Authors Note: I am so sorry about updating late! It completely slipped my mind!

Thanks to my beta for proofing this.

Disclaimer: Halo, Sangheili, Rtas, Thel/Arbiter and other canon characters belong to Bungie Studios/343 Industries. However, Original Characters, like Zeno, belong to me.

Chapter 11: Fun with a Drunk

He probably had been the earliest customer in this establishment for the last few days, but the bartender didn't care so long as he didn't cause trouble. The human probably appreciated that he usually ordered milkshakes or other non-alcoholic drinks as well, considering the problems he witnessed drunk humans getting into. He imagined a drunken Sangheili would be even worse….

Sani usually left before the usual 'crowd' arrived anyway, as he preferred the peace and quiet. He knew he could have just stayed in the small apartment he had now, but Sani knew he would just go stir crazy if he kept himself cooped up in there. Besides, he really should be looking for a job, like he promised the station quartermaster he would so he could start paying the rent, but his mind just hadn't been into it.

Zeno. That damn Zeno was on his mind almost constantly, while both awake and asleep, distracting him from doing what he needed to do and keeping him from forgetting him. He really did want to forget after the heartbreak that man had caused him, yet he found himself still longing for him. Not even his training at the dojo was helping. Yamasheto did inquire on where Zeno was, to which Sani just told him he was busy: he really didn't want to talk about Zeno to anyone. How can I still want him after what he did? Sani asked himself, for what must have been the thousandth time.

That's why he kept coming here, to isolate himself yet have enough social activity going on around him to distract himself. To try to sort out his thoughts and hopefully shake Zeno from his mind.: A part of him wondered what Zeno was doing now. Probably doing the same thing he did before I came along, he thought. Likely forgot about me already.

"Sani, I presume?" a human voice said, disturbing his train of thought.

Sani looked up to see a human in a dark uniform. He looked vaguely familiar: wasn't he one of the humans he saw Zeno speak to a couple of times? A friend of his maybe? "I am. Whatever it is you want, make it quick," Sani said bitterly. "I would rather be alone."

"I am Lieutenant Luke McGuire," the human said. "Of the Office of Navel Intelligence."

"A spook, in other words," Sani huffed. "What does someone like you want with a lowly minor like me?"

The human, Luke, slid into the seat across from him before speaking again. "There is a situation going on that I feel you may be our best bet at resolving."

"And what situation is that?"

"The Ambassador…he has…."

"I want nothing to do with that self-centered ass!" Sani snapped hotly as he stood up abruptly, hands on the table, the pain of the rejection still too fresh.

"Please hear me out," Luke pleaded, holding up his hands. "I know some of what happened between you two…and it pains me that he went against my advice. However this is not about your relationship with him, but his life."

That gave Sani pause. "You speak as if there is a threat to his life," he said as he sat back down again.

"One of my organization's jobs is to look out for potential threats to the lives of important, influential figures, the Ambassador being one of them. I am certain you are aware that Zeno is not very popular in certain circles."

"I have not seen any outward hostility toward him here," Sani admitted. "But I do know there is a bit of internal strife with our species that is only just starting to surface due to the Schism and the truth behind the Great Journey."

"Yes. There is some of your kind that doesn't like the alliance between our species. Hell, there are some humans, I am sad to say, that dislike it. But the threat to Zeno seems to come from many different sides."

Sani raised an eye-ridge. "How so?"

"Well on the human side, they want him gone because he is a Sangheili: old grudges sometimes will never go away. On your end, you got some factions that want him dead because he supports the alliance, others because they feel he is becoming too human, and yet others simply because he is a semo."

"Yes, I can imagine all those possibilities, but you have yet to inform me what this has to do with me."

Luke sighed and rubbed his head. "I know little of his personal life, especially his past, despite being good friends with him. You likely know more about his history than I do simply because you are a fellow Sangheili. I do know, however, what he is like when he gets depressed."

"I admit I have only seen him depressed once: he tried to isolate himself back then."

"That is not what he used to do," Luke said. "Before he became ambassador, he would go drinking. Granted, the alcoholic content in our drinks is nothing compared to yours, so Zeno told me anyway, but sometimes he managed to drink enough to get drunk. Once he got so plastered he went streaking…."

"Streaking?"

