Copper's Corner

[Copper]

So, yeah. Been a while since I've written much of anything lately and over the past week, I literally had a story pouring from my brain to the point of causing me sleep deprivation. What started out as a story kernel turned into a 38-page collosus. I worked for a long time on this and while I'm usually very protective of my work, I have shared it in the past with you guys and you've been pretty receptive, despite the subject matter. For those of you just joining us, Copper tends to write YAOI themed stories. My opinion is, if you do not like it, do not read it. You have a choice. There is a "mark all read" button for those of you anal enough to want all the little 'new message' icons to go away so you don't have to venture in if you don't want to. For those of you that do take the time to read my stuff, I love praise and appreciate constructive criticism (and if you find a typo, please tell me. I hate them as much as you do, but I am only human.)

I'll babble here about the story first, so you don't have to go any further than this if you don't want to. It's a FF8 fanfic, done in first person, with Irvine Kinneas as the narrator. The story takes place in something of an 'alternate' ending to the game, in which the Magic Lamp was never given to the characters during the course of their adventures. The story has been rated 18+ for adult language, use of alcohol, not too overly graphic violence, male nudity, and non-consentual homosexual relations. I also leave out the chocobos. Sorry.

*deep breath* Anyway...hope you like.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Not All Guardians are Junctioned

It's funny how two things can seem like polar opposites and yet they fit together so well.

Take, for instance, Balamb Garden's resident sorceress and her knight-protector. If one saw the bubbly, out-going Rinoa, you'd likely never pair her with an introvert like Squall. Granted, Rinnie doesn't have half of Selphie's energy, but if you could run a Garden on attitude, we'd have an inexhaustible resource, let me tell you.

And then there were things that seemed so perfectly natural that you'd find yourself slapping your forehead if someone actually had to point them out to you.

Of course, my skin was saved the bruising, given that I figured right away what a perfect match the two of them were. It really wasn't that hard. I mean, take one flesh and blood embodiment of the term 'perpetual motion' and pair it up with the raw power of an unstoppable force of nature and that, my friends, is a thing of beauty.

There's always that split second, that fraction of an instant when the thunder fades, when everything is still, even him. In the time it takes your eyes to adjust from the light show that had been dancing in front of it, he's off again, a twisting, whirling vision of blue, red, and gold that seems to have just gotten a recharge from the electricity in the air.

Quezacotl and Zell Dincht. If there wasn't a more perfect match out there, I didn't know where to find it.

Okay, that was something of a lie. For as long as I can remember, which is more than some, Squall's had Shiva, the arctic mistress. Cool and with that aloof, untouchable aura, it makes me wonder sometimes where she ends and he begins.

Or Selphie. Our bubbly little protector. You can almost see the same expression in Carbuncle's eyes. And then there's Seifer and Ifrit. There's a match for you. Both hot-headed and stubborn. Can't say as I'm upset with the notion of passing him along. We had our moments, but we never really clicked. Maybe it was just cause the others "grew up" with them and I didn't, but I've yet to find a G.F. that's worked well with me.

Currently, I'm seeing how Bahamut and I can get along. I gotta admit, I appreciate Squall's trust with this one. The dragon is nothing but power, pure and simple. I guess he figures I'd know best how to handle a force like that. It's still strange, though, feeling him nestled there, in the back of my head. He's at least been considerate enough to make his space amid things I'd just as soon forget, which is a bit of a blessing. I don't think he's too amused with me blaming him whenever I misplace my gun oil, though.

But, I'm getting distracted. Thinking about the G.F.'s when I should be thinking about my other distraction, the sole reason my butt's in the Training Center this early in the morning: Zell.

Again, I swear, if we could bottle this boy's energy, I'd make a killing. No one should be capable of that much action before breakfast was served. Thinking on it, I wondered if Quetz had anything to do with that. You can't share your brain with something primal like that and not feel it. Hyne knows, that boy gets going, I mean, really going, he f'ing glows.

"Irvine!"

"What? Yeah, coming! I'll be right--" It took half a second for me to register that he's standing right in front of me. "There."

"You know, zoning out in here is a real good way to become 'Rex food right?" Arms crossed, foot tapping, the corner of his mouth quirked up in a perturbed expression.

Raising Exeter, I pointed it well over our heads, off into the distance. "I'd just give it heartburn."

"If it didn't just chew you up and spit you out."

"You sayin' I'm not good enough for one?"

"Maybe." His lips tip up into a grin and he spins, heading along the trail again. "C'mon. Squall wants the grats weeded down before first class today."

Slinging the rifle against my shoulder, I followed at a more leisurely pace. "And why did you pick me to do this with you?"

"Figured you needed the exercise, Cowboy." He flashed me a devil's grin over his shoulder.

"Don't need it. Just a good eye," I swung my weapon out, extending my arm to a full reach, "and a steady arm." I squeezed the trigger.

The dying rumble around us almost covered the sound of something solid hitting the earth. I'd caught sight of a raldo shuffling through the trees. Those things are all shell, but I hit it in a spot that dropped it. Through underbrush. At a distance.

Exercise, my lily white--

"Crap. Now you did it." Zell immediately took a fighting stance.

"What did I--?"

Seeming to uncoil from itself from the ground, a T-rexaur growled as it pushed itself to its feet. It must have been sleeping nearby.

And I woke it up.

Fumbling inside my pockets, I hurried to reload while Zell kept himself between me and it. I was about to holler for him to get clear when I realized he hadn't started attacking the thing.

Yet.

A darkness seemed to creep in around us, circling the area, leaving nothing in view but the Rex, me, and...

Zell stood before the thing, one hand stretched out toward the ground. An inky well seemed to be forming at his feet and I could hear the sound of hundreds of wings fluttering overhead. The darkness came together in a ball, shattering to reveal a red-skinned, bone-clad, winged demon that uncurled itself. Extending its hand upward, it seemed to draw on the blackness surrounding us before sending it crashing down to envelop the beast before us. Eldritch lights seemed to shine from inside the globe. As soon as it shattered, so did the creature, hundreds of bats flying away as it did so.

"Irvine! Light it up!" Zell dove out of the way and I didn't need any further hesitation. Raising my gun, I unloaded into the 'Rex, one at the chest, one at the head. Blood streaming into its eyes, it snarled and lashed out, much, much too slow to try and catch Zell, who was already dancing around it, punching into its underbelly and landing hard kicks into its legs.

"Clear!" I shouted as soon as I had a shot again. Zell dropped low and the shots went high, shattering teeth and ripping away more flesh as they connected.

It was too much. With a groan, the beast toppled over. Soon enough, the carcass would be taken care of by the rest of the critters in here, not to mention it's none-to-picky fellows that liked their meat fresh.

"Not exactly how I wanted to spend the morning, but it'll do." Zell was currently wiping gore from his gloves onto his jacket. He treated he leather on his hands better than the rest of his clothes.

"What the hell was that?" I stalked up to him.

"Pardon?" He looked at me, blue eyes blinking in confusion.

"That...that thing!"

"The 'Rex? Irvine are you feeling--"

"Not the T-Rexaur. That...Guardian. What was that?" I'd never seen something so pitch-soul black in my life...and I'd stood with Squall against Seifer, Ultimecia, and I'd had Ifrit in my head the whole time.

"You mean Diablos?" Zell shrugged casually. "He's a G.F. Squall recently acquired when we were restructuring. Apparently our former Headmaster tried to pass him along but never go the chance."

"I have never seen anything like...him. Ever. Is this the first time you've used him?"

"One of the few. Diablos is a little more in the teaching capacity as a G.F. rather than combat oriented. He tends to weaken monsters more often than out-and-out killing them."

"Why? He sympathize with 'em or something?" I don't know why, but something about that particular Guardian rubbed me the wrong way and the fact that Zell had it only chapped things more.

"It's the nature of his power. Darkness saps your strength, but it can't kill you. Not unless you let it."

"And you said he can...teach you things?" I could feel my eyes narrowing. "What kind of things?"

"Yeah. He's pretty useful in that regard." Zell gave me a pat on the side and turned and walked away. "So, we gonna get to killing grats or what?"

I couldn't believe the casual turn of conversation, not to mention how he avoided the question. "Yeah, yeah. Just let me...Hey!"

"Something wrong?" He turned around, hands clasped behind his back, rocking on his feet.

"My ammo! It's..." I started looking around on the ground. There was no way in hell I could have dropped it. I would have known if a good chunk of the stuff fell out of my pocket.

"You mean this?" Zell held out a hand, cupped upward. Sitting in his palm was a good sized serving of shells.

"How did you do that?" I hadn't even felt his hand on me. Wait, the pat. Did he...? How did...?

"I told you. Diablos has a few useful tricks up his sleeves."

"Thievery bein' one of them?" I scooped the shells out of his hand, the words coming out a lot harsher than I would have liked. Wait, no, not nearly harsh enough.

"You never know what you can get ahold of in the middle of a fight," was Zell's reply. "You just have to have the fast reflexes and eye enough to grab it. And since my fighting style requires me to lay hands on opponents anyway..."

"Natural choice," I muttered.

Zell tapped his nose and pointed at me. Yeah, there were times I wished I wasn't so bright.

"You were the one that chose to take him?"

"Yeah." Zell started walking again. "Like I said, he and I seemed to click right from the get-go. It was like Squall and Shiva. Something about your personality sometimes speaks to the Guardians and they take a shine to you. I think that's why Ifrit never liked you. You were too laid back."

"Yeah, well, what part of you did Diablos like?" It was hard to imagine Zell having anything in common with that...that...thing.

"Can't rightly say. Maybe he thought I'd just be a better student than the others. And speaking of students..."

"Yeah, I know. Can't have the grats eat them. No matter how much Seifer wants them to."

He laughed and took off once again. My own mirth was forced and I had to will myself to move. We did have a job to do after all. Still, for the rest of the morning, I found myself trying hard to stay out of Zell's shadow.

*

"What's eating you, Irvy?" Selphie slid into the chair beside me in the cafeteria, setting her full tray down next to my own, equally as full. I'd already been here a good half-an-hour and still barely touched my food.

"Nothin', really. Thinking about things." I started pushing lettuce around with my fork.

"Can't be girl trouble. You usually open right up about that." She planted her cheek on her fist and stared at me. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Hyne, no. I keep telling Squall it's a waste of ammo to send me in on those cleaning missions. I'd sooner beat the things to death with my gun than spend the shells on them."

"Maybe you ought to talk to Zell. He could teach you--" Something in my eyes must have given it away. She stopped talking. Selphie never stopped talking, not even in her sleep, not even during-- "Did you and Zell have a fight?"

"No." I shook my head. It was the truth. Zell and I hadn't fought about Diablos. I just made it mighty clear to him that I didn't like the thing and he'd made it mighty clear that he thought it was just my natural distrust of all things Guardian Force. At least we were professional enough to get the job done without one of us storming off in a huff, at least not until we left the facilities.

"Oh, cuz Raijin said that he saw him earlier and he looked in a pretty sour mood and we knew the two of you were doing clean-up and--"

"We had a disagreement," I acquiesced. "I just found out about Diablos."

Selphie looked at me like I'd asked her if Squall used a gunblade. "What about him?"

"I don't like it."

"Irvine, you don't like any Guardian Forces. You've been through five of them already. I'm surprised Bahamut's lasted as long as he has."

"This is different. There's a big difference between my not liking something in my head eating away at my memories and that...thing...corrupting Zell."

Selphie's laugh got the attention of the nearby tables. She quickly hid her mouth behind her hand in an attempt to stifle herself but it really wasn't working. "Irvy, you can't get corrupted by a G.F. If you can't control it, you pass it on to someone that can. And if Zell can't control Diablos, there probably isn't anyone who can."

Something cold knotted in my stomach. "He hasn't had him very long. How can you be so sure about all this?"

"Because I trust Zell. He knows how to handle G.F.'s If Squall didn't think he could do it, he wouldn't have offered it to him."

"How did something like...that...go unnoticed for so long?"

"Well, you know how G.F.s can sometimes be fixed in places? I guess that was his case. Something about a lamp or something. And the dumb thing was apparently buried in one of Headmaster Cramer's rooms.

"Maybe it should'a stayed that way."

Pushing my tray away, I got up and hurried out. The other G.F.'s, they all had a natural feeling to them, even Eden, a sentient weapon. Hyne, even Doomtrain felt more right than Diablos. It had a purpose. I needed answers and I needed them now.

*
"Irvine. Not often I see you darkening my door." Quistis stepped into the computer lab as the door slid shut behind her. "I thought you knew it all already."

"Apparently I don't know enough." I skimmed through a few more logs, looking at pictures and getting nowhere in a big hurry.

"What's got you all worked up?"

"Trying to find out about a new G.F."

"A new one? Did they find--"

"New to me. Zell had one today I hadn't ever seen any of us use before. Thought I'd brush up."

She pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. "All right. Well, class isn't for another twenty minutes yet. Will it bother you if I get things set up."

I waved her off, poking around further in the files. The less I found, the less I liked. They say ignorance is bliss. I say ignorance can kill.

"Who are you researching?" Someone was obviously done setting up.

I really didn't want a repeat of the situation with Selphie. "Tonberry," I lied.

"Zell had Tonberry? I thought he hated Tonberry. Besides, what was he doing using him in the Training Center?"

"Rexaur."

She made a noise. That one word explained a lot, especially when you were talking trouble and the Training Center. Thankfully, it also shut her up. Or so I thought.

"What did you want to know about him? Selphie used...wait, no. Selphie has him right now. How did Zell get him? Especially for this morning?"

I sighed, looking over at her. She was leaning against one of the desks. Sharp as the whip by her side and with a personality that could cut just as deep into your skin. Still, Quistis was one of the best listeners I knew. Maybe...

"You promise not to laugh at me?"

She blinked behind her lenses. "Irvine, when have I ever laughed at you when you didn't deserve it?"

Fair enough. "I saw Zell use Diablos for the first time today. I don't like it, Quistis. Zell and Selphie have been saying it's just 'cause I don't like 'em to begin with, but there's something not natural 'bout that demon."

I could tell by her look, the tight line of her lips, she at least had some passing understanding of what the thing was. Made sense. You couldn't be an instructor and be out of the loop on things. "You just said it yourself. It's a demon. They're not, by any stretch of the imagination, natural. Why did Zell call on him?"

"My own stupid fault. I woke up a Rexaur."

"But why did Zell call Diablos? Why didn't he call Quezacotl?"

That thought hadn't crossed my mind. Sure, he'd just used her a little bit ago, but she was always there for him, like a second skin. There's times I swore he brought her out without even having to think about it. She just knew when to help him.

My mouth opened, then closed. I shook my head. "Damned if I know. I know he wasn't showing off. It's me. I know there's no need for it. I'm a helluva lot more impressed by his moves than by something like that."

A smile pulled at the corner of her lips but whatever she was thinking, it stayed in her head. "And if I know you and I know Zell, talking to him about this isn't going to help."

"What was your first clue?"

"You're not talking to Zell." She crossed her arms. "Do you want me to try?"

"No. He'll just think I'm trying to rally all of you guys to my side, away from him. You know how he gets."

"Yes, I do. All right. I'll leave you to puzzle through this on your own, but if you need help, you know we're here for you."

Out of habit, I tipped my hat to her. "Appreciate it, Quistis." There was still a little more time for me to dig around. I was going to try and get some more research in when the door opened.

"Hey, babe. Where do you want this model put?" Seifer carefully maneuvered himself into the room, laden down with a nested replica of a Bomb in several stages of attack. By the endearment, I knew he wasn't talking to me.

"The desk, thanks."

I peeked up from behind the terminal. Though Quistis was acutely aware of my presence, Seifer was oblivious. I caught him trying to get her to give him a kiss after he freed himself from his burden, leaning in, smiling at her, a puzzled look coming over his features when she deftly slipped away from him. He gently caught her arm.

"Quisty?"

I bit my lip and sank down lower, praying to Hyne he wouldn't notice me. I was a dead man if he did and Quistis knew it, too. She 'let' herself get caught by him, sliding very easily into his arms and turning him so that his back was to the door.

Moving with all the grace I possessed, I slid out from the chair and took the long way around the room. Glancing over at the two of them, I needn't have bothered with stealth at that point. One of Seifer's hands was 'gentlemanly' resting on her backside, protecting it from the edge of the desk. The other was up, fingertips just barely combing through her hair so as not to upset her bun. Quistis' arms were wrapped around Seifer's back, under his trench coat, and from the sounds she was letting out into that kiss, there was no acting happening on her part. Part of me regretted not being able to see the look on his face when he heard the door slide open, but I knew I needed to get out fast, before he registered that it had been the interior sensors that had gone off.

Okay, that one deserved a smack on the forehead. Still, part of me couldn't help but feel happy for the two of them. Sure, they'd butted heads in the past, but both of them had gone through a lot and that they could find each other after everything gave me proof that there was hope for the world yet. Of course, if Seifer hurt Quistis, there'd be a line outside his door of people waiting to kill him and likely a brawl or two to see who got to go first.

*

When personal research eventually turned up a whole lot of nothing, I decided it was time to buck up and try the route that I'd been hoping to avoid.

"Not often you come to visit, Cowboy. What's up?" Squall, buried behind the mountain of paperwork that was now standard issue for his job, pushed about half of it aside so he could look at me from across his desk.

Quiet as he was, the role of leader suited him. You didn't have to say a lot to let people know what you were thinking, although his spending more and more time with Rinoa had him smiling a lot more than before.

"Well, you said that if we had any concerns regarding, well, anything, that we could come to you. So, here I am." I spread my hands out in an encompassing gesture, moving to take the chair he offered with a tip of his head.

"I did. So, what's on your mind?"

"Firstly, I have a feeling I know where your thoughts are going to go with this, but this is not my being paranoid or distrustful." I couldn't help it. The 'teaching finger' came out and I'd slipped into lecture mode. My students knew I could be pretty easy-going, but when that pose came out, I was all business. "I think there was a reason Cid kept that lamp away from us and I want you to put Diablos back in it."

For a guy that didn't say a lot, Squall sure could be expressive with his features. The arch of his brow ran the gambit from curious to interested to amused. "And why do you think that?"

"Gut instinct isn't going to be a good enough answer for you, is it?" He shook his head and I slumped a little in the chair. That would've been too easy. "That's all I got at the moment, Squall, but I hope you at least consider it. I know I'm the first one to talk about weaning us off the G.F.s but this just feels different. I don't think that thing's supposed to be loose. There's something wrong with it."

"I appreciate the concern, Irvine. Though I don't know why you'd think that about it. Guardians are like magic. There is no 'good' or 'evil' when it comes to them. It's all in how you choose to use their power."

I shook my head. "Magic doesn't think for itself, Squall. One of the first things that you tried to impress upon me, to get me to understand them more, was that they were living, breathing, thinking entities. You're not sharing your brain with a knot of energy, you're sharing it with another person, with their own wants, needs, and desires. So how can you tell me there isn't the capacity for good and evil in 'em, too?"

"Well, they are called 'Guardian' Forces for a reason, Irvine. They're there to help us, protect us, and along that line, help and protect others as well. There hasn't yet been a documented case of one of them being, well, I suppose you could say, rogue, in this instance. Granted, there are unattached ones out there, but they're simply like the others. They don't actively seek to follow an evil path, to use your analogy."

"What if it's just because they can't? Even as powerful as they are, a G.F. has got to be tethered to something. A place, a person, a thing. I think that's what keeps them in check and when you take away that tether, it gives them a little bit more freedom."

"Diablos isn't running free, Irvine. He's junctioned to Zell."

"And he's sitting there, in his head, whispering things to him," I muttered.

"They all do that. It's how we learn from them. Bahamut not talking to you?" He arched a brow in amusement again. Wouldn't be the first time.

"No, he's there." I absently rubbed the back of my head. "We...talk." Moreso, I just listened. Something that old had a lot to say. "I just can't imagine anything that dark having anything worth sharing."

Squall let out a little sigh and I could tell it was my turn for a lecture. I did my best to try and keep an open mind. He did have a lot more experience with this than I did. "Not everything can be bright and shiny and pretty, Irvine. Diablos may seem dark, but from what I've seen, he's capable of doing more good than harm. His attacks incapacitate rather than kill. They allow us to gain resources without resulting in bloodshed." He must have been talking about the 'laying on' trick Zell pulled. "Zell's also well trained with Guardians. I've never seen a better rapport than between him and Quezacotl." He's obviously never looked in the frost-covered mirror. "If anyone can come to an understanding with Diablos, I think it's him."

I crossed my arms at my chest, hunched a little. "Your the leader. I gotta listen to you."

"While that is true, I don't want you to think that I'm not listening to you, either. I said 'gut instinct' wasn't enough to pull the two of them apart, but it is enough to get my attention. We didn't live as long as we did by not relying on our instincts sometimes. Then again, we also stand to lose a valuable asset if we don't take a chance now and again." He didn't need to explain that one. Lots of people hadn't been too happy to see Seifer striding these halls again, but Squall had taken him in. He gave me what I took as a reassuring smile. "I'll be sure to keep tabs on the two of them, though. Don't worry."

It seemed the best I could ask for at the moment. "Appreciate it."

He nodded and I took my leave. There was one last thing that I wanted to do before I'd either make peace or, Hyne help us, be proven right.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

*

"You know we're not allowed to use G.F.'s during a training session." Zell crossed his arms, looking at me as though I were a green cadet, freshly planted, as we said.

"C'mon, Zell. You're the one that's always telling me that I need to understand them more. How can I," did I really want to play this card? "How can I trust you about Diablos if I don't understand how he works?"

"I could just share him with you. Let you experience him first-hand."

"No! I mean, no. You know how I feel about them. He probably wouldn't even go. Probably knows I don't like him." Okay, so that was the lamest excuse I'd ever given, but the scary thing was, it looked like it was working.

Zell stood there, eyes roaming over me from top to bottom, like he was eyeing up the best place to land a punch that'd drop me like a spent shell. All the while, he had this look on his face like he were listening to something that only he could hear. I really didn't want to know what that was, though I had a pretty good idea.

"Just remember, you asked for this."

He stepped back, two fingers raising to his forehead for a heartbeat before they stretched out toward the ground. The sun above us and the field nearby went away. They seemed like they simply weren't there any more. Tunnel vision of the worst kind. The ground beneath his feet rippled with black water and I could hear the bats now, squeaking as they converged above. Zell seemed to sink into the depths as Diablos rose upward, that permanent grin on its face from the skull mask that it wore. Staring at it, I at least hoped it was a mask. He hovered there for a moment, his wings creating a breeze that snapped my coat around my ankles and had me pressing my hat against my head. Extending a hand upward, I watched as the darkness coalesced into a sphere and though it seemed to be pulling it in from around us, still no light filtered through.

I had to fight every instinct in me not to run, especially not as the orb came crashing down toward me. I'd been slammed into by every sort of magic you can imagine, so needless to say, I was a little surprised when it didn't hurt. I'd expected something solid. Instead, I found myself standing in a space no darker than a blackout. I had a second before the panic really started to creep in, especially watching as arcane symbols started to seem to etch themselves along the 'walls.' Leylines criss-crossed beneath my feet, connecting the symbols to one another, causing them to start to glow. From all around, cutting lines of energy shot out and started to slam into me, the force enough to knock me off my feet, though I didn't fall. It almost seemed like the beams themselves were holding me up, like there was a hand gripped around me and I were just a doll of some sort.

Tightness in my chest...I couldn't breathe...not until it felt as though another hand wrenched something out of me, pulling a scream from my lips and throwing me to the ground. In the back of my mind, I could hear something roaring. Bahamut. He wanted out. Wanted to rip to shreds this force that dare to hurt me, to reduce it to the very dust that formed it so long ago.

No! The cry was as much a warning for him as it was a protest from me. I could feel the darkness melting, giving way to a sky I couldn't focus on. Even doubled over as I was, I couldn't tell which way was up. Not until I saw a pair of black shoes in front of my eyes.

"You satisfied now?" He didn't ask if I was all right. He didn't check. He didn't offer to heal me.

Rolling onto my back, I tried hard to blink Zell into focus. The light was too bright. Pinching my eyes shut with a groan, I could only nod. Over the sound of my own breathing, I could hear the crunch of his feet against the ground as he walked away.

My mind tried hard to process what had just happened. I'd been hurt. Not burned, frozen, slammed, bashed, stabbed or shot, but hurt. Something in Diablos' attack had reached down inside of me and rent at my very soul. It wasn't strong enough to kill me, but it left me drained, weak both inside and out.

I will kill this thing that dares to attack us.

"Bahamut?" I'd never had one of the G.F.s speak to me in a partner capacity.

Even I felt those wounds. None have dared attack me thus for countless years. For that, it must pay.

"No." I wasn't sure if I said the word or only thought it. "You can't. Not without hurting Zell."

The vessel cares not for you.

"That's...that's not true. Zell is a friend. He's only acting like that because of...of Diablos."

Diablos. I know that name. It is the one that has been distressing you as of late.

"Yes. I worry that he's going to hurt my friend."

You would do well to see that your friend is separated from him. Soon.

"That's the plan, old man," I muttered.

Slowly picking myself up, I dusted off the back of my coat as best I could and then began to limp my way back to the Garden. I had class in an hour and it wouldn't look good if the instructor showed up in the same state he was trying to teach them to avoid.

*

Zell had always been one of those types that, behind his bouncy exterior, was really pretty shy at heart. Growing up with his mom and a dad that was always away had done that to him, I think. Once he opened up to you, though, you were in it until the end.

That's why it surprised me to see him hanging out at my favorite watering hole. He'd always been the one carrying my ass back to the dorms after a night like tonight. Not to say he didn't knock a few back now and again, but there he was, in an honest-to-goodness drinking contest. And from the look of the glasses, he'd been at it for a while.

As I moved up for a closer look, someone a little too big for his britches decided to try and keep me away, hitting me up for a bet if I wanted to watch. Another thing I'd picked up as an instructor was the 'wither stare,' as Quistis called it. She had one, too. That look you gave unruly students that had them tucking tails between their legs and slinking off, all without you needing to say one word about how what they were doing was wrong.

"You out to make a name for yourself?" I pulled over an unoccupied chair and planted myself to Zell's left. After my little show, no one questioned my right to be there.

"Succeeding." He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, motioning for the surrogate bartender to fill the next two glasses for him and his opponent. Looked like it was whiskey, but from the state of the table, they'd also gone through several beers first.

I looked at the guy across from him and saw that the kid was starting to show his buzz. Still not gone enough that he wouldn't be able to walk away (with help), but definitely two-and-a-half sheets in. Zell, on the other hand, looked like he was drinking water. Either he had a higher tolerance than I thought or...

There it was. As he tipped the glass back, there was a faint glow on his fingertips. He made sure his thumb came in contact with his lower lip. Alcohol was a poison, after all, and Esuna took care of that quick as a blink.

Problem was, Zell wasn't even trying to hide his sobriety. Usually when you cheated at a drinking contest, you let your opponent at least think you're getting smashed along with him. Zell was just reveling in his superiority. The glass got filled again but before he could raise it, I reached out, putting a hand over his wrist. He looked over at me with narrowed eyes and I just shook my head a little.

