"If you can be good for me between now and the next time we go out, maybe I'll let you do more than come inside."

Zelos walked through the party and out the front door, slipping in between people and giving them polite excuse mes and I really must be goings. Sheena had slipped out in her normal ninja fashion, and said she would meet him outside. As he escaped outside, he felt his heart swell. He felt giddy and tingly all over, excited for what his night might bring him. He saw her standing outside of the gates smiling up at him, and he just gave her a goofy smile as he ran down the steps.

Sheena watched him, her heart pounding in her chest. His smile was genuine and was absolutely gorgeous. As he reached her he surprisingly grabbed her hand and started leaning her towards his mansion, his eyes sparkling, Sheena noticed. His boldness in holding her hand in the public, especially this early in the evening, touched and freighted Sheena. She wanted to be near Zelos more than anything, yet the repercussions of being close to someone as popular as Zelos unnerved her, such as the Church or the clingy women. Zelos walked and talked with such calm and assurance that Sheena pushed the fear into the back of her mind and tried to enjoy the time she was spending with him.

"I have to let you know you left me completely heartbroken, my sneaky ninja." He shot her a pained look which Sheena laughed at. "When you disappeared without saying goodbye so did my heart! So where did you go while I was left to suffer in utter agony?"

At one time, months ago, Sheena would have told him to grow up and possibly smack him for saying the things he did now, but she saw now that this was just how Zelos broke the ice on reunions. He was not one to weigh down greetings with troubled emotions or problems, he wanted to be friendly and catch up with the other person as quickly as possible. He really was a sweet guy deep down once you took the time to know him, and she was happy that she took that time.

She squeezed his hand before replying, "I'm sorry Zelos, I was requested back to Mizuho." She averted her eyes to the side, remembering what Tiga requested her to do. Zelos noticed and squeezed back. "When I got back and read your invite, I found you as fast as I could."

"Really now?" Zelos responded, holding the door open for Sheena, dropping her hand as she came inside. Sheena thanked him as she entered, Zelos following as the door shut behind him.

"Yeah, I was so excited." She turned and faced him properly. "I'm sorry," She said softly "I would've left a note or something, but it was very sudden-" His soft lips were on Sheena's before she could finish her apology. A gleeful jolt went through her insides, and she tilted her head up to meet his lips better, her hands creeping up the front of his jacket as his arms wrapped around her. He deepened the kiss tastefully as Sheena sighed. Zelos pulled back with a smile before things went a bit further. Sheena smiled at him, her checks blooming with soft pink.

"Good evening Master Zelos, Lady Sheena." The young coupled jumped slightly as Sebastian spoke dryly, appearing at the den doorway. "Back early from the party, sir?"

"Ah yes, I am." He put one hand on Sheena's lower back and another he waved in circles at chest height. "Could you make dinner Sebastian? The one that we had planned earlier for Sheena?" Sheena blinked in surprise. Did they plan a special dinner just for her? "Oh, make sure to pack it as a picnic."

"Absolutely Master Zelos. I'll come fetch you when it's done." He bowed and properly walked away, leaving the couple alone.

"A special picnic for me?" Sheena asked, looking up at him. Boldly, she slipped an arm around his waist as well, Zelos gleefully smiled.

"Anything for you is always special," He replied gently. "Would you like to play chess while we waited?"

They quickly passed the time playing a few rounds of chess. It was a game that Zelos and Sebastian had played once in a while since Seles was sentenced to the Abbey. It was a good way to spend time when he was stuck home and bored, but they stopped playing once Zelos was older. He still had some skill, for the first round was over with rather quickly. Sheena caught on and made the second round much harder which was a nice challenge for Zelos. They were a few moves away from a stalemate when Sebastian had entered the den with a picnic basket in hand, a blanket folded neatly on top.

"Here you are, Master Zelos." Sebastian handing off the basket, which Zelos accepted.

"Thank you Sebastian. That should be all for tonight." He said dismissing him.

"Have a pleasant evening, Master Zelos." Sebastian bowed and left quietly.

"Are you ready, m'lady?" Zelos asked Sheena, holding out a hand for her. She chuckled and placed her hand in his.

