liked to always have one eye on her at all times…should anything happen. Of course had she known that he was protecting her she would probably resent it. She was wild that one…one wild demonic banshee.
He laughed inwardly to himself since he there was no place for it in the outside where they were fighting the dozens of monsters that had suddenly assaulted them. They had come out of nowhere and had thrown them all completely off guard. They had just been sitting down to dinner too… A growl escaped from his stomach with perfect timing, too bad dinner was now scattered all over the bloody ground. Maybe it was a good thing anyway since Raine had been helping in the kitchen…he shuddered at the thought.
"Is everyone alright?" Lloyd was trying to make himself heard over the noise of the clanging swords and the cries of the monsters.
"As long as I'm healer! But some orange gels would be appreciated!" Raine shouted. She was trying in vain to bat off the monsters in order to concentrate long enough to heal Sheena who was having a time with a giant grasshopper. Though Zelos was trying his hardest to keep all the creatures away from her while she cast her spells he wasn't having much success.
"Sure we're all just peachy…I'm just having a wonderful time with this wyvern. He's such a conversationalist!" He was having a hard time protecting Raine and watching Sheena at the same time. Although Zelos prided himself on his skills as a swordsman and as a mage there were limits to how long he could actually keep it up.
Nothing was heard from Sheena who was so busy with her own monsters she didn't even have time to respond. She was on the verge of collapsing. Of course, they had been fighting for a long time. One slip and it was all going to be over. Sheena was all too aware of it.
Zelos knew it as well. They were all tiring. Sooner or later someone was going to make a mistake and he was going to make sure it wasn't Sheena. "Lloyd! Cover Raine for me!"
"Wha-? But you—Alright, Zelos but you'd better be careful!" He ran to take Zelos's place in front of Raine.
Zelos took up stance in a spot he hoped he would be safe in, because he'd need a lot of time to complete this particular spell. He felt the energy pouring into his release point and the heat coming up from his feet as the purple symbols surrounded him. He lost awareness of everything around him except his target, and the one corner of his mind that was always watching to make sure…that she was ok. Just focus all the energy into your hand… He braced himself against the shock of lightning that left his palm and shot from the sky, and straight into the monster that moments before had been ready to cut Sheena down.
He opened his eyes to find Sheena was not harmed in any way and smirked in his Zelos sort of way, "How was that my voluptuous hunny?"
The expression on her face was not the one he was expecting. There was anger in it, yes, but there was also an unhealthy amount of shock. And it wasn't even directed at him at all, but rather behind him…
He whipped around, but not fast enough to block the oncoming attack as a bear claw was shoved through his midsection. He couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. There was a sense of panic as he was held in midair for a moment before being thrown to the ground in a huddled mess of Zelos, blood, and shock.
Before the bear could finish him off, though, Lloyd was there, cutting through the opposition and finishing the battle. Zelos tried to say something, anything, but all that came out was a bloody gurgle. He was vaguely aware of pounding footsteps running toward him before a hazy face came into his view.
"Zelos! Zelos, are you ok?" It was Sheena. Of all people to see him like this…
She pushed back the hair that had found its way in front of his face and stared at him for a moment, her eyes betraying the worry she felt. She was searching for something in his face, what was it?
"Sh-Sheena…" It hurt to speak, but it was ok because he was speaking for her, "you…alright?"
"I'm fine, it's you that's not ok!" She was leaning over him now, her concern no longer masked. It seemed she didn't care now if they all saw it.
"Stand back, all of you! I'm going to try and heal him." Raine thrust her staff into the air as the blinding white light enveloped them all. It seemed she was going to heal them all, not just Zelos. None of them complained and their bodies were more than grateful for it.
He felt, more than saw the wounds start to close up as the light passed over him. But they still hurt. And it was so hard to breathe; his lungs were on fire.
"Hurts." He replied unnecessarily. Sheena was at his side in an instant.
"Where? Where does it still hurt?" She was doing all she could to keep her emotions in check but every time he spoke they escaped from her hold again.
He put a hand on his chest, "Here…hard to breathe…"
"That's normal. You'll be feeling better in a couple of hours," Raine sighed, tired of the whole ordeal, "C'mon we'd better get to an inn." No one objected to her statement, after all, she was the healer. But Sheena still looked a little anxious.
