A/N: wow, I didn't know this fic would be so popular, but I'm soooo glad that you all like it : ) This next chapter is even more unpredictable, and things get interesting…not that they weren't before.

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Chapter Four "Light Seduction"

Lexi didn't know how far into the Forest she was, she only knew that she couldn't see the Forgotten Capital anymore and so it must be pretty far. She wasn't walking down the main path, but off to the side of it, and low tree branches kept catching her shirt or her hair, as if they were trying to stop her. She merely pushed the branches out of the way and kept going. She was going to head back to where she'd woken up here, on the cliff, or whatever it had been, on the Midgar Plains. Maybe if she could get there she could get home. She almost tripped over an exposed root when she heard rustling in the brush behind her. Heart racing, she turned, but saw nothing. Not knowing what it could be, she continued forward again, pace faster now.

"You have quite a knack for running away."

Jumping at the sound of his voice, she whirled. Kadaj sat on a low tree branch, watching her.

"And it's really quite annoying," he said.

"I have to get home, I have to get out of here," Lexi said, continuing walking again.

"Is this because of Yazoo?" he inquired.

"It's because of everything," she said.

She only made it another couple of steps before he was right in front of her. She'd never heard him jump down from the tree, or approach her, but he had. Faster than she could blink, he had a hand around her neck and her back was to a tree. She uttered a small noise of surprise, raising her hands.

"I can't allow you to leave," he said.

"What are you going to do, kill me?" The calmness of her own words surprised her, because that was exactly what she feared that he was going to do.

"Before…I would have," Kadaj said after a moment, gazing at her through the silver hair that fell across his face.

"..But now…?" she said softly when he didn't continue, having thought he was.

"There's something about you," he said, narrowing his eyes a little, "And until I figure it out, you cannot leave."

For a second the way he looked at her scared her, but then the expression was gone, replaced with another that she couldn't figure out. After a moment, he released her, but didn't step away. She felt herself blushing a little as he continued to gaze at her, and hoped it didn't show in the dark. She'd expected him to be angry at her, and it'd seemed that he had been…for a few minutes.

"Will you come back with me?" he asked her softly, as if they were surrounded by sleeping spirits he dared not wake.

"Do I have a choice?" she responded just as softly, though she didn't know why.

"No," he said, "But asking seemed better than ordering you to."

"I don't respond well to orders," she said.

She thought she saw a ghost of a smile cross his face. "That makes two of us then," he said, "Come." He started through the woods towards the Forgotten Capital.

"That sounded like an order to me," she said, struggling to match his swift pace.

He tossed a glance back at her over his shoulder that said her humor was starting to test the limits of his patience. "Because it was," he said, and his voice remained even.

"Would you…could you slow down just a little?" she said, nearly tripping over a tree root.

Looking back at her again, Kadaj paused for her to catch up. "I forgot that you are only human," he said.

"Hey! I'm not 'only' anything!" she said indignantly.

He smirked a little, "Forgive me," he said, but his tone was teasing.

"I have enough forgiving to do as it is," she muttered.

They walked the rest of the way back in silence.

When they reached the Capital, she started to head to her solitary corner, as she had the night before, but he stopped her, motioning her over to where he stood besides his sleeping brothers.

"You must be cold," he whispered, so as not to wake them.

She merely stood there, gazing at him warily for a moment, then shifted her gaze to the other two.

"Don't worry about them," he said, catching her unspoken question.

"And you?" she asked softly, not trusting him either. After all, he had kidnapped her.

"Nothing, I swear," he said, holding up his hands in defense, "I don't find the fun in 'playing', like Yazoo does."

She continued to gaze at him for another moment. In all the times she'd imagined about the three, she'd always thought Yazoo would be the one she trusted, or perhaps even Loz, but really, not Kadaj. But she was cold and finally made up her mind. As she started towards him, Loz stirred a little, rolled over, or tried to, and didn't really succeed, with Yazoo laying half on top of him. After a moment, he became still again, and started snoring. Lexi winced a little at the sound; how she was supposed to sleep?

