AN: I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE! (immediately gets smacked by someone and runs off to hide until the end of the story) I'm sorry. (sobs) Damn virus ruined my computer... I hush now until the end of the chapter.
"You never healed the wound..." Regal's voice was quiet as his fingertips moved calmly over the bandages on her elbow, watching her eyes flicker from his gaze to where he was touching her. She managed to shake her head, unsure of where her words had ran off to, so she followed his lead when he sat her down on the edge of the bed. Kneeling in front of her, he met her wide eyes and asked in a whisper, "May I...?"
Still speechless yet not sure why, Raine nodded. She watched as he unwound the bandages with painstaking care, his face set into a mask of stone. Surprised by his patience, she sat completely still as he finished with the dressings and examined the gash she had inflicted on herself. She barely felt his hand around her arm to hold it out, or his fingertip as he traced the wound from start to finish. She stammered nervously, unsure of the sparks the simple touch sent through her entire body, "R-Regal..."
"I will heal this for you, please remain still." Regal spoke calmly, ignoring her quiet and nervous call of his name. Focussing, he let the mana in his fingers began to surface and poured the energy from his hands into the wound, willing the skin to close and repair. Managing to keep a straight face despite the effort, he apologized wearily, "I am not as proficient a healer as you, but I hope this will do for now..."
The mana buzzed silently on her skin as it did its work, casting an odd greenish glow around the area before it closed the wound completely. She felt it working, sinking through her skin to heal the damaged tissue before it closed the wound and restored normal blood flow, completely nullifying the pain before making it disappear altogether. He removed his hands slowly from her, and she whispered a soft, "Thank you..."
"Raine... There is something I need to speak with you about." Regal's voice was oddly calm, but when she looked up at him she saw the hesitancy and anxiety in his eyes.
She said nothing, both unsure of what to say and also confused at what he would be telling her. She felt it, the strangling fear that dared her to fight against the idea of abandonment. She had already been left behind once before and despite the strong face she put on, it was always a fear. 'Will he... Will he leave me as well? Will I... be alone again?'
"I will only ask you one question." Regal began in a firm tone, despite the aching turmoil that was rending him top to bottom. There were so many other variables that could have, that should have, been considered. He ignored those however, forced himself to think of only the simple question that truly did define what they were. Dancing around the question did no good to either of them, despite the guilt, the pain and hesitancy, there was only one question that could define the puzzle and solve it all in one fell sweep. "That is all that matters to me, one question and one answer. Do you understand?"
"Yes." She answered as firmly as she could, though her entire body seemed to be on the verge of simply shattering into pieces.
"My... My feelings for you... You know that I care deeply for you, I would not have done nearly a quarter of what I have if I did not, you understand...?" Regal asked in a low voice, his gaze never faltering, his hands clasping hers in a tight but comfortable fit. He was surprised by how fearful her eyes were, how guilty they appeared as he stared into them, every single emotion layed out for display like the books she loved. "I... I feel very strongly for you Raine, more strongly than I ever believed I could ever feel for any creature in this or any other world. Ever since Alicia died, I wholeheartedly believed I would never have reason to live, let alone, love again. You changed that. How you did so is beyond my reasoning, but I never was a man who believed that love is logical. All of that aside... Raine, I want you to answer my question. Are my feelings returned?"
"R-Regal–" Raine began, only to be cut off when he raised his hands from hers, expression serious yet scolding. She tried again, feeling the mix of nervousness, fear, and pain nearly causing her to buckle into two. "It's not–"
"Yes... or no, Raine. No more and no less. Yes, or no."
She bit her lower lip, attempting to stifle the truth that begged to be let loose. Her mind was screaming a negative even though it was the most blatant lie she had ever thought of, and despite every fibre of her being that trusted her logic, she couldn't find it in herself to open her mouth to speak the word. Instead she looked away from his eyes, the gentle cerulean that always seemed so flat yet held more passion than she had ever seen. 'Say no, say no, say no!'
It hurt. She was astounded by the pain that the unspoken chant was causing her, even worse that she saw the pain in his face as he waited achingly for her answer. He seemed to sense her turmoil, but there was an emotion she knew too well in his eyes, fear. The same fear that gripped her heart even now after his consoling words. She took a deep and shaky breath and tried to speak, but her throat had simply closed on her, leaving her mouth painfully dry and the words unable to escape. Despite her mind screaming its denial, she ignored the rationality and let her head fall down in one single, condemning nod.