"Absolutely, let's go." She replied with a smile. After returning a smile, Zelos lead the way back to the entrance, and then headed towards the stairs. "I thought we were picnicking?" Sheena asked confused. They kept heading for the stairs, but Zelos said over his shoulder

"We are, but doing it on the ground? That's a bit boring isn't it?" He laughed at Sheena's puzzled expression. Before she had time to reply he continued "It'll be fun. Trust me." Sheena slowed when they went into his bedroom, which did not go unnoticed by Zelos. "Sheena, trust me. We're not going to eat in here. Come, come!" He pulled her along to the window. He placed the basket on the bench and dropped Sheena's hand. He unlatched the double windows and pushed them open. He carefully stepped through the window and onto the roof of his mansion. "Can you pass me the basket?" He asked, reaching a hand out.

"On the roof?" Sheena asked, slightly impressed. Sheena handed him their dinner, and Zelos noticed the tone she had.

"It's really great! Pretty quiet, no one to bother us, and you can easily watch the stars." He moved out the way as Sheena gracefully moved to join him. He carefully made his way to the top point of the roof, Sheena following behind him easily. "We're not going to eat on here; I know a better place to sit."

They journeyed across the rooftops of Meltokio. With the luck of having a clear sky and the lamps of Meltokio being dim, the stars above glowed and were easy to see. Sheena was surprised and impressed at how nimble and graceful Zelos was. He made daring leaps and landed as cat-like a man as big as him could. They were climbing closer to the gardens she noted to herself. She noticed they were making their way to a tall building that acted as a wall to nearly one whole side of the garden. They were already four stories up away from the ground, but the building had an addition fifth floor.

Zelos jumped from their current roof to the fire escape. He turned back and smiled at her, dropping the basket and holding out his free hand. Sheena could make the jump easily, but her heart fluttered at Zelos's kind gesture. She leaped, and grabbed onto his hand with both of hers, and he pulled her to him. He took all of Sheena's weight into his body, standing strong. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him.

"Thank you for following me all the way here," He murmured quietly to her. "I didn't think I'd have anyone special enough to share this with." He kissed her forehead as Sheena wrapped her arms around him.

"I really like you Zelos," Sheena responded, her body and voice shaking. Zelos squeezed her tighter, to force her to look at him. When she did his lips were on hers, in a long, simple kiss. He broke off and stared at her seriously.

"I really like you too, Sheena." He smoothed her hair down on her head with his hand. "I hope you're hungry," He let go her and picked up the basket. "We're almost at the top."

"Dinner sounds so good right now. I've barely eaten anything all day." Sheena followed him up the fire escape.

"Then prepare to enjoy yourself on some delicious and utterly scrumptious food!" He said in his eager manner, flipping his long hair with his hand. Oh boy, Sheena thought to herself. At least he's just as excited to see me as I him. They reached the top and Sheena inhaled a quick breath quietly. The view of the city was breath-taking up here. The dim street lamps mimicked the feel of the stars as little pockets of light within deep shadowy trenches. Meltokio was mostly a well-planned out city. Buildings made of brick, or beautiful slabs of stone, or of only the finest wood. Metals, flowers, and minor details were etched into every building. While similar, everything had its own color, its own personality. It was a very beautiful city, and completely breath-taking.

Sheena relaxed as Zelos wrapped his arm around her waist, her arm snaking around his. "This is beautiful Zelos,"

"Isn't it? Sometimes when I can't sleep at night, I take walks up here. This is one of my favorite spots in the city." She turned and looked at him with a thoughtful expression.

"There are more like this?" They kissed again, lightly.

"Oh yes, but only a few more. Maybe other nights we can do this again," He said it a little bit hesitantly, unsure how Sheena felt about something this outrageous. He put a lot of faith into impressing her tonight, in being able to share something personal like this space with her.

"I'd love to," She smiled at him as he blushed lightly.

"Hehe, well good," Her stomach rumbled. "I guess it is time to eat, huh?" He led her to the blanket, and they both sat down. Sheena sat on top of her legs, a Mizuho mannerism that she would not break. Zelos plopped down with his legs spread out and dove into the basket. He pulled out two bowls, two sets of spoons, and two containers wrapped in warm towels to remain warm. He set those aside, and went back into the basket. Sheena lifted the lid on one of the containers, and saw it contained curry. She checked the other and saw rice. She loved curry; it was one of her most favorite dishes.

"Want me to start spooning this out?" She asked, taking the lid off of the rice completely. Zelos handed her a serving spoon he had found and Sheena divided the rice contents into the bowls, and the topped it with curry. Her mouth watered as she smelt the red satay. The smell brought back good memories of her Grandpa and when he would cook the two of them dinner. Although the memory was bitter-sweet, she saw golden pieces in the red curry sauce. "Is that pineapple?" She asked excited.