"Who's this guy, Zell? Your babysitter?" one of the guys chuckled.

"The way he's acting, it seems more like his wife!" That got the group of them going and boy did they have some colorful descriptions as to my role in the relationship. Must've been the hair.

Zell jerked himself free and slammed back the contents of his glass. Clinking it hard back to the table, he glared at me. "If you're not going to bet, leave," he hissed.

Fine. If that was the way he wanted to play it... "I don't bet on cheaters." I gave him an self-satisfied smirk and pushed myself to my feet. Of course, that one little word had all of his "friends" clamoring for an explanation. Adjusting my coat, I tucked my hat back onto my head and showed myself to the door. Let him clean up his own mess.

I was about halfway back to the Garden, wanting nothing more than to curl up and put the day behind me when there was the soft buzz of my phone ringing. Pulling it out and open, I found Squall's voice on the other line.

"Irvine, where are you?"

"Nearly home. Why?"

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "I need you to go to back to Balamb for me."

"Any particular reason why?"

"Do you have enough on you for bail money?"

I couldn't help it. I started laughing. "What'd you do? Finally break down and moon somebody?"

There wasn't any laughter on the other end. I could just see the pinch of his fingers, right on the bridge of his nose and under that scar. "Zell got arrested for starting a fight and then resisting arrest."

"How many people did he put in the hospital first?"

"Thr--How did you know?"

"It's Zell. He doesn't leave his weapons at the door like us."

"Point taken. Three. Two civilians and one officer."

"Let him stew." My voice came out flatter than a piece of paper.

"What?"

"He got in a brawl by cheating at a drinking game. I know. I called him on it. And if he's gotten stupid drunk enough to throw a punch at an officer of the local law, then he can sleep in a jail cell for the night."

"Irvine, will you please just go get him?"

"I'm more than halfway home, Squall." Maybe whining would help. "I really don't wanna go back. He's gonna be in a pissy mood and I'm the cause."

"Maybe he'll be grateful that you're bailing him out." Obviously not.

I bit back the retort that formed immediately after that sentence. If I didn't show up at the Garden with Zell in tow, I might as well just sleep in the car. There was no way Squall was going to let me in. "Fine. I'll be back later than anticipated, then."

Snapping the phone shut, I maneuvered the car back in the direction of the city. When I was about ten minutes away from it, I caught sight of something on the side of the road and pulled over.

"Zell?" I got out, standing behind the door and watched him walk toward me. "How did you--?"

"I grew up here, remember? I just spun a good yarn for the chief and he let me go. Apologized, offered to Cure the damage I'd done. Slap on the wrist and they let me go."

I shook my head. So much for the punishment fitting the crime. Wait, he'd cheated and gotten out by cheating. Perfect. "Squall sent me to pick you up. Get in." I slid back into the driver's seat, slamming the door behind me.

"Well, that was mighty nice of him." The smile that he flashed me wasn't friendly in the least. Somehow the thought of being stuck in the car with him, even for just this short of a drive, didn't set right with me.

He was quiet all the way back, but I could tell he was watching me. His arms were crossed at his chest, head bowed a little, but every now and then, I'd feel the creep of his stare in my direction. I couldn't pull into the parking garage fast enough, though I shouldn't have been so elated to have been back home.

His hand shot out and grabbed me by my pony-tail, jerking my head back and making me let out a little squawk. The grip was so tight, I could only turn my eyes to him, any other movement of my head wasn't happening. I could see his eyes gleaming in the faint light of the garage, the reflection giving them a bit of a glow. As he spoke, it was almost as though he chose words to purposely let me see his defined incisors.

"If you ever fuck with me again like that, Kinneas, I swear to Hyne I will break things you didn't even know you had."

He released me with a shove into the door and quickly got out, slamming his own door behind him. Not that I was in any condition to follow him. Reaching up, I rubbed the back of my head where his grip had been. Though my breathing wasn't heavy, it, and my heartbeat, had definitely kicked up a notch. Zell had just threatened me. The shock of that thought started me trembling and after everything, I don't spook easy.

The phone rang several times before a sleepy female voice answered it. "M'ello?"

"Rinnie, lemme talk to Squall."

Muffled, "It's Irvine, baby," before a more masculine, "Yeah, what's up?"

"Zell and I are home."

"That's good." Squall sounded like he'd just gone to bed after he talked to me the first time.

"No, it's not. Squall, he--" If I told Squall, Squall would confront Zell, and Zell would know that I ratted on him. "He was little worse off than we thought," I lied. "Must've been one hell of a fight."

"Maybe his bruises will teach him not to do that again, then. You okay? You sound tired."

"I am. I'm about to roll into bed any second now." I put a forced cheer into my voice. "Tell Rinnie good night for me."

"Will do." The line went silent.

I rode the elevator up to the dorm area and stopped in the main hall. Passing one door in favor of another, I buzzed the intercom twice and then twice again until a pair of sleepy green eyes were staring up at me.

"Irvy?"

"Hey, Selphie," I murmured. "Mind if I crashed here tonight?"

She gave me a sweet smile and tugged on my hand, pulling me into the room. It'd been a long time since Selphie and I had been intimate with one another, but after that, we'd fallen into the kind of friendship where we thought nothing of just sleeping together, especially since it meant just that: sleeping. Shedding my boots, coat, and hat, I climbed under the covers after her, sliding up behind her as she slept on her side, and wrapped my arm around her waist. And for once, she was quiet. Didn't ask why I was here, didn't ask what was wrong. I felt her fingers slip between my own, the gentle squeeze of her hand. I laid a kiss on the back of her neck and let my eyes slip closed.

The darkness in him is growing. I can feel the other getting stronger.

What can I do? He won't give him up.

You must make him see the darkness within himself. Only then can he be lead to the light once more.

Bahamut's advice rolled through my mind all night, giving way to nightmares and a fitful rest. When I finally woke in the morning, I found Selphie staring at me. She reached out and brushed a finger down my cheek, trailing what I could feel was the line of one of the many tears I'd shed last night.

"Irvine?"

"It's okay, Selphie." I gathered up her hand, kissing and nibbling on her fingertips until she started to giggle. "Just a silly bad dream."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." For the first time, I felt like I wasn't lying when I told her that.

*

"Ugh, what a mess." If there was one thing I hated fighting more than T-Rexaurs, it was caterchipillars. Those webs! Ugh! And they got into everything. I'd have to spend at least two hours tonight cleaning out my gun.

At least the students had gotten a good laugh at my expense and I was proud to see that they were capable of taking down one of the things without my help. Still, that didn't make the walk back to Garden any better, not with everything sticking to me, my clothes, my hair...

Thankfully, hot water and a good lather tended to help them dissolve faster. Of course, peeling out of my clothes had been a challenge and they now lay in a wet heap outside the shower stall. They could be dealt with later. For now, I was doing my best to salvage my hair.

I've always been a sucker for a hot shower, too. One hand planted on the wall, I let the water simply rush down over me to rinse it off. Getting the grime off of me felt good, even if I was going to have to start scrubbing at those webs pretty soon.

With the water pounding around my ears, I didn't hear the footsteps behind me. In fact, I didn't realize that I wasn't alone until I felt a pair of hands slip around my chest, pulling me back against a rather muscular torso.

"Long time, no see, Cowboy."

The voice was more spoken into the nape of my neck than my ear. Zell wasn't quite tall enough for the whisper. He was, though, strong enough to hold my back against his chest and keep me from pulling away from him.

I sputtered out the water that I'd sucked in while gasping. "Zell, what are you--"

"Doing here? I came to see you. Isn't it obvious? We haven't talked in a long time."

I tried to turn to look at him over my shoulder but he had a decent grip on me. In truth, since the drunken business, I'd avoided him like the plague. I didn't want him to suspect me of plotting against him. "You don't have to get so close to talk."

I could feel him nuzzling into the hair that hung down my back. "But I like being close to you. Especially like this."

The feel of him doing that made me shiver, the water going a little cold under the flush that ran over my skin. Okay, I admit it. I'd liked Zell that way for some time now, but I'd never told him. I knew him well enough that if I'd approached him on the matter, it would have chased him away from me. So I'd just contented myself with watching him...and a good mess of long, often cold, showers. And while something like this would normally have had me thanking Hyne for my good fortune, there was something about him that didn't feel right.

"I'm flattered, Zell, really, but there's better ways to get my attention."

"I know." His hand slid over my chest and sharply pinched my nipple. I felt my legs buckle, but his other arm tightened, keeping me on my feet. Hyne help me, I whimpered, too. "You don't think I don't know what you like, Irvine? Your girlfriend's a little chatterbox if you start asking her the right questions." He tweaked me again.

Sweet Hyne, I had to remember how to breathe. "Zell, stop it." Him doing that was really starting to make me squirm, in a good way and a bad. My body wanted more of what he was doing and my mind kept telling me over and over that this was very, very wrong.

"How long have you wanted me?" He kept one hand at my chest and I could feel his other arm pressed against my stomach, fingers brushing at my side. Shaking my head obviously wasn't the answer that he wanted. I felt his short nails rake over my stomach, stopping at my navel. "How long, Irvine?"

Swallowing, I managed to find my voice. "Y-year. A year, maybe more." I'd been enchanted by him since we first met, even if he hadn't been happy to see me. Still, even then I figured it would have been one-sided and put my attention elsewhere, namely Selphie.

"How on earth did you stand it?" I could feel his hand creeping lower, wrapping around me but not doing anything more than that. "Being that close and not acting on it?" I was about to answer the question when I learned it was rhetorical. "That's right, you found yourself some little chickadees to fuck in the meantime." He jerked his hand back and I felt my legs buckle again. I couldn't reach out with my arms. He had them pinned. I was wholly dependent on him to support me.

"Did you imagine any of them were me, hmm?" He continued his ranting, that's all I could call it, his hand slowly starting to milk back and forth along me.

Stop it. Zell, please, this isn't you. Stop. Any time he felt me taking in a breath to speak, he'd pinch me, making the words get lost in an involuntary moan. All I could do was shake my head.

"Or did you find another guy, hmm? Someone that looked more like me? So, what was it, Irvine? Giving or taking, hmm?"

I was afraid to answer that question. There was a lot more to it than him...debasing my sex life. It was a challenge. A choice I knew where I was going to come out losing. I tried answering him, but couldn't make any sound come out of my mouth.

He let go of my chest, reaching around and jerking my head back by my hair. "What? You'd what?"

"S--" Could I really do this? Did I really have a choice? "Suck. I'd...suck you. Aaah!" He gripped me a little tighter and I swear I felt him twitching against my back.

He released me, his other hand on my shoulder, thumb digging into it to force my knees to buckle. He reached out and caught my wrist with his hand, barely keeping me from completely hitting the floor. "Do it."

I looked up at him as if he'd just asked me to stab him through the heart. This wasn't Zell here with me. It couldn't be. He'd never ask...demand...something like this. He jerked on my wrist, pulling me a little closer to him.

"Do it, Cowboy. You said you would."

"You'll," I licked my lips and swallowed, hard. "You'll want the wall." I reached out a tentative hand and urged him around the stall so that he could lean back. Thankfully, he followed.

"What a considerate little bitch." He smirked down at me, the fingers of one hand brushing along the hair at my scalp in a mockery of a caress.

Taking him in my hand, I guided him to my lips, glancing up once in the hopes that he'd somehow come to his senses and stop me. Instead, I felt the insistent push of him against the seam of my lips. Parting them, I swallowed him past the head, pulling back to the tip and then taking him in again, all the while letting my tongue slide around him.

Zell groaned and reached up, grabbing the top of the divider wall for support. His other hand released my wrist and slid around behind my head. He wasn't doing anything with that, yet, but I had a feeling it was only a matter of time.

I could feel him twitch every time I let out a soft groan around him. Not wanting to give him any ideas, I did my best to slowly, subtly start taking him in deeper, distracting him with the pleasure of it. Some sick part of me wanted to make this feel good for him. Even though he was the one that had forced me to my knees, I still wanted him to feel good.

And so I knelt there in front of him, the water pooling around my legs, cold from having been running so long, doing my best to drive him completely out of his mind in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, he'd regain his senses if I did. I just thanked Hyne for the cascading water that helped to hide my tears.

Zell twitched and I started to draw back some only to face what I'd been dreading. He slid his hand around the back of my head, holding me close to him, the thickness of him pooling near the back of my throat, forcing me to swallow him down. When he'd finally spent himself, he released me and I pulled back, letting him slide limply from between my lips, sagging back to sit on the floor and give my legs some relief.

He crouched down on the balls of his feet in front of me, reaching out to seize my arms in his hands. "Nice job." His voice had a hard edge to it. "You know, next time, I think I'm going to find out if you're a moaner or a screamer." He raked his eyes down my body and then back up. "And if you tell anyone about this," he leaned close and hissed in my ear, "it won't be you doing the screaming...Irvy." As he stood up, he pushed me roughly back down toward the floor.

I could hear his footsteps padding away across the tile. Sitting there, all of a sudden, his words sank in. Selphie! If I reported him to Squall, he'd go after her instead!

Everything from the past few moments caught up to me. I could feel my body twitch, my stomach rebelling at the sour feeling that was now settling in it. Twisting around to hands and knees, I retched until there was nothing left to wash down the drain. Sagging back against the wall, I held my head in my hands. What could I do? I knew I shouldn't let Zell blackmail me like this, but he'd gotten so damn good at lying! He'd weasel his way out of getting punished by Squall and then take it out on Selphie, just to punish me. I knew I couldn't let him do that, so what choice did I have?

Arms wrapped around my knees, face buried against them, I wept.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

*

A rough hand pushed me into the wall and there was the solid crack of a fist connecting with the stone right beside my ear.

"You've been avoiding me again, Kinneas." Zell's eyes glared up at me, a feral smile pulling back his lips. "I'm really starting to get impatient with you."

Small wonder. There’d been other...incidents...since our time in the shower, each one a little more risky, and painful, than the last: the Training Center, my classroom, even the library and the dorm hall. Each one had left me more and more frightened of the knowledge that Zell was willing to do anything to get what he wanted, especially out of me.

Huffing out a breath, I put on my best card face. "Have I? Guess more and more's been slipping my mind lately."

The hand on my shoulder slid around to my throat, pinching just enough to make me struggle for air. "None of your jokes are going to save you this time. If you aren't in my room tonight, in my bed, I'm going to see to it that your favorite little chickadee gets the best night of her life."

"Leave Selphie alone," I managed to growl out.

"Oh, I will. As long as I have something else to keep me satisfied in the meantime." Zell cupped his free hand at my crotch and squeezed, leaning in at the same time to press a hard kiss against my lips. "Be there, Irvine, or, well, you'll know where to find me." He pushed away with a laugh, walking down the hall with a slight bounce in his step.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit! Lately, I'd tried to be so careful, finding as many excuses as I was able to never be alone with him. I always had something that needed my attention, something that he knew I wouldn't be able to get out of. With break approaching, though, there was getting to be less and less to do. And now I was trapped. Again.

Why do you not tell Squall? Did he not give his word he would observe this one?

Zell's been the picture of perfect innocence whenever he's concerned. I'm the one he's chosen to abuse.

And you continue to let him. I do not understand.

Because he'll hurt Selphie if I don't.

Do you not think Squall can protect her as well? Without having to barter flesh and blood?

I'm afraid. The thought passed like a whisper. I'm afraid that even if Squall were to find some way to...to stop him, it wouldn't be enough. I don't want to see Zell hurt, but I'm afraid of Selphie getting hurt too.

You must find a way to cast light upon the darkness. Perhaps this is your chance.

Cast light upon the darkness. Bring things to light was more apt. Maybe...Maybe it was about time that I did. All my tricks had amounted to nothing but sleepless nights and skittery days. I couldn't handle this fight alone. Not anymore.

"Irvine. Hey, Irvine!"

I jumped, turning around and a little surprised to find Seifer, of all people, hailing me. "Yeah, what'cha need?"

He stopped, cocking his head to the side as he looked at me. "You feeling all right? You look beat."

"Long day."

"It's ten in the morning." He was starting to get a suspicious look in his eyes.

"Long night." I flashed him a grin and hoped my reputation would handle the rest.

He just shook his head. "Anyway, Quistis sent me to ask you if you wanted to go out with us tonight. There's a concert in Balamb and we've even managed to pull Squall away from his desk. What do you think?"

What did I think? I thought it was the perfect excuse. I could've kissed him, er, well, Quistis for the idea. "Sounds fantastic!" I hoped the mania I felt in my head didn't show through in my voice. "I'll bring Selphie and--"

"Oh, Quisty," he cleared his throat. "Quistis already asked her. I guess she's got an early training session with her class and is going to have to take a rain check. Hey, what's wrong?"

Obviously, my hopes getting dashed showed rather plainly on my face. Still, I had one more out available to me. "Guess I might have to take the other date then." I forced a smile. "Anybody asked Zell?"

For some reason, the blonde looked rather uncomfortable that I'd mentioned the other man and not, it seemed, in the capacity that I'd brought him up. "Zell's been really anti-social lately." He glanced around, dropping his voice. "It was kind of a 'If we don't see him, we won't go out of our way to mention it' kind of situation."

But it was still a chance for me to keep Zell away from Selphie and myself out of his bed. Lidding my eyes, I did my best to put on a humbled expression. "Oh. Do you...do you think it would bother the others if I brought him along with me?"

Seifer shrugged. "I guess not. Maybe keeping an eye on him will make Squall feel less guilty about leaving the Garden behind."

"Great. When are we leaving?"

"Concert starts at seven. We're gonna leave at five, grab some dinner and then camp out in the park."

"I'll be there with bells on." I turned and walked away from him, whistling happily at my good fortune.

Unfortunately, as soon as the suggestion passed my lips, I knew I was possibly in for a world of hurt. I'd decided to propose the idea to Zell while he was at lunch in the cafeteria. I figured the more witnesses that were around, the less likely I was to get beaten, molested, or both.

"A concert. Tonight. Isn't that just convenient." He looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"I thought it might be nice. It's been a while since we've done anything as a group."

"You sure this isn't just some excuse to get out of our little date, Irvine, hmm?"

"Hey, I wasn't the one that brought it up. I got asked and figured I'd pass the invitation on to you."

Zell started watching me the way a cat stared at a mouse, debating just when it was going to finish playing with it. "All right. You win. Concert it is." He stood straight up from his chair and I took a step back, body going rigid, especially as he stepped over to me. Pulling my shoulder down, he whispered in my ear with a laugh. "Be sure and wear something sexy." I felt a crack on my ass as he walked away.

The rush of blood pounding in my ears did little to drown out the buzz from the students around us. Still, I didn't care. I'd won myself, and Selphie, another round. And maybe, just maybe, with the others around, a measure of safety as well.

Evening came much too quickly for my liking. Still, I was determined to go through with this, the biggest reason currently sitting in the middle of my bed.

"Ugh! I'm so jealous!" Selphie grumbled for the twentieth time.

"I wish you could go too." For more reasons than you know. I was currently running a brush through my hair, tie in my teeth for when I was ready for it. "Blow off and come with us."

"I can't. You know how much sleep I need."

Twisting the leather cord around my bunched hair, I flashed her a wicked grin. "You seemed to do all right back in the day."

She flushed and threw a pillow at me. The intercom buzzed and before I could stop her, she hopped up to answer the door for me. "Wow, Zell. You look...wow."

I turned away from the dresser to take in the man leaning in the door. Zell was dressed in all black and red, the only light being his shock of blonde hair. He was clad in a pair of leather pants that left very little to the imagination, including his choice of underwear--or lack thereof. A red and black muscle shirt hugged the upper half of his body, the red fabric giving way to the dark mesh that both hid and accented his abs. Over that was a leather jacket, not the same style as Squall's, but with more of a loose feel to it. Black fingerless gloves, non-combat, and thick-soled boots finished everything off.

If he weren't such a bastard right now, I'd have said screw the concert, pinned him to the wall and made him forget his own name.

"Hey, Chickadee." He playfully ruffled Selphie's hair, casting me a look the whole time.

I grabbed my coat and hat from a peg near the door. "Ready to go?" I breezed past him.

"Bye, Irvy! Have fun!" I heard before the door hissed shut.

"Should I tell her you're planning on it?" Zell grinned. He didn't wait for me to answer. "Could've gone a little sexier but it'll do."

I was afraid to ignore his request but I didn't want the others raising eyebrows, so I'd settled on a pair of tight jeans and a sheer, sleeveless shirt, left untucked, that could be easily hidden by my coat, not that Zell would have let me do that anyway.

With Rinoa on Squall's lap, we managed one car. All the while heading there, I tried to get into their conversation but was too distracted by trying to keep Zell's hand out from between my thighs.

The same coldness settled in my stomach all through dinner. Whenever Zell rubbed his hand over my knee, I had to fight the urge not to jump. Looking over at him, I realized the thrill he was getting in watching me twitch.

The others carried on, oblivious to my discomfort, another thing Zell seemed to delight in. There was a look in his eyes, just daring me to speak up in some way. Swallowing the knot in my throat, I tried to ignore both him and them.

Hoping things would be better when we got to the park, I endured. Our group was early enough that we had our choice of spots.

Seifer spread out his trench for he and Quistis to sit on. Rinoa and Squall sat side by side, his jacket over her shoulders to keep her warm. Zell plopped onto the ground, legs spread, and patted the space between them, flashing me a grin.

I'd sooner walk naked into a pack of Cactuar but Hyne knew what he'd do if I refused. Gritting my teeth, I took the offered place. His hands seized my shoulders and pulled me back against him, already setting my hat beside us.

"Take this off." He played with the lapel of my coat.

"I'll get cold."

"I'll keep you warm." His whisper was hot against my ear but I still shivered.

"No." I held in a wince as I felt his hold tightening into my shoulder. "Not yet." I tried. He relaxed. I was safe. For now.

Once the music started, I wasn't so lucky. Zell didn't seem to want to wait any longer, sliding his hands over my shoulders, pulling the sleeves back and down, forcing me to slide my arms out or be pinned. Twisting around, I pulled it free, draping it in front of me like a blanket while Zell's fingers gently kneaded at my shoulders. I should have known he wouldn't be content with stopping there.

Three songs later, he pulled me back so I was leaning against him again. His one arm kept him propped up while the other slid over my shirt, pinching my nipple through the fabric. I gasped.

"Shh. Don't want to be disruptive, do we?" he murmured into my ear, doing it again.

"Stop it," I hissed.

"Something else, then?" He let his fingers drag down my stomach, under my coat.

"Zell, please."

He smirked, his hand moving lower still. "Please what?"

My eyes pinched shut, a faint groan sounding at his touch. "Stop."

He chuckled and I could feel him fumbling with the button at my waist. "No."

I started to get up, to move away, and his hand shot to my arm. "This was your idea. Now, you are going to sit here and behave yourself or we are leaving and I will find some other way to amuse myself.

I should have felt emboldened. Squall, Quistis, they were here. Seifer and Rinoa, too. I wasn't alone. We weren't alone. I didn't have to take his abuse.

"Chicky, chicky," he whispered.

"Bastard," I hissed back.

"Maybe." His arm circled my waist, hugging me to him before he returned to his task.

I bit my lip, feeling the zipper pull down. What on earth had possessed me to go without anything underneath? Oh, right. 'Be sexy.' Zell let out a satisfied chuckle and I felt the rough leather brushing against my skin in addition to his fingertips as they eased me from the confines of the denim.

Before I could whisper for him to stop, he wrapped his hand around me. The leather was soft but alien against my skin. Shifting my hips, which only seemed to make it worse, I let out a soft, unhappy noise.

"It'll get better. Promise."

He didn't say, however, better for who. Admittedly, as the leather warmed, it started feeling more and more comfortable, but I still didn't like it. Zell wouldn't listen to any protests, though, just humming along with the music, his stroke sometimes following the tempo.

Though I didn't want to, I leaned back against him, head resting on his shoulder. He turned his head and I felt the soft press of a kiss against my temple. For a split second, I felt a flutter of hope in my chest. It died as soon as I tried to turn and look at him. He let out a soft growl and squeezed tighter.

Rinoa had gotten up to dance, eventually dragging Squall up with her. Not soon after, I watched as Seifer got to his feet and offered his hand to Quistis.

"Getting ideas?" Zell murmured into my ear.

Nothing I wanted to share with him. Instead, I just shook my head, not trusting my voice right now.

"Shame." With the others even more distracted, he picked up the pace.

Hyne forgive me, I couldn't help it. No matter how much my mind protested, my body liked what he was doing. As the tension built, I could feel my back arching away from him, my lip sore from biting it so hard to keep from crying out.

As he coaxed me closer and closer to release, Zell sat us up a little straighter. The reason why never crossed my mind until he had me right on the edge...and then stopped. Just as quickly, he seized my arms, keeping them pinned against my sides.

Whimpering with frustration, I tried pulling free, tried wriggling my hips, anything to make the ache go away.

"Careful now," he purred. "Wouldn't want to get your jacket dirty." The laugh he let out had no mirth for me.

"You son of a bitch," I hissed.

"I preferred 'bastard,'" he taunted with a laugh.

Anger washed away the crest of pleasure, though the throb of my unfulfilled desire still remained, the ache settling there a reminder of Zell's current capacity for cruelty. I had half a mind to discard my pride and just pull away from him as I was. He must have sensed it, since I felt his fingers digging into my arms.

"You're coming home with me," he growled into my neck. "Maybe if you're lucky, I'll finish what I started."

"And if I say no?"

"Then Selphie gets a less than pleasant wake-up call."

Damn him. He knew I wouldn't let him do anything to hurt her. Even if I went to Squall, he'd still do it. Not right away, but he'd still do it, as soon as he had his chance. "Fine. But only--"

"I know. Because you won't let me hurt her." He grinned. "Tuck yourself away, Cowboy. Looks like we're heading out." He released me and I hurried to do so.

The ride home was hellish. While the others chatted happily about the music, I sat there in silent dread while Zell rode the whole way with a smirk on his lips. After the other two couples had wandered far enough ahead of us in the garage, Zell grabbed me and shoved me against the side of one of the parked cars. He forced his knee between my legs, brushing the two of us together. One hand slid into my hair, gripping it as he pulled me down into a hard kiss.

"Hyne, it's been hell waiting to do that." His voice was husky, his eyes almost seeming clouded as he pulled back and looked at me.

"Zell, please don't do this," I whispered. "This isn't you. This isn't how I wanted to be with you."

One side of his mouth tipped up in a smile. "And what did you imagine for our first time, hmm? Wine and roses? Silken sheets? Not bent over the hood of a car like this?"

I had to close my eyes, not wanting him to see the tears that I'd felt start to well up. Taking a shaky breath, I blinked them open. "At least take me to bed." I tried to sound firm but there was that dread he wouldn't listen, instead opting to take me as we were.

