Memory, Sentiment, and Everything In-Between
Ugh. I feel like I should probably apologize - not just for the fact that my work is so short and terrible, but also for the fact that it takes so long to get out. My laptop died, so I've had to wait until now to write this up from my written shorthand and whatnot, and I've lost all my outlines and everything...well, anyway, enough moping. I shouldn't be writing Author's Notes or anything along these lines, so let's get down to business. First of all, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited, added to alert or even took a look at the first chapter. It's always nice to feel noted in this big world of fandom and whatnot. =D
For more personal matters, fegs2fan, thank you for the kind words. I intend to get around to Jenna at some point, and seeing as this is the last Isaac chapter, right after Garet she'll be up to bat. Minuit Chanson17, thanks to you too, I'm glad you liked the way I approached Isaac/Jenna. It's probably my favourite Isaac pairing (mainly because it gets him out of the way! ;P)! You probably won't like this chapter much, but soon afterwards I'll get back to the...canonshipping. =D
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, some warnings. This chapter contains slash (nothing explicit at all, though) and a fair bit of fluff (I think. I still haven't grasped these words like fluff, crack, et cetera.) A little further clarification of concept: more character studies, really, and this means more warnings to come. I am sorry, those of you who did not expect this. And finally, if anyone is even remotely interested, I am in the market for one of them there beta-thingies as my work is not only terrible, but also un-proofread (gasp!)
Now, without further ado...
Chapter 2: Isaac (Romantic)
"What's that old saying? 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch'? Seems awfully appropriate."
"I don't know if I'd agree. I prefer 'a rolling stone gathers no moss'."
"...How is that more appropriate than what I said?"
"I never said that it was. I just said I prefer it."
Isaac groaned, and he could swear the three warriors rolling around on the floor clutching at their injuries did too. Felix was being as inscrutably difficult as ever, nothing had changed on that front; expecting him to ever stop spouting faux-philosophical nonsense was like...well, expecting a rolling stone to gather moss, and the blond had to suppress a chuckle at that thought. It would have been most improper of him to laugh in front of their defeated foes, and he wasn't fond of the idea of further fostering their silly grudge, not after that ambush had driven a rare Djinni away out of fear. The green one (he couldn't remember their names, or where he'd met them, only that somewhere along the line they'd thought it would be clever to pick a fight with the Pirate King Isaac, Champion of Colosso, and that just seemed stupid) pushed himself up onto his knees and glared, not at Isaac, but at Felix, and for a moment Isaac was affronted - weren't they angry with him? - before realizing that they thought Felix was the leader, and therefore the real problem, and that worked in his favour, right? The less they beat up on him, the less he got beat up, and that could only be a good thing. He couldn't deny he was taking orders from Felix, either, at least for now.
"Azart, right?" came a voice from beside him, and Isaac turned to catch Felix with his arms akimbo and a thoughtful look on his face. "What are we going to do with you?"
"Let me go?" was the reply from the smaller warrior in the gold armour, and though Isaac couldn't see his face, he imagined the expression of terror mixed with the respect the man obviously wore, judging by his tone. How very satisfying it was.
"We know you're far too tough for us to ever hope to beat!" cried the red-armoured warrior, and Isaac dimly recalled how he'd struggled against a similar warrior in his final battle in the Colosso tournament. If he'd been as strong then as he was now, he wouldn't have needed the help of the others; was that why they were here now, and so angry at that?
"I highly doubt Isaac would have cheated against you three," Felix said, leaving no room for discussion. The point of a blade at your throat had a tendency to do that, Isaac mused, and Azart, as he remembered Felix calling him, nodded emphatically in response. "He wouldn't have needed to. He's Isaac."
"Right!" the three shouted in unison, which was a bit startling for poor Kraden. On the other hand, Isaac was silent, face bright at the high praise he had received from Felix and trying to ignore how the truth made his stomach clench.
"Felix, I-"
Poised to tap Felix on the shoulder, Isaac jumped when Ivan and Mia latched onto him and hauled him away. The others were standing off awkwardly, watching Felix scold the three abashed warriors in typical mother hen fashion, occasionally grinning when one of them would lower his head in shame or nod in embarrassed agreement. Felix seemed to be too caught up in chastising them to notice, but despite their contrite expressions the trio seemed to enjoy the attention; they sat respectfully in line, legs crossed, in front of the older Venus Adept, and appeared to take careful notice of everything he said. Isaac himself was amazed - Felix was lecturing them? And on him, no less?
"Don't say a word," Ivan warned, smoldering eyes focused on Isaac's. "It's really not worth it."
"He's right, Isaac," Mia added, jerking her thumb in their leader's direction. "Telling Felix the truth about Colosso will only end badly. It'd crush his 'heroic' image of you." Isaac tried to ignore the way Mia snorted at 'heroic'.