"Ah…running around the station completely nude."

"Oh!" Sani blushed faintly, not sure if he should be enjoying the mental image he just got or not. Hell, Zeno was on his mind enough as is….

"Most of the time though he would strip down to his undies and start singing and dancing seductively. It was rather disturbing…."

Again, rather interesting mental images sprang into his head. Sani had to actually shake his head to clear it of them. "I have not heard anything about him doing that now…."

"Because right now he is past even that point," Luke said sadly. "Last I heard, he was just sitting there out in a hallway in a drunken stupor. He won't respond to anyone, not even me. Sesai has isolated the area he is and is keeping an eye on him, but it is only a matter of time before someone makes an attempt on his life…or he takes his own…."

"But…wait…what is he so depressed over? It cannot be Miko…as he is over his death as far as I know." Sani's eyes went wide when it clicked. "Me…it is about me…?" Luke slowly nodded. "But…why? He wanted me out of his life…."

"I believe, he only said he did, because he feared for your life."

"I do not…."

"A common tactic opposing factions, at least of the human variety, use on their enemies is to go after the ones they love, Sani," Luke explained. "Especially if the target is not easily taken down himself. While I have never told him of the plots against his life we uncovered and stopped, I know he is aware that there are those that want him gone. Though I told him you would be as protected as well as he is should you have remained, he obviously still felt you would be safer if you weren't together." Luke sighed once more before adding. "He obviously did not expect you to take it as hard as you did, nor do I think he realized how attached to you he was."

Sani was torn. One part of him wanted to help him, but another wanted to leave him to rot: he wasn't sure which side was stronger. As he thought it over though, Luke sitting there waiting patiently for an answer, he realized that to not help would be going against everything he had been taught. Did he not, along with his keep, give Runi a chance despite not knowing why he ran from his keep? Didn't Zeno give him a second chance when another Sangheili most likely would have just sent him back? Hadn't he wanted to return the kindness Zeno had shown him anyway?

After several, agonizing minutes, he sighed and said: "What do you need me to do?"

A few minutes later….

It was hard to miss the large lump laying off to one side of the hallway. Harder to not notice the stench: Zeno must not have bathed at all, let alone go to proper facilities to relieve himself, since Sani had left in his huff a week ago. His clothing was stained and just plain filthy and the ground around him was littered with various bottles. Sani could see why they opted to just close this area off: any Sangheili that saw him in this state would have just drawn more ire at him, perhaps even killed him on sight due to shame.

At first, Sani feared he was too late, as he did not move or otherwise react when he approached. After watching him for a moment though, he was relieved to see that Zeno was indeed alive when he noticed his chest rising and falling as he breathed. The question now was, was Zeno sleeping, or in alcoholic-induced state of unconsciousness? Only one way to find out.

"Zeno," Sani said, coming closer. "Zeno!" There was faint snort, but nothing more. With an exasperated sigh, Sani lifted a foot and pushed on his shoulder, hard, causing him to nearly flip over.

This time Zeno made an audible complaint, though it wasn't in a language he had ever heard before, if it was a proper language at all. He had a pretty good guess on what it meant though: leave me alone. Sani wasn't about to comply though.

"Get…UP!" Sani growled, this time kicking him.

"Oof!" Zeno coughed a couple of times before blinking up at him, his eyes unfocused. "Miko? Am…am I dead?"

"I am not Miko and you are not dead, you drunken fool," Sani sighed as he pulled on one arm. "Come on, get on your feet. You need to go home."

"Oh Miko…I fucked up…fuckedupgood…," Zeno slurred as he slowly rose to his feet, rather unsteadily.

"Zeno, I am not…." Sani sighed and shook his head, realizing it was pointless to try to correct him on his identity. Zeno's brain was obviously so addled that he couldn't see clearly: that Sani bore some resemblance to Miko did not help matters at all. Just focus on getting him home, he told himself.

"I…didn't know…didn'tknow… my own heart…didn't know," Zeno continued babbling as Sani did his best to steady him. "Chased him away…made him hurt…made me hurt. I'ma fool…lost my chance…lost him…lost him good. Give anything…to fix it…to have him back…I…I love him…."

"Zeno…." Sani felt bad that it had to come to this for Zeno to admit his true feelings. He would have preferred a way that was a lot less…heart-wrenching. "Everything will be fine."