He eyed me up and down again but wouldn't look me in the eyes. I wasn't sure if I felt comforted or hurt by that. Gripping the waist of my jeans, he jerked me forward, walking backwards toward the door. "You need to be a little more careful with what you wish for." The chuckle that accompanied those words ran like Shiva's touch down my back.

*

I felt a touch on my shoulder and jerked awake and upright, blinking my eyes into focus, trying to fix on the source. When my breathing finally calmed down, I turned to look up into Quistis' frowning face.

"Irvine, your class let out hours ago. What are you still doing here?"

Turning to look at the desk, I found a small pile of exams I'd been grading. They were strewn over the desk, like I'd pushed them aside while I had been sleeping. Raking a hand through my hair, I looked at them without really seeing them there. "I...I don't know."

As I lowered my hand, I glanced up, realizing that Quistis was staring at my wrist. Shaking the sleeve downward, I did my best to cover up the red circles that formed a twisted bracelet at the base of both of my hands.

"Irvine, what the hell?" She reached for my arm and I jerked away from her, too quickly, though. A pain shot through my chest and I winced, letting out a soft groan.

"It's nothing." My eyes flicked up to her face for a second, then fell back to the desk.

Before I could stop her, she pushed me back in the chair a little and seized the bottom of my shirt, pulling it upward. I tried batting at her hands but I was so sore, so tired. My body didn't want to cooperate. I couldn't look at her, not after the soft, pitiable sound I heard her let out.

"Irvine...merciful Hyne, what happened to you?"

Don't cry. Don't cry. It'll only make you hurt worse. Don't cry. I wanted to tell her. She'd care. She'd help. I knew she would. But I couldn't make my mouth form the words. I couldn't tell her about Zell. Couldn't tell her about him stripping me. Binding me. My cheeks started burning as my mind replayed him behind me, filling me, ravaging me, making me howl. The bruises on my chest had come from his grip, his pinches. Hyne even my hair hurt from his using it to pull my head back, hissing in my ear that if I healed, he'd do worse the next time.

I jerked my shirt downward, staring off at some spot on the floor. "Nothing. Training accident."

She knelt down beside me, resting a hand lightly on my leg. I flinched and she felt it. "It was Zell, wasn't it?"

"No."

Pushing herself up a little, she brought herself more level with me. I felt her fingers brush my jaw which made my eyes pinch in a small wince. I was sore there, too, from where he'd gripped on to me. "Irvine, I left my purse in the car."

What did that matter? Why should I care about...oh Hyne. She saw the two of us. Maybe she even heard us.

She knew.

That single truth shattered everything I'd been trying to build up. The cocoon of lies I was trying to cushion myself in to try and keep myself safe and sane from Zell's abuse was ripped away with that one, simple realization. Still, I didn't see it as a way out. I only saw it as a means for him to trap me even more.

Letting out a pained noise, I wrapped my arms around my chest, trying to ease the ache as the tears I'd been holding back started to stream down my cheeks, sobs and muffled whimpers only lancing me with further pain as I tried to keep them in, that being just slightly better than if I let them free.

"Shhh. Shhh." I felt Quistis wrapping her arms around my shoulders, drawing me close to her. One hand circled lightly over my back, the other combing through my hair.

I clung onto her and wept. Everything from the past weeks building up and pouring out. The lies. The abuse. All the pain. I could literally feel the burn of it in my tears. And Quistis, Hyne bless her, didn't say a word. She just held onto me as I whimpered into her shoulder, sobs starting to pull from my throat, wracking, pitiful sounds that spoke more than I could of how I'd been hurt...and how low I'd gone.

When I finally started to just sniffle, she drew back, her hand cool against my cheek. Her thumb brushed away the remaining tears and it felt good, refreshing. Raising tired eyes to hers, I could see them almost swirling behind her glasses, the blue of them seeming to draw you in like a whirlpool would.

Leviathan.

Quistis shared her essence with the ancient beast, almost as old and powerful as Bahamut. The water he commanded could both soothe and destroy. At this moment, the waters were still, offering me refuge. I smiled a little. She was a good match for fiery Seifer, temperance to his flame.

Cupping her hand behind my head, she laid a light kiss to my forehead. "Go get yourself some rest, Irvine. Hyne knows you deserve it." She slid her hand around, fingertips resting on the middle of my chest. I wrapped my hand around them and shook my head. "Just a little. So you can sleep."

I released her hand and the magic flowed through my body like a drink of fresh water. I felt chilled at the places where I hurt the most but when the sensation faded, there was little more than a slight ache where once a throbbing pain had been. I let out a sigh and almost expected to see my breath.

Even knowing it was futile, I had to ask anyway. "Please don't tell Squall."

Her lips formed into a thin line as she looked at me. I could tell I was about to get a serious tongue lashing for saying something so stupid. Instead, she sighed and cupped my cheek. "All right. No Squall."

Resting my hand on the back of hers, I turned my head, laying a kiss into her palm. "Thank you."

"Go get some rest. I'll clean up in here and leave the papers in your office, all right?"

"All right." Pushing myself slowly to my feet, I stumbled a pace or two. Walking was definitely easier than earlier, more of the pain having faded. Once I was more steady on my feet, I turned myself in the direction of the dorms and from there, my bed.

Shucking most of my clothes, I didn't even bother climbing under the covers. I just collapsed onto it, finding relief that I could twist my body into a comfortable sleeping position now. I'd just reached that drowsy haze, when your body is completely relaxed and your mind is just about to follow when something jerked me awake again.

Quistis had promised she wouldn't say anything to Squall. She hadn't said anything about--

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

*

"You're dead, you son of a bitch!"

Seifer and Zell were, at this very second, wrestling around on the floor in the middle of the main concourse of the Garden. Small blessing that they were the only ones there. Everyone else, but me, had wised up and cleared out, instinctively knowing this was no spectacle. The grey lump of Seifer's coat was balled up against one wall, looking like he'd thrown it off before they started fighting. Unfortunately, it looked like that had given Zell time enough to put on his Ehrgeiz gloves. Seifer had to be mad, attacking him like that.

Zell got under Seifer and kicked him off with his foot. The former Knight hit the ground, rolled up to a crouch, and launched himself at the other blonde once again. Zell dodged out of the way and slammed his elbow into Seifer's back. What should have been a blow to knock him to the ground only seemed to graze off of him.

"Spells?" Zell taunted. "That's cheating." He bounced in place, shaking his hands out and then shifting a foot back, arms up in a ready stance.

"Zell, stop it!" I stood on the ring that circled the ground floor but I could see the two of them clear, and they could both see and hear me.

I broke Zell's concentration for a second as he turned to fix almost as murderous a gaze on me. Quistis had told him. So why was Seifer...

Tackling Zell to the ground again. They hit the floor in a heap, Seifer coming out on top. Not allowing Zell to repeat the maneuver from before, he straddled his legs, throwing punches down at him. Zell was blocking with his wrists crossed, something that only seemed to infuriate Seifer more, since he couldn't get a good hit in.

"Real fighters don't need spells," Zell spat. As he blocked this time, he shoved back with his wrists, then flicked them around, both fists slamming into Seifer's stomach. I caught sight of the ripple of protect magic that absorbed the brunt of the damage. Seifer still felt it, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

It took me a few minutes to climb over the seats and decorations that separated the two sections. By the time I was on my feet again, Quistis had found them, too, shouting, pleading for Seifer to stop.

Her glasses were missing and wisps of her hair had fallen out of her bun. Like me, she didn’t dare get between them, holding back on her spells as well. With them that close, she couldn’t hit Zell without Seifer suffering collateral damage and Zell had trained hard to resist any spells that might affect his movement. When I finally joined her, I could then see the red welt on her cheek, even a spot where the skin had split open, she'd been hit so hard.

No, Seifer wasn't mad. He was pissed.

They were wrestling again, Zell having grabbed Seifer's wrists, rolling and bucking beneath him until he managed to throw him off, still gripping him, using the momentum to put himself on top of Seifer instead.

"Look at you. Pathetic." He started laying punches into Seifer. Though he could block some and the spell was holding, it couldn't last forever. "A fallen knight trying to reclaim his honor. And for what? A pity fuck."

"Screw you," Seifer snarled. He gave up blocking and grabbed hold of Zell, throwing him to the side, bucking him off, and scrambling out from under him.

"Irvine." Quistis clutched at my arm, looking up at me, clearly fearful for Seifer.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I was in the same boat as her: not willing to hurt my friends and having spells that would be thoroughly impotent against Seifer’s attacker. Quistis let out a gasp and I felt her pull away from me. In the fraction of a minute I'd had my eyes closed, they were up and swinging at one another again. Rather, Seifer was swinging. Zell was dodging, taunting Seifer with every missed punch.

"Always fancied yourself a knight, didn't you? Well, you fucked that up. You chose the wrong side, Seifer. But then, that's been your problem too. Always wanting the fast win. Always needing the bigger prize. If you weren't so concerned with having a pissing contest with Squall all your life, you might have amounted to something. Now you're his bitch and everyone knows it." He actually stopped long enough to laugh spitefully at the other man.

Seifer let out a cry that you could hear the rumble of Ifrit behind. Flames licked along his arm, the glow of an ember burning at his knuckles. He managed to latch onto Zell's shirt with his free hand, bringing the other up with the intent of slamming his fist into Zell's face.

He never connected. Zell brought a hand up and caught the blow in his open palm. He never flinched, though the smack of them connecting was loud enough for us to hear where we stood. I could see the two of them struggling against one another, Seifer trying to push forward, the glow of the fire getting more and more intense, and Zell trying to hold him at bay. They seemed locked like that for several minutes before Zell buckled his hold. The momentum behind Seifer's attempt at continuing the punch threw him forward, enough for Zell to grab him by the wrist with his other hand. Twisting around with a serpent's grace, Zell kicked Seifer's knee from behind, forcing the taller man into a kneeling position, though he still had hold of his arm, having turned it, wrenched up backwards at what I knew was a very painful angle. He planted his other hand on Seifer's back to prevent him from getting back to his feet.

"Zell, let him go." Quistis took another step toward the two of them, stopping again as Zell jerked Seifer's arm up a little further. He growled but didn't let out the scream I think Zell was hoping for.

"Bastard took a swing at me first, Quistis. I'm going to teach him just how stupid that was." Zell glared down at Seifer. I could see more in this than just the one swing. There was no retribution in this. This was years of pent up abuse, all coming back into one violent act of revenge.

Seifer looked across the hall at Quistis, holding her gaze. I saw her tip her chin up and that was all he needed. His eyes slipped closed, his face strangely calm, in spite of knowing what was going to come.

Zell struck fast and harder than he should have been able to. There was an audible pop as he slammed his hand into Seifer's shoulder, dislocating it enough that he could continue with his hits: another at the elbow, his forearm, and a sharp twist at his wrist. Shoving him forward, he all but threw Seifer to the ground where he lay still. I prayed to Hyne he'd passed out. I would have.

Stepping over him, Zell started to stalk toward the two of us. "All right, which one of you little bitches do I get to deal with first?"

He took another step and then something bright slammed into his back, flames wrapping around him like a cloak. Behind him, I saw that Seifer had rolled over, his good hand outstretched as the glow of the spell faded from around it. It dropped to the floor as he went limp.

Zell wheeled on him, the fire having burned through his shirt, leaving it in tatters against his back, red and blackened skin that had immediately blistered under the intensity of the assault. He took a few steps back toward Seifer before realizing the unconscious man posed no further threat. That put his attention back on us.

I was hurt and Quistis was at a disadvantage without her glasses. Still, I felt her hand reach over and clutch at mine, determined to stand with me against Zell's rage. I caught the look on his face, obviously amused by what he thought was a futile gesture. Now that he was alone, he was an easier target. I felt a chill, risking a glance down to see frosty air trickling from the fingertips of her free hand. We didn’t have to do this. I squeezed her hand and slipped away from her, ignoring her soft plea for me not to.

"I'm the one you should be angry with, Zell. Leave the two of them out of this." I put myself between him and Quistis.

"Sorry, too late." He strode up to me. "Seifer laid hands on me first, for all the good it did him. And Quistis here should learn to keep her nose out of other people's business."

Her tone was incredulous. "Stay out of your business? I saw what you did to Irvine! How is that not my business?"

"What happens between two consenting adults doesn't concern anyone else," he growled.

"Con--" She seemed to choke on the word.

"You said you were there, didn't you? Then you heard Irvine tell me to take him to bed." He put his blue eyes on me and blew me a kiss.

"I can't imagine anyone consenting to what you did to him!"

Zell crossed his arms and winced, obviously still feeling the effects of Seifer's burn. "Did you even bother to ask him?"

"Zell, he wouldn't--"

"He did." His tone and his smirk had the attitude of a victor. "Go on, Irvine. Tell her."

I looked over at Quistis, seeing the plea in her eyes that begged me to prove her right. I looked at Zell, smug and satisfied that I was cowed enough by his threats that he had me beneath him. I looked past him to Seifer, willing to fight to the last for his lady without any regard to himself.

"I..." The sentence came out slowly and I had to swallow before finding my voice again. "Like hell I did."

"Son of a bitch!"

Zell went for me but before he could get close, something zipped between the two of us, causing us to jerk apart. The whistle of something flying through the air continued until there was a click. Both Quistis and I spun around to find Squall and Rinoa there, the girl adjusting the boomerang that had just come back to her launcher.

Lionheart pointed directly at the other man, Squall's face was grim. "Zell, stand down."

"They attacked me first," he replied with a snarl. "Seifer--"

"Quiet." He looked from Quistis to me, gaze lingering, sorrow showing through in those steel eyes of his. I could read his thoughts plain as day. He thought he failed me. "We...heard enough."

Looking between the two men, I didn't want it to come to this. I knew what it was. Why this had all happened. "Squall." I motioned for him to lower his weapon, which he did with some reluctance. "Zell, you're right, but only partially so. Yeah, I did submit, but not to you." I watched the smirk that returned fade again. "Diablos, Zell. It wasn't you. It was him. I kept thinking that maybe, one of these times, after everything, he'd be satisfied and he'd just...fade into the background again. But he just kept getting stronger and stronger, taking you away, piece by piece. I have to believe that you're still in there somewhere, Zell. My friend. Our friend." I gestured to the others behind me. "Please. Just give me that hope."

He twitched a little, then again, and I realized he'd started laughing. "And just what do you think your pretty little words were going to do? Make me feel bad? Listen to yourself! You're begging and pleading with me just as much now as you were last night!" From the gleam in his eyes, I'd flinched when he said that. "You're pathetic. Do you know how easy it was to twist you? 'Do whatever you want. Just don't hurt Selphie. Don't hurt Selphie,'" he mocked in a false whine. "Did you really think I would? Not when just the thought of it was enough to make you mine?" He gave me a smug smile.

I could feel my cheeks starting to burn again, the faintest bit of tears pricking up in my eyes. Hearing him mocking me, laying out the shame I'd been trying to fight, and in front of the others, people I considered family. I had nothing to hide behind any more and yet, at the same time, it left me with nothing to hide, either.

A hand came to gently rest on my shoulder. Quistis was still close enough to touch me and I turned my face to her, not able to look her in the eyes. She reached up with her other hand and brushed a finger along my jaw. Flicking my gaze up, I nearly started crying again at the sight of her. Bruised as she was, a wound she'd gotten defending me, she still managed to smile, the faintest up-turn of her lips that spoke with her eyes of the pride that she felt toward me. She slid a hand around the back of my head, tipping our foreheads close enough to press lightly together. I heard the sound of the waves roaring in my ears and among them, the howl of a defiant Leviathan. As we stood together, I could see something out of the corner of my eye. It was a glowing ember, tiny compared to the inferno it had been, but burning with the same intensity.

Turning to look at Squall and Rinoa, I found them together, his arm around her waist, a silent debate passing between them. I could feel Shiva's kiss against my skin and the melody of Rinnie's Siren reached my ears. Within my own chest, Bahamut stirred, roaring with a voice that echoed back to a time long forgotten by the rest of us.

Slowly, my eyes turned toward Zell. He stood there, arms crossed, that smug look still on his face, confident and cocky. He was just daring us to try and act against him. I looked at him, but I didn't see him. There was darkness all around him, like a shadow had crept up and wrapped its arms around him, hugging him, whispering in his ear. It wasn't the darkness that I sought. It was something else. Something that I knew was still there. That I prayed was still there.

You must make him see the darkness within himself. Only then can he be lead to the light once more.

You must find a way to cast light upon the darkness. Perhaps this is your chance.

The light in the darkness. I had to find it. But maybe...maybe the only way for it to shine again was to get Zell to face what had overshadowed it.

I stepped away from Quistis, her fingertips brushing my own as I did, walking over to stand close to Zell again. "You told me once that darkness couldn't kill you." He watched me as I reached up, letting my hands rest on his shoulders. I felt his hands come up, gripping at my arms. He wouldn't let me get away. I'd walked willingly into the lion's den. "I've come to find that darkness may not be able to kill you, but it can swallow you up and devour you." I tipped my forehead to his, reaching out, trying to latch on to just the edge of it. If I could get hold, I could pull it out, or at least pull it back. Let the light in once more.

"Get away!" Zell's voice roared in my ears and I felt his hands slam into my already bruised chest, shoving me back, the force hard enough to make me stumble and plant my backside on the floor.

Quistis was there to help me to my feet, Squall and Rinoa advancing to form rank with the two of us. We looked at Zell as if he were something alien, no longer the friend we knew, but a twisted doppelganger of the one that we loved.

"I will not let you have him!" From a dead stop, he flipped into a spring that planted his hands on the ground, body twisting, legs out, intent on letting his feet land square in Rinoa's chest. Before he could connect, Squall was in his way, the sole of his boots connecting with the flat of the other's gunblade. Rinoa scrambled back, out of the way as he literally pushed Zell off of him and away. The blonde landed on his hands and the toes of one foot, flipping his body around and immediately in position to be rushing back at the one who dared to defy him, energy starting to crackle over the fabric of the gloves.

Squall was at a disadvantage. He didn't want to hurt Zell, but the other man didn't seem to be extending him the same courtesy. Now and then, he'd smack him with the edge of his blade, but he wouldn't strike true. From one side, Rinoa launched her own weapon, letting it graze over his already wounded back, giving Squall the break that he needed to haul back and slam a hilt-backed punch into Zell's jaw.

Zell staggered a few steps back, hand coming up to where he'd been struck, spitting blood out of his mouth. "Well, what do you know? He's got the balls after all." He shifted his foot back, his stance a little more guarded than it had been, though he still seemed to be rocking from foot to foot as though feinting who his next attack might be directed at. "How big are they, Rinnie? He a good lay or is he lacking? Always been willing to give you something better."

The dark-haired girl screwed up her face in disgust at Zell's words, but I had to give her credit. The old Rinoa would have blanched at remarks like that, covering her ears and maybe even run away. Instead, it was "Shut up!" backed by the ripple of a Silence spell. Unfortunately for us, it didn't take. It was just one more spell that we’d all come to be resistant to after Ultimecia. Points to her for trying, though.

"Keep me covered," I whispered to Quistis and she nodded. As she closed her eyes, I felt something stirring around us, a soft breeze that reached out, almost visibly wrapping itself around the four of us. Despite the gentleness that bore it, I knew from past experience that its temperance could protect from even the harshest of blows. That done, she stepped past me, taking a place on Squall's left. Rinoa moved back up to his right.

"Well, now, let's maybe make this a little more even." Zell smirked and drew himself up a bit straighter. His hands began the motions of a focusing kata and the energy around him seemed to swell, hold for a second, and then burst. He shook his head and flashed a wolf-smile. "That's more like it." His voice came out breathy, as though he were speaking in fast-forward. Haste. Dammit.

Still, I didn't have time to focus on his fight, as he launched himself toward Squall again. I couldn't get involved. I had something a lot more important to do and quite frankly, I was scared I didn't have the strength to do it. I had the will, but the way that I felt, I didn't know.

"Where are you, you bastard?" Focusing my attention on the whirling blur of fists and feet that was Zell, I felt my vision seeming to contract. The only thing I could see was him. Perpetual motion in high speed. Punch. Punch. A round-house kick that dropped him into a crouch, sweeping out with his other leg, spinning into an uppercut that was followed through with a chest-level punch from his other hand, the first having drawn back for another punch to the gut. There was no break in his movements, no pause to consider the next strike. He simply acted, his body knowing the motions from years of perfecting this.

But there was no glow, not that I could see. For Zell, moves like these were as instinctive as breathing. Where was she? She should be there, fighting alongside him. Maybe, because she knew the truth, she wouldn't.

Quez wasn't the target though. Something else was. With the fight keeping all of his attention, I was able to reach out again, seeking those little corners of his mind where the darkness had taken root. Focusing as best I was able, I latched on one again and pulled.

Something howled. I wasn't sure if it was Zell or something else, but the anger at the feeling of separation that I'd started slammed forefront into my mind, trying to drive me out. This time, though, there would be no distractions. The others kept Zell away from me as I dug in deeper, my determination to pull him out fighting against Diablos' want to stay where he was.

I could feel blood, warm and wet, trickling down over my top lip. A fitting accompaniment to the hooks and spikes that seemed to be driving themselves into my brain. It was a two-front battle on my part. I wanted Diablos out of Zell, but didn't want to pull him into my head and give him a new resting place. I wanted him out. Wanted him gone. The darkness started creeping into my vision again, filling the edges of my sight, threatening to steal it away. I'd pulled him out, but I wasn't strong enough to keep him at bay.

BEGONE!

Vertigo hit me as I felt Bahamut rush to the fore of my mind. The dragon stood defiant against the demon's intrusion. I could feel his wings beating against my temples, the roar of his voice reverberating through me, not even having to pass my ears. He was already there, inside me, standing guard against this unwanted intrusion. I could feel his desire, his refusal to let this taint harm me any longer. As the darkness pulled back, I realized I was looking at the world through tears in my eyes.

"Irvine!" There were a pair of hands on me I didn't know, keeping me from sagging to the ground.

Thank you.

I could hear Bahamut roar his victory.

"Irvine, talk to me!" I realized I was kneeling now, Squall in front of me, his hand slapping lightly against my cheek.

"I'm good. I'm good." I struggled to get to my feet again. Looking past his shoulder, I let out a gasp. "I'm not good."

Diablos hovered in the Garden, each flap of his wings like a gale force, his tail lashing out, barely missing the walls. We heard him suck in a breath, ragged, as though it had been centuries since he'd done so. Perhaps it had.

"You who would disturb me...die."

The Garden faded to nothing but night around us. If I hadn't been able to feel the floor beneath my knees, I would have sworn we were floating. Maybe we were and all we rest on was solid darkness. Squall and I exchanged a look and he pulled away from me, scooping up the blade that rest by his side, the tip of it dragging against the ground as he rushed the demon.

This was something we could fight without worry. This was something we could kill.

Quistis renewed the protective spell around us while Squall and Rinoa began the attack. I was unarmed, but that didn't mean I was helpless. Stretching out a hand, I felt the hot energy of a Firaga burning down through my arm, the flames taking shape a hair's breadth from my skin as they shot outward, slamming hard into the demon's chest and then coursing upward. He howled. He could know pain. Good.

The others circled around him with me providing support from off to the side. The spells in place kept the worst of his attacks from being fully effective. The swipe of a claw that would have rent flesh left only scratches. The smack of his tail, though hard enough to send one of us flying, only knocked the breath from your lungs. It didn't break anything, didn't knock you out. It just ached like hell.

I heard the swoop and blast of Squall's gunblade, him in the fore. Quistis had range and even without her vision, he was a pretty hard target to miss. As fast as she could reload, Rinoa was firing again. With dread, I watched as Diablos extended out a hand, a massive bubble of darkness expanding outward.

"Look out! Look out!"

The cry came too late. It dropped as though it were made of iron, landing on top of Squall and shattering. He was on his back when it faded away, struggling to push himself back up to his feet. He staggered a few steps, but was soon right back into it.

Oppressive darkness, pressing down on you. It couldn't kill, but it put the weight of the world on your shoulders. I understood now how the demon's power worked. It beat you down until you were weary, ready to give up, and then it went in for the kill.

A small crack of thunder drew me back into the battle. Quistis had just struck out at him with her whip, snaking it around to strike again. The second time, though, he was ready. Grabbing the end of it in a massive hand, he jerked backward, pulling her off her feet and into his waiting claws. Even where I stood, I could see them puncture into her skin. Snarling something meant for her alone, he threw her back. She slammed into the wall and crumpled. I could go to her, or I could join the fight. If I didn't fight, there'd be no saving her.

I need your strength again.

And you shall have it.

I could feel Bahamut stirring within me once again. Unlike bringing forth Diablos, there was no fighting this. Fire. Rage. The power of the stars themselves seemed to burn through me. Throwing my arms out, I let my consciousness fall into a void that seemed to exist both in my head and around me at the same time. The feeling of free-fall faded and I looked up, smiling, at the creature standing over me. Space and time had twisted, bringing Bahamut and Diablos into being at the same moment. The dragon winged back, opening its mouth as a white gleam began to shine there. With a roar, he expelled his breath, the beam shooting out, slamming into Diablos, shoving it to the ground, burning through flesh and boring through the black floor beneath. The attack finished, Bahamut pushed off the ground and seemed to fly off into the distance, the world snapping into focus once again.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Diablos was roaring curses at us and I could hear the crack of Squall's gunblade being fired over and over again, picking my head up just in time to see him swinging it in a downward, two-handed strike that cleaved straight down the demon's chest, spraying him with blood. I held back a cheer as I saw the thing sag to a knee, hands bracing it up from the ground. He was down. The bastard was down!

With a howl, the creature lashed out again, punching forward with a reach that seemed longer than before. Claws extended, it slammed into Rinoa's chest as she took aim at it. She let out a cry that was cut abruptly short as she collapsed to her knees, pressing her hands to her chest to try and stop the bleeding. As Squall moved to help her, the thing caught him in the back, slamming him hard to the ground. I could feel the ache in him as I watched Diablos push itself up, paying no heed to the body pressed beneath its palm.

Another Firaga got its attention and I immediately regretted my bravado, especially as his tail swept out, knocking me flat on my back. Before I could recover my breath, it slammed down on top of me, rewarding me for my effort with what I knew were several broken ribs.

All of us were down, but not fully out. All we needed was a chance at a second wind, a chance to catch our breath. A chance he wasn't going to give us.

Though his wings barely kept him off the ground, he was hovering, looking down at us like the insects I knew he considered us. The skull-grin seemed wider now. Triumphant. Satisfied. Raising a hand above his head, he began to gather the darkness there. This, I knew, could kill. The other attacks merely weakened you, brought you to the point where you wouldn't be able to survive this.

Quistis and Seifer would be unconscious. Thank Hyne for small favors. I could see Squall struggling over to Rinoa as she tried to pull herself over to him as well. I at least knew what was coming. Or so I thought.

