Guess what? I hate MARY-SUE! Okay?
Lance: I know…
Pika-chan: *Too busy stuffing her face with ice cream to reply*
Ash: I like this fic all right…
Kairo/Shoyko: We’re working hard… very hard, we should get paid
Phantomness: I don’t get paid. * Sealing plotbunnies in a tomb to prevent escape* Not until I finish!
Disclaimer/Notes: See previous chapter
Chapter 8
If he had known it was his last day, maybe he wouldn’t have been so mean. He hadn’t meant to snap. It was Todd’s fault.
He had dropped by to see.
“So, what are you going to do with her, the softer side of you now?”
“Forget. I’m going training.”
“Is that really right?”
“Look, I’m not a girl… I don’t need this.”
“I see.”
“You’re doing admirably well though. It is amazing what some training can do.”
Ash scowled at Lance.
The Dragon Master returned his glare. “Now, about payment…”
“Do you want gold?”
“I don’t need it.”
“Then what?”
“I’ll think about it.” Lance shrugged. “In either case, I’ll find something one of these days…”
“Okay!”
Lance did not say more.
They were having lunch – Ash had actually managed to make a passable loaf of bread, and he hadn’t burned the sausages or the fried eggs, yay – when the army arrived.
Lance sent his dragons out to deal with it.
It was easy.
But it made things clear. Bane had started his assault.
Lance’s eyes were clouded as he stared into his cup of water.
“Lance?”
< He will come… and there will be nothing I can do to stop him… I can stall once… >
“Lance!”
Lance snapped back to reality. < Just scrying. >
“You see the future? Cool. So, what’s going to happen to me?”
< I do not see your future, only mine. >
“Oh…darn, I wanted to see if I could switch jobs. It’s not safe being a Messenger.”
< I see. >
The next wave came half an hour later.
“Lance! Give him up!”
“The ten…”
“What?”
“They will return.” Lance
said. As the door swung open, with one swift movement, Lance dropped Ash to the
ground, and kissed him. Hard.
One hand played with her left breast while the other was on the ground. Ash blushed, frozen in shock and fear.
“Lance! What are you- oh.”
If he had been paying attention, he would have seen the ten freeze and then exit, vowing to return later.
Lance let go of Ash. “Gomen nasai. Did I hurt you?”
“HENTAI!!!!”
Ash blustered and swore and threw things around for a while. But the worst thing was, some part of him had actually liked it.
“AHHH! I’m actually turning into a girl!”
“Keep it down.” Lance warned.
Ash blushed and looked away. * Hentai~! I can’t believe he did that! What a pervert. *
Lance’s thoughts ran something like * Ungrateful kid… he is so dense, I was trying to protect him too. Oh, he’s going to owe me so much for this… *
The Ten returned that night.
And that was when Ash fled… it wasn’t safe anymore. He didn’t want to play the girl anymore, as that might be risky.
The hairpin fell out between trembling fingers.
He was back to normal.
“Ready yet?” Todd asked, worried.
He nodded.
It was… a relief, to be back in normal armor, shellacked dark blue, the silver bells dangling from his wrists and the cloak he wore. The sword felt secure…
Safe.
Back to normal, he was himself again…
“What about you Lance?”
“Worried about me?”
“I’m afraid you’ll talk under pressure.”
“You think so lightly of my skill. Haven’t I turned you into a lady?”
And Ash had to admit Lance had worked a miracle.
“I look forwards to our next meeting, Ashura.”
Ash nodded, gulped. He _had_ kind of grown used to the snarky company and the sarcastic comments and even the scolding.
No matter, he’d adjust back.
“So, what do I owe you?”
“We can discuss that later. Remember, if I don’t live, you don’t pay. Didn’t I tell you before?”
“H-hai.”
Todd blinked. Were they more than friends? Interesting…
“But for now, I’ll take this.”
Ash’s eyes widened as Lance kissed him softly. < I won’t hurt you, this I promise you… relax… >
“I’ll be fine,” The trainer repeated.
Ash was still frozen, but he quickly checked his armor and weapons. Satisfied, he left quickly, with Todd.
“So, you two are more than friends?”
Ash stared at Todd in shock. “Are you kidding?”
“Well, from what I saw…”
“You have limited vision Todd.” Ash said, and would not tell further. Yet, the next day, he went back…
His sanctuary for two months – was gone.
There was nothing left.
Was Lance
really all right? What if Astral had captured him and forced out the secret?
What if-.
********************End Flashback Mode*********************************
“My, you look worried. Concerned about me?”
“AH!” Ash jumped three feet in the air.
Lance smirked. “I don’t die _that_ easily…”
“You…”
“What?”
Ash frowned. Somehow, this worry was not normal. It wasn’t friendship. So there was one thing it had to be.
… Love? When had he fallen in love with his captor – no, not captor, more like older friend – friend, yes, not enemy, as he had thought, besides, it was long in the past and so _stupid_, what he had made Lance his ‘rival’ for, that…
“I love you.”
There. It was out.
“You love me?” Lance sounded disbelieving.
“Hai.”
He was a messenger, but this message he was delivering was truth, and it was worth more than anything he had received in the past…
Worth more than the shining gold…
Was it worth more than… life?
He waited. If rejection came, so be it. He deserved it, for being such a pain and a whining child.
Golden met red as Lance took his hands. “Truly?”
“I swear by him who sleeps at Philae that I love you, and I will not deny my love for you, come what may.” [1]
Lance waited a minute, than smiled, before sweeping Ash up into another kiss. < I’m glad. >
I fell in love with you too… I never wanted to be your enemy, just a friend, but now… well, it’s too late to change my heart.
Ash blinked, before realizing that he could hear Lance’s thoughts. < Lance? When did this happen? >
< A few days ago, we kind of… melded. >
< I don’t mind. >
And that rang true as well… Silver bells…
It didn’t matter what happened in the past, and the future would be faced together.
He let Lance kiss him. It felt… right.
And that was good.
“I guess we
owe it to ‘Ashley’.” Lance said, as they sat down with the table, gilt-edged
and celebration-worthy, between them.
“Hai.”
The two clinked glasses full of nectar and smiled. “To Ashley?”
“To her. Thank her for everything.” For from discontentment and fear had sprung love and joy…
It was worth it.
Clink.
End Chapter
YAY! DONE! FINALLY! Completed 7/21/04. At least this one was easier to write. This fic actually spawned from a dream I had that woke me up somewhere near 5 A.M. on the seventeenth of this month…
[1] This is the most sacred Egyptian Oath there is, no idea why I picked it. It refers to Osiris.