There were no words for his reaction, though a single and almost relieved, sigh left him in a quick breath. She barely had time to react before his arms were looped around her, pulling her into a comfortable and protective embrace that made her entire being tingle. His face buried into her hair, she heard him mutter raggedly, "I understand... At least, I hope that I understand. I know guilt, and I also know pain... What I didn't know was that someone like you would feel those things for me. I didn't expect that at all, I never in my wildest imagination anticipated that. It... It is fairly overwhelming to even try to understand the concept when I spent so much time believing that I was right to be condemned, to be punished... Redemption eluded me because I never made the effort to search for it, but in the end I found myself forgiven, and beyond that, loved. I... I am... happy."
"I can't... Alicia." Raine breathed, not having the strength to attempt to escape his hold or even complete her sentence. She settled instead for hiding her face in his chest, trying to disguise her tears or relief and agony, her body now quivering until she was certain she would fall apart. He held her all the tighter as though he sensed this. "I'm..."
"Alicia will always have a place in my heart Raine... I will always love her with part of my being simply because she was once the meaning of who I was." Regal was startled himself by how easy it was to speak the words, though he still felt the pain, the blows seemed lessened somehow. Something hadn't entirely eclipsed the hurt, he doubted it ever would, but whatever it was had numbed the ache and filled him with something else. Drawing on the words that rung in his head even now, he murmured against her ear, "I was told many times that I need to stop punishing myself, that I have suffered enough and deserve to be... happy. I never followed that advice until now because some part of me didn't want to leave that world just yet. I am not entirely certain of where a new path may or may not take me but I have convinced myself that I will not be standing alone. It... It is time for me to begin life anew."
She said nothing, her mind had suddenly become blank and her body felt numb. She could feel his heartbeat against her cheek, giving her the dose of reality she needed to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. She breathed in slowly, savouring the musky scent that clung to his clothing and skin before she tried speaking again. "Do you... A-Are you entirely certain with your decision Regal?"
"More certain than I thought I could be. When I realized what torment you put yourself through for my sake... It all became very clear to me." His lips pressed gently against the top of her hair, signalling that he wanted her to look up. She followed his subtle sign immediately, feeling a single tear making its way down her cheek only to be brushed away by a gentle kiss. "I never thought that what I went through may have been a source of pain for you, I was foolish and blind. Making sense of it, realizing how deeply you must care if you were willing to give more thought to me than yourself... It made things very clear. There was something I was being offered, a route to happiness. I want you Raine, I wish to spend every single moment of my life beside you. I love you. I still don't know what you did to heal me, I don't know if I actually want to understand. All I know is that I want you."
"R-Regal, I... I d-don't..." Raine was fighting a losing battle and she knew it, even though her mind continued to demand denial her heart had already made its decision. He understood that, she knew without knowing as he held her close and nuzzled tenderly against her sensitive skin.
"I love you."
Words. They were simple words that while she understood them, never truly could hit her as fiercely as they should have. He was saying them to her now, whispering so intimately into her ear she could almost forget that the entire world existed around her. She had lost the battle to keep herself away from him, to accept the guilt that drowned out her emotions for him. There was no more struggling for her now, she knew that. She was far to rational to continue fighting when there was no hope.
She felt his lips against her own, surprisingly gentle compared to their more recent embraces. There was no hesitation, simply a warm patience as he waited for her reply. He was offering her the chance to either accept or reject him, he had already accepted what was part of him now. She almost laughed, he had successfully managed to hit both her pride and heart in one fell sweep and she knew the bittersweet taste of a pleasant defeat.
She answered the kiss, giving into the mix of lust and love that had controlled her for longer than she knew. Fire erupted in her blood, clearing away her emotion and replacing it with a haze that only knew instinctive control. His arms tightened around her waist, fingers tugging slowly at the hem of her shirt as the desire boiled in him as well.
She raised her arms as he released her, his fingers fastening around the hem of her shirt before he lifted it over her head and tossed it away. His mouth was against hers quickly, fuelling the fire that begged more as she found herself tugging at the sleeves of his clothes. His tongue was warm in her mouth as it caressed hers, she barely felt the crisp linen under her as he leaned her back onto the bed, kissing her all the while.
The weight of his body as it slid pleasurably against her own was nearly her undoing, she barely felt her fingers twining in his hair to pull him even closer. Her lungs cried out for air even as her body screamed for more, when he broke for a short gasp she whispered his name like a prayer.
