Lloyd looked around the majestic parlor in annoyance, one hand tugging at the neck of his formal outfit. The tailor had been good about delivering the stuffy outfit on time, but it had been a major pain to stand still while it was being fitted. '… Why does it have to be white? …' Lloyd asked himself mentally, glaring down at the white and gold outfit. It was the same style as the suit he had worn five years previously, save for it was cut for an older form. And instead of there being red trimming, the accents were a deep, ocean blue.

"You know … you look a lot like your father when you're glowering like that." Zelos commented from one side, raising an eyebrow as Lloyd shot him a glare. "Hey, don't bite my head off, but it's quite true; the resemblance is kind of freaking me out."

"It's the outfit." Lloyd huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, garnet red eyes narrowing down to mere slits. Zelos raised a sole eyebrow and walked over to him, draping and arm over Lloyd's one shoulder. The redhead wore a dove grey tuxedo with a cream colored undershirt, his now shoulder length red curls restrained by a short braid. A white rose corsage was pinned above the breast pocket, and if the looks from the female half of the room were any indication, he was still single.

"No, Lloyd; the outfit's only the half of it. You've been getting the stares that I don't get, and let me tell you, that's quite impressive." Zelos reasoned with Lloyd, winking at a couple of women that passed them. They both blushed, walking away. Lloyd simply sighed.

"Only to you," He retorted, shaking his head wearily. "I'd rather NOT have an army of girls begging me to carry my children … it grosses me out."

"My friend …" Zelos began to pat Lloyd's shoulder, a smirk on his face. "You really do need to get laid." The look on Lloyd's face the second after Zelos had said it was absolutely worth it to the redhead, even if it did mean he was on the wrong end of the Aurion Death Glare™. Laughing, he continued, "But knowing you, the only girl you're going to want to sleep with …" Scanning the parlor, Zelos spotted the young woman in question, and he pointed to her. "… Is talking to our favorite, seven month pregnant summoner, just fifteen feet … away," Lloyd glared at Zelos as he finished, one foot tapping on the ground in annoyance.

"… You just want to see Genis Grave my ass, don't you?" He said flatly after a moment, and the tone of his voice was so reminiscent of his father's that Zelos actually blinked and stepped back a couple of feet. Sighing, Lloyd shook his head and walked towards where Sheena and Presea were talking. He had nearly reached them when a new voice reached his ears.

"Lloyd-san, I almost didn't recognize you there." Turning his head to look, Lloyd smiled lightly at the sight of Sheena's husband Tenko walking towards him, striking in a black and indigo suit. His deep storm blue eyes looked as open as they had when he and Lloyd had met three years ago a week before his and Sheena's wedding.

"Tenko, you look tormented; good to know I'm not the only one." Lloyd commented, spying the look that was mostly hidden behind the older man's bland face that he usually wore when surrounded by strangers. Tenko looked at Lloyd and chuckled weakly. While Sheena had original been apprehensive about introducing her crush to her fiancé, Lloyd and Tenko got along rather well; Tenko knew that Lloyd understood about the reasoning behind the marriage, and Lloyd knew that Tenko wouldn't let Sheena get hurt.

"I don't understand why the nobility insist on tormenting themselves by wearing such stuffy clothing." Tenko agreed with Lloyd's previous statement, nodding slightly. "And how have you been, Lloyd-san? We haven't seen you since the wedding." He asked as the two walked over to stand with Sheena and Presea. This, of course, brought their arrival to Sheena's attention.

Even though she was clearly pregnant, Sheena was still beautiful enough to make many a man sigh. The kimono she wore was an elegant shade of midnight blue, with an indigo and lavender flower stitched near the hem of her skirt. She positively beamed when she saw Lloyd. "Lloyd!" She hugged him quickly and pulled away quickly, letting her husband hold her in one arm. Smiling at Presea, she said, "Presea, this is my husband Itsukuro Tenko. Tenko-koi, this is my old friend Presea Combatir."

Presea turned to look at Tenko and shook his hand, giving a light nice to meet you before she turned to look at Lloyd. What she saw when she tilted her face up to look into his was absolutely priceless; Lloyd was staring at her with an awed look, a faint blush on his cheekbones.

Although he'd seen her briefly when Zelos had pointed her out, Lloyd had been too busy glaring at the ex-Chosen to fully examine the outfit the tailor had prepared for Presea. It was stunning; in a complete 180 compared with her outfit five years ago, Presea now wore a strapless dress that left her arms bare, the silk it was made from as black as Lloyd's outfit was white, and there were small silver flecks down one side. Black lace gloves came up to her shoulders, and Presea had found a sheer black shawl to wear across her shoulders. '… Beautiful …' he thought, and smiled at her.

"Are you alright, Lloyd?" Presea asked gently, blinking in concern as she looked at him. Lloyd seemed to snap out of his stupor as she spoke, and he smiled brightly at her.

"Just thinking about how nice you look in that dress." He said sweetly, smiling at her gently. Presea blushed in turn, and she nodded meekly. Sheena – sensing the awkward moment, smiled at them both and steered Tenko over to speak with Regal, leaving the two alone. Lloyd noticed this and made a mental note to thank the summoner before he smiled back at Presea. "So … why do you think the party had to be this big?" He asked, looking around the room in annoyance. Presea giggled; Lloyd really was taking after Kratos – they both hated large parties.