"Kick him," Kadaj whispered, "That'll shut him up."

She gave him a look that suggested he was crazy, and, knowing him, he probably was. She'd put up with the noise.

He smothered a laugh, becoming serious again as she stood beside him.

She still didn't trust him enough to manage to fall asleep with her back to him, so she curled up on her side facing him, one arm beneath her head. He watched her for a few moments in the dark as she settled still to sleep. She bowed her head a little, tucking in her chin, and her forehead came to rest lightly against his shoulder. She didn't bother to move again, and he didn't mind.

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"You're not going to forgive me for a long time, are you?"

She turned to face him, leaning one shoulder on the curved outer wall of the Capital. It was morning, and she had to blink away the glare of the rising sun. "No. I don't even know you really," she said, sighing a little. It was true.

"But that was not stopping you before," Yazoo said, seeming somewhat sad.

"That…that was…different…" she said, at least she wasn't really stuttering.

She started to turn away but he stopped her with a light hand on her shoulder.

"I really do care for you, no matter what Kadaj said to you," he said softly.

She stopped. "How do you know that he said anything to me about what happened?" she asked, purposely not meeting his gaze.

Yazoo tilted his head to the side a little, "He's my brother; I know him."

Suddenly, Kadaj cleared his throat loudly and she flinched; she hadn't realized that he was that close.

"Why don't you and Loz go into the city, see what you are able to find out about Mother," he said, but his tone of voice made it clear that it wasn't a suggestion.

Yazoo uttered an annoyed growl but did not question his youngest brother. He cast one last look at Lexi before turning and sweeping past Kadaj.

Lexi gazed after him and didn't move until he and Loz had left. Then she walked over and sat down at the edge of the spring, watching her reflection ripple in the crystal clear water. She sighed, resting her chin on her knees. She wondered how everything could become so complicated so fast. Back home, things had been so easy, aside from school, and this kind of thing never happened. Well, not that she'd been aware of. She started to sigh again, but saw Kadaj's reflection in the water next to her, and turned her head, startled. She hadn't noticed him come up beside her.

She looked over as he sat down cross legged beside her. "How long are you planning on keeping me 'captive," she asked after a moment to break the silence.

He gazed at his own reflection as he responded, "Indefinitely."

She sighed, "I was afraid of that," she muttered.

"Why?" he finally turned his gaze to her, Mako cat's eyes flashing even in the sunlight, "It's not like you even know how to reach your home from here."

That startled her, for it was something she'd never told them and only thought to herself. "H-how do you know that?" she demanded

He looked away, "You were talking in your sleep last night," he said simply.

"Oh, that's just great," she said, exasperated, "What else have I said in my sleep?"

A mischievous, amused smirk curved his lips, "Nothing interesting," he replied.

She could tell from his smirk that he was lying. She blushed a little, wondering what she could have said. "So there was something else. Come on, tell me," she prodded.

"I already told you that it is nothing interesting," he said.

She still didn't believe him. Gazing back down at the spring, a sudden idea hit her, more of an impulse, and she acted upon it before she really thought it through. She dipped her hand in the spring, and lightly splashed Kadaj. For a moment, he just sat there, blinking, and with a bit of growing fear, she saw that his expression was somewhere between stunned and angry. Then he shook the water from his face and hair, gazing at her for a moment. Perhaps he saw the sudden fear in her eyes, because the anger was gone from his expression in a second. She suddenly found herself toppling head first into the spring. Even though it wasn't very deep, only about waist high, she went under for a few moments, and came back up sputtering. It took her a minute to realize that he was laughing. She'd never heard him laugh before; it was a sound somehow as innocent as it was insane, and for a moment she just stood there, pushing her wet hair back from her face and blinking the water out of her eyes.

"You think you're funny, huh?" she said, feeling her previous fear fading away.