"Raine..." He groaned as her hips pushed up against his own, securing a fit that he didn't even know had existed. Every plane of his harder body met perfectly with the softer lines of her own, completing a form that was neither his nor hers. She stared up at him, eyes dazed yet still anxious, a hint of a smile raising her lips as he paused in his movements. It was almost like the dreams, the many and surprising dreams that made sleep a difficult yet oddly pleasing experience. His fingers were brushing against the sensitive skin of her stomach, eliciting a sharp gasp that let him know that she liked the attention. "I've dreamt of this... Reality seems so much better..."
"It always does." She whispered back, tugging once on his collar before resuming the kiss as though it had never been broken. Shivers of pleasure and desire clouded her mind as his shackled hands ran down her middle, finding the beginning of her pants. He undid them with ease as she finished with his shirt, her hands roaming across his chest as she familiarized herself with every defined muscle. It was new she marvelled in it, there was something possessive that added to her exploration, this was something that belonged to her now, while she in turn belonged to him.
"I love you." It was a low whisper in her ear as he did away with her pants, his body pressing perfectly against her own as she moaned aloud as the pleasure continued to build. Her hands were on his shoulders, clenching tightly as he began to pepper the skin of her neck with soft kisses.
"Regal..." She whispered in return, letting her mind forget what was happening, what was coming and focussing only on the moment she was in. It felt wrong to do it, but when he kissed her again, her worries vanished to be eclipsed with the too real feelings of pleasure. This was her reality, a reality she had accepted the moment her heart made it's decision without her. "I love you too."
Lloyd smiled slightly to himself as he watched Sheena giggle at something Colette had said, the two girls playfully exchanging a secret smile of their own. He turned to his left to see the affectionate grin Zelos was wearing, and despite himself he teased the redheaded male, "What's with the look Zelos? You were moaning and sulking all day, it's like someone flipped a switch now."
Zelos rolled his eyes to the ceiling but he didn't even bother to find a smart comeback, his eyes glued to the tiny angel that had somehow managed to peel away the layers of ice that surrounded his heart. He knew that the red-clad swordsman was right with every word, he hadn't felt quite as comfortable as he had been when the girls had left, most specifically his counterpart Chosen. She had been a strange tranquillizer to him, soothing the guilt and the pain until he nearly felt at home. "Maybe you're right bud, maybe you're right."
"Heh... She does have a way of doing that to a person." Lloyd acknowledged with a nod, glancing towards his childhood friend as she shot a brilliant hundred-watt smile towards Zelos. To Lloyd's surprise, Zelos' face softened and he smiled back, winking at Colette to watch her face go brilliant red. 'He only looked like that when he was talking about Seles... He's gotten softer kinda, if that even makes sense...'
"Hey bud, I wanted to ask you something..." Zelos' voice had dropped from boisterous to a conspiratorial whisper, and Lloyd subtly managed to lean closer to him to give the redhead a sign that he was listening. Zelos, pretending to keep his eyes on the girls, asked out of the corner of his mouth, "Well... I noticed you and Sheena have been getting pretty close lately, and that's fine with me, but uh... I wanted to ask ya about Colette."
Lloyd raised one eyebrow and he watched Colette twitch from across the room before she continued to whisper to Sheena and Presea. Knowing perfectly well that Colette was probably listening despite herself, he decided to pretend he hadn't seen the sign and answered Zelos calmly, "What about her Zelos?"
"C'mon, it's not like I'm stupid or something, I know you two are close." Zelos grunted, fighting to keep his voice as neutral as possible. Though he had never thought twice to flirting with a taken woman, there was something different, spectacularly different about the blond angel that had him doing everything in an oddly backwards sense. He had been making a hard effort to keep his words plain and genteel and though he still had the lustful instincts that made him wonder and dream, he fought them off. It seemed against his own nature what he was doing, but he couldn't seem to reign it in either. Any dark thought would simply vanish from his head the moment she smiled at him with a bright and innocent glow surrounding her entire being. He knew also that Lloyd didn't share his fancy, though that annoyed him in an oddly possessive way, he was glad to see that Sheena had captured him instead. Still, there seemed to be something unsaid that caused the Chosen to toe the line. "It's like you're her big brother or something... I just wanna make sure I'm not stepping on toes, y'know?"