"No…I told you…told you, I fucked up…I lost him…I will likely never see…see him again…."

"You do not know that. He may be closer than you think." He could help but chuckle a bit as he started helping Zeno walk. "Come on, let's get you home so you can sleep this off."

"Don't wanna sleep…nightmares haunt me…."

"Nightmares cannot hurt you. Besides, you seemed to be sleeping just fine a moment ago."

"Ya…but you woke me up…."

"Well you are too heavy for most of us to carry."

"That a crack on my...my weight?"

Sani giggled faintly. "No, but you are a big boy."

"Yes…me a biiiig boy!" Zeno spread his arms wide, and then lost his balance.

"Oh no…nonono!" Sani tried to hold him up, but ended up falling with him.

"Timmmber!" Zeno cried, flaying his arms and legs.

"Ugh…what am I going to do with you?" Sani grumbled as he somehow managed to pull himself out from under him.

"Hug me, squeeze me and love me forever?"

Sani blinked at him for a moment, then said with a smile. "If you did not currently smell like sewer, I might have done just that."

"Eh?" Zeno's confused expression just looked adorable.

Sani managed to get Zeno home in one piece, with a bit of help from Sesai showing them less public routes to get there. Once there, Sani felt it would be a good idea if Zeno took a bath before tucking him in. The problem was, Zeno was starting to get slightly less drunk, and apparently when he wasn't so drunk he was a lot sillier. Getting to take his clothes off was easy, but then he started dancing. Sani didn't bother getting him to stop, instead deciding to get the bath ready.

There was no problem getting Zeno into said bath once the water was ready, but Sani fast realized that Zeno wasn't keen on washing himself. He was more into sticking his head underwater and trying to blow bubbles. For his own safety, Sani decided to wash him himself to ensure the job got done, as well as to make sure the drunken idiot didn't accidentally drown himself.

After that was the fun of trying to dry Zeno off and into bed. only Zeno had just too much energy still and Sani was forced to let him dance it out: he didn't mind the view at all though. Eventually, Zeno either wore himself out, or he reached a stage of drunkenness where he was drowsy…or both. When that happened it was easy as pie to tuck him in.

Afterward, Sani just watched him for a while, reflecting on recent events. He can twist words with the best politicians, yet…when it comes to his feelings for me…. Sani sighed, realizing he was as much to blame for this whole mess. I should have been more patient…tried to understand your reasoning….I am as much a fool as you are. Tomorrow, he decided, once Zeno wakes up, he will do his part to fix things.

But first…, Sani thought as he caught a whiff of his own scent: the stench on Zeno had rubbed on him. A shower...

The next morning…

Zeno woke up with the mother of all headaches. With a loud moan he cracked open an eye and attempted to check the time, but his vision was a bit blurry. That cleared up after a few blinks and he noted it was nearly noon. But what day is it? he wondered as he sat up. For that matter, how did he get back into his quarters? The last thing he remembered was being in some hallway….

Figure it out later, he thought as he, slipped out of bed, only to discover he was completely nude. How the… Quickly, he checked his bed and the other one, finding them both empty: there was, however, a clean shirt and a set of pants lying on the other bed. That was only a minor relief though, as anyone he may have brought home with him could be elsewhere in the residence. Gods, I hope it is not some human fangirl…I'd never hear the end of it!

"Good morning, Ambassador," Sesai said, appearing on a nearby console. Her tone was teasing. "Sleep well?"

"I guess….," Zeno grumbled as he pulled on the pants that were set out for him.

"Need I remind you that due to your political station it is…."

"Do not start, Sesai. My headache is bad enough without your lecturing making it worse."

"Water and pain medication has been provided to take care of that detail," Sesai retorted curtly.

Zeno looked and indeed there was a bottle of water, along with a couple of extra strength painkillers, setting on the nightstand. He gladly took medication and gulped down the water. "OK, I need to know. Who brought me back here? Luke?"

"Lieutenant McQuire was only involved in the act of organizing the return of your drunken person to your quarters, Ambassador."

"Alright, how many humans had to carry me?"

"Surprisingly, considering the level of intoxication you were at, you did not need to be carried. You were simply escorted back here…and not by humans."

Zeno paled. If it wasn't a human that helped him back, that means….