She waded through the water towards him, reaching out for his arm, but he leapt to his feet and darted away. She heard a splash behind her and turned to find him standing there. She reached out to push him under, just as he'd done to her, but he grabbed her wrists, stopping her. For a moment, she could see it in his eyes, how young he was, barely older than her. It was as if the façade of the man had melted away, and she was gazing at the boy he really was. He pulled her to him, holding her hands behind his back, and she found herself gazing up at him. He wasn't that much taller than her, but enough that she had to look up.

"You have…such beautiful dark eyes," he said, "It's as if there are bits of the sun itself in them."

She swallowed, unable to say anything. Her heart began to beat faster at the realization of how close they were, and it wasn't because she was afraid. Well, maybe only slightly. He lowered his head until his forehead touched hers, damp silver hair tickling her face. She suddenly found it hard to breathe and for a moment thought she was going to pass out. Thank god she didn't, though. Why was she reacting this way? He was only a really hot guy that she had a crush on. And he was only a psychotic killer who had kidnapped her, and was only obsessed with finding Mother to bring revenge on the Planet that would result in its destruction. Yeah; only.

"But that doesn't mean I'm emotionless," he said softly, startling her from her thoughts.

Her eyes widened, "Were…were you, like, reading my mind?" she managed without stuttering too badly.

A small smile crossed his face, or maybe it was more of a smirk. "Only a little," he said.

She felt her face flush, "Yeah, well, d-don't do that too often, ok?" she mumbled.

"Too often?" Kadaj repeated, "I thought you were running away whenever you could?"

"M-maybe not," she said, averting her eyes a little.

"Oh? And why is that?" he said inquiringly.

She wondered if her face became even redder as she tried to babble out some random excuse. He didn't really listen to her.

"You know," he said, nuzzling her cheek with his nose, "I think I've figured out what it is about you." He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "It's that I like you."

Lexi completely froze at this, forgetting for a moment even to breathe.

He pulled back a little to gaze into her eyes. "That's why I've been so upset. I was afraid that what I felt for you would make me weak. That you would make me weak."

For another moment, she could only blink and remember to breathe. "Y-you…afraid?" she was able to manage finally.

"Everyone fears something," he said simply.

She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. She could just tell, in the sincerity of everything he'd just said to her; he was so different from either of his brothers. Just as crazy, yes, but…more real, more feeling. Maybe that's why he was the way he was. He didn't hide behind mere mysteries, desire and allure like Yazoo. But he was afraid of showing his emotions too openly, like Loz. He wanted to be strong, and that was something she could understand. She, herself was kind of like him, if you put it all the way she just had.

"Now, what about you? How do you feel?" he said it smoothly, but there was a bit of anticipation and even fear in his eyes.

She knew why, and for some reason that made her answer even harder for her to try and say. For a moment, she floundered.

"Don't make me have to steal your answer from your thoughts; I don't think you'll want me knowing everything you're thinking right now," he said lowly, almost more of a purr.

The way he said it made her think that he'd already dipped into her mind. She considered her options for a moment. Feeling brave, she decided on her response. "Go ahead."

For a moment, he seemed surprised that she chose to let him know her thoughts to find his answer, but then the surprise faded and he closed his eyes. She lowered her forehead to his chest, doing the same. And at the same time praying that her brain wouldn't betray her and conjure up the images she'd had in her mind before she fell asleep in her room and ended up here. She wasn't sure who that would be more embarrassing for, but she was guessing for herself.

She wasn't even aware that he'd let go of her wrists after placing her hands on his waist until he slid his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. She blinked in surprise, and had a split second to think that he knew now how she felt before he was kissing her. It was not at all a hesitant kiss, but it was tender. She let her eyes slip closed again as he tilted his head to the side. Her hands skated up his back to rest near his shoulder blades and she leaned more against him.

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A/N: Is it just me or is it hot in here: ) As for those mental images she mentioned, you know you think them too; those getting-Kadaj-out-of-all-that-damn-leather-he-wears thoughts. At least I know I'm guilty of it, lol. Alright, enough babble.