ALL WARNINGS FROM THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER APPLY HERE.
Welcome to chapter two of this fic! If you're still here, reading this, I thank you. I'm pleased to have caught your attention for even this long. So, before I lose you, here's the ending to Convincing Me:
Convincing Me- Chapter 2 All for Love
Yuan hid in the underbrush, watching Kratos wait for Lloyd in Torent Forest. Technically, he didn't have to be there. Kratos had already been convinced to leave Yggdrasill by his son, but that wasn't enough for Yuan.
Yuan wanted to convince Kratos that he could care for him like Mithos, much less 'Yggdrasill,' never could. He wanted to show the man that he could be vulnerable without fear of being hurt. He wanted to show Kratos that he would pick him up if he fell, but most of all, that he would sacrifice anything for him because he loved him.
Yuan almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. He had lived over 400 years and his life culminated in a chase across two worlds trying to prove his love to a man. But this wasn't just a chase; he had tried to be there for Kratos when he had gone to the darkness of Yggdrasill's ideals.
-
Yuan remembered when Kratos stumbled into his room in Welgaia, half-dead and bleeding. Yuan used a miracle gel and managed to get the injured swordsman to a chair. He made quick work of the buckles on Kratos' leather top, owing to the fact that the war god wasn't wearing armor.
His mouth fell open at the sight before him. He had expected bad from the blood on the leather, but he had not expected the long, deep welts on the other man's back or the network of bruises and cuts that left barely any flesh unmarked. What most caught his attention, though, was an 'M' intricately bitten into the skin around the auburn-haired seraphim's navel. Yuan snapped his head up to look into Kratos' eyes but he was on the verge of passing out.
"Hey. Hey! Stay with me. Come on. Tell me what happened." Yuan found his hands on the swordsman's shoulders, ready to shake him. Kratos' eyes began to roll back into his head.
"No! No, no, no! Shit no! You are not going to do this. Not without knowing how much I love you." Yuan knocked books off of shelves in his haste to find a life bottle. Looking back, he spied a revive ring on Kratos' finger.
"Urgh. You really think he would kill me. There's too much staked on my living." The auburn-haired swordsman groaned and tried to get up.
"Keep your ass in that chair. You are in no condition to even try to leave. Now then, what happened?" Yuan pulled up a chair to face his love, but Kratos seemed too embarrassed to talk. The blue-haired seraphim stared intently and waited patiently for he other to speak.
"It's the first time since I asked you... for a favor. That's probably why he asked. I knew he was mocking me, but I still tried to refuse instead of going along with it. He usually... hn. Either way, he got angry when I said no and tried to demand it of me. A stupid move on my part. He became furious and went into a rage. When he caused as much damage as he could, he..." Kratos stopped suddenly, probably mentally beating himself for admitting even that vague bit. Yuan still stared at him, appreciating the caution that Kratos had abandoned to tell him anything. Kratos was usually hiding from everyone at this point, carefully repressing every memory.
As Yuan watched Kratos add layer upon layer of stone to his masks, he dared to hope that some of his love had affected the stony war god.
The Renegade leader cleared his throat and dared to push the other man a little further, "So he didn't touch your face?"
Kratos looked at him this time, and for a moment, Yuan saw the emotions that he had witnessed only once before.
"He... forget it." Kratos stood and began to walk toward the door.
"What are you doing? You should rest here." Yuan got up to block the auburn-haired man's path. The other man paused.
"I'm human, I make mistakes. I shouldn't have come here." He turned back to get his shirt and was caught up from behind by a pair of strong arms.
"You aren't going anywhere. Not if you don't want anyone to see you." The seraphim was prepared to knock Kratos out if he had to, and even though Yuan had expected resistance from his friend, he didn't think the man would actually hit him. Kratos twisted around and elbow smashed the other pseudo angel in the face. Yuan fell, instantly dazed by the blow.
"DON'T TOUCH ME." The blue-haired seraphim thought he saw fear flash across his comrade's eyes. After a very still moment, Kratos mumbled an apology and helped him up. they stood there awkwardly for a moment before the swordsman seemed to reach a decision.
"May I stay here?" Yuan let out a relieved sigh. He smiled and motioned the other man to the bed. Kratos looked at him questioningly.
"Are you stupid? Go to sleep." The swordsman hesitated before kicking off his boots and settling beneath the covers of and enormous canopy bed.
Yuan kicked off his own boots and removed his cape, gloves, and shirt. He looked over to Kratos, who was staring aimlessly at the canopy, before climbing in himself. He was about to fall asleep when a pair of arms snaked around his waist. A warm body molded to his own.
"Kratos?" A grunt of confirmation.
"You wear gloves to bed?" A shrug.
"Kinky." A deep chuckle.
Nothing beyond that happened that night or any of the other rare nights that Kratos visited Yuan, but Yuan was always there when his love needed him.
-
A voice rang out clearly in the clearing, bringing Yuan back from his memories. Lloyd had finally arrived. he saw reluctant determination shining in the twin-swordsman's eyes. He held his breath in anticipation ad they drew their blades. Part of Yuan wanted Lloyd to lose so his love would truly be safe. The other part of him was resigned and screaming at Lloyd to get it over with. The boy was indeed strong and too much was riding on his victory for him to lose. Yuan barely even blinked while father and son dueled. He bit his lip when Kratos admitted defeat, feeling tears behind his eyes.
The blue haired seraphim nearly screamed when his love released the mana in his body. In that same moment, Yuan launched from his hiding place and grabbed Kratos before he hit the ground. With a quick prayer, he forced some of his mana over to the other seraphim.
Coughing slightly, Kratos opened his eyes.
"Why?"
Yuan sighed in relief, "Because I love you, idiot."
The auburn-haired man frowned a bit, "Trying to assassinate me and threatening my son is a bizarre way to express your love."
The other pseudo angel looked apologetic, "I was getting desperate. I was willing to do anything to snap you out of it."
Apology accepted, though you're not quite forgiven yet," Yuan looked downcast at this, "But I do love you."
Kratos was smiling softly at the man who had saved him in more ways than the war god could hope. Tears glittered in the other man's eyes without escaping.
"Don't ever do something like this again. I love you too much for that."
"I promise."
Lloyd's voice called them both back to the world. Kratos was alive and well, but the Sylvarant-born Chosen had been taken by Yggdrasill. In he chaos of the kidnapping, the Renegade leader slipped away and flew out over he Torent and over Heimdall with a grin of satisfaction on his features.
-
Later that night, Yuan stole away from Tethe'alla base to sneak into the complex where Lloyd's party was staying. He crept over to Kratos' bedside, and the swordsman immediately awoke. Kratos led him to a balcony so they wouldn't disturb the peacefully slumbering twin-swordsman and his friends.
"I was waiting." Kratos dropped a kiss on Yuan's mouth.
Smiling, the blue-haired seraphim returned the kiss. When they broke apart for air, Yuan took the other man's hands.
"So, does this mean I've convinced."
Kratos smiled.
"Yes, Yuan. You have."
Owari
First, an explanation: I'm not sure when any of this takes place. Let's just say that they're in a sort of time vacuum.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this fic. Please review or I'll never know what I can improve on. And if you haven't already, check my Zelloyd: Believing it now.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!