Ok, its suddenly turned sentimental- not what i was aiming for, but hey it picks up at the end! Thanks for all your reviews even if you have no idea what ToS even IS (hem, stargazing basketcase!) i'll keep it coming when i can.

Kratos dragged him into his tent. "we need to talk Chosen." Yelping ensued

"You reckon WHAT?" Zelos yelped, dropping the towel in surprise and then yelping further.

"you heard me" Kratos replied, composed as ever.

"Kratos, this is weird. We've been having a casual affair for what- three years now? And you're actually suggesting that I seduce your son?"

Kratos nodded , "look at you Zelos, you could distract anyone, think about how fragile Lloyd'll be feeling right now?"

"YOU'RE SUGGESTING I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR SON WHILE HE'S NURSING A BROKEN HEART? What kind of dad are you??"

Zelos found himself held against the tent pole "look Chosen, you might be able to do pretty much anything to anyone, but don't forget I happen to be very persuasive myself. You will be a welcome distraction that'll make Lloyd forget all about Genis Sage, right? You'll do what I want you to, you know I'll be right in the end."

Zelos's eyes cut into slits "and what about when I break his heart too? You think the fact that I did it for his own good will compensate for his life shattering?"

"don't be pedantic. He wont fall for you, just let him use you for a while, hells teeth, you do it enough.."

Zelos shook his head. "Good idea Kratos, but think about it - you know nothing about relationships. You killed you wife- yeh yeh I know you did it for her, but whatever, you killed your wife, took advantage of a grieving Yuan who you eventually fell for and now you're having a completely open affair with me. You think you know what'd happen if I did that to Lloyd? Just take a look at Yuan. You took advantage of him while he was grieving. He fell for you because he had no one else to rely on. And now that you've moved onto me, every time he sees us together it kills him. You might be able to do that to Lloyd but I cant. Hell, I don't even like him much and I cant."

Kratos blinked. "no.. I d-- I didn't do that.. did I? No, I didn't mean to.. he.. Yuan.. I though he didn't care"

Zelos raised his eyebrows "whether you mean to or not you did. Look Kratos, I'm gunna tell you something. I like you. More than just once or twice a week, I want you for myself. But I know that's never gunna happen cos I know you couldn't leave Yuan. You know why that is?"

Kratos smiled slightly "cos he gives me these damned adorable looks that make him look so pathetic. If I left him… I don't know what he'd do."

"no, idiot. Its nothing to do with adorable looks, if you left him you don't know what you'd do. You love him. Everyone knows it, its just me who can say it. And no matter how much you keep hurting him he'll still love you because that's what love is. Indestructible. And so damned powerful that when it takes you over you don't even realise it until you're a slave to it and you don't care that it makes you weak and vulnerable or that you don't know yourself anymore, the only one you care about is them. It doesn't matter what happens to you as long as sometimes they can see you, sometimes they have a little time for you. Shit." he muttered, wiping tears away from his face.

Kratos stood up slowly. "I'm sorry I cant love you Zelos" he said, dazedly bending to kiss him on the forehead. "forget what I said about Lloyd, just.. forget it. I was just angry that he could make him cry. He really is a hopeless brat sometimes. He'll get through it. So will you." he turned to leave "I-I have to go now.."

Zelos nodded "go to him. Tell him."

Kratos tried to smile and left.

"shit" muttered Zelos again, sniffing and burying his face into Kratos's coat.

Presea was cutting wood. It was what she did. It was all she did, sitting quietly inside the broken mind she had, watching other people love, crying and screaming as she passed her life by. Not that she felt sad about this. She didn't know how to. She raised the axe that gleamed as she brought it down on her splintering world, dislodged it from the wood and arced it through the air, back onto her shoulder. The wood moved. She set it back in place. The axe gleamed, fell, missed and she tried to wince. Blood hurried to the ground as she solemnly bandaged her hand before returning to the wood. Presea was cutting wood. It was what she did. It was all she'd ever do.

OR, so you thought. You seem to have forgotten that this is supposed to be a comedy and not yet more angsty junk about Zelos's broken heart and Presea's broken mind. So, like I say, so you thought, because what Presea didn't realise was that at that moment, Colette was prancing through the forest towards her with a little present from Martel. You lucky thing, you!