As the darkness tipped off of Diablos' palm, crashing down toward us, there was a blinding flash of light and the rumble of thunder. A phoenix of green and gold streaked through the blackness, gliding between the orb and us, wings pushing it upward as it struggled against the crushing press of the black orb. I could seen the bottom of it starting to cave, Quezacotl piercing through the outer layer of it, forcing her way inside. It remained there, suspended above us like a raindrop clinging to the tip of a leaf. All around it, the symbols blossomed to life.

The light show within was near blinding. The arcane energies of Diablos' magic bisected the interior of the orb, illuminating the form within. All around her, Quez crackled with lightning, the strikes forking outward from her wings, her body, scoring along the sides of the orb, more and more flickering as she beat her wings. Literal lightning in a bottle. But you could only keep it that way for so long...

Fine lines began to appear on the globe, a buzz sounding from within and light straining to seep outward. It was like watching an eggshell crack, especially as pieces of it started to fall away. The lightning spirit beat her wings, shattering the remaining pieces to mere flecks. Hovering there, she drew back her head and I could hear her cry. There was rage in the sound. She was finally getting to lash out at the one who hurt her heart.

Bolts of energy shot out from every inch of her, piercing into the demonic form, pulsing with each flap of her wings as they drove deeper into Diablos' body. He threw back his head, howling as the energy coursed through him. I could see the glow of it through his skin, watching as it ripped through him, tearing him apart from the inside out. This time, when Diablos shattered, there were no bats to herald his passing, only the soft crackle of static that rippled over Quezacotl's body as she glided her way over to Zell's prone form. As she faded, it looked as though she were nestling down to protect him, her wings draping like a blanket around them both.

"Irvine? You all right?" Squall had managed to move over to my side. Why wasn't he with Rinnie? Why--? I turned my head slightly and saw that she was sitting up, the glow of her hand assuring me that she was fixing herself up just fine.

"No," I managed to get out. "Quistis?"

"Still out. Let's help you first, okay?" He gently laid his hands on my sides and I felt the pulse of a cure spell flow through me. For a split second, I felt numb, the feeling threatening to steal my breath worse than the ache in my chest. The cold then melted away, leaving a tingle in its wake and I found myself able to draw in a deep breath, letting it out in a slow exhale. I nodded to Squall, who then pushed himself up and limped over to Quistis.

It took me several minutes to will my body to move again. I was still sore, both from the battle and before, so I did my best to hold in the groans that accompanied my every motion. Rolling over, I pushed myself up to hands and knees, finding no shame in crawling over to Squall and Quistis. She looked like she was shivering while she healed, but the color in her cheeks dismissed all thought that she was distressed. Once she caught sight of me, in spite of Squall's soft protest, she pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this," I whispered. My eyes opened and found Squall's as well. "That I got all of you involved."

He shook his head. "No, Irvine. I'm sorry. I should have been involved sooner. You came to me, about this, and I ignored it."

"Irvine..." Quistis drew back to look at me.

My shoulders drooped. "No, Squall, you didn't ignore it. I...hid it from you. Everything Zell said was true. I was afraid that if I told you, he'd find some way to get back at me through one of you. Through Selphie. So I didn't. I just..." My voice started to crack, "let him--"

He brought a hand up, resting it on my arm. "You don't have to talk about it. Not yet. Not until you're ready. But I do want you to talk. You have us. You're not alone." He looked to Quistis, who gave me a faint smile, nodding.

I remembered what I'd seen before I confronted Zell, what I'd felt. Bahamut stirred once more in my chest, though this time the feeling seemed lighter. Like nervous butterflies that made me giddy. "I know." And I felt the truth behind those words.

Slowly, the three of us got to our feet, still close, still supporting one another. Rinoa joined us, a hand clutched to her chest, though now it was out of modesty, not pain. She slid her free arm around my neck, giving me a light squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. I found myself able to return her smile.

The hand that Quistis had laid on my back had stopped moving and we could see her casting nervous glances in Seifer's direction. Squall gave her a slight nod and she slipped away from us, hurrying over to kneel by his side. From the relieved look on her face, he was still simply unconscious.

Gathering him carefully into her arms, she made sure that his arm was set right before bringing her hand up to hover over his shoulder. A soft glow bloomed between the two of them and he stirred with a groan.

He reached up, resting his good hand on her arm while she worked. From the worried look that crossed his features, he could tell that more had happened since he passed out. "Sorry, Quisty," he murmured. "Guess I messed up again."

She shushed him with a gentle smile, the glow fading as she brought her hand up to comb her fingers through his hair. From the way he favored his off hand, the other was still in need of some mending, but the more serious damage had been repaired.

"You two going to be all right?" I think I beat Squall to the question.

"Yeah." Quistis grinned almost shyly. "I've carried him to bed before."

That left Zell. He lay fetal on the floor, his charred back exposed, laced with cuts from Rinoa's Shooting Star, arms and legs lined with lashes from Quistis' whip. Outside of the chattering of his teeth, there was no movement from him, not even as I knelt down beside him. Reaching out to lay a hand on his shoulder, I jerked it back, having been shocked. I looked up at Squall. "She's still trying to protect him."

"It won't do any good if we can't help him."

Holding out my hand again, I could feel the hum of the energy that seemed wrapped around his skin. Closing my eyes, I stretched my mind out like I had before. Quezacotl lashed out at me, but I could feel Bahamut taking the brunt of her anger. It felt almost as though the two of them were at a stalemate, with me in the middle and Zell's life on the line.

Taking a deep breath, I did my best to focus my thoughts on Zell, on the man that I knew and cared for. The thrill of watching him fight. Laughter as we shared meals with our friends. Holding him after a battle, assuring him that the magic would work, that he would be fine. His smile. His body. His glow.

She latched onto that, seeming to realize it had something to do with her as well. I let her search, not hiding any of my memories from her. She shrank away from the darker ones as of late and a part of me wished that I could do the same. Instead, she found the one image in my mind's eye that I treasured: when I'd first seen the two of them together.

I'd been struggling to come to terms with having been burdened with Ifrit. I knew that I had to keep him, use him, if we were going to get through the upcoming battles. Problem was, I didn't like him and he didn't like me. We got the job done when we needed to, but after that, he went back to being nothing but a living weapon I brought out when I needed more than what I was carrying in my hands.

And then I saw Zell, not using her to fight but fighting along with her. His motions flowed with a music that only he seemed capable of hearing, punches snapping one after another, kicks and sweeps that effortlessly moved his body to both attack and defend at the same time, and all the while there was an amber glow around him, the electricity playing over his skin like a meadow rippled by the wind. As he brought his hands together, there was a swoop of green-gold wings, lightning arching outward from his body to strike down the creature in front of him. Watching the two of them, I understood why someone would willingly join their soul to a Guardian.

Something tickled my hand and I realized that I was combing my fingers through Zell's hair. The chattering had stopped and it seemed now as if he were simply sleeping peacefully, the battle that happened moments ago no more troubling than a bad dream. I could still feel the tingle of Quez's presence, but I also felt that I had earned her trust, at least as far as Zell was concerned.

The quiet was beginning to draw on-lookers once again, cadets and other staff that needed their own assurances that everything was fine again. The emotions slid back behind Squall's mask once again as he left us to address them and assuage their fears. Seifer could walk, though apparently to his chagrin, he was headed for the infirmary and not straight to bed. Rinoa retreated as stealthily as she could to the elevators, not exactly in the position to be seen by anyone at the moment. That left me, sitting on the floor, wondering if he and I might ever find peace like this again.

*

Selphie had run the gambit when we finally sat her down and revealed the situation to her. She'd been pissed that she missed aiding us in the fight, pissed at me for not telling her what was going on, and pissed at herself and the others for not realizing all this had been happening. Then she hugged onto me and cried, apologizing over and over for being stupid and when I finally got through to her that she hadn't been, Hyne love her, she cried for me, for the pain I'd gone through because of her and because of Diablos.

I still can't blame Zell himself. Maybe I'm in denial about it, but I refuse to believe that he would have done what he did, or at the very least, how he did it, if the demon hadn't been influencing him.

We're all going through a healing process right now. Some of us have physical aches to recover from and the rest, well, those are in our head. Squall's trying to believe me when I tell him he didn't do anything wrong but we can still tell he's beating himself up over it. Can't say I blame him, though. If I thought I'd nearly risked the life of my best friend and the well-being of my family, I think I'd have a tough time bouncing right back from that, too. The little bundle of attitude at his side, however, believes she's finally getting it to sink in.

Seifer's forever grumbling about his sling, even though it's due off in less than a week. Despite curative magicks, he still needed to keep stress off of it. Thankfully, with Quistis acting as his nurse, he grumbles a little less despite putting on a rather pitiful act whenever she is there to tend to him. She's not fooled in the least, but she likes to let him think it works. It gives her an excuse to baby him without him getting embarrassed.

Everyone’s been there for me, too. I still feel, sometimes, like they’re on eggshells around me, but it’s getting better. Squall and I talk, a lot, which I think helps him as much as it does me. Selphie’s been attentive to the point of nearly smothering me sometimes, but I let her. She finds her comfort in giving it to me. Rinoa and Quistis will stop in to check on me every now and then, even if they don’t stay long. It’s still nice to know that they’re keeping an eye on me. Hyne, even Seifer has come to hang out with me more. At first, it seemed like he was doing it because Quistis made him but as time passed, we found legitimate reasons to spend time together.

That left only one of us that needed to begin recovering.

Hyne be praised, perhaps, but outside of a few brawls, Zell had seemed to limit his abuse to me as opposed to any of the other staff or cadets. While the angry part of me was hurt that he'd singled me out, I was grateful, too. Squall wouldn't have to deal with the incident outside of our own little circle and I don't think Zell could have handled knowing that he'd turned his perverse and violent attentions on more than one person.

I walked into the infirmary and found him sitting on his bed. One leg dangled over the side, bare foot kicking lazily back and forth. The other was propped up, a rest for his elbow as he sat, chin in hand, staring out of the window. His eyes slid over to me and then slowly turned back to the glass.

"Stopped by to see how you were doing." He didn't answer. I waited for a good couple minutes, hands stuffed in the pockets of my coat. "I'll leave, if you don't want company," I said quietly. Still nothing.

Tipping my hat, I turned, intent on heading for the main door. "Irvine." I stopped, resting a hand on the door frame. "Why do you come to see me?"

Part of me didn't want to turn around. I sensed that he felt better talking to me when he couldn't see my face. Trouble was, I wanted him to see me, so he'd know I was speaking the truth. I compromised, looking over my shoulder. "Because you're my friend and I want to see for myself that you're getting better."

“But you know I am.”

“Knowing’s a little easier when you can see it for yourself.” I took the opportunity my words presented and turned to face him.

“No, you already knew. You stayed with me. After I collapsed.”

“We took turns.”

He shook his head. “You wouldn’t let anyone else watch me. You stayed here. Slept in the chair or on the floor. You’d only leave to shower, over there.” He inclined his head, indicating the staff washroom. “And you kept the door cracked open. Selphie brought you fresh clothes and your meals but you always met her at the door.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Quez. Even though I was sleeping, she was still awake, watching over me, too.”

“I was worried for you. We all were.”

“Then why are you the only one?” He drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around them.

“Only one what?”

“That comes to see me.”

“That’s not true.”

“The others. They’re all afraid of me, Irvine.” I could see tears shining in his eyes. “They’re afraid I’m going to become a monster again.”

“You can’t, Zell. You won’t. Diablos is gone.” I crossed my arms, guarding myself against the name that passed my lips.

He pinched his eyes shut, biting his lower lip, and taking several slow breaths. “What if he’s not?” His whisper came out with his tears in his voice.

Crossing the room, I sat down on the bed beside him. He let out a soft noise and backed away from me. I let him retreat but didn’t move to follow. “You tell me, Zell. Is he gone or not? Because I, of everyone, have the most right to know. He hurt me. He abused me. And he used you to do it. I tell myself that, over and over. I won’t let myself believe that you would do...that you would...” Some things were still pretty hard for me to cope with. “That you...wanted--”

“No!” Zell’s shout brought Dr. Kadowaki running into the room.

He lunged forward, hands gripping at my arms. The tears gave his eyes a liquid quality to them. Pinching them shut, he sucked in a breath, trying to keep himself calm. “No,” came out on a whimper. “Irvine, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He kept repeating it over and over until I brought a hand up, caressing his cheek, wet now with tears.

My look sent the doctor away, though I could tell she didn’t go far. Zell crawled into my embrace, the top of his head tucked under my chin, hands clutching the arms I held around him.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, but he...he made it sound like it was...okay. That there wasn’t anything wrong with what I was doing.” He pinched his brow, trying to find words for his memories. “I...He had the answer for everything. Everything I did, he justified for me. Justified it to me. I let him use me. I didn’t even try to fight him. How is that any different than if I’d done them without him?”

I let out a sigh, feeling my breath stir his hair. “What about now?”

He tipped his head up a little. “What do you mean?”

“Now. Do you feel the same way now?”

“No! How could I? Whenever I think about what I forced you into, it makes me sick. Makes me hate myself.” His voice dropped to a whisper, fingers playing lightly with the cloth beneath them. “Makes me wonder how you can even look at me.”

I hugged him, taking in a deep, slow breath as I did so. “Because I know you. And I trust you.”

His arms circled my back and I could feel his lips press against my shoulder. “I don’t ever want to break that trust again.”

My fingers combed through his hair. “I know you won’t.”

I felt him take a deep breath, pushing away from me to look into my eyes. “You...haven’t forgiven me, have you?”

It was something I’d thought about in trying to come to terms with my feelings. “I’m still scared, Zell. There’s things your body remembers, even if you don’t. I want...I want us to find a place where I don’t have to be afraid anymore. I know it’s going to take time, but I know you. I know we’ll find it.”

He closes his eyes and nodded. “I think I want that, too.”

I smiled at him. “Sounds good to me.”

Kadowaki appeared in the door again. “He needs his rest.” Translation: I was leaving, whether I wanted to or not.

“I’ll come again tomorrow, okay?” He nodded. I rose, though his “Wait!” brought me back to his side. “What’s wrong?”

“Before you go. It’s Quez. She...” He looked at the doctor. “She wants to meet you.”

“Zell, you’re not supposed to--” she protested.

“I’d be honored.”

I slipped an arm around him, making it easier for him to lean close, forehead tipping against mine. Strong fingers slid their way between my own. I squeezed them to reassure him. Near as I could tell, this was the first time he’d ever been without her since they’d junctioned.

Our breathing deepened, finding that moment when our breaths came at the same time. I felt relaxed, too, my mind at peace and open to sharing this with him. Even Bahamut felt no need to stir. Zell reached up, cupping my cheek, and I could feel her drawing closer, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

My eyes opened at my gasp, several shaky breaths escaping after that. Everything seemed to snap into a sharper focus. Colors, even vibrant ones, seemed brilliant now. Hyne, it was like I could hear them, the energy and emotions they gave off. Zell’s touch seared my skin but at the same time, felt as gentle as breeze. I could feel her presence, humming beneath my skin. Sweet Hyne, I was right. She was a direct charge to your system.

I was afraid to move, knowing if I did, I might cry out from the overload of sensation. “Aah?” The sound escaped my lips as I felt Zell’s arms come around me and draw me into his hold, his touch gentle enough not to set me off. I rest my cheek against his shoulder, letting my eyes slip closed. I could still see lights crackling beneath my lids, the warmth of his embrace almost seeming to soak into my skin.

“It’s a little intense at the beginning. I know,” he whispered, a pleasant drone accompanying his voice. “Just try and relax. I’ve got you.”

I could literally feel his words as he spoke. Breathing deep seemed to help a little, but there was still a tingling sensation that seemed to prickle along every bit of my skin. Thank Hyne I had Zell to focus on or I might have gone mad. I wondered how he could stand it, if his endless stream of energy was his way of coping with this feeling or if he’d simply grown comfortable with it after all this time.

Quez did her best to settle, though I could tell it was hard. I was as foreign to her as she was to me. Once she was nestled within my mind, she reached out a little further, a little deeper. I had no fear of her doing so, giving her the same openness as I had before, letting her pick freely through my memories and brush her wings against my soul.

Zell held me for as long as she needed. It could have been mere heartbeats, it could have been hours. It didn’t matter. So long as I could feel Zell, I didn’t care. Eventually, though, my body began to tingle again and I felt like I was ready to twitch out of my skin.

“I think she’s ready to come home.”

“Just relax. We’ll find each other.”

Like numb limbs regaining circulation, my body eased back into a relaxed comfort as she returned. “Sweet Hyne,” I breathed out. “Zell, she’s beautiful.”

“I know.” He smiled, getting that ‘listening’ look again. “She thinks you are, too.”

“Thank you.” It seemed appropriate. “I should let you rest.”

“All right.”

We touched foreheads again, gently holding each other with fingers in our hair. Drawing back, I saw/felt/knew she was watching over him. It was something she wouldn’t do if this weren’t ‘our’ Zell.

“We’ll come see you again soon,” I smiled, this having given me the assurance the others needed as well.

“Bring release papers when you do.”

Laughing, I tipped my hat to him as I left.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

*

One advantage to being in charge was having the largest suite of rooms to yourself. Or at least, to yourself and all of your friends.

Squall and Rinoa were debating what video to start with when I walked in. They'd go back and forth like this for at least ten minutes until either they agreed on something completely different from their original choices or Rinnie won. Happened every time.

Seifer was already sitting on the couch. It was a good thing his arm was fully healed or he would have had a hard time keeping Quistis steady on his lap and keeping hold of his drink with one hand. Lucky for him, she didn't have any qualms about feeding him popcorn. Every now and then, too, I'd catch the flick of his tongue against her fingertips and the faint smile that brought to her lips. No question what those two would be doing after the movies.

Popcorn duty always belonged to Selphie. She had the ear for it, knowing when to pull the stuff away so it wouldn't burn or have too many unpopped kernels. She also knew all of our favorite flavors, dashing mine with pepper powder, drenching Rinoa's in butter, and so on.

I'd just gotten my serving and a bottle of beer when the door hissed open again. The blonde that stepped into the room looked highly uncomfortable to have half-a-dozen pairs of eyes on him at once, reaching up to scratch the back of his head.

"Selphie mentioned we were still doing this." Zell chewed on his bottom lip, eyes flicking over to Squall first, then trailing over to the rest of us.

The brunette inclined his head. "Grab a spot, Zell. Rinnie and I are still picking something out."

"That's what you think." She triumphantly shoved a disc into the player and thus began a round of "Keep Squall away from the buttons."

In spite of the time he'd spent recovering, in which the others began to accept that Zell had gotten back to his old self, there was still an edge of uncertainty whenever he was around. We'd decided that the best way to overcome it was to do our best to return to our old routines, ones which included him in our lives.

He plopped down in front of the couch, knees up and legs spread a little. He caught sight of me coming over and thumped his hand lightly on the floor between them. In the past, that had always been my favorite spot, even if he thought nothing of it. This time, I froze and he knew why. Turning away from me, he stretched his legs out instead, crossing them at the ankles, his arms crossing as well, hugged now to his stomach.

"It'll be Seifer all over again." Quistis cautioned.

"Well, we've come to accept him, haven't we? Some more than others." There was a touch of a tease in Rinoa's voice. Quistis blushed and told her to shut up.

"Speaking from experience," said the blonde in question, "it helps to be eased into things. Ask, even if you think he's going to say no. The fact that you at least thought of him is sometimes enough."

"Irvine?" Squall looked over at me. "You're the one this impacts the most, but then, you've also been the one that's been trying the hardest."

I took a deep breath, thinking over what I'd seen of him in the past few weeks. Though there was still a subdued aspect to him, Zell was starting to come around to his old self again. He seemed to prefer more solitude than in the past, but there was also a part of him that I could see that still craved our companionship. And it was friendship, I knew, that gave us the strength to overcome the past adversities.

"I want him there," I said quietly, catching the smile that Squall gave me before inclining his head to Selphie, who'd offered to be our messenger in this.

Sinking down to the floor, I watched Zell look up and over with surprise as I took the spot next to him. "Extra hot," I said, offering him the bowl. "Think you can handle it?"

He fished out a few kernels. "You haven't found one yet that's made me beg off."

It was a small gesture, but I could tell how much he appreciated it. Being close to him wasn't something that bothered me. Intimacies, being in his hold, yes, but not close. There was a soft grunt on my other side and I found myself framed by Selphie and the enormous bowl she'd procured for herself. She'd even been nice enough to bring a bottle over for Zell. As she settled, I reached out, slipping my arm around her back, letting her lean against me. Having her close made me feel secure.

Squall dimmed the lights and the movie began playing as he and Rinoa claimed their customary places on the couch. Reaching into the bowl, I felt my fingers brush against Zell's. He curled his back, but before he could draw away, I wrapped my fingers around his hand, giving it a squeeze. Tentatively, he stretched his arm out and laid it across my shoulders.

There was no possessiveness in his hold. He simply reached out for me and I gave him what he wanted, leaning a little closer to him while not disturbing Selphie in the process. It felt good. Comfortable and for the first time in a while, that it was somewhere I wanted to be. I wanted he and I to have this again and I knew that in time, with the help of our friends and with our faith in one another, that someday, maybe soon, we'd have it again.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

(As yet untitled. Comments to actually follow this one instead of ahead of time. Rated R for sexual situations. And no chocobos in this one, either. Sorry.)

It's impossible to not notice when Squall walks into a room. The black leather that he always wears becomes a negative space, constantly drawing your eyes to it.

And if you're noticing the leather, then there's no avoiding letting your gaze travel up those lean thighs of his, following the curve that is abruptly cut short by the slash of brown that circles his waist. There are times I think of it less as a belt and more as handle, fit to be gripped so that he can be pulled close.

That, of course, always gets my mind wandering, always wondering if he'd submit to a kiss like that or fight back, wanting control. Would he moan? Growl? Freeze? Melt?

He's taking a break at the moment. We've been at this for hours and even though he has the drive to throw himself into whatever task is in front of him, he doesn't always have the energy.

So there he sits, knees spread, body slouched a little on the chair, with his head tipped back and his arms stretched out over the back of it. Individual strands of white fur reach toward the line of his jaw, the ends falling just short of caressing him there. The shiny leather of his jacket is the perfect frame for the white shirt he wears beneath. Given his position, it's hugged against him now, highlighting the contours of his abdomen and chest. The only disruption of the contrast is the silver pendant that dangles down to lay to the right of his heart.

His eyes are closed, chest rising and falling steadily beneath the soft fabric. I sit watching him, following how an inhale pulls the shirt tighter, the tiniest bit more of his skin becoming exposed until he exhales and the shirt loosens again.

Rising slowly, I walk over to stand before him, between his legs. Leaning over, I'm careful not to disturb him by balancing myself with a hand on the chair. Seems I didn't need to bother.

A firm hand presses to my chest, stopping me from moving forward. "What are you doing?" His head's tipped up, hair falling down, barely covering those steel eyes of his.

I don't answer with words. How could I put feeling into form? Instead, I brace my hands on the back of the chair and lean down, subtly pushing his hand back far enough for me to lean in and press my lips against his. The kiss happens for a heartbeat before he pulls away. I can feel his breath coming faster against my own lips.

Sliding a hand into his hair helps me pull his head back just a little further, enough that I can lean in and kiss him again. This time, there's no surprise...and no resistance.

He melts.

The groans against my lips are broken up by his parting the two of us for air. Seems he's not used to being kissed this deeply. Taking pity on him, I slowly kneel down, bringing myself about level with his chest. He watches me, a curious look in his eyes, something almost innocent about the way he follows the brush of my hands. They skim over his chest, feeling the muscle beneath his shirt, until I reach the hem. Sliding my fingers under the fabric, I peel it upward, leaning in at the same time to feather kisses against his skin.

Beneath my lips, I can feel the slight quiver of his skin and the quickening of his breath. His fingers comb through my hair, short nails scratching lightly against my scalp. If he enjoys the simplicity of this, what I intend to do next will drive him wild.

There's more nervousness in his gaze than worry or desire. What would concern me would be protests, but he voices none, not even as I slide the tongue of his belt free of the buckle, leaving both ends to dangle by his thighs. Next is the button and after that, very carefully, the zipper. Tugging the fabric as far apart as I can manage, I find out that Squall, it seems, likes kissing.

I was right. By now, his head's thrown back, uninhibited moans sounding from his throat. His back is arched away from the chair and one hand grips at the arm while the other bunches my hair the faintest bit roughly into his hold. It doesn't bother me, nor does it interrupt what I'm doing. The deeper I swallow him, the louder he gets until he loses his voice to his pleasure. Gasps replace the moans and I have to lower a hand to his hips to keep him still for me.

"Don't. Don't. I'm going to--"

I don't let him finish, picking up the pace and teasing with my other hand, it soon drives him over the edge. I swallow down his release, eyes turned up to watch the way his eyes flutter and his lower lip quivers as the feeling rushes through his body. He finally collapses back against the chair, panting, his fingers flexing as he releases his grip.

Reaching up, I give him a very slight smile as I smooth his shirt back into place, even tucking it in before buttoning and buckling everything else up once more. Without a word, I smile at him and push myself up to my feet using the arms of the chairs. He looks up at me, lips parting to say something but I gently lay a finger over them, giving him a smile. Humming softly to myself, I leave him be and head back to the task I'd been working on previous, smiling a little as I can feel his gaze watching me as I go.

****
Another first person. I've been doing these a lot lately, although I purposely left the narrator unnamed in this one. You can use your own imagination as to who it is. For this one, my focus was more on the description of Squall than the (simplistic) plot, an exercise in, well, descriptive writing, I suppose. That's why I put the comments down here, so they wouldn't bias the reading. As always, feel free to offer constructive criticism and/or praise D), either here, profile, or PMs. Final note: This story was writ after staring too long at my friend's Squall action figure. Toys should not make you want to peel their shirts up and bite their abs. *hides face in hands*

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Sin asked for this one. It's a copy of the play that I had my D&D party attending one evening while visiting the Elven Isle of my homebrew world. For the moment, I'm not editing out the fact that it's in 2nd person. Just pretend you're in my gaming group *grins*

***

Eventually, the lights flicker and then dim, a murmur flowing around the building as people grow quiet, shushing partners and other guests as well. The velvet curtain of the stage parts in the middle and out steps the blonde you were talking with earlier. Her hands are crossed over her bare chest and she wears a long cloth that drapes down between her legs and barely covers her backside, the cloth linked together by thin golden chains. "Good gentles," she says in Elven, "it is my honor to welcome you to Love and Passion. We hope our story tonight can inspire you to find more of both in your lives." She spreads her arms in a welcoming gesture, eliciting whistles from some of the audience. She bows and retreats behind the falling curtain, which remains still as you hear instruments beginning to play, something soft, almost like a lullaby.