"Stepping on toes?" Lloyd repeated in a chortle, barely able to keep his amusement penned in. Zelos looked properly miffed at his own words, and much to Lloyd's delight and the redhead's chagrin, the Chosen began to blush. Raising a hand to muffle his laughter, he managed, "Zelos, when have you ever cared about stepping on toes? What's with you all of a sudden?"
"Look man, I like her!" Zelos burst out in annoyance, then he quieted immediately as he realized he had hissed the words much more loudly than intended. With Lloyd nearly convulsing with laughter on the cushion beside him, Zelos palmed his face and fought his annoyance, exasperation, and embarrassment. There was the difference between her and any other woman he had ever seen, let alone been with, that drew him to her and yet made him want to pull away. He had no idea how to even to begin phrasing the emotion she made him feel, and though he knew it was none of Lloyd's business, he tried anyway. "I like her a lot, okay? She's.... She's just different and I... I like that. I just want to know if... if you mind."
Despite the urge to continue teasing the already annoyed man, Lloyd found himself growing calm and smiling serenely to himself. He'd seen the warm looks the two sent to each other when they thought no one was looking, the chemistry that crackled around them whenever they were in the same room... While at one time it may have irked and confused him, he understood it all now and his reaction was entirely different. He turned complete to Zelos, his voice low and serious as he answered, "I don't mind, what you and Colette do or don't do is up to the both of you not me... But..."
Zelos stiffened almost instantly, and despite knowing that Lloyd wasn't a vindictive person, his entire body was steeled for a fight. He could feel it, the strange but welcomed possessive feeling that entered him the moment he saw eyes that used to be so like his following Colette as she walked on oblivious at his side. She was no longer just a counterpart Chosen, she was his angel and even though he knew it wasn't right, he couldn't stop himself from thinking otherwise.
Lloyd saw and knew that posture, he saw himself back in the hotel as he realized that Sheena had snuck out to see her mysterious companion. It was jealousy, and it was ownership, a strangely arrogant thing that drove nails into his head. A smile softened his expression, but his words were quiet as he spoke them, "Colette is dear to me. She's my childhood friend, we grew up together, so I care about her a lot. I just wanna see her happy, and if what makes her happy is you, then that's good... Just..." His lips thinned and his eyes grew weary as they locked onto Zelos', and he continued in a much more stern tone, "I've seen how you act around women..."
Zelos didn't let him finish, sensing the threat that lay underneath the words, words that were once so true but now felt entirely wrong to him. Frivolity and the selfishness, things he had hoped he had shed, or could shed now and forever from his being. Colette had truly managed to sink something other than truth into his head and heart, she had changed him. "I don't see her like that at all. I couldn't forgive myself if I saw her like that. She's not like them, she's... She's special. In her own way and... and to me. She's just special to me. I... I care about her Lloyd, more than I've cared about any of those girls, more than I've cared about anyone. You know how that feels, right?"
Lloyd felt his eyes moving on their own resting on the smiling face of the summoner that he cherished more than his own life. 'Yeah.... Yeah, I know how that feels...' His lips quirked into a smile and he turned his face from Sheena to Zelos, seeing the hope and worry in the Chosen's normally cheery face. He seemed oddly human in that moment, giving the swordsman a glimpse into the true man that hid himself under a mask of superficiality. He couldn't doubt those words. "Yeah. It's okay... I'm fine with it Zelos, I just wanted to make sure. You're fine."
"...Of course I'm fine." Zelos waved a hand in the air as if the question hadn't held any importance, but his body seemed like he was flying. There was an ecstasy he'd never experienced before, which made his true feelings all the more difficult to hide. Having difficulty putting the mask back on, he tried again, "When is the great and handsome Zelos not fine?"
"Whatever you say Zelos, whatever you say..." Lloyd chuckled softly, glancing towards the girls again to see what they were now up to. Colette had become very stiff, and he could almost see the tinge of red on her cheeks even though her back was to him. Sheena was beside herself with gentle laughter, but her hands were resting protectively on Colette's shoulders in a show of support. Presea looked oddly mystified with their behaviour, but she quickly dismissed it and turned to Genis to strike up a conversation with him. Deciding it was time to change the topic to ease the uncomfortable tension between them, he asked casually, "Noticed anything different since we came here...?"
