Moonlight
The second in the series of Yuan x Lloyd oneshots, Lovelight
There was a formal dance being held in Meltokio one night, to which everyone was invited. It was a cool, crisp night and the full moon was shining through the glass windows, lighting the room in its own way. The soft wind was blowing through the trees, whispering secrets outside the gloriously lit room of the nobles' quarters.
In one dressing room, two men were preparing for the night. One blue-haired man sighed at his relflection while an auburn behind him placed his hands on his shoulders. "You look fine, Yuan," one said simply to the other.
"That's not what I'm worried about, Kratos. It's...something else. It's not your business." He stepped away from the mirror and straightened his outfit once more. "You don't need to worry about it."
Kratos moved behind him again and fixed the ribbon that tied the other man's hair. "Your business is my business. You can tell me anything."
"Anything but this. Maybe you'll find out someday, but for now, let's just go." The two moved into the hallway together, and walked slowly to the brilliant room of gold lights and a silver moon outside a tall window.
"Lloyd, stop sighing like that! You look perfect!" A cheerful redhead jumped beside the brunette and turned him to face away from the mirror. "What's wrong anyway? We're supposed to have fun! You won't know half the people here, but you'll know me! Come on, it'll be great! Stop being all gloomy!"
Despite the redhead's words, Lloyd still didn't feel at ease. "I know about that, but something else is bothering me, Zelos..."
Zelos paused. "What is it?" The other boy looked up quickly and flushed.
"N-nothing! Don't you worry, I'll be fine." He walked toward the dressing room door, looking behind him again at Zelos. "You coming?" Before he could object, Lloyd pulled him out into the hallway. "Just don't worry about me."
In the lavish room, many couples were dancing and many people were talking. Zelos sighted Yuan and Kratos a little ways off, talking to each other since they didn't know anyone else. "Hey, look." He tapped Lloyd on the shoulder. "There's Kratos and Yuan!" A second later, Kratos moved away from Yuan and went over to the indoor fountain. "Er, there's Kratos and there's Yuan! We should go- Lloyd, are you listening to me?"
Lloyd eventually turned to Zelos, who was pointing at Yuan. Suddenly, the brunette felt his heart flutter and his breath came short. Oh gods, he looks really good tonight. I've never seen him in a suit before. Zelos noticed the boy's flushed face and grinned.
"Well, I'm gonna go talk to Yuan. You coming with?" He gave Lloyd a look, but the boy jumped in surprise.
"Ah, n-no. I think I'm going to go talk to...Kratos. See you later." Lloyd stepped away awkwardly, making his way over to his dad. Zelos shrugged and approached Yuan.
"Nice dance, huh?" He said to the former renegade, moving beside him. The man nodded faintly, and Zelos crossed his arms. "Something on your mind? You seem a little...distant."
Yuan looked away from the dance people and over to Zelos. "Me? No way, nothing wrong with me. I've never been to a dance, so maybe I'm just a little nervous. But don't worry about me, I'm fine."
Zelos tapped his fingers on his elbow, thinking. "That's what Lloyd said too. Is there something going on that I don't know about?" He raised an eyebrow at Yuan cautiously, but the other angel didn't react straight off.
"Lloyd... He said that too? Weird." The two were quite for a while, then Yuan turned to Zelos, smiling slyly. "I bet you like Lloyd, don't you?"
Zelos's face turned as red as his hair as he jerked away from Yuan. "What? Yeah right, he's just my friend!" Soon, he turned his eyes to Yuan angrily. "What about you? I'll bet you've got the hots for him!" To Zelos's surprise, the man fell quiet and averted his gaze to the floor.
"Hey, Kratos." Lloyd went and stood beside the fountain next to his biological dad. Kratos nodded in acknowledgement, staring into the bottom of the fountain. "You enjoying yourself here?"
"Yes, are you?" Lloyd shrugged, which wasn't a good move. "What's wrong?"
The boy stepped back. "Ah? Nothing's wrong with me. I...yeah, nothing's wrong." Kratos nodded again. "Hey. Do you...like anyone? Romantically? Like, I know you're a little old for crushes, but still." He looked up at his dad expectantly.
"Well...not really. I mean, Yuan..." Kratos looked away from Lloyd, hiding the red on his face. "But, he's more of a friend really."
"Yuan? Oooh, so that's who you like huh? Well why don't I just go tell him you said that?" Kratos grabbed his son's arm.
"No! Er...tell him what?" Lloyd's grin widened as Kratos, notorious for denial, flustered to get Lloyd to keep a secret. "Please don't tell him whatever you had in mind. He doesn't like me back..."
Lloyd's grin turned to a look a confusion. "Really? Who does he like?" Kratos ignored the question, and came up with his own.
"Don't you like him? I thought you had a crush on him too." Lloyd's jaw dropped.
"What? Me? Like him? No no, you've got it all wrong. I don't like him. I barely know him." He couldn't hide the panic from his voice and ended up having to turn away as Kratos did. "What gave you that idea?"
The mercenary smiled lightly and patted the boy on the head. "It's okay, I won't tell him."
Lloyd frowned and turned to the older man. "Tell him what?"
After a while of mingling, Zelos and Kratos met up, talking about their friend's strange behavoirs. Yuan looked around and stayed near a table, trying to look for someone. He jumped slightly when he felt a tap on the shoulder. "Ah! Who's there?" He turned quickly and came face to face with Lloyd.
"Geez, you sure are jumpy tonight."
Yuan glared at him. "What do you want?" He asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding hostile.
"Nothin'." Lloyd shrugged and looked at the dancers on the floor, classical music filling the high-ceiling room. "Man, that looks kinda fun. But...ah nevermind." Yuan raised his eyebrows and turned to the teenager.