The curtains part and the stage opens to what looks like a meadow, framed in peaceful woods. Reclining on a hill are a young man and woman, both clad in loose garments of white. Her accents are gold, his silver. She's lying in his arms and the two of them seem to be talking, just enjoying each other's company.* Now and then, they'll do something affectionate:* She'll brush his arm, he'll tuck her hair back.* It's all rather innocent, but it's clear that the two of them are in love with one another.* The music takes on a deeper sound, something a little more powerful and above them, reclining downward, you see what would be an angel, watching the two of them with a smile on her face. She, too, is in white, with beautiful swan wings on her back.* Her hair is honey gold and she's clad in white as well.* She's stretched out, as one might be were they on a bank, looking into the water.* She reaches out and swirls her finger. At the same time, the couple lean in and give one another a kiss, something sweet and chaste, by your standards.* As they go back to relaxing, the angel rolls over, her back to the audience, stretching out and pillowing her head as though falling asleep, the couple seeming to do the same.* At that point, the music changes to something darker, not necessarily sinister, but certainly lacking the sweetness of before.* Out walks the brunette that you met, nude, save a similar loincloth, with leathery wings on her back and a tail lashing behind her.* Her skin's been painted blue and she sports wicked looking nails as well.* She spies the couple and gets a look of delight on her face, tip-toeing around them as though she were sneaking up on a rabbit that might startle, should it discover her there.* She looks up to where the angel sleeps and rubs her hands together, prompting some boo's and hisses from the audience.*

You see her lean down behind the young man and whisper something in his ear.* He turns his head as though listening to her and she smiles, scampering over to do the same to the girl.* Back and forth, she goes between the two of them while behind and around them on the hill, you see more figures starting to emerge, walking almost trance-like, or perhaps, waking from dreams of their own.* Men and women, all nude, save for red bands around their wrists, throats and near their ankles, begin to dance around the stage and each other while the music slowly begins to pick up its tempo. They start to come together in pairs, bodies twining together, sensually writhing against one another as they kiss, beginning to take what you know are sexual positions.* Two pairs remain standing, one with the man behind the woman, the other with her leg wrapped around his side.* On the ground are a pair with the man on top, the woman on top, and, in front center of the stage, a pair in the position to please each other with their mouths.* As the music picks up, so do their motions, each pair truly committing to the act for their position, striving to bring themselves to pleasure in time with the music.* Amid them all, you see the succubus kneeling behind the young couple, her hands running over her body as though she's enjoying the dream that she's cooked up for the two of them.* You can even see the other two starting to be moved by the dream, the writhing of their bodies rather sensual and you can tell they're each enjoying it very much.* The succubus leans over the two of them, one hand on either side of the two, seeming to exhale a faint blue mist.* The music is building in tempo and given that the other actors aren't as quiet with their roles, you can tell that a good number of the pairs are rather close, fully embraced by the lust and passion that they're inspiring in the couple.* Suddenly, though, the music stops and the lights fall on all but the angel and the three at center stage, a bit of a disappointed wailing coming from those around them.* The succubus looks up and hisses at the angel, who is now awake, backing up as she swings down from her perch to confront the demon.* She waves her hand and the two lovers return to a peaceful slumber once again.* "I'll not let your taint ruin them," she states, striding forward, forcing the succubus back even further into the darkness, though one of the lights follows her.* "Love without passion is a love doomed to die," she crows.* "Even the purest of love must give in.* You'll see...you'll see..."* As the light fades, she retreats, leaving only the original three. The angel returns to the couple and kneels beside them, giving each a kiss on the temple.* "Let not these fevered passions trouble you.* Be content with a love that's pure and true."* She withdraws to her perch again and the two wake. Though they lie in one another's arms for a moment, the way they draw apart, seeming almost embarrassed to be touching one another, assures that the demon's spell may not yet wholly be broken.

The curtain falls on the end of this chapter, parting not soon after to reveal what looks like the interior of two homes, the man and the woman's.* Both of them seem to be pacing nervously, each casting glances in the other's direction.* Eventually, the wall between them draws back, the divider actually spreading out to reveal a new background, that being the two of them enjoying a walk together in the evening.* The crowd, of course, catches sight of the succubus peeking out at them from behind a tree, slinking over and leaning in, whispering in the girl's ear.* At the same time, the angel hurries over and begins speaking to the boy.* While they both seem to be talking, there are more couples taking the stage.* From the way they're acting, they're playing the 'virtues' that the two are speaking of:* the angel showing the young man warmth and happiness that comes from love whereas the succubus is tempting the girl with the pleasures that can come from even the most innocent of explorations.* The angel seems to catch sight of what the succubus is doing and chases her away, only to have her flit around and settle at the young man's ear while the angel soothes away the lusty vision, seeming to show that love doesn't have to be all about physical pleasure.* Her counterpart shows that one can still express their passion and their love without what some consider sinning simply by sharing pleasure with their partner.* After that, the 'images' start to dance and swirl around the couple, each pair alternating in front of them, both in tame positions, then naughty ones, scurrying around faster and faster until the poses start to get mixed up, some naughty with some nice.* When all four wind up in front of them, the two lovers part, looking at each other in shock and hurry off their separate ways, the wall appearing between the two of them again.* You see the angel looking forlornly at them, though it seems that she can't get close.* That being apparent, she retreats to the area above them once again.

When the curtain rises again, you can see the succubus peeking out, grinning at the fact that the angel is nowhere in sight and the two lovers are left alone.* She strides across the stage, a little spring in her step, like she's humming happily to herself.* She slips into the woman's half of the stage, whispering to her. While she does so, you see the girl nod and the succubus beckons someone over, a different partner for the girl.* She whispers to him and the two come together while the succubus slips over to the other side of the stage and the young man.* While she's talking to him, the young woman and her partner are kissing and lightly groping one another, nothing serious but definitely could lead that way.* You see a blonde woman joining the young man on the stage, the 'narrator' and the other girl that you'd met. Seems she gets to be the young man's other partner.* While the two of them kiss, the succubus seems to be bouncing back and forth between the two couples, each time she does so, they grow more and more intimate with one another until it looks as though they're going to go all the way with their new partners.* At that point, the angel seems to take notice and the couples still while pantomimes of the original pair work their way across the stages, a show for the two of them to remind them what they shared with the other.* The more they watch, the closer they grow to one another until their partners retreat off of the stage.* The angel comes down to confront the succubus once again, telling her that love doesn't need emotions like that.* "Love's all well and good," she counters, "but if you don't express your love for someone, you can still lose them." "Physical fulfillment without any feeling isn't love.* It isn't even passion.* It's simply lust."* "Lust," the succubus laughs.* "What does an angel know of lust?"* "Enough to know that it brings only empty joy and momentary pleasure."* "Ah, so you've felt it's lash before."* The succubus looks pleased, but the angel refuses to answer.* "Oh, you needn't say anything.* I can see it clear as day."* At that point, it's become clear that the angel's wings are red now, not pure white as they were before.* "You know what it's like...to give yourself over to passion."* The succubus prowls around the angel, ruffling her feathers, brushing fingers through her hair and even hugging her from behind, one arm around her breasts, the other sliding down her stomach.* "You're only acting on lust!"* "Ah, but you're the one that wants to taste it again."* "And you only want what you can never be!"* The angel pulls away and wheels around on the succubus, who actually looks hurt at those words. She says nothing more, quickly running off the stage.* The angel brings the couple together again, soothing the two of them, kissing each on the cheek as though assuring them things will be all right.* She leaves them in each other's arms for the time being and retreats back up to her perch once more.

When the curtain comes up yet again, you find the angel watching the couple, still being rather loving, but there seems to be something...lacking between them.* The angel lies above them, arm draped down, looking like a bored child.* She picks her head up and the succubus can be seen creeping toward her, slinking along and closing the distance rather sensually. The angel simply watches, that is, until the succubus is right in front of her, snaking an arm around the back of her head and pulling her into a rather deep kiss.* This, of course, prompts the angel to push her away.* The succubus persists and the two end up fighting more than doing anything else, the succubus eventually retreating.* The next time she appears, the angel's rather wary but she takes things slow, still trying to get the angel to kiss her, though, which she won't go for.* This persists for a time, the succubus eventually learning to take things slowly, spending time to learn about her partner while the angel, at the same time, seems a little more open to the advances of the other woman. Their relationship builds slowly, starting with lengthy kisses, then moving to gentle explorations and cuddling.* At the same time, the couple's relationship seems to be warming up again as well, the two of them happier to be together, at times mimicking the actions of the two above them.* There's one point where the succubus is holding the angel in her arms and the angel nods. The succubus smiles, undoing the robe the angel wears and beginning to tend to her breasts. The angel leans back and the succubus starts to kiss lower, inching her way down between the other woman's parted legs.**Given the look on the angel's face, the way her head's thrown back and she drops down more to her elbows, there's no acting involved on the succubus' part, or hers.

From the angel's sounds, the succubus is making her feel very good indeed, her pleasured voice seeming to ripple downward, the feelings behind it looking to be inspiring to the young couple as well.* While the two outsiders continue to make love, the couple begins to do the same, starting out much the same way: kissing, very gentle foreplay, though from the way they're reacting, this is something new to the two of them, even after what they went through before, likely the first time they're sharing it with each other.* After the angel's first climax, the succubus creeps over her, bringing herself rather close to the angel's panting lips, her own head thrown back, wings flaring out as her partner returns the favor.* Below them, the lovers seem to be enjoying exploring each other, reveling in the pleasure of foreplay with one another, letting it build up to the next natural step.* The lights dim briefly, long enough for both couples to change positions.* They come up first on the couple, the man and woman clearly about to make love for the first time, both showing a bit of pleased wonder mixed with the uncertainty of it, the man doing his best to ease the pinched expression of his lover's face, treating her gently and slowly replacing the pain with pleasant feelings instead.* Above them, the succubus is behind the angel now, the position easiest for both of them, with their wings, and another thing that's also clear is that the succubus has all the necessary parts to please the angel.* You, having keen eyes, realize it's not the same succubus, though that doesn't sink in until several minutes have passed.* Both pairs make love, expressing the pleasure that can come from wanting to share something so intimate with your partner.* The outsiders finish first and from the look of things, together.* They then stretch out some, the angel curled in the succubus' arms as the two watch their couple enjoying their own lovemaking, though the curtain falls before the audience gets to witness that finish.* It prompts a few 'boo's' though their swiftly hushed.* The blonde from before slips out through the part in the curtains.* "We who have given ourselves to you hope that you will take our own message into your hearts.* Seek your pleasure where ye may, but remember that love, and passion, will always bring your heart its truest contentment."* She bows to the audience, then in the direction of the private boxes, smiling as applause starts to ripple through the audience.* As that happens, more of the players begin to take the stage, accepting their praise and taking their bows.* The young lovers are second to last, the two of them looking rather flushed but happy, so you know what they were doing as the curtain fell.* Finally, the angel walks out, holding hands with not one, but two succubi, making what you suspected before true:* there are two actors, or, rather, and actor and actress, that play the part, likely swapping out at various points. The three take their bows to a roar of applause and cheers, many folks throwing flowers onto the stage for the performers as well.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

((Prompted by discussion in the fanfic thread, I am putting up a trio of my Kingdom Hearts fanfics. I have more, but I'm waiting for a couple others to seem right before I put those ones up. The first story was inspired by this picture Found it while browsing Aerisdies and for some reason, immediately wanted to do a story for it. As always, critiques and praise are welcome, either here or privately.
**Story is rated PG for boykissing. No chocobos, either, but they're not in Kingdom Hearts, so nyeh!**))

I've walked so long in darkness that it's almost a comfort to me. I have no need for my eyes, for in this world, what you see can deceive you. It's your heart that needs to guide you and too often it can be swayed by visions. And so, to keep my heart from being swallowed by the darkness once again, I surround myself with it.

"Riku?"

The voice I know so well. Still touched with youth and yet tempered with the fires of experience. We had to grow up fast, he and I, and yet Sora still holds that innocence within his heart, something pure that the darkness cannot touch, no matter how hard it tries. I listen to his tentative voice, the scrape of his cautious steps, and I turn my covered eyes to his. The timbre of his breathing, the pitch in his question, those are things that can only be natural.

He moves closer and I can smell the ocean around him. Neither of us have been close to the shore for some time, but the memory of it lingers, clinging to him and stirring images long past in my mind. How jealous I was of him back then, so much so that I allowed the darkness to take me, to take all of us. The penitent part of me wants to draw away from him. It was my fault, all my fault, and yet, he can still bring himself to be close to me. I don't deserve such willing forgiveness.

"Is it really you, Riku?"

I feel the brush of his fingertips against my chest and suddenly feel bared before him. He needs proof. He needs to see inside of my heart to give peace to his own. His hand trails down my arm, fingers clutching at mine to assure him that I am no phantom. The warmth of his body so close to mine brings me comfort as well and I tip my cheek to the hesitant touch he wishes to lay there. I feel him brushing the cloth that covers my eyes, curious to its nature. My free hand comes up and captures his own. Now is not the time to reveal such secrets.

He lets out a soft noise as I gently pull him into my arms, wrapping them around him. He's pinned to my chest, but not so tightly that he can't slip a hand up and through my hair. Allowing myself no hesitation, I bow my head, capturing his lips with mine. There's a warm sweetness to his kiss, made all the better as a groan rolls in his throat and I feel his tongue eagerly seeking my own. His innocence is vanilla smooth, heated with cinnamon desire, and it makes me want to devour him.

"Ri...ku."

A wanting thickness coats his voice and I deny him nothing. Heated breaths pass between us as we match each others tongues, stroke for stroke and kiss for kiss. The grip of his fingers tightens in my hair as the warmth building between us seems to be intensifying. A light glimmers behind my eyes and I moan into our kiss. His fingers slide up, tugging away my blindfold. I'm certain that he can feel me trembling and that's when he draws back, my heart beginning to fear that it has been lead astray once again.

It's so faint, I barely feel it, but my heart won't let me miss the soft brush of Sora's lips against my cheek. His arms wrap gently around my neck, our bodies flush against one another. Then comes a feather-light kiss at my lips, one that slowly deepens as our heartbeats pound in my ears. Coaxed by the sound, I break from his sweet attentions, slowly allowing my eyes to finally flutter open. The blue that they meet is as pure and depthless as the sky itself and when he smiles at me, I know. He is here. He is real. My Sora is real and I know he can lead me, always, from the darkness.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

((This is the story that was up on the old forum, which got a few accolades. Inspired by this pic, I realized afterward that I took a little creative license with it, but also that I don't really care *laughs* Part of what I like about it is that Sora doesn't look horribly underage and as such, the story is set several years after KH2.
**Rated R for non-consensual sex and a smidgeon of violence. There are no chocobos in Kingdom Hearts, which is why they've been omitted. Again.))

Sora picked his head up, shaking dust and little flecks of rock from his hair. Where he'd landed was a pool of light, thanks to the floor above, but the rest of it was utter blackness.

"Hey, Sora! You all right?"

He looked up, seeing Donald and Goofy peering down at him. They weren't so far away that he couldn't see the worried looks on their faces.

Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he rubbed the back of his head. Nothing felt broken. "I'm okay!" he hollered up.

"You shure?" Donald rasped.

"Yeah, nothing a potion can't fix." If it didn't break... He hadn't felt any glass, so that was a good sign.

"Well, you stay right there! We'll be right down!" Goofy drew away from the edge of the hole.

"Wait!"

They popped back into view. He didn't relish being landed on, firstly, and second, he had no idea how to get out of here. He didn't want them all to be trapped.

"You guys stay there," he ordered. "I'll see if I can't find a way up." He saw them exchange a look. "I'll be fine!"

There was some hesitation, then, finally, "Okay. We'll be here!"

Sighing in relief, Sora picked himself up, still moving slow in case he'd been hurt without feeling it. As he stood, he glanced around. Blackness in every direction.

Crouching down, he picked up a stone and scratched an arrow into the rock beneath his feet. Even if he had to make his way back here, he'd have an idea on which direction he'd tried.

"See you guys soon!" He waved up to his companions, slipping into the darkness, completely unaware that a pair of yellow eyes had opened at the sound of his fall and were now staring after him as he slowly started to inch his way forward into the darkness.

***

Maybe I should have let Donald and Goofy try to help me up. Though his eyes had since adjusted to the blackness around him, Sora still had no idea where he was. He did his best to try to keep going in a straight line, but sometimes it felt like the path beneath his feet was twisting off in odd directions. All he could really do was keep going and hope for some sign.

"Well, I could turn around," he muttered to himself.

Part of him worried, though, that if he did, there was the chance that the exit he sought would be only a few feet in front of him and he'd have missed it. Of course, then there was that other nagging feeling that he'd chosen to go the wrong way and he was only taking himself further and further away from rescue.

Okay, I really need to stop thinking about things like that and more about figuring out how to get out of here.

If only there was some sign, some clue. Anything that would tell him he was going in the right direction.

"Huh." Maybe wishing for that hadn't been so bad. There was a glimmer in the distance. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Hurrying onward, Sora slowed his pace as he heard the telltale scrape of something moving against the stone. Flicking his hand out, he summoned forth his keyblade. Holding it gave him some measure of reassurance, enough courage to face whatever was waiting for him in the dark.

Slipping a little closer, he found what looked like a small room that had been worn out of the surrounding rock. A faint glow was emanating from the sides, looking to be coming from a moss of some sort. He could even see light reflecting off of a small pool of water nestled in the floor.

His elation at the find was short lived when he realized that there were Heartless prowling around in the cave. They paced back and forth, their antennae twitching as they roamed about, seeming to be searching for something amid the stones.

In spite of their victory in the World that Never Was several years ago, Sora and his companions still found themselves battling isolated pockets of Heartless that had somehow managed to survive. Just his luck he had to find some right now.

There was no way he was going to be able to sneak past them, not with how many of them there were. Still, he wasn't a child any more and he'd faced a good number of Heartless on his own before. He'd be able to do it again. He'd just have to wait for the right moment.

One of the little creatures shuffled along and obviously caught sight of him. Behind it, the others picked up their heads, focusing all their attention in his direction. So much for that right moment.

Not wasting any time, he thrust the keyblade upward. "Thunder!"

Lightning crackled on the tip of the key and then streaked out, slamming into several of the closest Heartless. As they lay twitching on the ground, he ran at them, swiping through their bodies with his blade. The abuse too much to take, they dissolved into a black mist.

The remaining cluster wasn't so incapacitated and rushed at him as a swarm. Spinning around, dodging, blocking their leaps, Sora managed to cut his way through them, coming away with only a few scratches from their talons and what felt like a bite.

Sending the keyblade away, he dug out one of the potion bottles from his pocket. The sturdy little thing hadn't shattered and he tipped the contents down his throat, making a bit of a face. No matter how much his friends tried to convince him otherwise, the stuff always tasted like cough syrup to him.

Walking over to the pool, he knelt down, cupping some water into his hand to drink and wash away the taste of the potion. Reaching up, he ran a hand through his hair, the spikes having gotten a little flat due to his exertion. Once he felt rested enough, he pushed himself to his feet to continue on.

Something scraped over the stone behind him and in a flash, his weapon was back in his hand. Whirling around, he saw nothing in the shadows, letting his eyes trail up to the ceiling as well. Sometimes it never hurt to be too cautious. As his eyes lowered once more, he saw the twin lanterns of a pair of large eyes. Whatever possessed them blinked lazily, the lids shielding the glimmer from his sight.

Sora didn't know what it was, but it was BIG. The eyes of the creature were easily several feet above his head, though they lowered close to the ground as it started to stalk toward him. The slow movement raised the hairs on the back of his neck. This thing was certainly not friendly, that was for sure.

He debated summoning up some help, but given that he knew little to nothing about the creature, he wasn't sure if that was wise. Better to save that ace in the hole for when it was really needed.

While he'd been contemplating, the thing rushed at him. Rolling quickly out of the way, Sora scrambled to his feet, racing alongside it and lashing out with his blade, trying to strike it's body or legs. By the way the thing skittered to try and get away from his assault, it was feeling the hits. Good.

The two sort of circled one another, Sora not truly wanting to get too close and the creature not able to follow him fast enough. Still, he didn't think he could run. He had no idea where he was going and he didn't want to get into a fight in the dark. Racing up on its flank, he swung out again with his blade, grazing it as he hurried by, making quick strikes.

He was near the pool again, the water behind him, the creature in front. He was winded, but from the way the creature was heaving, it wasn't looking so hot either. He allowed himself a little grin. Maybe he could do this after all.

The grin faded as the thing fixed its eyes on him once more. The creature seemed to unhinge its jaw, like a snake would, and Sora saw...something...spilling out of its mouth. It looked like it could have been its tongue, but the end of it was tattered, like fringe. Each little tongue seemed to be moving independently of the others, although one thing was certain, they were all moving for him.

"Yikes!" He barely rolled out of the way again as they lashed out toward him. Getting to his feet, he saw several of the things lancing toward him. Smacking them away with his blade, he tried to turn to race behind the creature again.

As he started to run, though, something clamped around his ankle and jerked him to the ground, keyblade sliding from his grasp. More of the thick ropes wrapped around his arms, hauling him up into the air, another twining around his up-until-then free leg. The way he'd been grabbed, the creature was behind him and he could actually stare down at his own reflection in the water. No surprise that panicked eyes looked back at him.

Struggling against the creature's grip, he summoned the keyblade to his hand again. Unfortunately, given the angle he was held, there was no way he could swing it and do anything more than wave it through the air. The tongue on his wrist tightened rather painfully until he cried out, hand twitching enough to send the keyblade clattering to the ground again.

Is this it, then? Is it going to eat me? That was a rather unpleasant thought that he tried very hard to push from his mind. Still, suspended as he was, by the thing's tongue, no less, it was hard to think anything different. Closing his eyes, he waited to feel those enormous jaws clamping down on him, silent apologies to his friends running over and over in his mind.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. No teeth. No swallowing. Nothing. It wasn't until he felt something warm and thick gliding over his shoulder that he hazarded opening one eye.

The tip of one of the things tongues had slid over his chest to the front of his shirt. It wriggled beneath the collar, straining at the clasps that held it in place. What on earth was it doing? Did it want the clothes? They were made by the fairies for him, but weren't exceptionally special.

Once they'd been undone, the tongue pulled back, sort of latching onto his collar and jerked his top down. He felt a moment of hope that if it wanted to strip it away, it would have to release his hands. That would give him the opportunity to strike.

The creature, it seemed, though, had other plans. Sora let out a frustrated noise as it ignored further attempts to remove his clothes. If he'd been thinking straight, he would have seen that as a blessing. Instead, his mind was trying to comprehend what exactly the tongues were doing that were sliding gently up and down his chest. He expected them to feel slimy, and yet, instead, they had a warmth to them, slightly rough, but not enough to hurt. Fingers. They were almost like fingers.

Long fingers that wanted nothing more than to tickle over his skin, sending shivers racing along his spine. The feel of it was almost...relaxing...like it wanted to lull him to sleep. First it wants to eat me. Now it wants to tuck me into bed. He almost laughed at his own absurd thoughts.

He felt yet another tongue stroke along his jaw, sliding around to flick at his lips. He made an irritated sound and pulled back, eyes snapping open. The tongue inched forward again and he clamped his lips tightly shut as he felt it trying to push past them. "Mmm-mmm!"

The tongue was insistent but not forceful. It merely kept pressing there, despite his shaking his head or pulling away from it. He felt one brush over his stomach, the tip of it teasing his ticklish skin there. He resisted the urge to blurt out a laugh, biting down on his lip instead. That same one traced along the waist of his pants now, slowly wriggling past it to even more sensitive skin.

Sora started to thrash his hips, not liking how close the creature was to rather warm parts of his body. He could feel more of the things sliding up the backs of his thighs, creeping beneath the legs of his pants. The more he tried to wriggle away from them, the more they wrapped around his legs, holding them fast. The first tongue found what it was looking for, dragging slowly along the length of flesh between his legs. A startled gasp parted his lips, eyes only opening wider as he felt the other tentacle plunge into his mouth.

He tried biting down on it, but the skin around it was too thick. The creature barely noticed, if it did at all. Making frustrated noises, Sora tried pulling away, but the thing just seemed to follow him. Out of options for the moment, he relaxed and the thing started to withdraw. His relief was short lived, though, as it pushed back in, pressing even further than it had before. He nearly choked and it withdrew again, its third plunge not so deep, but still enough to make him fight. What was it doing? What--

Coherent thought left him as he felt the one in his pants wrap around him and then start to pull away almost in the same motion. Lightning coursed up through his body and his hips bucked against the sensation. The creature seemed to like that, since it did it again. Sora groaned and thrashed against his bonds, against the tongues he could feel rubbing his backside as well. Heat started to spill all over his skin, creeping into his muscles, and it felt as though he could barely breathe.

The creature continued to stroke him, coaxing more and more whimpers from his throat. He gasped for air around the one in his mouth, wanting so badly for it to go away so he could just throw his head back and howl. It was the only way he felt he could release the tension he felt building up in his body. Every brush of the creatures tongues over his flesh felt like a streak of fire. He tried keeping still, not moving against them, but it was impossible. His lower body bucked and wriggled, seeking a way from his torment and at the same time, craving more of it.

Without warning, the one his mouth suddenly pulled free, causing him to gasp. Unhindered by flesh now, moans started to pass his lips, little keens that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside of him. They only brought the tiniest bit of relief to his aching body, something craving more, a release from the torment of all the sensations assaulting his skin.

Something warm and wet brushed up his thigh, never hesitating, but taking care to not have much contact with his skin. He jerked at the feeling, then wriggled as the two that had been at his backside pulled him apart.

"Ah! Wha--No! No, don't! Don't do that!" His cries echoed around the cavern as he felt the thing pressing between his cheeks. As he struggled, more of the tentacles came up to wrap around his waist and hold him still. "No! Don't, please! Don't!"

Feeling it press inside of him, he tipped his head back and screamed, tears welling against clamped-shut eyelids. He couldn't breathe, body feeling as though it were being cleaved in two. Another scream caught itself in his throat, choking him on the sound as he feebly pulled at the bonds around his arms and legs.

The sound broke past his lips as the thing continued to push inside of him, the thickness of it filling him almost completely. Once the thing was in further than he thought possible, it stopped. He was barely even aware of the feel of the one at his front, still stroking him. Opening his eyes slowly, he felt his body starting to relax, soft whimpers coming on his breaths as the tension started to leave him.

Just as he'd settled into numbness, he felt the tentacle jerk, pulling out of him slightly and causing his back to arch sharply as he cried out. The sound was immediately muffled by another of the tongues stuffing itself into his mouth. He screamed around it as he felt the lower one pushing back inside of him once more.

The tentacles didn't even seem to see the need to hold him still, or perhaps something about them enjoyed the thrashing of his body. He could feel them plunging in and out of him, above, at his lips, and below. All the while, too, there was the steady stroke of one of them on his shaft, taunting him with the notion that this somehow felt good.

His body was completely covered in sweat and gods knew what else. He could barely keep his eyes open through the intense feelings that rocked his body, making him feel limp as a rag doll. Blinking away a fresh sheen of tears, he glanced down, finding himself still suspended above the water. His reflection stared back at him, pleading for this torture to end. Tired limbs dangled in the creatures hold now, barely even able to put up a show at fighting back.

Please. Please, just stop this...Please stop.