"You mean how everyone's falling in love?" Zelos asked sarcastically, but Lloyd's grin was brilliant and perfectly innocent, causing the sarcasm to fall flat. Snorting at his antics, Zelos folded his arms behind his head, nodding towards the four in the far corner of the resting room beside the chapel down the hall. "Yeah, I've noticed it... It's kinda cool in a way, this vacation's given us all a chance to unwind and get close to the people we care about. It's a good chance for all of us before we finally manage to settle things..."
"Do you have any plans for after all this?" Lloyd questioned with a raised eyebrow, noticing that his friend's posture had become much more relaxed now that the topic was away from Colette. Colette seemed to have relaxed too, though Sheena was still giggling fit to burst beside her, they probably were still listening to them. Trying to keep his focus, he looked at Zelos and continued, "I mean like after all of this and the world's are joined again, what are you gonna do? You won't be the Chosen of Tethe'alla anymore if the world's are put back together, right?"
"That's a good point... But until the Church of Martel is deconstructed, I'll still have all the rights and powers of the Chosen." Zelos pointed out with a hint of a roguish smile, nodding towards the girls he continued pleasantly, "I'm gonna work on abolishing those stupid half-elven laws, then getting rid of the caste system right after that... I'm gonna move Seles outta that damn abbey too, I can't stand seeing her locked up like that. She deserves a good home after everything she's been through..."
Lloyd smirked, he saw the warm light in Zelos' eyes as he spoke fondly about his younger sister, the love was there no matter how hard he tried to hide it. It had only become more apparent when the redheaded girl found them in the Coliseum and demanded a battle with them to prove she was strong. He'd said as much in the words he told her after the battle, he cared for her. "You gonna move her into your mansion?"
"Yeah, I want to keep an eye on her. She doesn't look it, but the kid's a wildcat. She can get into a lot of trouble when she feels like it, having her closer might help." Zelos affirmed with a slight grin, scratching at the back of his neck absently. Stifling a yawn with his right hand, he continued wearily, "I've missed having her around, y'know? The mansion's nice and there's always girls around, but there's no one really to be with... No one constant."
"Colette might be your constant." Lloyd suggested, noticing again how Colette came to attention across the room. Zelos seemed to have noticed it too, but he said nothing, merely looked curiously at Lloyd to continue. The twin swordsman continued pleasantly, "If you don't want to spend all your time in Meltokio, you can always go with her. She's already made plans for after all of this. She's gonna go around to all of the damaged cities and help with the rebuilding. She wants to restore Palmacosta and things like that. It won't be easy for just her, you could help."
"Good.... point..." Zelos found himself smiling at the idea of it, though it really was the thought of spending more time with Colette on his own that brought the smile to his face. It was a desire he wasn't familiar with, there were no odd strings attached to it, it was him wanting to be with her simply to be with her. "That'd be something worth doing... A lot better than just directing stuff from the shadows... I'd like to do that... I'll ask her."
"Ask me what Zelos?"
Lloyd and Zelos jumped in unison, causing Sheena to downright cackle from where she stood, just a foot away from them at by Colette's side. She smiled brightly at the startled Lloyd, nudging the blushing Colette to get her to repeat herself. Neither swordsman seemed to be capable of speech, which only caused Sheena to grin broadly and Colette's face to darken to crimson. Stumbling over her words as she often did over her feet, the blond angel asked again, "W-What did you want to ask me Zelos?"
"Ah, uh..."
"C'mon Lloyd, let's go." Sheena grinned and caught her swordsman by the arm, pulling him to his feet and winding her fingers through his. Lloyd's confused expression melted into a smile when he realized what she was doing, and he followed her lead without another word. She didn't stop walking until they were outside, something he didn't find surprising, and when she sat in the grass by the building he followed suit immediately. She poked his sides, a mischievous smile lighting up her face as she teased, "You know Colette heard every single thing you guys were talking about, right?"
"Yeah, I knew." Lloyd laughed, playfully grabbing a hold of her hands to make her stop, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose. She crinkled it and crossed her eyes, causing him to chuckle before giving her a proper kiss. Flopping back into the long grass, he sighted contentedly as he closed his eyes. "I think Zelos forgot though, he just kept on talking... I thought it'd be good for her."
"Well it kinda was, she was pretty embarrassed." Sheena remarked with a gentle smile, knowing how easy it was to fluster the blond. Rubbing her right arm lazily, she could still see the properly shocked expression the angel had worn when she realized Zelos and Lloyd were speaking about her. "She grabbed my arm so hard I thought she was gonna break it... Zelos doesn't really talk about things like that to her, he wants to I think, but he just doesn't. It was good she got to hear it, it gave her some confidence."