"You're such an idiot."
Hours later they had finally made it to an inn. It had taken them much longer than it had the first time. Mostly because Zelos was wobbly and had to keep taking breaks or he would collapse or stop breathing. Obviously the wound was much worse than Raine had thought.
Sheena was awake, tending to a half conscious Zelos. The others had fallen asleep long ago out of weariness from the earlier battle. Now there was only the two awake in the one little room they could barely afford. Snores drowned out any of the sounds from the other room, so it was mostly private.
"M'not." Came the sleepy reply. He had recovered mostly but his lungs still burned slightly with every breath and his stomach was still sore and bruised. It was making sleep very difficult for Zelos so Sheena stayed awake with him. She knew how lonely it could get when one had no one to talk to.
"Why did you do that? I could have beaten it. You didn't have to risk yourself like that…" She was still pondering over the day's earlier events.
"Was worried…'bout you." Speech was hard for Zelos at the moment. His throat wasn't forming the words right and air was hard to get under the circumstances.
"About me?"
"'Course. Couldn't let my violent banshee get hurt, could I? They're aren't enough violent people in the world." He laughed but it sounded more like a cough, "'needed you…"
"Zelos!" He laughed at her anger. Although Sheena was a little miffed at the "violent banshee" comment she couldn't very well hurt him could she? After all, he was pretty much defenseless laying here on the bed…the only bed. Suddenly she realized how rough a night she was in for. She was silent for a long while. It wasn't the awkward kind of silence though…it was the kind that leaves you feeling warm and --dare she say it-- fuzzy. All the while he smiled at her drowsily, barely aware of himself.
Sheena had to admit she would have taken the old Zelos, pervert that he was, to this new one that cared and smiled at her like that. She felt vulnerable…so very open to him. It scared her. She had never been in a situation like this before. She stayed silent; she didn't trust herself to say anything at the moment. But her heart was pounding.
Zelos chuckled quietly to himself, "Tired… But I can't sleep. Hurts too much…" He looked up at her, "Besides, it's kind of nice…being tended to." He gave her a big smile, one of the ones she was used to seeing.
"Well don't get used to it, Zelos Wilder, you'll be on your own once you're better. No more extra attention." She reprimanded with a hint of a smile.
"I'll just have to get hurt more often then!" He chuckled. He seemed to be getting back to normal. Sheena was relieved he had really been scaring her for a second there. Though not for any reason other than the way he had looked when he smiled at her…
"Don't you dare! You nearly gave me a heart attack today!" She was serious. Seeing Zelos on the ground like that had really given her a shock.
"You were worried about me?" He gave her another small smile. He hoped so. He hoped that Sheena's worried face hadn't just been his imagination. He hoped that she had worried…cared.
"Of course I was! How could we complete the journey without your oh-so-superior swordsman skills?" As soon as she said it she felt like he had wanted a real answer.
"I was, though. I thought…you might never get up again." She didn't know why she was telling him this. Maybe it was the smile that was still lingering on his lips. Or maybe she just was too tired to hold back her string of emotions anymore. "You really scared me, lying there…half dead."
Zelos didn't say anything. He was happy, happy to know that Sheena had cared enough to worry. Just that small admission was enough to make him feel…well, warm inside. He was also ashamed, ashamed that he had caused her any kind of grief and that he was happy about it. But he couldn't help it. She had never said as much before. Granted he hadn't been injured too badly in the past either…
He heard a small sniffle. She was crying.
"I'm sorry Sheena! I…"
She threw her arms around him in a tight embrace, as if afraid that he would just disappear if she let go. Zelos winced. He was still injured. But he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her. She needed him, and that's why he was here. He would be here as long as she needed him…no matter what.
"Zelos?" Her voiced was muffled into his chest.
"Yes?" He spoke softly as if his voice would break the moment.
"Please be careful…don't leave me again."
"But…I didn't…" When had he left her? He had been here the whole time!
"As soon as you hit the ground…I was alone. You were gone. Please don't do that again…" She was crying again.
"I…" How could he possibly promise her that? What if he needed to protect her again and it was necessary? But…he had to try.
"I promise."