He could feel himself starting to swim into blackness, his body giving up and just allowing itself to be carried through motions. Barely able to roll his head to the side, he glanced down once more, the gasp at what he saw nearly choking him.

You're not that weak, Sora. You can get out of this. His reflection seemed more like his shadow beneath the water, twisting and writhing in a way that didn't match his own body. You just have to be willing to touch that dark place inside of you. The place you buried. Embrace it. Let it help you.

No! No, I don't need the darkness. I don't! I can still--

He almost screamed again as another jolt ran through his body. The tentacle had plunged deeper inside, reaching somewhere it hadn't before, somewhere that stirred a part of him that made his body twitch, ache for more of it.

I'm not giving in to this. I'm not. I--

The tension had started to build and a moan, loud and long, began in the back of his throat. He could feel his back arching of its own free will. It felt as though his body would split from his skin at any second.

I'M NOT GIVING IN!

Dark wisps started to trickle off of his body and he could feel a different kind of tension building, this time in his chest. He had a second to register his reflection's gleaming yellow eyes before a blanket of darkness wrapped around him, leaving nothing but his own howling in his ears.

***

When Sora finally woke up, he found himself curled up next to the pool. The cave seemed brighter for some reason. And warmer. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up slowly and looked around.

"Sora!" came a pair of delighted cries and he found himself wrapped up in feathers and fur.

Sputtering a bit, he managed to pry Donald and Goofy off of him enough to look them in the eyes. "Guys? What are you doing here? I thought--"

"Well," Donald began, "we shtayed, like you told ush. But after a while, we shtarted to get worried. Then we heard this...roaring coming from nearby."

"Uh huh, so we decided to follow the sound," Goofy continued. "And we found a set of stairs, so we made our way down and after a little bit of searchin', we found you here, fast asleep!" He chuckled.

"I...was asleep?" Sora looked around. There was no sign of the Heartless. No sign of the monster. He looked down, finding his clothes a little disheveled, but certainly none the worse for wear.

"And here we thought you'd gotten eaten!" Donald quacked indignantly.

"I'm sorry to have worried you guys." He hugged them again. "I guess that fall took more out of me than I thought."

"It's okay, Sora. We can rest here, if you're still tired. Donald and I know the way out."

"No. No, I think I'd like to get going." He shifted around, kneeling beside the edge of the pool.

"Okay, we'll get our things. You take your time."

"Thanks."

He sighed, watching the two of them break down the camp. Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head. Had it all been just a bad dream? Just a nightmare?

Glancing at his reflection, he reached down for another drink of water before he left. Staring at himself in the water, he gasped, then rubbed his eyes. It had to be a trick of the light or the glint of the fire on the water.

For a brief second, the eyes that had been staring back at him gleamed gold.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Forum says my one post is too long, so I'm putting the "warning" in its own message to try to cut down on that. We'll see if it works.

Edit: Nope. So had to put the last bit in a second post. Hate that. Ah well. Onward to story.

What follows is a a sequel to the one previous. I was just bantering around with the couple therein at one point and this popped out. Of the three, this one is still subject to my fits of editing whenever I reread them. I'm happy with it and at the same time, well, I wouldn't be editing it if I weren't, huh?

**Rated R for non-consensual relations, boycuddling, and maybe language, but I haven't found any yet. Again, no chocobos by default.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

"Huuhh!"

Sora was currently pinned to the ground, thick black vines having sprung up and wrapped themselves around his arms and legs, jerking him backward and his limbs apart. The more he struggled, the tighter they wound around him until he was bound, spread-eagle, while more of the vines swayed back and forth over him, as though they were watching him somehow.

Suddenly, several of them shot down, slipping into the loose portions of his clothes and jerking back swiftly. There was the sound of rending fabric and he could see tattered bits of cloth hanging off some of the retreating limbs.

"No. NO!"

Thrashing about as much as he was able, he could still do little to keep the vines from sliding over his bare skin. Two found their way to the patches of pink on his chest, swirling around the nubs enough to make them hard. Another pair were sliding up and down his inner thighs, not yet reaching anywhere intimate, but close enough to make him whimper.

Eyes crossing, he barely caught sight of one hovering in front of his face. He almost voiced a protest, instead, again, clamping his lips shut. The vine was more insistent, though, trying to force its way past. Sora bit down on his lower lip, making a toothy barrier for the thing.

The vines at his chest seemed to be flicking at his nipples. More of them caressed his sides and legs and another slid up his inner thigh, snaking around his shaft, letting him feel the split in the end of it as it moved upward and seemed to envelop the tip within the crease.

Gods help him, it felt good. He wanted to moan from the warmth of it, but the second he opened his mouth, that evil one at his lips...No! He couldn't give in to this. He shouldn't be giving in to this. No matter how it felt.

Still, he couldn't help the pleasured groans that rolled in the back of his throat as the vine around him kept sliding up and down, at times fully engulfing him and others just teasing at the tip. He was biting his lip so hard now that it felt numb. He could have bitten through it and he wouldn't have noticed.

This isn't right. This shouldn't feel good. I-- A moan interrupted his thoughts, his body rebelling against his mind's declaration against the attack. Stop! Ugh! Stop!

A soft voice purred in the back of his mind. We're strong enough to get out of this, you know.

What? You? Go away!

I can help you, Sora. Without me, you're just a sad little boy that has to lie there and take his punishment. But with me, the voice made a sound that matched one of his moans. We're unstoppable.

I'm not giving in to you! I don't need you're help. I-I-...oh gods. Oh, mmph. A deep groan threatened to rip from his throat.

You're going to let yourself go one way or another, Sora. The question is, how much pleasure are you going to get out of it?

While the one vine had been sucking at him, another has been continuously teasing around the spots between his legs until suddenly, he felt his legs being jerked around, opened wider, something pushing up at the small of his back.

You know what's coming next, don't you?

No. No, please. His lip was bleeding from the bite he'd given it to keep from gasping, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

Just relax, Sora. It'll all be over in a minute.

No. No. No no no...

"NO!"

Thrashing about, doing his best to kick and claw his way free of his covers, Sora sat upright in bed, eyes darting around the room. Rolling over, he flicked on his bedside lamp, the darkness of the room immediately receding.

"Ow." Reaching up, he felt blood on his lip, licking out tentatively to help clear it away. His body felt clammy, even though all he wore were pajama bottoms and his medallion. Drawing his legs up, he propped his elbows on his thighs and ran his hands through his hair with a groan. As he shifted position to that way, a sickening realization hit him: He was hard.

How could I possibly...There's no way I'd...

"Hey, Sora?" a voice called quietly from the door.

He froze, eyes slowly trailing upward. Leon stood there with a brow arched. His hair was ruffled from sleep, body clad in a comfortable shirt and pair of pants. His usual annoyed expression was actually replaced by concern.

"Bad dream," he muttered, averting his gaze and hoping his sheets and clothes were baggy enough to disguise what other kind of dream it was.

"I gathered. Good ones don't make you scream like that. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just...felt so real, you know?" Don't come closer. Please, don't. I can't--

Prayers unanswered, Leon crossed over to stand by the side of the bed. "Yeah, I know. You sure you're okay? You're looking a little pale under that mop of yours." He ruffled his fingers through Sora's spikes.

Sora shifted away from the gesture. "Stop that. I'm not a kid anymore."

"No, you're not. So why are you acting like you're afraid of the dark?" Now that he could get a good look at him, the older man let out a soft, annoyed noise. Muttering something quietly, he reached out and a white glow sparked from his fingertips to Sora's lips. The bite instantly healed. "Must've been a hell of a dream."

Sora flopped onto his bed and immediately curled up into a ball, pulling his covers over his shoulders. "Bad memories," he mumbled.

"I can understand that. Hey, I know how to get rid of them. Let's head to that Castle. The one you said stole everyone's memories. That'd help, wouldn't it?"

Even though Leon was teasing, Sora's chest tightened with dread. He remembered one thing about Oblivion and that was that memories...came to life. There was no way he was going to let his friends witness-- "No! I mean, no. Once through that place was enough for me, thanks. I don't remember much of it, but I do know I don't want to go back."

"Sora, are you sure you're all right?" Leon lay a hand on his shoulder. Sora flinched and he withdrew it, though that didn't stop him from sitting behind him on the bed. "Aerith always tells me that talking about your dreams helps, you know."

"Not this time."

He could feel Leon shifting, obviously turning to face him better. "It's not just tonight, you know. I've heard you before, too. Kind of hard to miss the screams."

Sora groaned, feeling an embarrassed flush creeping along his skin. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and disappear at that information. "You...the others? Do they--?"

"No," he replied quietly. "My room's closest and Cid's on your other side and he sleeps like a log. But I'm used to picking up on things like that. Was part of my training back home. I know you haven't been sleeping well since you came back from that scouting mission."

That was when...Had it really been only that long ago?

"Sora, did something happen to you guys while you were there?"

He curled up tighter, shaking his head over and over. Behind him, he could hear Leon sigh, and then felt the shift of his body on the bed again.

"I'm going to leave this up to you, Sora. You're not a child." Fingers combed very gently through his hair. "But even adults need a helping hand now and again."

A heartbeat passed and he felt Leon pushing himself off the bed. Sitting up quickly, he wrapped his hands around the other man's arm. He actually had to blink a couple tears away as he gazed up at him. "Do you...think you could stay?"

Weakling.

Sora shivered, ignoring the ice that slid down his spine. "Leon?"

The request earned him one of the man's rare smiles. Turning a bit, he sat back down, drawing a leg up, and facing him. "Yeah, I think I can stick around."

"Thanks." Sora suddenly realized he was still holding onto him and promptly let go, his gaze going to somewhere on the bed in front of him.

He hadn't realized any time had passed until Leon softly cleared his throat. "So, you just want me to stay here? Be a security blanket or something?"

Sora flushed again. "I'm sorry. I...there's just so much running through my mind when all I want to do is just go back to sleep." Except, I'm afraid to do that.

"Want to talk about what's running through that spiky head of yours?"

He slugged the other man in the arm. "If you're going to tease me, I probably should kick you out."

"But I got you to smile."

Obviously he hadn't been doing enough of that lately, especially if King Leon of the Stoics was trying to make that happen. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just...I can't even sleep. It's like...there's this...thing, this being that's inside me, under my skin. And it...it wants out. But the only time that happens is when...when I'm..." Leon said nothing, raising his brows expectantly. "H-Helpless." Sora finally forced his mouth to form the word.

"Sora, that's a fighter's instinct. I feel it. Cloud feels it. It's that moment when you think you can't go on, that you've given all you can, and then something comes alive inside of you and you find the strength to carry on, even if you thought you couldn't."

The young man shook his head. "No, I...I know that feeling. I..." He just smiled, his heart recalling drawing on his inner strength. "This is different. It's...dark. It doesn't want to help. It just...wants out. And it's...doing things to me to...further that along."

Sora saw the crease in Leon's brow. This was obviously not something that he was familiar with, nor likely very comfortable. "What sort of things is it doing?" He seemed as though he didn't even want an answer to the question.

"My dreams. It..." Sora sighed. "The first time I felt it was on that scouting mission. I got separated from Donald and Goofy. What they don't know is that I ran into a monster Heartless and before I could finish it off, it got the upper hand." Sora stared at his sheets, cheeks burning with the memory of what the monster had been doing. He pinched his eyes shut, ashamed to be feeling tears as he sought to block out the memory.

He straightened as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Letting out the breath he'd sucked in, he relaxed, actually feeling safe with Leon's arms around him, not finding the gesture strange at all. Shifting a little to settle in his hold, he did his best to continue his story.

"I thought it was going to eat me, but instead it, well, maybe it was going to eat me, but it sure liked playing with its food first." Despite being in Leon's hold, Sora turned away, starting to regret even bringing the subject up. He hugged his own arms to his chest, feeling chilled again.

"Did it hurt you?" Leon asked quietly.

"Yeah." Sora took several deep breaths, refusing to cry over the memory of such a thing. "It hurt and it...I wanted it to stop. I wanted it to stop and I couldn't even say that much. And that's when the...when I heard this voice, whispering, in the back of my mind. It wanted to help, but something....something wasn't right. I didn't want its help. I wanted to do it on my own, but I just felt so...broken. There was nothing left. Nothing. And then, all I remember was darkness and then waking up when Donald and Goofy found me. And ever since then, I've heard it in my mind. It wants out and it's...it's making me see things, remember things," he swallowed, "feel things just so it can come out and lash out at the world."

"Just in your dreams or does it happen while you're awake, too? Fighting? Or just, even like now?"

"I don't hear it now," Sora replied. "Mostly...Mostly in my dreams. I can sometimes feel it when I fight, but only," he really didn't want to admit this, his words coming out in a mumble, "when I'm losing. But it hasn't come out. It just feels like it's picking at my brain. Taunting me with the memory of what happened. And it...it feels so real. The dreams I've been having. They're just like--" He clammed up, not wanting to admit what happened and certainly not to Leon. He slumped forward a little, the other man's hand just resting on his shoulder.

"You remember the attack," Leon concluded. "That's what it's drawing on. It's still vivid in your mind."

"But why? I hated it!" Sora pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging them. "I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even scream for help. I couldn't...even...sc-scream. I wanted to. It hurt so much and I couldn't even beg it to stop. It just kept...aah." Fresh memories of the Heartless washed over his body, some perverse memory causing his skin to prickle as he remembered the sensations of its tongues all over his body.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he felt the brush of cloth against his back. Leon's hair tickled at his shoulder, the sensation of it brushing over his skin like a splash of cold water. He was suddenly very aware at how warm the two of them were, how close the other man's lips were to his ear.

"I didn't realize how badly it abused you," he whispered. "Such an idiot. Sora, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner."

Sora's hands came up, squeezing tight to Leon's, not wanting him to pull away. The apology caught him off guard. It wasn't Leon's fault, so why was he sorry? The only one he could blame was himself, for being weak enough for getting caught in the first place. Everything that had happened, from the attack to the dreams, they were all his fault.

"No." His voice sounded pathetic. It was little more than a mewl, sorrow and self-pity making his throat tight. Ragged breaths seemed in time with the trembling of his body. There was no stopping his tears now. All he could do was wipe at them with the back of his hand.

Pathetic. Look at you. You are right about one thing, though. You're too weak. If it hadn't been for me, that thing would have raped you to death. And now, you keep calling to me. The monsters in your dreams are too scary for poor little Sora to face on his own, so you cry for me, and then you deny it! That's why I let them do those things to you. So you realize just how worthless you are without me.

"Sora, shhh. Shhh. It's all right." A soft voice cut through the shadow's mocking laughter, though the words did little to quell his doubts.

"How? How can it be all right?" He twisted around in Leon's hold, red eyes meeting the man's own worried ones. "After everything that monster did to me, after what I let it do. Tell me how, Leon?"

"Because you're stronger than you think." He reached up, gently brushing away Sora's tears with his knuckle. "And because you're not alone. You've got all of us here that care about you and who wouldn't hesitate to help."

"I can't...I can't tell anyone about this! Gods, what would they think? What would...Kairi. Riku. I can't..."

"No one says you have to tell them. Not now. Not ever. When you feel that you can. You just can't keep it bottled up inside of you, Sora. It'll eat at your gut, your heart, and destroy you."

"I already feel like it has," he sighed. "The dreams...the voice. If only I'd been strong enough in the first place."

"You can be strong now. And if you don't think you can, then you've got me. My blade's always at your side, Sora. You know that, don't you?" He reached up, brushing some of Sora's hair away from his eyes.

Sora wrapped his arms around the other man. It just felt good to have something solid to hold onto, something warm, after everything he'd gone through, body and mind. "My dreams," he said softly. "You can't protect me there."

"Just watch me." There was a touch of his usual cockiness in Leon's voice and yet, the arms that settled around Sora's back were gentle, almost hesitant now. Sora hugged him tighter and he seemed to gain a bit of confidence. "Any time you need me, Sora, all right?"

"Would...would now be an okay 'any time'?" he asked softly.

"I was hoping you'd ask that."

Sora untangled his covers and pulled them up. It was a bit of a snug fit, but Leon stretched out beside him, offering his arm for a pillow. Resting his head on Leon's shoulder, Sora let out a sigh and allowed his eyes to close. Reaching over, Leon flicked the light off, blanketing the two of them in darkness once more.

That darkness, though, seemed to come alive around him, twisting about until it formed a mockery of his own visage.

"You think he can help you?" it hissed. "All he can give you is pity! Pity at how weak you are. Crying on his shoulder!" The shadow rolled its neck, yellow eyes flashing at him. "Does the keyblade master want a bedtime story next?"

"Go away!" Sora growled. "I don't need you. I'll never need you! No matter what you say!"

"Tch tch tch. You can't get rid of me any more than you could rip out your own heart, Sora. I live inside of you, whether you like it or not." His shadow-self seemed to take on a liquid form, sliding over to wrap around his legs and torso, arms hugging his chest from behind. He felt its teeth nip near his ear. "I'll always be here, no matter what you do. I know you'll give in again. One of these days."

Sora tried to punch it over his shoulder but it slid away, laughing. "Once upon a time, there was a sad little boy, who didn't have anybody to play with..."

"Shut up!" He was torn. Part of him wanted to chase after it but another part warned that he should hold his ground here. Regardless, he reached out, letting his keyblade flash into his hand.

"And he got lost in the deep, dark woods." Around him, trunks and shrubs started to take form, still more shadow than anything else. "But what he didn't know was that waiting there, to gobble him up, was a big...bad...WOLF!"

Sora spun around, just as a dark shape sprang at him. He rolled out of the way, watching the creature pick itself up from its failed pounce, growling at him and showing a row of gleaming, jagged teeth.

Just a wolf. Just another monster. I don't need to be afraid of it.

Silly boy, don't you know wolves always come in packs? Mocking laughter filled the woods around him.

As he faced down the wolf that was now stalking toward him, a ripple passed through the creature's body and suddenly, it became two, then four, then eight. Still, Sora held his ground, eyes flicking around to each one, waiting to strike or dodge, pending on their attacks.

Finally, one of them leapt at him and he met it with his blade, feeling the weight of it pushing against him as he shoved it away. It rolled once and was back up, joining the others in tightening around him. For being a pack, they weren't attacking him as such. It seemed more like they wanted to keep him surrounded than bring him down, only one leaping or snapping at him. Thankfully, that made it easier to fight them off, but he also seemed to be losing ground. Every time he backed up, they'd advance further, herding him through the trees. If he didn't think they'd chase him down, he'd have tried bolting through them instead.

He wasn't worried until he suddenly felt his back bump into one of the larger trees. Quelling a wave of panic, he realized they now wouldn't be able to come at him from all directions, just the front. Grinning a bit, he held the keyblade at the ready and waited for their next move.

It never came. Instead, he heard a soft slither of a sound and glanced up with just enough time to see a creature peering down at him from the branches of the tree. Thick vines looped around his arms and waist, pulling him back against the bark and hauling him a few feet off of the ground.

Stupid, stupid! he chastised himself. I'm not giving in that easily. Not this time.

"Oh, but you should." The wolves had vanished, solidified into his shadow form, which now stood, arms crossed, and, if he had to guess, grinning at him. "You know what's going to happen next, don't you?"

A frond tickled at his cheek and he let out a disgusted sound, making sure to not spit back an insult, no matter how badly he wanted to. He still held onto his keyblade, but there seemed to be more vines than he could even hope to cut away. Already they were starting to caress his chest, two more wrapping around his flailing legs.

"I can't decide which I like more. Watching you struggle, or watching you give up." Mirth gleamed in the golden eyes that raked up his body. A black tongue slid along a line of ivory teeth, the only other thing standing out aside from his shadow's eyes.

Sora glared, barely biting back his retort, the stroke of a vine near his chin snapping him back to his predicament. He did his best to keep his breathing even, trying hard to ignore the soft brush of leaves against him. Still, the light brushes against his skin were getting harder and harder to ignore, each one making him shiver.

Closing his eyes, he tried to take his mind elsewhere, tried to think of how to break free. At that thought, though, the bindings at his limbs immediately tightened. The fronds that were brushing up and down his chest pushed their way past the waist of his pants, returning to the motion as they reached his thighs.

"Stop," he growled through grit teeth, though there was still a touch of a groan in his voice.

The plant, of course, didn't listen, more and more vines sliding over his skin. Sora could feel the heat of his embarrassment scoring his face. That his shadow was watching this, getting pleasure out of it. He could even hear the thing chuckling, the sound rather low and throaty.

Wait. Heat...

Spinning the keyblade in his hand, he pointed the tip of it upward. "Firaga!" Focusing his rage through the weapon, a plume of fire erupted from the end of it, shooting upward and washing over the body of the creature above him. It shrieked in pain, the vines recoiling so suddenly that Sora didn't even have time to catch himself as he tumbled to the ground.

Shaking his head, he found that he was staring at a pair of black feet. His gaze continued upward as he slowly raised himself up to his knees. He was met with a sneer and a pair of murderous gold eyes.

"Think you're so clever?" The shadow lashed out, grabbing him by the throat before he had a chance to dodge. He was hauled to his feet, the thing's other hand grasping at his wrist to keep him from swinging the keyblade. "All you've done is made things worse for yourself."

The grip at his neck tightened and Sora began to choke, finding it hard to struggle against the shadow's hold. Flashes of white light started to dance before his eyes, yet he fought to remain conscious. He was afraid of what would happen if he lost this fight.

"You gloat too much."

Suddenly, there was the sing of metal cutting through the air and a rumble like thunder that filled the clearing. The shadow's head snapped forward, almost butting into his own and it immediately melted away. Sora fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

"You okay, kid?"

Sora picked his head up, finding Leon reaching out a hand to him. He couldn't get to his feet fast enough, wrapping his arms around the other man. "Leon, you..."

"Just cleaning up the mess." His arms wrapped around Sora in a light embrace. "You're the one that got yourself free."

"You saw?" Sora suddenly felt heat rising to his cheeks again.

"Only the fire," Leon assured him. "It's what showed me where you were. Thought you might need a hand with the other creature, though."

"Thank you," he whispered. "But...how are you here? Not that I'm not grateful, it's just--"

"I learned a trick or two from a friend back home. I don't use it much, though."

"I'm glad you did."

"I told you I'd always watch out for you," he said softly.

Still hugging him tightly, Sora nodded. "And you kept your promise." He tipped his head up, finding his eyes meeting Leon's. "Think we can get out of here? Somehow?"

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

Leon grinned. "I think that's easy. Just wake up."

Wake up...Wake up..."Sora, wake up."

"What?" He started, eyes snapping open and finding himself staring at Leon's chest. He quickly pushed himself up, squinting now as the sun filtered in through the window. "Leon?"

"You were expecting me to leave? Especially after you pinned me down?" He chuckled.

"I didn't--" Sora realized his arm was across Leon's stomach. He cleared his throat and twisted around, sitting up.

"How'd you sleep?" Leon reached up, gently rubbing the small of his back.

"Weren't you there?" Sora's brows pinched, looking over at him. "You said you had a trick you could do."

Leon shook his head. "That's nothing I ever learned. My big sister, maybe, but not me."

Then it was his doing. Even though he'd seen Leon, it was still his own mind, his own heart, that had drawn on the ability to beat back his shadow. He'd done it once and he could do it again in the future. Still, it had taken opening up, trusting his friend, to give him the strength that he needed. Settling back down, he wrapped his arm around Leon's waist again. "You still helped, though. Thank you."

The other man didn't seem to mind, fingers toying gently through his hair. "Any time you need me, Sora. Any time."

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

((Wrote this one on a whim. It's based off of three things: A line from Zevran's trailer, aspects of the City Elf origin story, and a little tidbit I read about taking a relationship path with Zevran in Dragon Age. As I have yet to add the smexy Spanish elven assassin to my party, there is the chance that this has the potential to be entirely out of character, but it's fanfic and if they can have Alistair and Zev having wild monkey sex, I can have a romantic killer, dammit.
**Rated, eh, PG? R? For sexual situations and probably language that I can't remember using. Also, could be considered to contain spoilers for the City Elf origin story, female route.))

Assassin’s Honor

"I'm not one of your whores, Zevran, so knock. It. Off."

The Antivan felt a rough shove at his chest and he knew without looking that there was a blade in the hand that hadn't been doing the pushing. Lilyana wasn't as dexterous as he - in his mind, no one was - but she had the reflexes of one who'd been trained to use her speed and slightness, not her strength, and there was no doubt in his mind that if he went in for another kiss, her dagger would puncture something he'd rather keep whole.

He repressed his sigh until she finally turned and stalked away from him. He never should have let that comment slip. It had been meant to be a compliment, really, about how refreshing he found her. Instead, she'd mistaken his intentions, been offended by them. He really should have known better. The lot of his fellow elves here in the Fereldan cities wasn't exactly the most idyllic. His upbringing hadn't been the best, either, and that should have reminded him of what hardships she might have had to face. He prided himself on being able to say what others wanted to hear, to be charming enough to get them to let their guard down.

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed again. He was going to have to smooth this over if he wanted to keep the tension down in the camp. The others already didn't trust him as it was and if their leader were on edge around him, they likely would be, too. Glancing around, he let his eyes scan over the camp, seeking her out in the shadows beyond the fire-light.

Too late. She'd already gone running to Alistair. The Templar stood with one arm around her shoulders, speaking quietly to her. As Zevran saw the man's eyes raise, he shrank back into the shadows. He didn't feel like being glared at tonight, especially not by him.

At first, he'd thought the two were lovers. They seemed to share an intimacy that was lacking amid the rest of the group but he soon attributed that to their being Wardens. A few careful barbs here, a joke there, and he would bet his mother's soul that for all his posturing and protecting, Alistair had never once taken Lily to his bed, nor, for that matter, any woman.

Lily, on the other hand, he wasn't sure of. She could duel with him as easily with her tongue as her blades. That was part of the reason he was so attracted to her. It wasn't often that he found a woman, let alone an elf woman, that could hold her own against a man the way she did.

Tread lightly, Zev, he reminded himself. It's the subtlest knife that makes the cut.
*
Another night at camp and the elf had been weighing his options carefully. None of them seemed overly promising in his mind, so it was simply a matter of picking which poison he intended to use to end his existence.

As he saw it, he had two choices and neither one was rather appealing. There was a third, true, but he foresaw that trail growing cold rather quickly. And a fourth, if you counted the small pony that Lilyana claimed was a dog, but that might only get him more looks than usual.

Sitting alone by the fire, he slowly scraped a whetstone over his dagger, wanting to keep it in fine condition, should they meet more darkspawn on the road again. Several of the group were casting him glances but he did his best to ignore them. Let them stare. Sten did the same damn thing and he wasn't subject to the same scrutiny. He was merely making sure he was prepared.

The repetitiveness of his task helped him to clear his mind and think of all that he wanted to know and how best to gather that information. Back to his choices.

Alistair. No. The Grey Warden didn't trust him as far as he could throw him, and with that build, he could probably chuck him pretty far. That, and the Wardens were a secretive bunch. Any other time he would commend their camaraderie and brotherhood, but not this time. Not when he was seeking information behind closed ranks.