"She always could use a boost of that... Sometimes I think all of us could use a good shot of it every now and then." Lloyd remarked with a bit of a smile, turning his head to glance at Sheena as she sprawled out in the grass with a contented expression. He reached out to absently catch a lock of her dark hair, twisting it gently so it caught the light of the afternoon sun. He could see the violet hue of her hair that he admired, and with a lazy smile he lay down beside her. "Your hair looks pretty..."
She blushed a slight tinge of pink, lowering her eyes even though her lips quirked into a smile of delight. He had to pause for a moment, startled. Her face pinked in the sunlight, a pale contrast to the violent crimson that she would turn whenever he touched her let alone complimented her before. 'Something... definitely shifted between us... for... for the better.' Brushing his fingers through her bangs that she always let fall from her ponytail, he asked absently, "Are you gonna wear it down for the party?"
"I actually don't know what I'm going to do with it to be honest..." Sheena answered with a thoughtful expression, pulling her bangs in front of her eyes, studying it as if she was trying to picture how she would look in the coming hours. Raising her eyes to meet his, she felt the blush darkening just a fraction as she asked, "Do you... Do you want me to wear it down?"
Lloyd paused even though his answer was already decided and he took a moment to watch her expression. She seemed almost hopeful and he knew she would do whatever she asked, just as he would to see her smile. 'Heheh... What idiots we are...' He let his fingers move down her cheek, the gesture so natural she was already leaning into his hand before his fingers had finished the caress. He changed his thoughts then, his smile gentling as he answered softly, "I don't mind either way. Do whatever you like, you'll still look beautiful."
"You know if anyone else told me that I'd figure they were lying or being underhanded about it somehow..." Sheena sighed wearily, rubbing at her forehead to disguise the growing blush on her face. 'His voice...' There was nothing but a childlike innocence in his words, an earnestness that touched her in ways no other thing could. Raising her eyes with a shy smile, she finished in a murmur, "But when you say it I find myself believing anything."
"Hehe, that's surprising..." Lloyd laughed, closing the distance between their faces to gently kiss her on the cheek. She playfully pushed him away but he wasn't to be denied, sitting her up and wrapping his arms tightly around her in a bear hug. Laughing, she surrendered, resting her head against his shoulder as she relaxed into the embrace. "So you'll believe anything I say huh?"
"Don't push it."
"Well it's just an interesting thing to say, that's all." Lloyd defended himself teasingly, grinning in the face of her mock-scowl. She huffed once and looked away as though she was angry, but he knew her too well to take the bait. Laughing, he nuzzled against her neck and pulled her right into his lap to trap her there. She didn't struggle away from him but she did remain stiff, letting him know that she wasn't about to give in. Snickering at her defensive posture, he rested his chin on her shoulder and watched the surroundings with a contented absence that he didn't understand.
It had always been easy to speak with her about anything, she had made it so simple by always sitting and watching him with gently expectant eyes and a warm smile. Yet now he found himself without words and completely content, as though they weren't needed between them. There was a comfortable silence between them that made words unnecessary, he knew exactly what she was feeling and thinking without even having to ask.
Sheena felt her lips tweaking despite the force she was using to try to remain annoyed to keep up the banter. Knowing she was going to lose regardless of how hard she struggled, she ended up turning her head and kissing Lloyd's cheek softly. He grinned smugly, and with an affectionate roll of her eyes she scolded him,"You don't play fair, you know that?"
"There's rules?" Lloyd asked with raised eyebrows and an incredulous expression, drawing helpless laughter from the woman in his arms. Still smug that he had won, Lloyd tightened his hold on her subtly and muttered into her ear, "Y'know I've never been all that good at following rules..."
Her eyes closed, she let out a soft sigh as his mouth touched her earlobe, kissing her gently before moving the kiss down her neck. Her stomach tightened pleasantly as he whispered her name, his arms tightening around her body. Body taut and anxious, she replied breathlessly, "Me either..."
"Rules are made to be broken." Lloyd muttered huskily against the sensitive skin of her neck, rather enjoying the murmur she made of his name. He could feel the iron wave of lust that scrambled his thoughts and warmed his blood, and for a moment he forgot that his friends were inside the chapel and could easily see them if they cared to look out the window. Brushing his mouth along her neck, one arm loosened around her and his hand lazily slid under her kimono to caress the bare skin of her stomach.