"Mmhm. Your favorite, yes?" Zelos said, his eyes darting to scan her face. Seeing the excited expression, he focused on the basket. "Where are the-oh, here they are." He pulled out two glass bottles and a bottle opener; he placed them gentle on the blanket. Sheena had already scooped the rice into both bowls and was topping them with the curry when Zelos pulled out three candles and placed them safely off the blanket and out of reach of stretched legs. He lit them quickly with a small fireball. They gave off a soft light that allowed them to see each other better. Sheena had finished serving the curry when Zelos started on the bottles. Sheena could make out a label that implicated as a fine beer made by a brewery in Flanoir. Although she was not found of alcohol, she did have this specific drink beforehand and did not mind it's flavor.

"If you haven't had alcohol, this is a very good brew," Zelos explained, handing her a bottle. She delicately accepted the bottle and took a sip the same time Zelos did. "How do you like it? Pretty good, yeah?"

"Mmhm," Sheena responded, deciding to not tell the truth. She flashed him a covering smile, "It's a lot better than expected."

He laughed "Well good!" His reached out and gently touched her face, Sheena blushed. "I'm happy you like it…" His hand lingered, their eyes holding each other's gaze. Sheena felt her heart beating faster in anticipation. His eyes lowered with his hand, and he handed a bowl to her, his eyes darting back up to meet hers. "I really hope you like the meal as well."

Was he nervous? She thought to herself. She placed her drink down and accepted the bowl, all the while closely studying how Zelos acted. He placed his own drink down and took up his bowl, smelling the contents. He started to make small talk as they tucked in, with mm's and ah's. Sheena could not notice if he was nervous, but then again Zelos was much better at hiding his feelings than she was. She settled on that he was just as nervous as she was, and focus her attention on the curry.

Rice of any form was her favorite dish. The curry made with pineapple was delicious, which she told Zelos enthusiastically. He chuckled, responding how he had watched her pick certain dishes and sweets when they were at parties our out to eat together.

"You always had this look of happiness when it had rice or pineapple, so it only made sense to make a perfect dish of pineapple curry to go along with rice." He said matter-of-factly he laughed at Sheena's embarrassed expression. "It's okay; we all enjoy certain things, even in a guilty manner. I, in fact, love spaghetti." Sheena laughed.

"That makes sense. That first time we went out, it's what your ordered, right?" She took a big bite of pineapple curry and washed it down with a sip of the Flanoir alcohol, and once Zelos nodded in agreement Sheena continued, "You ate it so strangely compared to everything else. Very slow and careful."

"Oh yes," Zelos said somberly. "I hate it when the sauce gets on my clothes. Very annoying and ill-mannered, especially when trying to impress you on a first date." Sheena nearly choked on her food and Zelos laughed while he thumped her back twice. "Whoa, whoa, calm down there tigress! Don't get all shy on me!" He gave her a gentle smile as he moved the contents of their dinner off the blanket and scooted closer to her. He took Sheena's bowl and drink and placed them with the rest of the picnic. She looked at him perplexed, unsure of what to do. Zelos sat so his back was against the solid stone wall that ran around the roof. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

It was awkward for a second, for Sheena had not moved from her previous sitting position. She quickly caught up with his motives and shifted around so that her legs were still together, yet her knees rested closer to Zelos's legs and her feet were almost tucked in to her body. Trying to remain as calm as possible, she neatly folded her hands into her lap and allowed her head to fall onto his shoulder. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Zelos allowed his head to gently rest on top hers and his thumb made circles on her arm.

The warm summer night breeze lazily went by. She felt it gently touch her hair and kiss her skin. His hair was played with and it made contact with her face, which she gingerly moved and Zelos chuckled an apology. They sat there in a calm silence, watching the candles flame dance with the breeze. The warm night in the garden shepherded the crickets to chirp. In all senses, it was a beautiful and calm summer evening, for a couple such as themselves to enjoy privately.

"Sheena?" Zelos broke the calm with his voice.

"Mm?" Sheena responded sleepily.

He was hesitant in responding, and he had stopped making circles on her arm. Instead, his free hand crept over to her laps and started to trace her knuckles with his fingertips. "Why did you go back to Mizuho?"

She was quiet for a few seconds before answering softly, "They needed to talk to me about a mission." Zelos felt his heart skip a beat.

"The same one you told me about last time?" He tried to hold her hand but she stiffened. That was it. "It's okay to trust me," He whispered to her softly. "That's why I'm here, because we trust each other." He laced his fingers through hers, to prove his point.