You could always ask the lady directly.

He shook his head at that thought, too. He wasn't sure how to ask all of the questions that were swirling around in his mind, and if it's one thing that he'd learned very quickly it was that you didn't go into a mission to gather information half-cocked. He'd already proven once that she flustered him. He didn't feel like repeating the performance.

That left him with only one other option. Sighing, he slid the dagger into the sheath where it belonged, stowed the whetstone, and used that as an excuse to lazily stroll around the fire to where an older woman sat with a book on her lap, hunched close to the flames as she read.

He knew Wynne wasn't cold, so she had to be doing only one other thing: trying to squeeze a few more lines from her book before the embers died down completely. For someone of her age, it was rather childish seeming, and yet, he knew her passion for books.

Clearing his throat, he was rewarded with a sharp look. She tried to seem as though she wasn't paying attention, but he knew she was listening.

"May I sit, Wynne?"

"I can't fathom why you must." She put her attention back on her book, turning a page he knew she wasn't done reading.

Still, it wasn't a 'no' and so he sat down on the log, careful to keep some distance between himself and the mage. He let silence settle between the two of them once again before drawing in breath to speak. "I understand you were at Ostagar."

"For good or ill."

"So you...had the chance to meet our Wardens, before they..." He wanted to put this delicately. "Before the battle," he settled on.

"Briefly. Alistair only saw fit to come around when he wanted to harass the mages...or the Revered Mother wanted him to."

"And Lilyana?"

"She wasn't a Warden when I met her. She'd yet to go through the Joining. Duncan brought her to the camp and then...turned her loose. Such was his way. She greeted me and we spoke briefly, but that was all."

"What of the Joining?"

Wynne shrugged. "I know little. I only know that there were three recruits that Duncan brought with him and Lilyana was the only one to join him and Alistair later."

The elf said nothing, contemplating the woman's words. He hadn't realized the stretch of silence between the until he heard the soft thump of her book snapping shut.

"You're being curious and you're being polite. That means you're worrying me, Zevran."

He bowed his head slightly. "I simply wish to understand our leader's motivations a bit more."

"With that, I wish you luck. Things are rarely so simple as they appear to be."

"How right you are." He hesitated a moment. "Thank you," he breathed quietly before pushing himself to his feet.

*
"If you're going to learn to do this properly, you're going to have to get over any hang ups that you might have." Zevran crossed his arms, arching a brow as Lilyana stood there glaring at him.

"I fail to see what...that has to do with what you're trying to teach me."

"My dear, it has everything to do with it. Come, attack me. You're the assassin, I'm your mark. Kill me." He tried not to make those last two words sound like an invitation, especially given her mood at the moment.

Watching her, he could see her putting to use what he'd already taught her, coupled with the skills that she already possessed. Still, he knew when she was lunging at him and dodged easily to the side, making a 'tsk' sound at her attempt. "Good, good, but now, allow me." Stepping up to her, he brushed a finger at her cheek, though she jerked away from him. "Lilyana, for the sake of the lesson, please. Try not to find me so repulsive, hmm?"

She heaved a sigh and shook out her arms, trying to relax. Still, when he touched her again, she still felt guarded. This wasn't going to do at all, not for what he was trying to show her.

"I think I know what the problem is. You’re not used to being kissed, is that it?” She scowled at him. “It can be quite pleasant, you know.” He put a touch of a tease in his voice. “There have been evenings where that’s been the only pleasure my partner and I have enjoyed.” Of course, he wasn’t going to elaborate and say just where some of the kisses had landed, but his willingness to take his flirting no further than that seemed to put her at ease. "Come sit with me. Let me show you."

He held out a hand to her, having to wait a heartbeat or two before she slid her fingers on top of his. Guiding her over to a nearby tree, he settled down, urging her to sit beside him. "There's nothing improper about kissing, no matter what any Chantry biddies may have told you." He chuckled. "It's nothing but warmth and tenderness." For now, he brushed his lips over the back of her hand, nibbling at her knuckles and just watching her from under his eyelids. He wanted her to get used to his touch.

Turning her hand, he began nibbling on her fingertips and he was rewarded with a soft bap on his nose. "That tickles."

He laughed softly. "I'll take my attentions elsewhere, then." Keeping one hand held gently in hers, he brought the other up, just stroking her cheek with the backs of his knuckles, moving down toward her neck as well. Brushing her hair back, he curled his fingers at the nape of her neck, just holding her there, letting her grow used to it. To distract her, he brought her other hand up, kissing at her fingers again.

"That still tickles." There was a touch of nervousness in her voice, her breathing just the slightest bit quicker.

"You've gentle hands, then," he murmured. Lowering their hands, he waited until her eyes turned up from following the gesture. Leaning in slowly, his eyes lid as he let his lips brush against her cheek, warm from the flush he'd begun to cause there. A trail of kisses brought them back to her ear and he felt a shiver run through her as he lightly trailed his tongue along the shell of it. Nipping gently at the lobe, he began working his way downward, tonguing at the soft spot by her jaw, then lower, nibbling gently and letting his teeth graze faintly at her neck.

"Zevran." He felt a slight push at his shoulder.

"Mmm, ticklish again?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. I'll have to find somewhere that you're not, then." He pecked a few kisses along her jaw and stopped at her chin, drawing back just enough to gaze at her. Leaning in, he brushed his lips over hers, feeling the soft huff of a breath she let out as he did so. Catching her lower lip between his own, he tugged gently, suckling on it before leaning in and capturing her mouth with his in earnest this time.

Instead of a knife to his ribs, he was rewarded with a soft sound, her lips parting slowly at his urging so he could slip his tongue into her mouth, her own brushing out and dueling breathlessly with his. As their kissing grew more heated, he silently thanked the Maker he'd insisted on them training without their armor. This wouldn't feel as good if his hand were skimming over leather or hers was pressed to chain.

Still holding on to her, he slowly began to draw back, easing the two of them down so that his back was pressed against the earth, allowing her to lay on top of him. Shifting around a little, he urged her to settle comfortably against him, forcing himself to ignore the press of her hips to his, focusing solely on the feel of his tongue stroking against hers, the feel of her lips, chapped from the wind, from a life unaccustomed to the pampering that would make them delicate. At this moment, he could care less. Petal lips didn't suit Lily and it was one of the things that endeared her to him. True, lying as they were, there was no denying she was a woman, but it was that tiny sensation that reminded him just what kind of woman she was.

A sharp nip drew him out of his reverie and he sucked in a breath, stifling a curse when he caught sight of her panicked eyes. Instead of the sharp words he was certain she was expecting, he let out a soft laugh. "Gently now," he murmured. "Like this." Cupping her cheek again, he nibbled gently on her lip, the soft groan he caused enough to make him want to plunge his tongue back into her mouth.

Gently now, he reminded himself. Maker, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd just savored his partner like this. It truly was intoxicating. Drawing back, he cupped her cheek, just letting his thumb brush over the pink there, the flush he'd caused, kissing her. Why was that thought so important? So gratifying?

"Zevran! Lilyana!" Leliana's lilting voice called out through the trees, shattering the moment. "Time for supper, you two!"

Lily's lips parted, as though to say something, but it was clear the bard was getting closer. She quickly pushed herself back and rocked to her feet, running a hand through her hair in an attempt to smooth it. "Coming!" she hollered, glancing back at him once before retreating back toward camp.

The assassin himself had no real choice but to remain there for a few moments, reciting various litanies over in his mind to calm the heat that had risen up in his blood. As he sat up, it was then he realized that he'd left his dagger sitting on the grass beside them. His intention all along had been to give her a poke with it, to drive home the lesson as to just how useful kissing could be.

Picking up the weapon, he stuffed it back in the sheath were it belonged. "Distracting indeed," he muttered to himself, shaking his head and making his way back toward the camp.

*
Zevran could only stand the feeling of eyes boring into his head for so long. Subtly working a dagger from his belt, he swiftly spun around and was rewarded with a startled squawk as it found its mark, buried in the trunk of a tree beside a nosy templar.

There was the grate of steel as Alistair began to pull his blade free of its sheath. Zevran's hand went to his own blade, though he didn't draw, not wanting to give his opponent reason to take a swing at him.

"I don't take kindly to being spied on."

"I don't take kindly to being threatened."

"How was I to know you weren't a darkspawn?" He flashed the other man a disarming grin.

"Because I'm not trying to eat your face off."

Making a barb as what Alistair could eat would only piss the man off more, so the elf wisely kept his tongue in check. "You weren't even trying to hide from me, so what is it that you want?"

Alistair looked put off. Maybe he had been trying to hide and just didn't excel at it. "I'm making sure you don't try anything funny."

Zevran gave him a reproachful look. "I was heading off to bathe. If I'd known you wanted to keep an eye on me, I'd have invited you along."

Whoops. There was the sword. The Antivan took a couple steps back, actually holding his hands up in surrender. "And you just happened to set off just after Lily did?"

The elf blinked. He hadn't even realized the other Warden wasn't in the camp. Not that her knight protector would believe that, of course. Still, it was worth a try.

"Pure coincidence, I assure you." He kept his hands up still. "If she's there, that's all you need to say. I'll wait for her to return, then."

Alistair was still glaring at him and he didn't dare try to walk back toward the camp. There was still six-foot of Fereldan between him and the fire, not to mention three more feet of steel. "What are you after?"

Zevran arched a brow. It wasn't like Alistair to be this direct. "With regard to--?"

"Lily. Us. This whole situation." He gestured absently with the hand not gripping his sword.

He let out a sigh. "You don't trust me, so I doubt you'd believe me."

"Try me."

"I'm trying to make her happy." Before the other man could rebut him, he continued. "She needs someone, Alistair, and while you and Leliana and Wynne make fine friends, there is something to be said for," he paused, considering his words rather carefully in the face of the Templar, "having someone you can rely on for companionship."

Alistair gave a derisive snort. "You simply aim to bed her."

"Jealous?"

"No!" The reply came rather quickly and Zevran arched a brow, carefully keeping the smirk off of his lips. "She's...a friend. And a fellow Warden. I--what?"

"She should be pleased to have such a champion." Zevran carefully schooled his face, doing his best to remove the grin that had formed. The outburst had been too much. "You, more than anyone, I want to understand this, Alistair. Yes, I do wish to...share intimate pleasures with Lilyana, but I've come to find it has to be on her terms, no one else's. I have been trying to reign in what I've been trained to do and find out what it is that she wants me to do."

The good news was that the other man was no longer threatening him with his sword. The bad news was that he looked as though he were about to get some sort of lecture on propriety or respect or, Maker forbid, chastity.

"If you intend to do this, if you truly want this, then you are going to have to be prepared to accept everything about her. Being a Warden is more than a title, it's a whole different way of life. Are you prepared to accept that aspect, too, Zevran?"

"You speak as though I know nothing of being part of something you can't just walk away from."

"It's different than your assassins. True, they may not like it if you leave, but you can still leave. Being a Warden is who we are. What we are. She can't simply stop because something better comes along."

He'd never seen such a serious expression on the young man's face. He seemed almost in mourning but it wasn't self-pity. There was regret there, but as for what, he couldn't truly place it. All he could do was offer his assurances, flimsy as they might seem.

"Then let me make her happy, Alistair. In this world, in this time, where we never know if the coming sunrise will be our last, let me give her something that can bring her peace, even if it's only for a moment. She deserves it, doesn't she?"

The other was very quiet and Zevran had just relaxed when suddenly, Alistair's blade swung upward, level with his eyes. "If you hurt her, I swear by the Maker, by Andraste, by all that's holy that I will show you your heart before you die."

Taking a step back, Zevran chuckled, smiling as he bowed his head. "I would expect nothing less."

The blade lowered and he took a couple steps back, dislodging the knife from the tree and turning its handle out to pass to the assassin. "Then you'd better know just what you're getting yourself into. Come with me."

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

*
They were finally at an inn. A solid roof over their heads, a filling meal that didn’t have to be caught and cleaned by one of them first, nor, thank the Maker, prepared by Alistair in an attempt to call it food, and the most wondrous blessing of all: private rooms with proper beds.

It had taken a bit of flirting, a bit of whispering, and a bit of Leliana distracting the others for him, but he'd finally convinced...no, he'd asked Lily if he could join her for the evening. He could tell by her gaze she knew what he was really asking and for the span of six heartbeats - he'd counted - she'd considered the question. The two of them managed to slip away from the table unnoticed, save for the soft whimper of her Mabari.

The door to her room was locked. That alone spoke volumes of the trust she was showing him. Standing behind her, he murmured endearments and promises, his fingers dexterously undoing the straps and small plates of her armor, working to her under-clothing next, letting his hands massage gently over each bit of skin he uncovered. He took delight in feeling her relax beneath his touch, in each soft sound she breathed out as his lips brushed near her throat and ear.

Feeling her hands sliding back to find him, he smiled, moving back a half-step so she could turn around and undress him in a similar manner. Occasionally, he would reach up, not to guide her hand but to give the two of them contact, to assure her the gentle words he'd spoken were true.

Now both naked, he drew her into his arms, letting the warmth of their bodies mingle together while they shared the breath of their kisses. Backing her up slowly, he laughed softly at her surprised sound when her legs bumped into the mattress. Easing her down and letting her scoot back, he crawled up the bed beside her, settling where his lips could easily reach all of the places he'd learned she enjoyed having nibbled and his hand could skim up and down her side.

He felt fingers twine in his own, tugging him a little closer. His compliance was rewarded with a kiss. "Zevran," her words were very faint, "you know I've never--"

His brows arched. "You're so very confident. I wasn't sure, you know." He flashed her a smile, leaning in for another kiss. "You honor me, Lilyana. For that, I promise you will not regret trusting me."

Her hands came up, skimming over his back, fingers moving to twine into his hair. "I know I won't," she whispered, pulling his lips down to meet hers.

A good hours worth of kissing and cuddling and massaging later, Zevran's lips brushed lightly down the tight skin of Lily's throat. Her head was thrown back and a moan escaped her lips, in no small part thanks to his fingers, which were now stroking and teasing at the warmth between her legs.

The assassin continued the motion, his free hand helping him to shift his weight as he continued downward, nipping at her collar bone and leaving a trail of kisses down her chest until he reached the firm bud that shifted with each heave of her breathing.

Letting her hips writhe and squirm, he took her nipple into his mouth, sucking gently on it and letting his tongue swirl and flick in circles, his mind already imagining taking his attentions even lower. He had to suppress a chuckle, wondering what she'd think of that, given how she was reacting to his touch.

The grip of her hand at his hair only encouraged him and he let out a few sounds that he hoped would cause the same reaction in her. He felt himself being pulled roughly into a kiss, something breathless that was peppered with gasps. Taking care to time it at the moment when she drew them together, he slid a finger inside of her and swallowed the high moan that she let out.

Keeping close to her, he could feel her breath hot against his lips and cheek, her nails, slight as they were, were actually digging into his scalp as she gripped at him. Her back arched from the mattress and she wriggled further, all the while with him tending her and trying to set a rhythm to the erratic motions.

She let out a sound and there was a different feel to her movement, almost a thrash. "Z-ev...st-op." He could feel her clutching at him, one hand sliding down, trying to grasp at his other arm.

"You have to trust me, Lil," he cooed softly in her ear. “I promised, didn’t I?”

"I--" She groaned, her hips wriggling more, her ankle scraping at the blanket. "Stop. Please, stop."

What was worrying her was probably the tension of her impending orgasm, something he could feel in the warmth around him. But tonight was about trust and the lady had ordered him to stop.

She let out another noise, hard to place between relief and disappointment. He could feel her hands on him, pushing at his chest, pulling his hair. Anything to get him off of her.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he rolled onto his back, cushioning his head with one arm, the other draped over his stomach. He was resisting the urge to let it slide lower. Her reluctance caused more than one form of frustration in him, but this wasn't the time or place to remedy that. Sliding his gaze to the side, he found that she'd rolled over, head pillowed on her elbow, the other arm draped over her stomach.

"Lil..." He rolled over and laid a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and he drew his hand away. "I don't understand you," he stated rather frankly, wincing as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

"Then maybe you should stop trying."

"Lilyana," even he was surprised by the reproachful tone in his voice, "I have been patient. I like to think I have done nothing that would give you a reason not to trust me. I thought I could even be fine if you just wanted to fuck me and be done with it, but this...You're not even using me." His laughter held no mirth in it.

"I thought that would be a happy thing. Not having your body used for once."

"So would I. But there's that little underlying reason of why." No answer, though he noticed the subtle shifting of her back. "Do you not want to bed me?"

"I don't know."

He let out another laugh. "That's a less than definite answer. Were you just planning on using me and then found that you fell madly in love and can't bear the thought of discarding me so?" He tried to put a touch of saccharine in his words.

"No."

"No, you weren't planning on it or no, you're not in love with me."

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"Not when it concerns my well-being. Lilyana," he softened his tone, reaching out to her again, feeling that same tension. Instead of pulling away this time, he carefully rolled to spoon behind her, taking care to not let the hold get too intimate. "Please talk to me. I...don't like to see you suffering. I promised I'd make you happy, didn't I?" How unlike him, being at such a loss for words and at the same time, finding that he meant every one that passed his lips.

"I'm scared."

"I gathered that." He brought his hand up, gently stroking her dark hair. "You needn't be. A good lover can make you forget all about that."

"Idiot," he heard her mutter and it made him laugh softly.

"I only want to let you forget everything for a while." He let his lips brush at the nape of her neck. "You're allowed to be selfish once and a while, Warden."

He could feel her shaking her head, barely feel the tremble in the body that was pressed to his. "I can't forget."

"Is it the dreams? Alistair...warned me that--"

"No. I can't forget him."

Him? Now this was opening some doors. "Of whom do you speak?" Silence. "Lilyana?" He combed his fingers through her hair again.

"My husband."

Ice washed over him as swiftly as if Morrigan had been standing there, invoking the spell. "Then the ring you wear...?" He'd seen it, but until that moment, he'd taken it for mere decoration. It was a simple little thing, nothing like the adornments he'd seen her trade with some of the shopkeepers. He figured for her to have kept it, it would have at least been enchanted in some way.

"He...never had the chance to give it to me." Her arm shifted and he could tell she had brought her hand to her mouth, hearing the sobs she was desperately trying to mute.

His hold shifted and he drew her back against his chest, hugging her rather than simply embracing. His lips brushed against her ear, no heated coaxing in his words, but instead, soft murmurs of comfort. "Darkspawn?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head, that only seeming to prompt more tears. Cursing himself for a fool, he simply rocked gently with her in his arms. So brash was their leader. Though he'd often joked one could never forget, what with the way she looked, they did sometimes forget that Lilyana was still a woman.

He wasn't going to ask. She was upset enough as it was and though he wanted to help stop whatever caused her tears, it wasn't his place to ask. If she didn't want to tell him, he could live with the curiosity. It seemed, though, Lilyana was adept at reading his thoughts.

"He died the day of our wedding," she began in a quiet voice. "The Arl...his son had brought us all to the manse, locked us away to be "entertainment" for him and his guests. Nelaros came with my cousin to rescue us, but he was no warrior. The guards, they..." She grew quiet again, the trembling increasing. "Maker watch over him," he heard her breathe out.

"To do such a thing, he must have truly loved you."

"But we didn't even know each other!" He could hear the crack in her voice. "It was arranged. We...he was...I didn't even want to...not at first and then...Oh, why did he have to be so eager?" The question came out with a pained sound to it. "Stupid fool should have come when he was supposed to! Then he wouldn't be dead!"

She turned around in his hold, burying her face against his chest. The other elf's arms settled around her, just holding her, rubbing her back, and doing nothing to stop the tears. She needed this. Maker knew how long, but she needed this. From what he'd been told, he likely suspected she hadn't been given time to grieve properly. And then to face Ostagar so soon after...

"Lil?" They both started at the sound of Alistair's voice outside. "Everything all right?" His voice was touched with hesitation, but it was clear he wasn't leaving without an answer. "Seraun's seeming awfully anxious."

Though she and the hound were imprinted, there was no way to read his mistress' moods through the beast. Maker knew he would have done so several times if he'd had that little trick at his disposal. Still, he couldn't fault the boy for his intrusion, not this time.

"It's all right, Alistair," she called, her voice sounding steady despite the tears he could still see running down her cheeks. "I'm...It's all right."

Zevran heard the other man hesitate and then the slight sound of him turning to go. "I'm just next door if you need me, then."

Reaching up, the blonde brushed away one of the wet trails that cut down her cheek. "If you want to go to him--"

"No. No, it's all right. I...don't want to leave." She settled down into his hold again, pillowing her head against his arm, hers slipping around his side to hug at his back. "And I don't want you to leave, either."

"Then here I stay," he murmured softly, letting his own hold settle comfortably around her once more, doing his best to keep her warm and soothe the shivers that still ran through her. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Zev?"

"About your husband. About making you remember. I wanted tonight to be perfect for you and instead, I seem to have led it astray."

"It's all right. There will be other nights."

He blinked, brows raising. "There will?" He tried to keep the hope out of his voice.

"Yes. I want...you to help me forget. Not him," she added, the words coming out quickly, "but I want to forget the pain."

"I'll do my best," he whispered, laying a gentle kiss on her lips. "You have my word."

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

((This is a bit of humor I wrote up after reading about following a Zev romance and inspired just a wee bit from another fanfic I read about the same time. Rohn, in this instance, is a male Dalish. Rated PG-13 for adult situations.))

Claiming the Warden

"Just relax and trust me, Warden. I've done this countless times before."

Leliana paused near the flap of Rohn's tent, not expecting to hear Zevran's voice filtering out from it. Her brows pinched at the shuffling she picked up from within.

"Really?" There was a touch of mirth mingled with the Warden's skepticism. "And just how many men have you done this with, exactly?"

"How many men or how many others?" the Antivan teased.

"I should have expected that."

There was a tsk-ing sound from within. "You should know by now that I never kiss and tell."

A bark of a laugh, followed by a grunt. "Right, right. But you know, I would prefer knowing I was doing this with someone with a little more experience. Might make me feel better."

"As I said before, just relax and let me do what I do best. Besides killing people." The Crow laughed.

"Lel--"

Turning sharply, the bard brought a finger to her lips and waved Morrigan to silence. The witch crossed her arms and arched a brow, curious as to why the Orlesian was crouched outside their leader's tent. Her footfalls made no sound as she approached, looking to the other woman for answers, though she found them more in the voices from within.

"You're telling me that you sat through them marking your face like that, with naught a whimper, or so you claim, and now you're balking at the thought of me doing this?"

"There's a bit of a difference, Zev. My blood writing is a part of me brought to the fore. What you've in mind, well, our bodies aren't exactly made for that, now are they?"

"You'd be very surprised at what bodies can be put through and still enjoy. Now, are you going to stop stalling?"

"Who says I'm stalling?"

"I do. And now, if you're done being a coward, perhaps we can move on to more pleasant things?"

"You're lucky you're on top of me or I'd stab you for that."

"Tease."

The two women exchanged a look, both seeming to know they really shouldn't be eavesdropping and yet, there was something about the banter that compelled them to remain. Morrigan listened with a bemused expression while Leliana crouched there, brows arched, with an almost expectant look on her face.

From within, Rohn let out a surprised gasp, the sound almost immediately muffled, either by him or Zevran, it wasn't possible to tell. By the fact that the Antivan was still speaking, Rohn was exercising a good bit of Dalish stoicism.

"All right," Zevran's voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "That's the first step. Are you all right? Do you want me to stop?"

"No." The shaky word came out through grit teeth. "Keep going."

"All right. Another push, then."

And another groan from the Warden. "Zev..."

"Shhh. Almost there. Almost....Ah!"

Rohn's moan seemed to mingle with that of the elf's and they could hear him panting even through the fabric of the tent's flap. He was muttering curses in his native tongue, much to Zevran's delight, if the other man's soft laughter were any indication.

"How does that feel?"

"Strange." The voice carrying the word was slightly pained, weighted with heavy breaths. "Hurts some, but it's getting better."

"It will, don't worry. You just have to get used to it."

The two women exchanged worried looks as Rohn continued. "Blood?"

"To be expected." Zevran sounded calm. It shouldn't really have been shocking, coming from the assassin. "Always blood the first time. It gets easier, never fear."

"I'm trusting you in that."

"If it weren't true, don't you think I would have stopped?"

"I don't know. You have unusual tastes, Zev."

"This is true. For now, my Grey Warden, I should leave you to rest. If you think you'll need it, I could send Wynne in."

"It's not troubling me too much. We'll see later."

"As you bid."

The two women scattered away from the tent, though it was another minute or so before Zevran emerged. His face bore an expression of amusement, as if he had, perhaps, known they were there but quite frankly didn't care. He strode casually over to his gear and gathered up a few things, likely heading off to clean up by the look of what he was picking from his pack. Once he'd disappeared from the glow of the fire, the two came back together.

"Do you think Rohn is all right?" Leliana cast a nervous look over toward the Warden's tent.

"He didn't seem all that distressed. And neither did Zevran."

"Yes, but--"

"You heard the two of them, Leliana. If you wish to intrude and let them know you overheard them..."

"No, no, you're right there. I do not. Still--" Her eyes trailed along the perimeter of the fire's glow. "Ah hah."

Smiling, she headed over to the other Grey Warden, who was currently lounging and looking none-too-happy about the mabari leaning against him. Still, that wasn't stopping him from scratching him behind his ears.

"Alistair, I think," she stopped as he looked up at her, choosing her words carefully. "Perhaps you might look in on Rohn?"

"Is something the matter?"

"I'm...not sure. But it might be...something only you can deal with."

He gave her a curious look, but obviously concern for his fellow Warden won out. "All right, then. I can go check on him."

Watching him approach, she frowned a little. She didn't much care for the idea of sending in the Templar, nor deceiving him, but somehow it seemed less intrusive to have him find out what had happened.

"I'm half expecting that he'll just run screaming from that tent," Morrigan purred close to her ear, making her jump.

"Then we will have our answer, won't we?"

"How very devious, my dear. I do believe I'm growing on you."

Slipping back over to the tent, there was no retreating Alistair, which might be a good sign. The two men could be heard talking within.

"So, you didn't need me?"

"No, Alistair. I'm fine. What? Did you see Zev leaving and come to make sure I was still breathing?"

"Zevran was here?" There was a bristle in the young man's words.

"He just left. Just coincidence, then, it would seem."

"Right, well. Sorry to have bothered you. I--Are you bleeding?"

Leliana started. If Alistair could see it, did that mean...?

"Still?" A soft curse. "I suppose it will take time to heal. Ears are sensitive, after all."

Ears? What?

"If you need anything, just call, then. Sorry. Again."

"I'm fine. Thank you, Alistair."

The Templar pushed the flap of the tent open and emerged to Leliana's puzzled expression. "Ears? What happened to Rohn's ears?"

Alistair shook his head. "He's got a jewel in one now." He tugged absently on his own lobe, glancing back at the tent. "Zevran must have done it for him. What?"