"Sesai…which Sangheili was it!" he demanded. Oh gods, the shame.

"He is in the next room and he expressed the desire to speak to you upon your awakening."

He gulped: chances are it was Rtas wanting to scold him. With his luck though, it was likely the Arbiter on a surprise visit, or worse, one of the other members of the High Council: those wrinkly bastards would love to use this against him.

"I will treasure the look of fear on your face for a very long time…," Sesai quipped, a toothy grin on her draconian face.

"Shut up, Sesai," Zeno grumbled as he took a deep breath and stepped out into the living room. No point in delaying the inevitable, after all. Who he saw though was not who he was expecting. "S…Sa…Sani!" he gasped, his eyes wide.

"Hello, Zeno," Sani said softly. The paler Sangheili was just standing there in the middle of the living room, hands behind his back in a casual manner. His expression was a mix of longing and…apprehension? Who could blame him though, after what he did to him.

"Sani…." Zeno's hearts were soaring at seeing him again. Yet, he also felt pain. Pain and guilt for what he did. He turned his head away, unable to face him. "I…I am sorry…," he said softly.

"For?" Sani's tone was unreadable, but he sounded close, very close. Looking at him he saw that Sani was now right in front of him.

"For hurting you…," he whispered, tears stinging his eyes. "I was a fool…I…."

Suddenly, Sani's hand rose up. Zeno flinched, expecting a slap, a slap he felt he really did deserve like the one Sani gave him the day he ran out. That wasn't what happened though, instead, Sani laid his hand on the side of his face, gently. "I know…," Sani said softly. "I forgive you."

"Huh? Wha…what?"

Sani's hand left his face, and in its place came a lonely coolness. He watched as Sani turned away and walked away a bit, his hearts pained by the increased distance between them. "Luke came to me and told me everything," Sani explained. "He told me what you were unable to…at least when you were sober."

Zeno felt a blush rise to his cheeks. "Wha…what did I say while I was drunk?"

Sani turned back toward him, a faint smile on his face. "You confessed your love for me, though at the time, you thought I was Miko."

"Wha-well I did mention before that you two look a lot alike…," Zeno said sheepishly. "Not that surprised I mistook you for him in my drunken state…."

"Indeed." After a pause, Sani added. "I never stopped thinking about you, Zeno, even after you hurt me so."

"Ra-really?"

"Aye. My hearts were telling me that I gave up on you too easily and it was true, I did. You were only trying to protect me, like you always have, at the cost of your own hearts."

"Which did not turn out so well, for obvious reasons…." Zeno blinked when something dawned on him. "Wait…If you were the one that brought me back here, were you also the one that…."

"Stripped you?" Sani finished for him with another faint smile. "No, you did that yourself after asking you to. However…." Sani blushed a little. "I did have to help you bathe."

Zeno flushed a dark purple. Just the thought of where Sani had to touch him…. "Did you really have to make me take a bath?" he asked.

"As filthy as you were, yes: there was no way I was going to let you into your bed like that. If you want a clue as to how bad you were, I had to have the clothes you were wearing at the time burned."

"Dear gods…."

"Yeah, it was bad. If you smell a lot of citrus in the air here, it's because I had to use a lot of air freshener. What is it with humans and using citrus in such a thing anyway?"

"Because it is a scent many humans like."

"Ah…I guess that makes sense." There was a brief pause before Sani spoke up again, this time his tone was very soft. "So…What now?"

Zeno was at a loss. He was happy Sani came back and was willing to give him another chance, but he had no idea what to do now: last time he was in a serious relationship, Miko did most of the driving. "I do not know…," he admitted. "I was not expecting to ever see you again because of my foolishness…my pride…my fear…."

Sani stepped right up to him and put his hands lightly on his shoulders. The warmth of his hands were electrifying, making him gasp faintly. "Nor do I," Sani admitted. "But I am sure we can figure it out…together." Then Sani nuzzled him, Zeno hearing a soft, reassuring purr coming from him. This time he did not brush him off, or snap at him: instead he let the warmth run through him and unlock his lonely hearts.

"Sani…," Zeno whispered as he finally wrapped his arms around him. Sani responded by wrapping his arms around his neck. They held each other like this for a long time, happy tears streaming down both their faces….