Coming of Age

Author’s Notes: Yay! Another chapter! It’s a bit short ‘cause it’s smut free, but it’s full of yaoi fluff. I liked it. If you don’t, then oh well. =P

This Chapter Warnings: Yaoi Fluffness, Duel Angel Angst, Kratos x Yuan, Pregnancy 0_0 (Not Kratos xYuan), and kissy goodness.

Coming of Age

Chapter Three

“I have to kill you, Kratos.” The other angel stated plainly, glaring at his friend from across the dusty room.

“Yuan… I could have guessed it was you. I’ve known for some time you were no longer following Mithos exclusively. This, however, I hadn’t expected.” Kratos replied sounding less than intimidated as he grabbed his sword from the bedside table and moved to a sitting position, buckling his pants and looking feebly for the upper half of his clothing, which he had discarded before bed.

Kratos had awoken to a noise in his room at one of tourist filled Asgard inns. The group had been there almost two weeks now and since Kratos had managed to steer them towards one of the more expensive inns Lloyd was sharing a room with Genis and Raine to save a bit of money. It suited Kratos quite well because as long as Colette’s room was right next to his he didn’t have to keep an eye his son and his new found lover.

“I’m sorry I have to do this, but you are in direct opposition with my plans.” Yuan continued in the same monotone.

“You can try, Yuan, but you will fail… Even if I am half asleep.” Kratos stifled a yawn “I don’t need this right now…” He added humorlessly.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Yuan asked, breaking the monotone drawl and sounding more like the carefree young man he had once been. He looked about ready to smack himself, but it was a bit late to take the question back.

“You have been watching us, have you not?” He didn’t wait for a response “Then you should know a few things without me having to tell you. I have the suspicion that my own son may have tainted the chosen.”

“Are you certain, Kratos? This may change things significantly…” Yuan asked, his eyes wide and his expression vaguely hopeful.

“I know he has claimed her, and I feel more than one life source from her. You have a better sense for that kind of thing than I do. You were born a half elf. You may see for yourself if you’d like. If I knew the truth it might help to ease my mind somewhat.” Or make him feel indescribably terrible, but he would hope for the best.

“I don’t think I can let you live, even if she is useless. The seal, Kratos…” He continued, regaining his emotionless ‘you’re the enemy’ voice.

“We’ll face that when it arises.” Kratos said “Shall I take you to her? I will warn you, if you hurt her I will have to act.”

“I know that.” Yuan glared “Let’s go, then.”

Kratos strapped his sword belt on over his pants. His shirt could wait, no one would be offended by his current state of dress, most of his companions had seen him shirtless at various times before, either while training or sleeping.

He sauntered over to the door and made a show of holding it open for the intruder, as he would have done for a woman. The half elf stepped through ahead of him without a second thought, only later wondering if it was meant as an insult.

They reached the door of the room where Colette was supposedly sleeping and Kratos bid Yuan to wait a moment. He quietly opened the door. Colette was awake, of course, and reading the Book of Martel. Bless the girl; she was such a good little sacrifice.

“Colette… There is someone here who needs to take a look at you.” Kratos said, waiting for the girl’s permission.

“Oh.” Colette looked up “I was just going to bed after this page, honest.” She smiled innocently.

“I know, it’s alright as long as you are rested in the morning. Turn around chosen, I’d not like you to see his face.” He knew she wouldn’t ask any questions. She never did. It wouldn’t be surprising if that is what had lead to their current predicament.

“Okay. What will he do?” She asked.

A question. Amazing, perhaps she was a tiny bit smarter than she seemed. Perhaps not, they never were after all, and she was one of the most ditzy chosen that had ever attempted the ‘regeneration’.

“Nothing, put a hand on you at the most, no more.” Kratos assured. “Also, you cannot tell anyone he’s been here. They will find out soon.”

“Oh, okay. If they’ll know soon anyway I guess it’s okay.” She said. She closed her book and turned her back to the door.

“It’s okay, come in.” Kratos called. Yuan walked in and, with a sideways glance at Kratos, he put his hand on Colette’s shoulder. After a moment of silence he simply turned and left the room.

