During game one-shot bit of fluff (for a change :) ). Completely pointless but (hopefully) cute fluffyness set near the end of the game, at night in a random inn featuring Lloyd, Colette and Sheena.
Inspired by the fact that it's very cold where I am at the moment. So cold that I've been walking around the flat with a blanket around my shoulders a lot of the time :) Don't you just love winter? :)
As Mizuho seems based on Japan I've assumed Sheena speaks Japanese. "Oneechan" is a term for "older sister" and "oyasumi nasai" means "goodnight".
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Tales of Symphonia. As far as I'm aware Namco do. I just love writing about it :)
It was time for bed, and time to decide who was sharing a room with who. The group had booked four rooms so two people to a room. Colette took hold of Lloyd's hand and started to walk towards one of the rooms. A short, disapproving cough from Raine made the pair pause.
"Please?" Colette turned her eyes towards the teacher, speaking so quietly the half-elf could hardly hear her. But the angel's eyes spoke loud and clear.
"No," Raine replied firmly, making Colette express her disappointment not just with her expression but with her whole body as well. Shoulders hunched, head hung slightly. Lloyd patted her back in a comforting way, still amazed after all the years he'd known her by how expressive she could be without using any words.
"That's OK bud, you can share we me," Zelos smiled, wrapping an arm around Lloyd's neck and pulling him away from Colette.
"Do I have to? You snore," Lloyd frowned.
"No I don't," the redhead protested.
"Yes you do. Anyway, how do you know if you do or not? You're asleep when you do it!" the younger swordsman huffed, but in a friendly manner, as he disappeared into a room.
Sheena rolled her eyes then held out a hand to Colette. The blonde smiled, nodded and took hold of Sheena's hand as they picked out a room.
As she passed Raine Sheena gave the teacher an unimpressed glare. The two women had different attitudes and, while they got along now, occasionally the distrust of the other they'd had when they first met would show itself.
Sheena gave an irritated growl as she shut the door.
"Mean woman, why shouldn't you and Lloyd share a room? You'd not get up to anything, right?" she asked, receiving a nod from Colette telling her what she'd said was true. "She's just jealous."
"It's OK, I like sharing with you Sheena," Colette smiled before adding quietly "although it would have been nice to snuggle with Lloyd, it's so cold here."
Sheena tipped her head to the side a little in a sympathetic expression before moving to give the younger girl a hug.
The two of them were finishing off unpacking the last of the things they needed for the night, having changed into their night clothes, when someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Sheena called out, her voice slightly obscured by the hair tie she was holding in her teeth. Colette giggled.
"Just me, wanted to say goodnight," Lloyd's voice came from the other side of the door. Colette grinned, jumped up and flung the door open to wrap the swordsman in a tight, warm hug.
Lloyd chuckled and wrapped his arms around her before lightly kissing the top of her head.
"Love you," he murmured softly into her hair.
"Love you too," she sighed softly. She nuzzled him gently, enjoying the warmth of the hug, until Raine sent another disapproving cough their way as she passed them on her way to the bathroom.
"Martel's sake, I'm just saying goodnight," Lloyd growled so quietly only Colette heard him.
The small angel pulled away from him a little, obviously reluctant to do so but at the same time fearing the half-elf's wrath if she found them still cuddling when she returned from the bathroom.
Lloyd's eyes widened as he saw her shiver a little and caught the quiet whimper she gave.
"You're cold," he said, his voice and eyes full of concern.
"A little," she made a dismissive gesture, trying to make it seem unimportant, but she failed to hide her shivering.
"That's no good," Lloyd said, pausing to think for a moment.
"Here, have this," he began to unbutton the flannel shirt he'd put on to sleep in.
"I can't do that, you'll get cold," Colette blushed.
"I've another in my room, I'll be fine," he smiled, wrapping the shirt around her shoulders.