"Lloyd..." Sheena closed her eyes tightly as he splayed out his fingers, gently rubbing into her skin. Tilting her head back just a little, she heard his dark chuckle of satisfaction that left her aching in more ways than she knew how to explain. A tiny warning bell sounded in her ears, though it was easy enough to ignore as Lloyd continued to press small kisses to her neck and collarbone. Forcing her eyes open however when the bell got louder, she murmured, "Lloyd... We'll get caught..."
He groaned unhappily, and for a split second she was completely ready to ignore her own words and begin anew. He dropped his hand from her however but didn't move his mouth, though his kisses gentled and he continued to hold her close. She made a soft huffing noise of discontent, and with a weary laugh he reminded her, "You're the one who said we'll get caught..."
"Yeah, I know." Sheena mumbled dejectedly, wincing at the fire that now blazed without any added fuel in her blood. Bereft and completely annoyed at her inability to control herself, she lowered her head and grunted, "This is really a problem if we can't keep our hands to ourselves for any amount of time..."
"I really don't see it as a problem." Lloyd snickered darkly though when she whacked him lovingly in the shoulder he smiled apologetically into her frown. Wrapping her into a bear hug, he inhaled her floral scent before whispering, "I don't think I'll ever be able to keep my hands to myself, if that's alright with you..."
"Quit it, don't make this any harder than it is." Sheena muffled a giggle into his chest, fighting off both her desire and amusement with great trouble. He got a chuckle out of her efforts and though it annoyed her, she was more pleased with the fact that his arms had settled themselves around her again. She glanced up at the sky, noticing with a jolt that the bright azure blue was beginning to darken just the slightest, the horizon blurring into a rainbow of oranges, reds and purples as the sun began to set. "It's getting late... The party's going to start in a few hours... We're still here though."
"Yeah, I thought you were already gonna be gone when we showed up." Lloyd nodded at her thoughts, though he made no effort to release her from his arms to let her leave. She laughed at this but didn't move either, instead settling even deeper into his arms for a better fit. Glancing up at the darkening sky, he frowned just a little and asked, "Wasn't Professor Sage going to come downstairs and leave with you?"
"I guess she got held up... She has so much to think about... Though if Regal went to see her, it might be best to leave them alone and not say anything." Sheena suggested with a little shrug, a tiny smile pulling at her lips. She hadn't seen the duke since he'd arrived, and she hadn't seen the professor either which gave her an odd sense of deja vu. 'I wonder what they're up to...' "I hope they settle things out, for their sakes and the team's..."
"Yeah, it's hard on everyone when two of us are fighting..." Lloyd agreed with a quiet sigh, frowning as he remembered the tension that had been raised when Regal's true identity had been discovered. It had seemed that the party was ready to split down the middle with those who forgave the duke and those who agreed with Presea's anger. Rolling his shoulders back casually, he added, "But the professor isn't one to be indecisive for long and Regal doesn't like fighting either. They'll settle things."
"Yeah, probably... Though I hope it doesn't take them too long, or we'll miss the party." Sheena snickered to herself, though she was inwardly dancing at the idea of not attending. Her every cell groaned at the thought of just standing there in the middle of Tethe'alla's finest, and adding a dress that made it nigh impossible to fight should the worst happen simply made it all the more torturous.
"You're not worried about that." Lloyd teased, not even having to see her face to tell that she was perversely pleased about missing the soiree. She made no argument but he saw the way her cheeks twitched upwards into a grin, and chuckling himself he admitted somewhat sheepishly, "I'm not too hyped about going either, I don't think I belong in a place that full of royalty, y'know? I'd feel out of place. I wouldn't mind missing it."
"I'd sneak off any day but Raine would probably use Photon on us before we even made it to the doors." Sheena smirked a bit at the idea of a well-dressed professor brandishing her staff threateningly in full view of the king and the rest of the royal family. Snorting under her breath, she elbowed Lloyd gently and teased, "Think if we tried to do it in full view she'd hit us? I mean, I've seen her discipline Genis before, but I've honestly been too scared to ever test her. I think she'd hit me too if I did something too out of line."
Lloyd laughed out loud though he was smiling ruefully at her anxious expression. Kissing the top of her hair, he explained sheepishly, "Don't tell anyone I told you this, especially Zelos, but Raine used to hit me too. I got my fair share of spanking from her when I was growing up, and when she stopped spanking me, she started drop-kicking me instead. She might be a really great teacher but she still has a foot like a stone. I swear, after she kicked me in the Temple, I couldn't eat for three days!"