"And that," whispered a voice from behind them, and they immediately froze, guilt plastered across their faces, "would be less than good. Don't you agree?"
"Maybe if we don't move, he'll think we're dead and go away," Ivan forced through gritted teeth.
"I'm not a bear," the voice huffed in reply, "though I am about as terrifying as one. With all that fur and those teeth and whatnot."
"Do they have bears in Lemuria?"
"No, which is part of the reason why I am so fascinated by them," Piers said wistfully, reaching down and jabbing Ivan in the cheek with a long, bony finger. The diminutive adept visibly tightened, then relaxed, choosing to ignore Piers' unspoken slight.
"Piers, I'm begging you," Isaac cried in his most pleading tone. "Don't tell Felix any of what you just heard. Please?"
"Much as I'd enjoy deflating you in his eyes and taking your place in his heart," Piers chuckled, "I'd really need to know what was being said before I could share with dear Felix." A leer crossed the taller man's face, and Isaac cursed himself for falling into the world's most obvious trap.
"Piers!" Mia yelled, whacking the back of his head. "For such an old man," the way she emphasised the 'old' almost vitriolic, "you have very little understanding of decorum!"
"So says Madam Violence," Piers retorted, face contorted in pain as he rubbed the spot Mia had chosen to hit. Isaac noted the way Ivan tried to cover up his distinct titter with amusement. "If you refuse to share with the class, I shall have to take it up with the teacher."
"You will do no such thing," Mia murmured, tone icy enough to shut Piers up swiftly. "And I'm shocked you have schools in Lemuria."
"Alas, we do not. The only way to better oneself in my homeland is to undertake the personal pursuit of knowledge. I thank Kraden for introducing me to the rest of the world's vernacular."
"Well," Mia sighed, deciding to let Piers have his little victory, "if you behave, I might tell you later. When we're out of earshot."
"Tell Piers what? About how Isaac cheated in Colosso?" another voice chimed in, and the little huddle turned to see Felix standing behind them, holding a golden shirt in one hand and a flustered Garet in the other, who was squirming violently as he tried to tear himself out of his leader's grasp. "A little bird shared the whole story with me already, and really, Mia, saying 'out of earshot' within earshot is the first thing they should teach you not to do in school. It incites curiosity."
"I'm sorry, guys!" Garet squeaked. Isaac vaguely noticed that though Garet's eyes were filled with fear, there was a tinge of amusement in them. How he could find his situation even a little bit amusing eluded Isaac, especially with the presence of a little smirk on Felix's face that had sat itself where usually there was only a stoic frown.
"You will be," Ivan fumed, and Isaac wondered why he was so desperate to protect Felix from the truth. It was only a little thing, and it'd help build trust between them, right? Trust was good, right?
"I already know the whole story," Felix smiled, and dread crept into Isaac's mind, "and I'm very disappointed in you, Garet, for telling on your friends."
"Yeah, Isaac really-" Garet's sudden pause was practically audible. "Huh?"
Felix let go of the Mars Adept, still smiling as the redhead fell weakly to the floor, before turning and smirking at Isaac (making him wonder why Felix was suddenly so expressive).
"Help," Isaac whimpered, backing off a few paces. Felix took a step forward, Ivan and Mia looked at each other, glances were shared, and somehow, there was consensus.
"Break ranks!" They yelped in unison, before running off in the direction the Djinn had gone earlier. Mentally Isaac cursed them, at the same time hoping they'd make up for their cowardice, at least a little, and catch the damn thing for him. Then, his attention turned to Felix and the (now empty) room, and he hoped that the man would at least be merciful.
"No mercy for the damned!" Felix cackled, and Isaac started to cry.
When Isaac eventually came to, he found himself laid out on the floor of his cabin in the ship, body bruised about as much as his ego. Taking a quick look around the room (as bare and bland as ever, he glumly noted), he stood up, trying to ignore how shaky he was on his feet.
"Try sitting back down," someone laughed behind him, so he did.
"Why am I on the floor? It's not the nicest place to sleep, you know," he grumbled, stretching his arms out wide in what he hoped would lessen the aching crick in his neck.
"I didn't feel like sharing the bed with you after what I learned today," the occupant of his bed sighed, but Isaac was having none of it.
"I'm having none of it," he said, trying to get his feelings out into the open. Mia had told him one of them would have to if they wanted their 'relationship' to work, and it certainly wouldn't be his steely bastard of a lover if previous experience (with Felix and closed books equally) was any indication.
"I think a spine does look good on you, honey," the other man laughed, jumping out of the bed far more gracefully than was fair for a human, before embracing him from behind. "Maybe you should wear one more often."
"You're not funny, I hope you know," Isaac snorted, pushing Felix away. "You should let me go, too."