"It's all warm and it smells like you," the blonde purred, blushing. She put her arms into the sleeves and Lloyd laughed gently, it was much too big for her.
"Thank you," Colette said softly before wrapping him in another hug.
Lloyd kissed the top of her head again then ran his hand over her cheek, sighing softly. Colette leant up and kissed him playfully on his nose.
"Goodnight," she said softly.
"Sleep well," he whispered back.
"Goodnight Sheena, no keeping her awake until the early hours chatting OK?" he called out in a louder voice to the summoner who'd settled herself in her bed.
"Yeah yeah, 'night," the dark haired girl stuck her tongue out playfully.
Lloyd began to move away, keeping his head turned towards Colette as he backed down the hallway. She giggled when he missed his open door and thumped into the wall instead. Then she sighed as, the swordsman finally out of sight in his own room, she closed the door.
"You OK?" Sheena asked.
"Yeah," Colette nodded, pulling the open ends of the shirt closer around her chest as she got into her bed.
"Gah!" she made a noise of disgust then began to whimper quietly.
"What's wrong?" Sheena asked.
"This bed's coooooooold!" Colette whimpered, looking hopefully in Sheena's direction. The summoner sighed.
"Fine, alright then, come here," she said, scooting further across her bed and lifting the quilt a little to invite Colette in.
"Thank you," the angel beamed as she hopped across the room to snuggle in beside Sheena.
"Ahh, you daft twit," the summoner sighed as Colette hugged her, snuggling up to the dark haired girl and wriggling around to find the cosiest spot.
"You done now?" Sheena asked when Colette finally stayed still.
"Mmm," Colette made a happy, positive noise.
"Oneechan's good to hug, all warm," she smiled.
"Ah, shut up," Sheena said playfully, smiling as she ruffled the younger girl's hair. As she looked at the angel she felt an almost motherly urge to look after her, a feeling she was familiar with.
She'd become close to the little blonde, so much so she'd allowed her to call her by the Mizuho word for 'older sister'. She'd understood, somehow knew, the younger girl needed a friend, someone to look out for her, like a sister. The angel had Lloyd, but it was nice for her to have a close female friend as well.
Because the two of them understood each other well, because Sheena knew what it felt like to fail, to feel useless as Colette had once too, the pair had developed a close bond. That allowed Colette to get away with things the others often couldn't, like hugging the summoner.
"Tell me the story about the bunny on the moon?" Colette asked sleepily.
"What are you? Five?" Sheena chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her 'sister'.
"OK then, that pretty song you've been teaching me," Colette yawned.
"Alright, if you promise to be quiet and let me sleep afterwards, I'm tired," Sheena said quietly. The angel nodded and the summoner began singing a soft, Mizuho lullaby.
By the time she came to the end of the song Colette had drifted off to sleep. Sheena smiled.
"Silly little angel," she said in a low voice as she moved a stray strand of hair away from the blonde's face and tucked it behind her ear.
"I'm so sorry I tried to assassinate you before, I was just trying to do my best for my village. I'm glad I failed though, you're such a good friend, and such a sweet person, no one should try to hurt you," Sheena continued though she knew Colette wouldn't hear her.
"All those things you've been through, it's not fair. You're so innocent and thoughtful, just want to do your best to make everyone happy. You didn't deserve to be put through so much. But then, I suppose, life's not fair. If it was we wouldn't be having to fight so hard now right?" Sheena sighed.
Colette murmured something unintelligible in her sleep and snuggled closer to Sheena.
"Oyasumi nasai," the summoner quietly wished her goodnight as she closed her eyes. It was lovely and warm in the bed now that Colette was cuddled beside her. The angel had been right, the room was cold. It was a bit squashed with the two of them sharing the bed but Sheena didn't mind, she was still comfortable.
She yawned then gave in to the drowsiness the warmth caused her to feel, wrapping her arm around Colette a little more tightly, in a protective gesture, using the last of her energy before she slipped into dreams of a peaceful future.