Sheena had to clap a hand over her mouth to stop her laughter, knowing if she started she may very well never be able to stop. Though she knew that the half-elven woman had a quick mouth and an even quicker hand, she surprisingly had no trouble imagining the silver-haired teacher kicking Lloyd for something he did. "That's.... not hard to imagine..."
"Nice to know you feel sorry for me." Lloyd attempted to sound petulant but her stifled laughter brought too much of a smile to his face. Burying his face in her neck as she continued to giggle silently, he felt his chest lightening as he held her close. She made it too easy to forget his other worries. Breathing in her heady scent, he glanced up at the darkening sky with a contented smile. The day could pass and he wouldn't notice, as long as she was still in his arms.
AN
No comment? XD It seemed like a good place to leave it I guess... That and I really had nowhere else to go with this chapter so it ended there anyway. Hehe. Yes, I'm alive! (dodges flying debris and dives into my bomb shelter) No flames, no flames! The computer died on me and we had to take it in for fixings... Then I lost most of my ideas during my long break of no computer and suffered through withdrawals and I could bore you with a long tale of woe but I won't because I know it bores you. XD Review response time! XD
Brave Soul: You sound like you've never been glomped before, that makes me sad. Lol. To make an account is pretty simple, there's a button up near the top that says "Sign Up", if you click it and follow the instructions that makes you an account, lol. You need an email address of course, and maybe five to ten minutes of time in case you can't think of a pen-name, lol. But that's really all there is to it. If you're still having trouble, give me a holler at my email and I'll try to walk you through it?
faroutcast: Lol, it's not really, just the past few chapters have given a good light on the changing dynamics and it's going to affect Sheena and Lloyd too... But I'm worried about moving the spotlight so to speak because I'm not really trying to do that. (tear)
Lloyd Irving Aurion: Yeah, no kidding! I always say that writer's block is the devil's idea of a good crank call. I stand by that statement too... Hmm, as for your ideas, they all sound incredibly sound (lol), and I'd like to give my hand at a few of them. I'm sorry to say it's not going to happen right away as I want to finish Jealousy before I even attempt to put my focus somewhere else. I have a very bad habit of letting other things pull me away and then I never end up finishing what's on my plate. I don't want that to happen again so I hope you'll continue to be patient for me, I really do appreciate that!
Sychotic: XD Any more cracks for me this time? Hehe, I don't mind, I love a good joke. Hehe, have I seriously gotten people attached to RainexRegal? It's a very guilty pleasure if so. Keyword guilty, I hate doing that to people XD (giggles) Hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long for this update Sy, and I hope you like it too!
Maurice A. Nigma: Hey no worries, take as much time to read, write, or do whatever you need, I don't mind if I don't hear from you, as long as I know you're doing alright! Yeah, I can only see Sheena being able to kick his ass back into gear because she loves him but seems to also be willing to give him tough love when it's needed... I can only see them together. As for the rest of the cast, being together with their significant other is bound to change attitudes and personal habits, even if only a little. Raine has pride yes, but she has this quality of wanting the best for the people she loves even while she's a logical person. How she acted for Genis is a prime example. Zelos always had this shield about him, the frivolity and such... But I get a sense that Colette's purity, for lack of another word, would melt that facade and touch him. He's not as dense as people play at him, nor is he a real pervert. He's just him and Colette can both see, and appreciate that I like to think. Heh, I really enjoy talking to you about this stuff, you seem like a logical person who's open as well to debate and you can keep it friendly. I don't meet many people like you, so thanks!
Ahem, so two more chapters to come after this, I have made my decision XD The party, and then a surprise ending. XD (Why did I say surprise?) Dash the expectations people, it's me, I cannot even hope! Why do I keep laughing at myself... (Hehe...) Anyway, to keep up with the dedications... This chapter is dedicated to my faithful review Sychotic, keep pushing me to new heights my friend! Hehe. Enjoy, review if you feel the need, and please keep being patient with me, lol, I really appreciate it!
PS: A New World is in the works, I have nearly finished with my outline... After Jealousy is finished it will be my new project, and I hope it'll last good and long. No idea how many chapters it'll be, but that's the fun of it, I want it to go on for as long as it will because I like reading a long story and I love writing them even more! (Why else would this have gone for so long? XD)
Happily,
Sky