Morrigan had just started laughing and Leliana hid her face, shaking her head. "Maker's breath," she chuckled out. "All that for an earring."

"All what?" Alistair looked between the two of them.

That only made them laugh harder.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

((Been a while since I've put something up, I see. This little thing popped into my head as yet another 'side story' for Rohn's fanfic, once I get around to finally writing it. The coupling intrigued me and what started out as a pwp turned into honest-to-goodness character development. That being said, Holy Shit, Copper actually wrote something HETERO. Rated PG-13/R for "adult situations." Contains potential Mage Origin and Redcliffe spoilers and that's about it, I think. Everything else is vague enough. Doesn't have a title at the moment. That may change.))

Rohn leaned against the wall of the castle, gazing down into the courtyard from the corner of the raised walkway that served as a final defense before the main doors of the keep. Though some effort had been made to clear the area of the corpses, some remnants of their battle here still lingered. He saw none of it, though, his gaze as far off as his thoughts.

Connor had been saved, thanks to the mages of the Circle, and the second of his treaties had been fulfilled. Still, there was the task of attempting to cure Arl Eamon and that would take them to Denerim, right under the gaze of their foe.

If he hadn't already seen so much on this journey of theirs, he'd have thought this quest for the Ashes something fit for fools and madmen.

But, they weren't leaving for the city just yet. They'd need fresh supplies and it was too late in the day to set out already. Teagan had offered them a place to stay but Rohn didn't feel comfortable within the walls of the castle. He was much more at home under the open sky like this.

Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention to the stairs. Remaining still, he blended well enough into the shadows that whomever it was didn't notice he was there. He heard the soft tap of heels against stone and a patch of moonlight illuminated Morrigan's pale form as she crept between the castle and the door that lead down into the dungeon.

Frowning slightly, Rohn waited for her to enter the other half of the keep before he pushed away from his hiding place and followed on muffled steps.

***
"Who's there?" Jowan crept closer to the door, still wary, as the dungeons hadn't exactly been cleared out and there was no telling if anything yet lingered in the corridors. He was safe enough behind the bars of his cell, but that didn't mean he was impervious to all harm.

"'Tis only I."

The voice was only passing familiar and he tried to angle his body to see past the bars to the stairs. A few torches illuminated the hall and he caught sight of a woman approaching. Dark hair, a flash of bright eyes, and, ahem, yes, no need to let his gaze travel further down, even though the cut of her clothing seemed to encourage it.

Morrigan. The apostate that traveled with the Grey Warden. It must be nice to be afforded protection such as that.

"Was the ritual successful?"

Of all the things he could have asked her, that weighed heaviest on his mind. When the decision had been reached to try and seek aid from the Tower, he'd been grateful. Though he had offered up his blood magic to help Connor, it would have cost Isolde her life and despite his mixed feelings about the woman, he didn't want yet another death staining his hands.

"The boy lives."

The relief at those words staggered him. He found himself sagged to his knees, gripping the bars for support. "Thank the Maker."

Morrigan snorted. "Thank your fellow mages. 'Twas they who battled the demon, not your absent god."

He didn't want to argue the point with her. But mention of the Circle did bring his gaze back up. "Are the mages still here?"

"They've since departed. I'm told they have much to do back at that cage and this was merely repayment for some service the Warden rendered them."

"What? What happened at the Tower?"

"I know not. I remained here and my companions have yet to speak of it. Were I to hazard a guess from their haggard appearances, 'twas not something pleasant, likely."

The mage ran a hand through his hair. Before he'd left, there had been...whisperings. And then there was the matter of his agreement with Loghain. Had something happened, then? He wanted to think that the Teyrn had acted per their agreement and yet the sensible part of him began to chide, reminding him that he was nothing more than an expendable pawn in all of this.

"Why do you care?" Morrigan's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"What?" He picked his head up again.

"Why do you care what happens to that place?" He found it amusing that she refused to speak of it by name. "You sought to escape, did you not?"

"I still...I still had friends there. I may not have liked the place, but I didn't hate everything about it."

"I see."

The way she said it made him suddenly feel very foolish for having any sort of sentimentality to a place that was nothing more to him than a symbol of oppression. Still, he couldn't help but worry for those he'd known. Wynne. Amell. Irving. Even some of the templars. Well, if what the Bann had said was true, he'd be finding out what happened there soon enough. Likely as they brought him back to be made Tranquil.

"Has there been any change in the Arl's condition?" he asked quietly.

He heard movement, looking up in time to see her shaking her head, though she also replied with a quiet, "No." She didn't look very pleased at that fact.

"What's wrong?"

The question seemed to startle her. "What do you mean?"

"I mentioned the Arl and you frowned. There's been no change at all? Better or worse?"

"He remains the same. And now we set off on the morrow to chase the fabled ashes of a madwoman. The Warden seems to think that he can succeed where others cannot."

It was his turn to frown. "He succeeded in stopping Connor, didn't he?"

"Only because he took up the task of doing what that simpering woman could not bring herself to do."

"He's her son!"

"He was an abomination." Morrigan spoke it so matter-of-factly. Yes, it was true, but to some, becoming one didn't change the history of the other.

"Is there no one you would rather die for first than see hurt?"

"No."

Again, so matter-of-fact. He couldn't believe that. "What of the Warden? He protects you, does he not?"

"I don't need his protection."

"You're an apostate. If you weren't under his leadership, the Templars'd haul you away sooner than you could blink."

"They could try," she sniffed.

"I said that myself and they still caught me." The snort that she let out hinted that she obviously didn't think it was that impressive of a feat. "Why are you even here?"

"Pardon?"

"You obviously came down here for a purpose. Or did you simply seek to taunt me with the fact that you're on that side of the bars and I'm not?"

She'd been leaning against the wall opposite his cell. At that question, she uncrossed her arms and took a few steps closer to the door, crouching down so that the two of them were more at eye level. He caught sight of her eyes for the first time and had to hold in a gasp. They were golden in color, reminding him of a cat's or perhaps some exotic bird.

"I wished to see for myself what he saw in you," she replied quietly.

His brow furrowed, not quite expecting that sort of response. "He who? And what do you mean 'saw in me'?"

"The Warden," she replied. "Each time Teagan speaks of punishing you, he seeks mercy. 'Tis not something he does often, I think. I simply wished to see for myself if there was something beyond this," she gestured toward him, "or if he is just compelled to champion those who can obviously not protect themselves."

The question he was going to ask of the Warden died with her insult. It instead turned into a growl. "It would explain why he keeps your company, then."

He watched her eyes widen in surprise at that, heard the quick intake of breath. "I need no one to protect me."

"You don't? I say again, were you not in his company, the Templar would find you and they would drag you to the Tower kicking and screaming regardless of how powerful you think you are. They have ways of stopping mages."

"So I have heard and yet, you don't see me quaking in fear of them. My mother has dealt with the Templar before and I know how to handle them."

"Do you? Have you ever stood up to one? Have you ever fought one?"

"When I was a child, my mother used to use me as bait for them." A wicked grin twisted at her lips. "A little girl to shriek and dart further and further into the woods, leading the fools to their doom."

No wonder she could say with certainty there was none she'd die for. If her own mother did such a thing to a child? He shook his head. "Your mother killed them, then. Have you ever tried?"

"I helped Fl--"

"Have you ever tried to kill a Templar? By yourself?" he pressed.

She looked toward the floor. "I don't see why that matters."

"Because it's a lot different when they're not trying to kill you. You may have helped your mother, but that means they weren't concentrating on you. Try fighting them without your magic. See how far that gets you. And let me give you a hint: The view isn't that much different than what you're looking at right now."

He caught sight of the scowl on her face and watched her turn her attention down the hall, perhaps a small act of defiance to his last statement. Reaching a hand through the bars, he cupped her cheek and she let out an annoyed hiss as he forcibly turned her gaze to his.

Fear.

There was fear in her eyes. Fear that he might be right. Fear that there was that chance she wouldn't be strong enough. Fear that she needed to count on someone to keep her safe, that what she could do wasn't enough.

Fear that she'd end up right where he was.

His thumb lightly brushed at her cheek. "He won't let it happen," Jowan murmured softly.

"Wha--? Who?"

"The Warden. You may think he only protects those that can't help themselves, but I think he also watches out for the ones that would be the last to ask for help."

"You speak nonsense."

"I speak the truth. Or at least what you want to be the truth."

"How could you know what I want?"

"Because it's what we all want, Morrigan." He leaned closer, his hand drawing her to the bars as well. "Freedom."

Maker only knew what possessed him to kiss her. Maybe he was half-hoping she'd take offense and burn him to cinders on the spot. What he hadn't been expecting was for her to start kissing back.

Her slender hands easily fit through the bars, one sliding into his hair while the other clutched at the fabric of his robes. He could feel the metal of them pressing to his skin as the two of them sought to draw even closer to one another. It was a bitter reminder of just how different their situations were at the moment.

Breaking from the kiss, he drew back, a weak smile playing on his lips. "The desperations of a condemned man. It was kind of you to indulge them."

Seeing her face, he regretted his words, even if he thought them the truth. "Was that the only reason you sought to kiss me?" Her tone was soft and her gaze only flicked to him once.

"Were I free, I might not be so bold as to do the same, but that doesn't mean the desire isn't there."

She let out a soft laugh. "You find me desirable, do you?"

"What man wouldn't?" He arched a brow.

She smiled a little crookedly at that but said nothing more on the matter. He watched as she pushed herself to her feet, thinking that she meant to leave him at that. The kiss had likely been too bold, even if she hadn't pulled away from it. A final, pleasant memory, at least, before he was condemned.

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't even seen her depart. Perhaps it was better. No sentiment to complicate things. Just something more for him to contemplate and one more thing to regret losing once the time came.

Something brushed against his leg and he started, nearly kicking out at whatever tickled him.

"Now where did you come from?"

He was staring down at a sleek little black cat, a purr rolling in the creature's throat as it twined between his legs and nuzzled at his shin. The creature let out a soft "Meow" as it glanced up at him and he had to look twice, even rubbing his eyes.

It's eyes were gold.

It didn't seem possible, but he swore the cat smiled, nuzzling him one final time before padding to the back of the cell. There was a glimmer, a pull of magic that he could feel taking shape, and the thing began to grow, body twisting as fur gave way to flesh, paws to hands, the tail disappearing. When the transformation was over, Morrigan stood inside the cell with him.

"Maker," he breathed out. 'How--?"

"Your tower is not the only place one can learn magic." A smile played over her lips as she moved closer to him, actually backing him against the door of the cell. Her fingers snaked into his hair again and he felt himself pulled into a deepening kiss. Her other hand clutched at the bars behind him, almost as though she were using that to pull their bodies closer together. Bringing his hands up, he circled her waist, striving to help with the closeness she seemed to crave.

Even if this was an act of pity on her part--something he was not about to ask--he didn't care. Nothing mattered at the moment save the warmth of her pressed against him, the flick of her tongue against his own, the grip of her nails, her scent...

Maker take me. Just like this. If this is the last thing I feel, I greet you a happy man.

His prayers, though, went unanswered and he sent another in gratitude for that. Past that, reason was starting to leave his mind, his thoughts steadily being replaced with his body's want for the woman in his arms. His hands traveled up her back, one pulling her a little closer, the other mirroring her hold on his hair.

Gasping, he pulled back from the kiss, his head banging lightly against the bars as he felt her hand rather boldly starting to rub between the two of them. He caught sight of the devilish smile on her lips. Letting his hand slide down from her hair, he brushed over her shoulder and began to return the favor, teasing in that he could very easily slip his fingers beneath her top but refrained from doing so. He was rewarded with seeing her bite at her lower lip and a squeeze of her own hand that had him groaning.

"Do you wish to play these games, then?" she purred, giving him another squeeze. "Or do you want to make the most of your time?"

If she was willing to forego any teasing or foreplay, he wasn't about to argue. His hands slid to her sides, pulling at the loose fabric that served as a shirt, and tugged it upward. True, it forced the two of them to part a little, but it both answered her question and had her halfway stripped.

She pressed against him once again, her lips distracting him briefly while he could feel her hands clutching at his robes, pulling those upward, bunching the fabric near his waist as he fumbled with working her pants down over her hips. They reached something of a compromise as he sank downward, allowing her to tug him out of the garment, his hands immediately returning to the task of helping her out of the rest of her own clothing. While she was still a bit off-balance, he stood up, spun her around and pressed her back against the door.

"Such interesting things one must learn in that tower of yours," she laughed softly, getting the idea already and hooking one of her legs around his thigh.

"Our time isn't always devoted to study." He urged her other leg upward as well, using his weight and the door to keep her up.

Her arms slid around his neck, one hand firmly gripping his shoulder, the other clutching at his hair. He drew back for a moment, catching the spark of excitement that flashed in those eyes of hers. Lifting her body and shifting his own, he was rewarded with a moan, watching her head tip back as he eased inside of her. The pinch of her nails bit into his shoulder and he would have hesitated but for the squeeze that he felt at his waist. Fully inside of her, he dragged his lips along her throat, covering her mouth with his, encouraged by the muffled whimpers that began as he started to move.

***
Rohn retreated back up the stairs the moment it became apparent that Morrigan and Jowan were done talking. Returning to his hiding place, he found a bit of solace in the cold stone that pressed against his skin. Outside of the obvious thoughts that had begun racing through his head, he forced his mind more to what they had been discussing before.

He wondered if Morrigan was right. If that's why he sought mercy for the blood mage. After everything he'd seen in the Tower, he should have been crying for his head.

But while Uldred had been using blood magic, he was also an abomination. Wynne had explained to him that any mage, regardless of the school they studied, ran that risk. It likely would have made little difference what magic he chose to use.

Jowan honestly seemed to want redemption. He felt guilt, not just for poisoning Arl Eamon but for being unable to help Connor. He had suffered at Isolde's order and yet seemed morose when she had offered herself as his sacrifice. A vengeful man would have seized the opportunity to punish his tormentor.

Teagan was not going to let him go. He might try and convince the Arl to be lenient, but if he truly wished to be merciful, he would have freed him by now. With Eamon still unaware, it would be easier to concoct a story to explain Jowan's absence. The Bann likely didn't want to think of the consequences that might occur if he loosed a known blood mage and so he was leaving it up to his brother.

A good amount of time passed before Morrigan emerged from the dungeon once again. She paused midway through the courtyard to adjust her shirt, her steps a little faltering as she crossed the cobbles. Though she glanced about, she still didn't see him before she slipped quietly back into the keep.

Dropping down from his perch, Rohn hugged the wall as he headed for the dungeon once more. There hadn't been any guards there before but he wanted to act quickly, just in case his absence or Morrigan's hadn't gone unnoticed.

Jowan, thankfully clothed again, was sitting on the floor of the cell, his back against the door. Rohn heard him sigh and watched his hand run several times through his hair. As the elf got closer, the mage started and spun around to his knees.

"W-Warden?"

Rohn crouched down before the door, examining the lock. It was a relatively simple device, now that he had time to study it. Reaching beneath his armor, he found the picks he kept tucked away there and drew them out.

"Might I ask just what it is you're doing?" Jowan remained on his knees, watching him work the wires in the lock.

He paused his work. "Giving you a chance at redemption."

"But the Bann--"

"Is going to put your life in the hands of the man you poisoned and in doing so, nearly killed his family and the people under his charge. I don't know this shem outside of what Alistair has told me of him, but I doubt that's going to put you in his favor, despite how fair-minded I've been told that he is." He gave the mage a crooked grin and returned to his lock picking.

"So you're letting me go?"

"I think you need to be given more of a chance than you'll have if you stay here." He finished with the lock and tucked his tools away. Rising to his feet, he pulled the door of the cell open and looked down at the kneeling man. "Prove me right. Do not make me have to hunt you down."

Jowan pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his knees. His gaze slowly crept upward, hesitant to meet the elf's, though when he did, he picked his head up, his expression set.

"I know you don't believe, but Maker bless you, Warden. I...promise I won't disappoint you."

As the mage hurried toward the doorway that would lead him to the escape tunnel and the cliffs beyond, Rohn's lips quirked in a small smile.

"Enjoy your freedom, Jowan."

The mage stopped and turned around, eyes wide, but the elf had already retreated up the stairs.

 

[Copper]

Re: Copper's Corner

((AND NOW BACK TO THE MANSEX. You all can blame Chibi for this one. Seriously. I never would have come up with this story if it hadn't been for her putting the idea in my head. Rated R for sexual situations and gratuitous amounts of boykissing. This may or may not become 'canon' to Rohn's version of the Dragon Age universe, not like the other two are.))

Strange Brew

Anders let out a soft grunt as his back collided with the wall, that about the only sound possible, given that there was a pair of lips crushed hard against his own. His hands reflexively gripped at the shirt beneath them, caught between pulling his assailant away and tugging them closer. As the warmth of his mouth was invaded by an insistent tongue, he started to fight back, which really only served to deepen the kiss.

"Nate, what?"

He'd managed to break free enough to catch his breath, whispering out the question on an exhale. Blinking several times, he tried to bring the dark-haired noble into focus.

Instead of answering, Nathaniel kissed him again, something demanding in the feel of it. Wanting. He could taste the lingering mix of ale and...some spice...herb...he couldn't tell and Maker, why was he bothering to try?

Nate's assault was starting to make him light-headed. The kisses were deep, lingering, so much so he could barely catch a breath from the corner of his mouth. Pressing a hand to the noble's chest, his push was rewarded with a growl, a hand clamping around his wrist and it being pressed against the wall. Still, it was enough of a distraction that he could turn his head, sucking in several panting breaths.

This was...Nate wasn't like this, was he? No. Always calm. Always collected. This wasn't right. Not to mention this was Nathaniel. Not some bar maid or winking apprentice. He shouldn't be doing this. They shouldn't be doing this.

A nip at his throat brought him back to the reality that this was happening. The slide of a tongue along his pulse actually made him shiver and the weight against his body reminded him that he was not in control, not this time. Short of encasing Nate in magic, there was nothing he could do to free himself.

A hand came up, tugging at his hair. It first felt like Nate was trying to bare his throat further, until he felt fingers at the cord that pulled his hair back. It wasn't all the way loose by the time he pulled it free, another grunt escaping his clenched teeth as he felt the yank.

Fine. Two can play at that.

His free hand slid up, fingers twining in Nathaniel's own hair, giving it a good tug and trying to pull him back a little. Nate growled at his attempt, giving him a rather firm nip before he relented.

"What's gotten into you?" He was still pinned, still at Nate's mercy, and, Maker knew why, still wanting to be kissed like that again.

Nathaniel pulled himself loose, burying his face against the mage's neck. "Don't know. I just...I want...I need this. I need you." He picked his head up and started nibbling on Anders' jaw, working up to his earlobe. The press of their bodies together made the blonde very aware of just what Nate needed him for.

"Sure you don't want me to find you a willing wench?" His chuckle came out ragged, what with Nate's tongue sliding along the shell of his ear. "I know sev--Ah!"

Nate nipped at his ear, one of the few things that made his brain completely stop working. Maker help him, he whimpered and Nate heard it.

"You. I. Want. You." Each word was punctuated by either a nip or a suckle at his ear.

Anders could feel his legs starting to tremble. Maker, why was he wanting this? He should be trying to push the other man away, not sliding his fingers into his hair again to keep him from pulling back.

Nate's hips ground into his, another solid reminder of the situation. He also allowed himself to remember that they were in one of the hallways, that anyone could walk up on them at any second.

"Bed." He found himself pushing the words past a dry tongue. "Bedroom. Closet. Not here." He tugged on Nathaniel's shirt again.

The rogue pulled back so suddenly that the loss of warmth was actually a shock. The hand at his wrist now served to pull him along. He watched as Nate glanced around, drawing them toward the nearest door.

"Shouldn't we--?"

He was pulled into the room, backed against the door, and silenced with another kiss. Fingers groped past him, fumbling for the latch that would lock the door behind them. The room was empty and Nate seemed determined to keep it that way.

No light filtered in. One of the small storage rooms. A little something to remind him of stolen moments in the Tower. Back then...back then...

Maker, he couldn't think! He'd heard the term 'drunk on kisses,' but this, this was something else entirely.

Nate's whole body seemed to pin him to the door. Hands grasped at his robes, pulling and bunching them upward. Fabric scratched against his bare thighs, making him slightly amused that Nate didn't share the same luxury as he did. Through the kiss, a wicked smile pulled at his lips and he let his lower body grind against the other man's.

That caused a whimper on his partner's part, the grip at his waist pulling them closer together. "Don't. Please."

Anders found himself nuzzling a scruffed cheek. "Don't what?" His lips brushed over the shell of an ear.

"Tease. Maker, please. I can't stand it."

"What? This?" His hands slid down, gripping at Nate's backside, pressing them together as he ground his hips forward again. His body brushed against all the right spots, causing another whimper.

Half of his robes trailed down his body again as Nathaniel reached back, seized his wrist and slammed it against the wall above his head. He felt his chin being forcibly nuzzled and nudged to an angle, followed by the nip of teeth at his throat. A knee wedged itself between his own, a solid thigh brushing between his legs. The combination of all three sensations made him groan.

"Mmm. Mercy. I'll be good." The nips got firmer, trailing up to jaw, then ear again. Now a hand, a buffer between that firmness, and yet not. A squeeze, then a stroke felt even through cloth. "Nate, please. I promise."

"Not good enough." Hand fumbling past the thick fabric of his robes, sliding past the more flimsy garment beneath, wrapping warm around heated skin.

The first stroke had him throwing his head back, banging against the door behind him. "Maker!"

Nate was not gentle. His calloused hands lacked the softness of a woman's, but something about the stroke, he knew. The very thing that should have been making Anders push him away was the very reason he wasn't. The right amount of pressure, speed, pace, they all blended together in sensations that were making his head light and his knees weak.

"Nate. Nathaniel," he groaned. Thank the Maker for the grip on him or he'd be sliding down to the floor at this point, even if that was sounding like a good idea. The weak tugs of his wrist did little good to earn him his freedom. If Nate was that distracted, well, again, two could play at that.

His other hand wasn't pinned yet. Instead, he brought it around, cupping the firmness he felt beneath breeches. A squeeze brought a groan and letting him feel the slide up to the laces had hot breaths against his neck.

Once the garment was loose enough, he slid his hand inside, mirroring the hold his partner had around him. Except for his hand, Nate stilled, the peace allowing Anders to feel the swallow that pulled the other's neck. As soon as he began moving, he felt a tighter grip around him, his groan mingling with Nate's.

The brunette buried his face against Anders' neck, muffling the groans and soft whimpers each stroke of his hand was causing. He could even feel the thrust of Nate's hips, complimenting the motion of his hand. That prompted him to begin the same, adding yet another spark to the sensations already building inside of him.

Tugging his wrist again, he was released, bringing his hand down to sink his fingers into Nate's hair once more. He felt a firm arm at his waist, helping him keep his feet, even as his muscles were starting to tense.

As deep groans started to escape his lips, he felt himself drawn into another kiss, this one not as breathless, and yet he found himself wanting it just as badly as Nate's touch. The sounds of their approaching releases mingled together, gasps and whimpers joining moans of pleasure.

He broke first. Old habits, he tried to tell himself, but in submitting to Nate's touch, there was no denying why. For as demanding as the rogue had been, Anders found himself willingly giving himself over to it. That loss of control, even for just that long, felt welcome.

Panting as he fought to catch his breath, he heard a soft whimper, felt a nuzzle at his neck. The realization that he'd stopped came back to him. Turning his head, he pressed a kiss to Nate's temple, still trying to even out his breathing. As he began to move his hand again, he was rewarded with a hiss of pleasure. The hand that had been around him balled into the fabric at his waist, the other having slid up and into his hair again.

If all his past dalliances had Nate's control. He couldn't stop a soft chuckle at that thought. Outside of a few whimpers, he was practically silent. Even as he approached his peak, all Anders was aware of were soundless gasps and finally a groan that accompanied the shudder of his release. The tremble made the mage aware of his own shaky legs, that realization causing him to ease Nate down to his knees, sliding down the door along with him. Reaching out, he made sure Nate was tucked away, breeches laced loosely once again. Thankfully, his partner didn't seem to want to do much moving, curling up beside him and resting his head on the mage's hip. Not the most comfortable, but the warmth made up for it.

Despite the darkness, Anders let his eyes close, just listening to their breathing, fingers combing through the other's dark mane. The stillness was giving his mind a chance to catch up with what had happened. Maker knew what had brought this on, though. Why Nate had done it and why he'd let him.

He'd just reached a moment of dreamy relaxation when he felt Nate start beside him, pushing himself upright with a sharp exhale.

"Anders?" He could see him blinking, even in the gloom.

"In the flesh." He let a bit of a smile play at his lips.

A hand came up and he hid his eyes with a groan. "Maker. My head." He peeked at the mage from between his fingers. "We--"

"Yes."

"I didn't--"

"No."

"Maker's breath. Anders, I--"

"Don't know what came over you?"

"No. Yes. I mean, I think--" He groaned again, massaging his eye with the heel of his hand. "Poisons. I was testing new poison mixtures."

"Well, Maker knows you nearly killed me," the blonde laughed.

Nathaniel growled and ran his hands through his hair. "That...wasn't supposed to happen."

"But it did."

He muttered another curse. "How can you be so calm about this?"

Anders smirked. "Do you really think I couldn't have gotten away if I didn't want to?"

Nate sputtered. "You--?"

The mage laughed. "Actually, I think some of your poison muddled my thinking, too."

Nate glared at him. "I hate you."

He laughed again, softer this time. "Nate. Nathaniel, it's all right."

The dark-haired man shook his head. "I can't believe that."

"Well, we can either forget that this happened at all or we can acknowledge it and maybe move on from there."

"I'm not going to be able to look at you without flushing."

"Likewise."

"Or a vial of my poisons."

"That's your problem alone." Anders smirked.

"You're really fine with what happened?"

"Maker's breath! Yes!" The words came out on an exasperated sigh.

The other young man actually looked sheepish. "I'm sorry. I just can't help thinking--"

"Then stop thinking." Anders pressed a finger to Nate's lips.

Nate sighed and bowed his head, looking at the mage through his hair. "All right. I'll try."

"Good boy."

He growled at him for that but Anders could still see his smirk, feeling himself smile in return.

They sat still for a few moments more before Nate pushed himself up, reaching out a hand to help Anders to his feet as well. The motion drew the two of them rather close to one another. Anders kept very still as Nate swallowed.

"I think I need to--"

"Yeah, me too."

He let Nate leave first. His glancing about wouldn't seem out of sorts, not to mention he didn't exactly want the other man to see him. In the dark and amid the kisses, it was easy to hide the smiles that had started pulling at his lips. Running a hand through his hair, his fingers trailed over to cover his mouth, there still being a tingle of warmth there. Maybe he was going to have to try and convince Nate that further experimentation might not be a bad thing.

 

[Chibichibi]

Re: Copper's Corner

You know how i feel about this story but let me remind you of my feelings in all their keyboard mashing glory.

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ILOVEYOUANDWANTYOURBABIES!

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