redcladidealist | 10th Combo

[He'd been thirsty when he'd woken up early in the morning. Still a little sleepy, the six year old got up to go look for Kratos. Things like cups and faucets were a little beyond his reach. Not without a chair to stand on, but it would be easier to ask his daddy's friend. Besides, a part of him just wanted to see the man again, a tangible presence connected to his father. Being around the man made him feel that much closer to seeing his daddy again.

Yawning, Lloyd put his hand on the door knob of his room-

-and freezes, eyes wide. That's not a six year old hand on the knob. He's not six. He's...

Seventeen.

Seventeen, but he'd been six again for a week. A week he remembers. Sheena and Rise, Dino, Colette, Saki and Zelos, Emil, Haseo, people he didn't even know...

Kratos.

Lloyd can feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up into his face. All the things he'd said and done... and with his friends. With Kratos.]

Aw man...

[A little while later, after he's snuck out of Kratos's house, trying not to wake the man up, the teenager turns his Dreamberry on. His face is still a shade of mortified red.]

Damn it, what does this place have against normal?

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[Augh, that's right, Kratos uses his Dreamberry, too. Mortified Lloyd is mortified, because Kratos is the one he'd stayed with. The bulk of his embarrassing moments had happened with him. Food and baths, hanging off of his arms, sometimes crawling into the older man's bed for reassurance... Any chance he might have had of earning Kratos's respect has just been sliced to pieces.]

K-Kratos.

[Nope, no thought in his mind of how Kratos would have reacted when he woke up and his charge wasn't there. Lloyd's just going to turn bright red.]

[He's not embarrassed in turn. Just...ashamed. Ashamed that he acted like a father to Lloyd again--and yet, he still concealed the truth from him.

How could he explain himself? Could he even try?]

Are you...well?

Y-yeah. Just fine. [He rubs the back of his neck, not meeting the other man's eyes. Trying to act like this is no big deal - and failing spectacularly.] So, uh... thanks. For, you know...

[Pretty much everything, but it's embarrassing to admit that he'd depended on Kratos so much.]

...Of course. I could not let you wander around alone in such a state.

[He really couldn't. He's your father. He had to take care of you.]

[...that doesn't really help him feel any better. The fact that he'd needed a babysitter is just another blow to his pride. Still, Kratos is unfortunately right. Lloyd grimaces, then sighs.]

I guess it's a good thing you knew how to get me to go home with you.

[He pauses then, giving Kratos a hesitant look.]

You... didn't really know my father, did you? That was just something you said so I'd trust you?

[It takes him a long time to answer this. Too long.

He owed Lloyd nothing but honesty. But how could he explain his actions? He was right to think it was a bad idea to tell him that. He knew this moment would come. But he'd been careless, he'd been...]

I only wished you to trust me.

[That's not a yes or a no. He hopes it's enough to let Lloyd draw his own conclusions.]

[Lloyd is pretty good at jumping to conclusions, especially when offered leading answers like that. Besides, that was the answer he'd expected to hear. Really, why would Kratos, of all people, know who his father is? And if he did, surely he would have said something by now. He knew Lloyd wanted to know.

Still, disappointment colors his emotions. Even if it had been false, he hadn't had that much hope in a long, long time. It had been nice to relive that childhood hope that his father would come back.]

That's what I guessed.

Edited 2011-05-28 03:43 (UTC)

[He forces a smile.] And hey, it worked, didn't it? Heh, maybe a little too well. I can't believe you put up with some of the things I did.

Edited 2011-05-28 03:46 (UTC)

...Yes, indeed.

[And he has no idea how much Kratos will treasure some of those memories.]

I must admit, you are rather active as a child. Not unlike your grown self, though perhaps a bit more reckless, in some regards.

[Lloyd can feel the heat creeping up his neck again, despite the fact that he's the one who turned the subject back to this. He tries to laugh it off.]

Well, you know, for someone who's four thousand years old, you kept up with me pretty well. I guess you're pretty active yourself.

As I mentioned before, being an angel doesn't--

[Age you. But he realizes Lloyd was going more for humor, here. A lightweight comment to shrug off the awkwardness he was feeling.

Well, he's not going to try and make him more embarrassed than he already was. And he would benefit from making light of the situation, as well.]

Yes. I suppose a diligent training regimen is the cause of that. Speaking of which, now that you have returned to normal, I will expect you to resume lessons with me.

Heh, if that's the case, then pretty soon I'll be running circles around you.

[Some of Lloyd's initial excitement at having those lessons again has worn off - or perhaps been beaten down. Training with Kratos is rough, on both his body and his pride. He grimaces, remembering some of those bruises too easily.

But a flicker of determination still burns brightly within him, easily visible when he meets his mentor's eyes. He's not about to give up, not to Kratos.]

Don't worry, I'll be there. And this time it won't be so easy.

Edited 2011-05-31 03:44 (UTC)

Very well. I will be expecting improvement, then.

[And even if he hasn't, it won't make much difference to Kratos. After all, making Lloyd a better warrior wasn't his top reason for doing this.]

You'll get it.

[And... that might be a smile. Just for him.

And despite the fact that he knows he's probably going to be beaten, he's looking forward to it. Nothing to do with the affection he'd received as a six year old kid, or the influence of their time as a "father and son." No, as nice as those had been while they'd been going on, this is still more real. He's looking forward to spending time with the Kratos he knows.

His mentor.

His friend.]

I'll show you everything I have. See you later, Kratos.

...Take care of yourself, Lloyd.

[The tone of his voice speaks more than his words ever could.]

You too.

[His words are genuine. Then Lloyd turns his Dreamberry off.

Hmm... Maybe he should go train.]

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