I saw him in Treno.

Coincidentally, I was in the city, minding my own for once, and satisfying another one of my ridiculous, yet fairly harmless hobbies, I was placing bids at the auction house. You may not believe me if I say I hadn't expected him to be there, but I was just as surprised as he was to see me, when I saw him inside, realizing my presence and staring at me as I stared back at him. And then he did something that I found rather peculiar, he ran away.

I didn't follow him right away but I left shortly after and tailed him back to his inn, once I saw where he was, I waited. His friends turned in later, one by one, it was almost torture waiting for them, and then waiting for them to fall asleep. I watched through a window across the road from a house nearby which was currently unoccupied. And sure enough, he emerged from the inn late at night, I watched him pace, and pause here and there, and settle down, and stand up. I watched him walk over to a building and a fist ball up, and pound the wall of it as his head rest on his other arm.

I watched him shiver lightly and whisper to himself, I moved closer, but paused when he spoke again. I heard my name. I took a step back as he lifted his head and looked up and around. It was dark, he was in the light of the moon, I was in the shadows. He couldn't see me from where I stood and where he stood, but I watched him turn around and slide down against the building.

It seemed that he had fallen ill, fainted, perhaps. "Poor baby," I cooed to his unconscious figure as I gathered him in my arms and brought him back to the inn. I was becoming rather accustomed to carrying him, even if it probably would always be a difficult task, even more so if I hadn't had my own magical powers to aid me along the way. I placed him in a room separate from the others, and I left. I returned a while later, with an inn maid who brought him things like water and a cool rag for his forehead. I sat by him all night, I undressed him and tried to cool his body with the cool rag when he broke into a sweat, and twisted and turned upon the bed.

My fingers ran through his hair, gently brushing it back from his face, I held the glass of water for him as he woke and opened his mouth, but he never noticed me. I assumed he thought it was the princess who was with him. I left before morning, and told the maid to tell the others that she had cared for him all night and specifically, not to mention me, with a generous tip, she obliged.

When I arrived the following night, the nurse maid told me he seemed to be doing better, and I thanked her for her troubles as I slipped into the room. From the light that flowed in behind me, I saw his eyes were cracked and he gazed down at me. "Oh my," My voice was soft, but above a whisper. "Still not feeling well?" I asked, once he reached the side of his bed and I watched him lift his hand to reach for me, which I, even to my own surprise, took in my own instantly, not bothering to tease him in such a sick state. "I hurt.." he whispered, his voice was weak.

"My head," he continued, "My eyes, my chest.." he went on, but I silenced him, no, not with a spell, but I pressed a finger against his lips. "I understand." I whispered to him, taking the rag from the bowl of cool water at his bedside and rang it out, before dabbing at his forehead with it. "Kuja.." he whispered, holding my hand tighter, but it didn't seem that he had much strength in him.

"Kuja," he whispered again, and I felt him tug weakly on me, trying to pull me towards him. He kept saying my name, like a gasp for breath, he didn't quiet until I shushed him. "Shh." I said softly as I settled onto the bed beside him. His body shifted towards me, his legs drew up, slightly, and fell, one after the other. "Kuja, do it again." He whispered to me, still squirming beneath the sheets.

"Please.." he asked me, but I didn't humor him right away, I let go of his hand and stood up. I made my way over to the door to make sure it was locked and it was a good thing, too, because I had somehow forgotten to do so before. I heard him whimper softly and saw the pout on his adorable features as I looked back over at him. I unhooked my spaulders and removed them from myself, letting them clank softly as placed them on a chair nearby.

Fully undressed, I made my way back to the bed and pulled the covers away from him. I climbed on top of him, straddling him, and pulled the covers back up at his soft complaint of being cold. My arms rest on either side of him, beneath his own as he lifted them to hold on to me weakly, as I leaned down to kiss his lips softly, followed by his neck. I wasn't worried about catching what had Zidane so pathetic and ill, I imagined I had a higher tolerance than he. We were both faulty prototypes, after all.

His body was hot like fire, and he trembled beneath my touches, and shivered and shuddered and he was sweating again, but it didn't stop me. I slid lower again, pressing kisses along his chest until I found his nipples, which I loved to tease because it made him gasp and moan, not to mention I could feel him getting harder beneath my own body. And I shifted, so I could rub his arousal through his underwear, and I continued to tease his nipples. One at a time, my tongue flicked over each of them repeatedly, my teeth closed gently against them, sucking on it and swirling around it to soothe it before I moved to the next. My hand continued to rub against his ache, I was enjoying the amount of moisture that seeped from his tip, I could feel it through the fabric of his underwear. I removed those shortly after, so I could wrap my fingers around him and jerk him slowly. I moved down further to run my tongue along his length and licked at the tip, he was moaning pretty consistently when I stopped.

But it didn't end there, he gasped as I moved on top of him again and straddled him, preparing myself only briefly before I slid onto him, his arms had long since fallen to his sides, losing the little bit of strength he had at the moment. His hips lifted automatically to thrust into me as I rode him. He was moaning my name but I soon found myself gasping as I moved in just the right way to hit a certain spot inside of me that ultimately made me spill my pleasure all over his chest. He didn't seem to notice that I had enjoyed myself as well because he apologized for not being able to do anything to pleasure me.

Afterwards, I laid beside him and let him cling to me. I had since cleaned him up with that same wash rag which I would have changed as soon as possible, but he was making ridiculous requests of me. "Kidnap me," he whispered, his pretty eyes staring up at me hopefully. "Take me, please."

But I just shook my head as he spoke. "You don't know what you're saying." He shook his head in return and I reached up to brush his hair back from his face again. "Kiss me again." He could barely hold his eyes open as he spoke, and he reached for my face. "Kiss me again. I need you. I ache for you." He pleaded, trying desperately to hold me there with his little strength as I easily moved back. I was teasing him, it was a little mean considering how sick he was, but I couldn't help myself. For some reason I enjoyed seeing him reaching for me that pathetically. "Please, don't go.." But as I saw a tear fall from each of his eyes as he closed them and pouted as he pleaded with me, I couldn't bring myself to play with him any more. I leaned down to kiss him, to quiet him, and I slid my arms around him as he laid against me.

I could tell he was fighting himself to stay awake, he knew I would leave when he fell asleep. I stroked his hair and held him closely as he tried so hard to hold on to me. I imagined in a different world, where we could stay like this every night, and wake up together in the morning. And I realized he had poisoned my mind. I ached for him as much as he ached for me. I stayed with him as long as I could, but I did have to leave. I found myself in a daze as I moved around the room, getting dressed, things of the nature. I even went back to kiss him goodnight before I left.