He carefully extended his hand to Lloyd, smiling softly. "Care to dance, then?" Lloyd gasped.
"I don't know how to!"
"Well, I'll teach you. It looks like this dance is pretty slow, so it'll be easy. Come on." He took Lloyd's hand without listening to any objections and moved to the dance floor. "Okay, so put your left hand on my shoulder," he offered, placing his own left hand on Lloyd's waist. The boy felt himself blush but did as he was told. Yuan interlaced their right hand fingers. "Now, just follow my lead and try to move with the music."
"Urgh, this is really difficult," Lloyd complained, trying to step the right way. "How come you're so good at this?" He stepped on Yuan's foot, but quickly pulled it back. "Sorry."
"That's okay, it was bound to happen. And I never really danced much, but I watched people and learned the steps myself. I thought it was pretty easy when I first tried it." Lloyd frowned. "But that doesn't mean it's easy for everyone." As the brunette was about to step wrong again, Yuan pulled him a certain way and he stepped properly, the music seeming to compliment the placement.
"Wow, I just did it right!" Yuan smiled at Lloyd's excited grin. Though the teenager knew it was Yuan that made him, he figured he didn't need to thank him until later. "I guess it is pretty simple once you get the hang of it."
On a subject change, Yuan thought he'd bring something up. "So, you know Zelos likes you, right?" Lloyd blinked in surprise, so Yuan continued. "He doesn't act like it, but he does. Do you like him back?"
"Oh, you know, do you think it's going to rain tonight?" Lloyd avoided eye contact with Yuan, and though the half-elf knew he'd heard the question, he respected his need to change the subject.
"Maybe, it looked pretty clear earlier, but you never know." Lloyd stumbled and Yuan caught him. "Careful."
"Sorry, I should pay closer attention." He laughed nervously. "Uh, well you know Kratos likes you." Yuan swallowed hard. "Do you have feelings for him?" Suddenly, Yuan took a different hold on Lloyd and spun him into Zelos, who was nearby. The man ran off, leaving Lloyd in wonder. "Oh, sorry Zelos."
"Lloyd! Good timing! Look, I've been thinking, you and I have been friends for a long time, and-" Zelos continued trying to tell Lloyd his feelings, but the boy's thoughts were elsewhere.
I wonder why he ran off like that. I should go follow him, wherever he went. Lloyd ran off, leaving Zelos in mid-confession.
Meanwhile, Yuan ran to a table and stopped to catch his breath. "Safe." He turned, but saw Kratos standing by him also. "Oh, hey Kratos. Uh, don't ask why I was running just now. I...oh, nevermind."
Kratos sighed and shifted his weight. "Hey, look. Yuan, you and I have know each other forever now and-" Kratos fumbled with his words while Yuan looked around for Lloyd.
I don't know what Kratos is babbling about, but if Lloyd finds me, I gotta split. He'll probably think I'm a freak after running off like that. But...it's too hard for me to tell him the truth right now.
"So I was wondering maybe, if, you know, you...and I...we just..." Kratos ran his finger along the rim of his glass, not knowing that Yuan was ignoring him. "The truth is, Yuan, I-"
"Oh, there's Lloyd." Yuan saw the boy in the distance, and he seemed to be searching for him. Before Kratos could finish, Yuan ran off in the opposite direction, leaving him in the dust.
The blue-haired seraph entered a quiet hallway with designed holes in the walls, forming as windows with no glass. The hall was dark and silent, empty and secluded. He stopped again to catch his breath, resting by one of the windows. "That was close. I guess my night with him is over."
"With who?" Yuan whirled around to face Lloyd, who was standing in the middle of the hallway, looking confused.
"How...you...when did you...?" Yuan slumped and sighed out the window again. The moonlight was the only source of light, illuminating Yuan's features subtley. The crisp wind blew in and tossed the half-elf's long, blue bangs behind him. Lloyd went over to him and laughed.
"You know, I was just learning to dance. You can't leave me halfway like this." Yuan turned to him and studied his face, knowing that Lloyd was sincere about learning. "I think you have an obligation to fill." Lloyd took his hands and led him back to the dance hall.
They engaged in a dance once more, this time Lloyd was better and took his steps with more confidence. "Hm, I guess you were learning after all." Yuan smiled and Lloyd shrugged.
"I don't know. Do you feel like you've been teaching?" Yuan nodded. "Hey, you never answered my question about Kratos."
"Well you never answered my question about Zelos." Lloyd fidgeted and finally gave up.
"Okay, I don't like Zelos. I like someone else. Now you."
"I don't like Kratos, and I have my mind on someone else too." They looked at each other for a while.
Lloyd pressed his lips together, then asked, "Okay, who do you like?" Yuan shook his head. "Alright then, what are they like? I'll guess who."
Yuan took a deep breath and looked past Lloyd in thought. "Well, they're really cute, and they have a good sense of humor, and they always manage to cheer me up. They're sensitive, kind, sweet, caring, loveable, and they have the prettiest brown eyes I've ever seen." He looked deep into Lloyd's own eyes, making the boy blush a little. "What about you?"
Lloyd sighed. "The person I like is very beautiful, and they're loving, and I feel safe when I'm with them. They're talented, compassionate, patient, thoughtful, humble, and they're absolutely gorgeous when they smile." He grinned at Yuan, who returned the gesture. "Think you know who it is?"
Yuan shrugged. "I think I have a guess. You?"
Lloyd kept his eyes locked with Yuan's green ones and nodded. "Yeah, I think I got it." The two continued their slow dance and closed their eyes, bringing their lips closer together. And right on the dance floor, the two shared their first kiss, with the moon as their only witness, still peering gloriously through the window and showering the room with a faint, silver glow.