“Thank you, chosen. Please return to your reading. We are not likely to disturb you again.” Kratos turned and followed his would be assassin back to his own room.

“Well, Yuan?” Kratos asked once they had returned to his room.

“Twins. A boy and a girl, it will be another eight months or so, but it is a sure thing. The girl no longer meets the requirements to become her vessel, the pregnancy has altered her mana signature.” Yuan smirked triumphantly.

“Wipe that smirk off you face, Yuan. This only makes things more difficult…” Kratos said, pacing the room in a short line.

“It’s not as though it is your own fault, she is not the first failed vessel.” Yuan reasoned calmly, wondering just what was bothering the other angel to such an extent.

“It is my fault! You have no idea just how much I am to blame for this…” He put his hand over his eyes as though he had a terrible headache all of a sudden.

“So your son took the chosen like a dog in heat, it is not your fault. You didn’t raise the boy.” The half elf shrugged it off casually.

‘I did ‘raise’ the boy, that’s just the problem…’ Kratos thought cynically. His stomach knotted again, as it seemed to be doing often lately.

“I…” He couldn’t think of what to say. He backed over to his bed and flopped down, staring at the wood floor under his feet, looking utterly defeated.

“You what, Kratos…” Yuan asked, his voice once again losing its edge.

“Yuan… I don’t need this right now… If you need me to release the seal I’ll come with you, but don’t ask anything more of me.” His response was cryptic at best.

“Kratos… It wasn’t you, was it? With the girl? I find it hard to believe you are careless enough to make such a mistake…” He approached the bed and stopped hesitantly, a few inches away.

“My own son Yuan… My own damned son…” He said, shaking his head in his hands.

“Your son, yes, but he was raised by a dwarf, Kratos! It’s not your fault if he is an animal. He is your flesh and blood, not your heart.” It was obvious his attempts at consolation were not succeeding, but he was clueless as to why. Kratos should not have been attached to the boy any more than he was to any of the others he had been traveling with.

“I am the only animal here, I am the dog you so callously speak of.” Kratos was practically growling now as he turned a heated stare in his old ally’s direction “It may have been my son who took the girl, but who do you think it was who took him?”

There were tears of shame in Kratos’ eyes now as Yuan took a seat next to him on the bed and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. Kratos hardly seemed to notice as he returned his gaze to the floorboards, one tear falling to make a wet little dot on the wood.

“I see…” The hand on Kratos’ shoulders started rubbing lightly at the tense muscles of his back. It was obvious he had been stressing over this for quite some time and though Yuan did not agree with his friend’s actions he did not enjoy seeing him suffer, even if he had meant to kill the man only moments before.

“No… You don’t… You can’t…” Kratos shook his head again.

“I do Kratos. What you did was…” Yuan searched his vocabulary for the correct word.

“Natural…? That’s the kind of thing Mithos would say, let’s not kid ourselves Yuan. Unlike him, we are not children anymore.” He laughed contemptuously.

“No Kratos, it was anything but natural. It was disturbing at best and most likely a very tactless thing to do.” At this remark Kratos sobbed once silently and leaned over a bit onto his friend.

“Yuan, I need you. I still need you. It’s as bad as when I lost Anna…” Kratos knew he sounded pathetic; the half elf was the only one who even knew this side of him existed. He was the only one Kratos had ever leaned on and his showing up here in a time like this was both a blessing and a curse.

“Kratos, I’m your enemy. I came here to kill you, not to cradle you yet again. We can’t do this for each other anymore.” The words were harsh but the tone could not have been less so.

“Everything is so convoluted. My life has become so multifaceted I feel like…” He sobbed again, this time not so silently and Yuan put a hand on his head, pulling him in close to his chest.

“Like one more persona will tear your soul in two? I know that feeling, Kratos Aurion. I know it and I sympathize, but you can’t let it defeat you like this… As long as you can detach who you are from who you’ve been ordered to be, don’t agonize over it.” He sounded almost as though he were scolding the man he held in his arms, but his tone was affectionate.