"Sure," the brunet said softly, relinquishing his grip on the blond, a little more reluctantly than Isaac thought was fair.
"I didn't mean it, idiot," Isaac sighed guiltily, shaking his head, before throwing himself at Felix and pinning him down. The blond gasped when Felix threw him over and held him down, tickling his sides a little to frustrate him, and after a few minutes of wrestling for dominance they collapsed out of exhaustion.
"So..." Isaac started, trailing off when he couldn't find the words.
"So?" Felix replied breathlessly, face lit up by another one of his radiant smiles. Isaac resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks and continued.
"So," and the words began to roll off his tongue, "why are you disappointed? Everything Garet told you is a lie. It must be a lie. Garet can't tell the truth, you know that, surely you don't believe him, you practically made him the way he is, you're not that stupid, are you, Felix?"
"I resent your implications," Felix snickered in response, "and please, my name isn't-"
"If you make that stupid Shirley joke again, I'll kill you before Karst does," Isaac snarled.
"Fine, fine," was the reply, false exasperation smothered by that beautiful smile that so rarely showed itself. He turned his head to meet Isaac's wide eyes, smile growing even more. "Please continue, babe."
Ignoring the mocking endearment (he hated it when Felix tried so innocently to steer Isaac away from his thoughts and into righteous indignation), Isaac pressed on. "Answer the question."
"You remember their names, right? Azart, Satrage, Navampa?" The seriousness in Felix's tone threw Isaac for a moment.
"I guess. I couldn't tell which is which, but that can't be the reason, can it?"
"They told me that you used strange magic," Felix continued. Isaac wasn't sure whether to be insulted he'd been ignored or to just listen to Felix and wave it off. "That wasn't what disappointed me. It wasn't even that you had those three solve half the damn puzzles for you, because I know thinking hurts that pea-brain of yours."
Isaac hoped his glare said everything he didn't.
"It was the fact that you didn't tell me," and then Isaac saw the weariness, the age in his lover's face. He hated it, sometimes, stealing what little real innocence Felix had left. "It was embarrassing for me, finding out like this, in front of people I needed to protect you from," the sentiment leaving Isaac quarrelling with whether he should hit Felix for treating him like some damsel in distress or swoon over the fact that anyone in Weyard could still see him as such, "but damnit, Isaac, I wasn't even there and those puzzles sounded simple! Of all people, how could you need Garet's help?"
Isaac couldn't help the unabashedly relieved grin that spread across his face. "So it's not that I broke the rules, it's the principle of why I did it?"
"Yes!" The older man snapped, eyes blazing with anger and passion he barely kept in check. "I'd forgive you if you'd done it somewhere needlessly complicated, like Air's Rock, but, come on, Colosso?"
Isaac swatted away the hand that tried to grab his and pulled Felix in for a deep kiss.
"You're an idiot," he crooned as he pulled away, entwining his hands with Felix's and yanking him down onto the mattress.
"So are you," he heard Felix say in return, and he beamed.
"It's cold out today, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Isaac nodded. "Unusual, isn't it?"
"I'd say so. What's the old legend around here? It's only cold when the gods are angry?"
"I hope not," the blond grumbled. "Don't know if we can do this without the gods on our side."
"Yeah," and Isaac stuffed his hands into his pockets as Garet walked up behind him and sat himself by his old friend. "How are you feeling?"
"Besides cold?" Isaac muttered. "I don't know. Probably nothing. It's too damn cold to be feeling anything else."
"Not too cold to think, though, is it?" the other spoke, because the routine had become normal for them, even if the weather wasn't. A little variety, however strange, might finally elicit some sort of proper response from the Venus Adept.
"Never too cold to think," he joked, and then regretted it; the other sighed, hurried away, and busied himself with the newly-forming outhouse they were supposed to be building.
"Jenna doesn't like it when you mope, you know," Garet murmured, and Isaac knew he was right.
"Sorry, it's just..."
"I know what it is, Isaac," followed by a loud gulp and another thinly-veiled sigh. "Just don't let it get to you too much. Gotta get ready for the next Mourning Moon, you know."
"I know," Isaac mumbled in response. Taking one last, longing look out towards the horizon, Isaac settled himself down by Garet and tried to concentrate on the work, futile though it may have been.
He'd waited a long time to see Felix appear on the horizon, and he'd be damned if he missed it, but no one had warned him about the dull pain of abandonment, no one had told him he'd never be strong enough to get over it. He'd always wondered why his thrice-damned love was so strong, until Jenna had explained it to him one night, when they'd sought solace in each other, to relieve the pain of losing Felix.
He still believed her words fiercely, after all these years: that there was no love so great as that which is born from respect.
There you go. Now, as well as Felix (and everyone else) not being funny, you've got me not being funny too. I hope you readers at least got a little enjoyment out of that. :D