"This is Zelos we're talking about. The first chance he gets to throw a large party, he takes it." She commented lightly, shaking her head and looking around for the said Chosen. "It makes me wonder what his wedding will be like ..."

"I'm still in shock that someone's managed to tie him down." Lloyd commented in return, shaking his head. Almost as if it was an impulse, he wrapped an arm around Presea's shoulders again. "But then again, this is Colette we're talking about; she's too charming to not love." He said casually, leaning his head against Presea's. "Well, I care for her like a little sister; I've known her too long to consider anything else."

Presea – who had stiffened at the statement – relaxed and smiled to herself. "True – she does have that sweetness about her that makes people either hate her or love her." Leaning in to Lloyd's touch, Presea wrapped her arm around Lloyd's waist. " ... Is there a reason you came over to talk to me?" She asked sweetly, wondering why Lloyd had come towards her. Although mentally, she had a wish; she wanted to hear three certain words from Lloyd ... she wanted to hear them soon. And while people that saw her all thought she was too young for Lloyd – outside of the group, at least – when in reality, she was the second eldest – no, third; Kratos was over four thousand, after all.

But ... she loved Lloyd; Presea knew that even if she looked her real age, she would still love Lloyd. He'd saved her from the Angelus Project, and pulled her back into the stream of time. Smiling up at him, the pinket felt a light inside of her light up as Lloyd smiled gently at her in return. "Do ... do you want to dance, when the floor's less cluttered?" She asked, leaning against him, savoring the warmth that his body let off.

Lloyd blushed, but he smiled. "Sure." 'Oh yeah, Genis is SO going to kill me once he hears about this ... ah, to hell with it; his loss for going to that mage convention in Heimdal.' Lloyd smirked mentally, feeling victorious. Although it was a minor disappointment that he wouldn't be able to see his best friend again, he wouldn't have gotten a word in edge wise with Presea; Genis would've been following her around nonstop. And although the price to pay for dancing with Presea – never mind the fact about sharing a room – was going to be hell, Lloyd knew that it was well worth it.

Smiling down at the pinket, Lloyd felt something inside of him surge into life; he had to tell her, or he'd most likely lose her to Genis. But … but maybe she did love Genis – he didn't know, and now Lloyd was starting to wonder if not knowing how she felt was worse than not letting her know how he felt himself. 'I guess I have no choice but to say something …' He thought, and began to fidget.

Presea must've noticed his restlessness, because she sent him a worried glance. "Are there too many people around here, Lloyd?" She asked gently, to which the young man nodded. Looking around, Presea saw that one of the arching doorways that lead to the gardens was open. Pulling Lloyd towards it, she felt a sense of reality attack her; nobody was in the garden this time of night, so perhaps she and Lloyd could talk!

As soon as they entered the sprawling maze of flowers and shrubs, Lloyd instantly relaxed, and he soon stopped to stare back at the rest of the goings on inside the building. Presea turned to look as well, leaning against Lloyd's shoulder. More out of reflex than anything, Lloyd wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and the two stood there in contented silence.

After a while, however, Lloyd found his gaze drifting downwards towards Presea's face. In the light of the moon, she seemed to glow with a beautiful light from within, and all he could do was stare. 'Can I tell her?' he asked himself, and eventually he silenced the voice inside of his head. "Presea?" He asked gently, making her look up at him.

"Is something wrong, Lloyd?" She asked, turning to fully face him. Lloyd looked down at her with a soft smile, and he slowly shook his head, the moon caught in the deep red pools of his eyes.

"I don't know – it depends on what happens next …" He responded, and then drew a deep breath, as if he were preparing to brace himself for a long, arduous battle. Looking deep into Presea's eyes, Lloyd said softly, "Presea …

"I love you."

The pinket stood there in mild shock; had Lloyd just said that he loved her? She could tell that she was blushing, and the light that was emitted from the parlor showed that he was as well. He seemed embarrassed, ashamed, and frightened all at once. Smiling lightly, Presea stepped up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Is that so, Lloyd Aurion?" She asked lightly, making Lloyd turn to look at her. Blushing, Presea looked at his chest as she mumbled, "I … love you too …" She whispered softly, looking up at him through her bangs, smiling. Lloyd seem to be pleased with her answer, because he chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I guess I got lucky then, eh?" he asked, and used his free hand to tilt Presea's face up to his. When she nodded in response, his smile grew more, and he leaned in. "There's only one problem with this – I have no clue what the hell I'm doing." The statement made Presea laugh.

"And you think I do?" She teased, but leaned up and closed her eyes. "You goofball, let me show you." Lloyd chuckled again, and also leaned in closer, breathing softly. Just before they kissed, however, he whispered one thing.

"Then … show me love."

I just had to end it like that. Genis will be showing up next chapter, so the real drama will begin then!! XD We'll also see the reactions of the others as well, so be on the look out!!

Until next time, ja ne!