“Yuan… Stay with me…” Kratos had regained control of his voice, but the pleading edge was still there.

“You know I can’t do that Kratos… What if Mithos finds out about this?” Yuan asked, lovingly petting the soft auburn hair beneath his hand.

“He knows about us already, even he would understand if one of us was lonely… I won’t tell him you’re deserting him.” He reasoned, looking up into his former lover’s cool blue eyes and pretending what he had just said was not meant as a threat.

“I suppose… I can stay for the night.” He sighed, knowing he had let his emotions overcome him yet again. The thought of Kratos telling Lord Yggdrasill about his involvement with the renegades was not pleasant, but it was only a small part of the reason he had decided to stay.

“Thank you…” Kratos’ ungloved hand softly brushed aside a lock of deep blue hair and he tenderly kissed the lips of his only true friend; The man who’d stood with him through both the most trying times in his life and the most blissful. He silently wished that he wouldn’t have to leave him again so soon, but he knew it couldn’t be. Not while they lived in Mithos’ world.

Yuan edged over behind Kratos and put a hand on his chest, easing him down on the bed beside him. Their lips met again and Yuan wrapped his arms around the other man, holding him close. He eased his hand into the waist of Kratos’ pants intending to help ease his pain the best way he knew, but in an instant Kratos’ hand was on his wrist. Kratos broke the kiss and gazed into the half elf’s eyes.

“Not this time. I just want you to be here with me. I have a difficult task ahead.” He put his arm over Yuan’s waist and inched closer so that their foreheads were touching and he could take in the aroma of his friend’s breath; sweet and fresh, like a kind of mint wine he had once come across.

“Alright, alright. I understand…” Yuan brought his hand back up to stroke his lover’s hair.

“You’ve been drinking.” A question.

“Can you blame me?” Not a question.

“It smells nice.” He amended, explaining the odd comment and following it with another chaste kiss.

The two laid together in silence then, Yuan petting and Kratos being petted. The rest of the night passed thusly, Kratos slept fitfully, waking up several times to find Yuan already awake and prepared with a reassuring caress or tender kisses and after a time he slept peacefully for the first time in almost a month.

Morning came and Yuan got up and dressed again, as he’d lost most of his clothing at some unknown point during the night. He looked out the window thoughtfully, hoping that by procrastinating he would be ‘forced’ to speak to Kratos one more time before he had to leave him. He opened the window to take in the cool morning air. Kratos awoke at the sound of the window opening and watched his friend silently.

“Were you going to leave without even saying goodbye?” Kratos asked, half teasing, after watching Yuan gaze outside for some time.

“Yes. I had planned on it.” He answered simply.

“When will I be seeing you again?” It was asked casually, but the emotion behind it was intense.

“When I come to release Origin’s seal.” He said. Kratos only looked at him. He couldn’t help feeling betrayed, even if he knew Yuan was acting for the greater good it still hurt to be told something like that by someone you had loved nearly four thousand years. Even if he had expected it.

“Come this evening we are enemies again, Kratos. I will not hesitate to kill you when the time comes. The chosen’s condition has bought you some time, but that is all it has done.” He took Kratos’ silence as an end to the conversation and promptly teleported back to wherever he had come from.

“Another day…” Kratos sighed. He dressed in silence then went downstairs to meet the rest of the group. Today was the day of the Stone Dais Ritual and there was no knowing what would have to be done to keep Raine from being sacrificed to whatever beast awaited behind the seal.

He had a busy day ahead, and hopefully the night’s happenings would not distract him from his task. If only he could just tell them that they were in the wrong place, it would make things much easier. The wind seal was obviously not in Asgard, and this ritual had to be some hoax. Still, the chosen had to suffer if her Cruxis Crystal was to be awoken, and this would only be another trial…

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Author’s Notes: Sorry if it seemed a bit out of character, but how do you know he doesn’t have an emotional side? It has to get very stressful trying to be someone you’re not. Not to mention the fact that he bottles up all of his emotions. It’s only natural he’d have a breakdown eventually. And hey, it was a cute breakdown. I love the fluff. ^_^;;