Another time and space - Part five; Don't leave

a Final Fantasy IV fanfiction (Edge x Cecil)

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"Never again"

Edge looked at the young man that had always been his friend. He watched him as he quickly uncovered his eyes and looked back at him with a startled expression. He watched him as the other tried to sit up, but winced in pain as his head hurt more than he'd have thought. He just watched him and for the first time he was glad with the warm feelings he felt fluttering through his body.

"Edge…" Cecil's voice was soft, unsure almost as he watched the prince come in. His head was throbbing with the fever he still had and he could barely stand the light that slipped through the inn's curtains.

"Don't talk; I have something to tell you." Edge whispered, but the other could still hear him and he shut his mouth without another protest. He didn't know what the prince was thinking, he didn't know what went through his head, but the look on his face clearly told him it was something important.

Slowly, Edge walked towards the bed and sat down next to his friend. He reached out and placed his hand on Cecil's forehead like he had done before. For a moment he measured the man's temperature, before sliding his fingers slowly over his skin. He didn't dare look Cecil in the eyes as he touched his temple, his cheek and finally his lips.

"Remember that time you told me about this remedy?" The prince's voice was soft, almost a breathless whisper as he slowly, carefully, bend down and placed his forehead on top of the other's. He closed his eyes as he heard the soft reply of 'how could I forget?' and softly he slid his hand from Cecil's face to the soft skin of his throat and down to his chest.

"Remember I told you I didn't get it?" His hand softly trembled as he gripped the sick man's shirt and he let his head fall on top of his shoulder. Slowly, the young prince's body started to tremble and Cecil wondered if he really was that angry at him. Carefully he reached up, intending to push the young man away from him so they could talk, but then he froze into mid air as he heard the soft whimpers.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm so sorry." For a moment the young man wondered if maybe he heard wrong. He just laid there, the young prince clutching his shirt, when he felt the first teardrops fall onto his own feverish skin.

"Edge…" He couldn't help but whisper his name, but as he felt the other's hesitant tremble, he knew that word had said more than he had wanted it to.

Slowly the prince sat up and looked away from him. With a soft, sad voice he started talking and all Cecil could do was listen. So he listened and not a word left his lips as he started to understand the depth of this young man's pain.

"You know, when my parents were killed, I was devastated. I wanted them back and I would do anything to avenge them." His voice was soft, but as he kept on talking, slowly the sadness disappeared and a sure but fragile strength took its place.

Softly, the prince told him about how hard it had been, how difficult it was to accept their deaths and how strange and painful to remember the life he'd had with them still around. He told him how he'd planned to avenge them, how he'd planned to do it alone, because he was afraid to lose more of his beloved. He was afraid to lose more of the people he cared for; as well his friends as his people.

"And you know what? " finally he looked his friend into the eyes and the beauty Cecil could see inside of them took his breath away. It was like looking into pools of fire, pools of water, pools of ice and lightning all at once. It was like he looked into the source of life when he felt dead himself. He felt like he had never before.

"That when I met you." The voice of Edge was still soft and the strength hadn't left him in any way. But combined with those eyes, Cecil couldn't help but shiver from the intensity of the prince himself. He was beautiful, the way he sat there, his face still wet from his just shed tears.

"You changed everything." The prince softly told him how his presence had changed that fire inside of him. How his friend had changed his rage into acceptation. He told him how he never even realized how he was changing, until he finally had changed. He told him so many things, but the young knight was so captured in that moment of pure beauty that he barely registered what his friend's words were.

He just looked at him and he felt his heart pounding in his chest. He felt the love in his heart bloom even more with every second he looked at this young man next to him. And he admired him without a word. He admired him until finally two words got trough to him.

"Don't leave."

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