She was still, and his heart sank as he felt himself being rejected. He felt like getting up and running, but then she firmly held his hand with her own, and took a deep breath before speaking. "Yes, the same one…" This time it was Sheena's thumb running over his knuckles anxiously. Zelos remained still and quiet, allowing Sheena to work out her words. "That same exact mission I failed twelve years ago."

Zelos hesitated before speaking again, making sure his words were carefully chosen. "What… what could you have failed that ended up harming the people of your village?" Sheena stopped playing with his hand, and she moved to sit up straight, as Zelos allowed, moving his arm away from her. He pulled his knees to his chest, his arms resting on top loosely. He watched Sheena carefully, watching the way she bit her bottom lip and how she wrung her hands a little.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you this or not… but…" Zelos waited in silence, Sheena staring hard into the backs of her hands. "…I trust you." She paused again, and her voice dropped in volume dramatically, she was barely whispering. "Of course you know about the five seals of regeneration." It was a statement, not a question.

"What about them?" Zelos asked in the same quiet voice Sheena had.

"Well… what do you know about Summon Spirits?"

The wheels in Zelos's head were turning. "There's Celsius of Ice, Gnome of Earth, Shadow of Darkness, and Volt of Lightning." Sheena flinched at Volt's name. What could Volt have to do with anything? Sheena was quiet for so long that Zelos whispered, "What happened Sheena?"

She was quiet for a few more tense moments. "I tried to make a pact with Volt… and failed."

"A pact?" Zelos asked, stunned. "Are you a summoner?"

Sheena almost flinched away, her body starting to hunch over in a protective stance. "I'm actually a guardian user, but I'm trained as a summoner as well…" She mumbled.

This new information blew Zelos out of the water. As the Chosen, one of the things he was most terrified of was entering any of the seals. The place where he would offer himself to the Goddess Martel and slowly but surely die. It is another reason why he does not go to Flanoir and hates the snow, because Celsius controls it. The thought of Sheena, deep in one of the seals, fighting one of the giant protectors, and losing, and watching people die, he could see the resemblance in both of their situations. It was terrifying.

"Twelve years ago? Isn't that… how old were you?" Zelos asked, in awe. Sheena was turning away from him, keeping her back to him, her face far away so he could not read her.

"I was seven at the time," She sounded hopeless. She put her face into her hands, mumbling "I can't stop thinking about it; I have never stopped thinking about it." Zelos could see how upset Sheena was, he could sympathize with it as well, and that made his own heart ache, remembering about his mother. He shook his head slightly and wrapped both of his arms around Sheena's torso and pulled her back flush up against his chest.

His arms held her firmly, and the way Sheena was pulled back caused her shift to in between his legs, which caused her jump just a little, but she relaxed instantly. His smell, his arms, his hair… it all felt good. She felt safe.

"What happened, Sheena?" He whispered in her ear, his arms protectively around her. She felt as if he could protect her from anything in the world. Her heart just melted. Is this how couples are supposed to feel like?

The question unsettled her, and made her stomach tighten in knots. She felt her muscles tighten, but then relaxed again, she was with Zelos. Would he judge her? Would he think less of her? Or would he stop liking her? His hands started to rub up and down her arms. That warm breeze once again kissed her cheeks.

She tensed as she inhaled, "When I was seven, it was decided that I would try to make a pact with Volt. The village chief, other villagers assigned to the mission, and I went to the Temple of Lightning. I was one of the last to enter, and when I entered all I had to do was go up to Volt and make the pact," She sighed depressingly. She turned inwards towards Zelos, the side of her face on his chest. He shifted his arms so he was almost cradling her.

They were in a very intimate situation for Zelos, and his heart picked up speed as Sheena shifted in between his legs. The only thing that prevented him from taking things a step farther was how upset Sheena was. He sat still as she continued.

"So I walked up to the alter, which is on a balcony above the main floor. Everybody was standing below, and the village chief," she swallowed, her voice faltering, "who is my grandfather, wished me luck." Zelos figured out this was not going to end well, that the village chief was someone killed the accident.

"So I summoned Volt… and that is when things started to go wrong." Sheena's voice shifted to a darker tone, and her muscles went ridged in remembering what had happened, her breathing became shaky. "I asked him to make a pact… and then nothing."

There was a pause, so Zelos asked, "Nothing? He said nothing?" Sheena's cheeks went red from embarrassment.

"I-I, couldn't understand what he was saying." Zelos squeezed her reassuringly. "At first, I thought he couldn't understand me… but he was speaking a completely different language. I… I panicked." Her fingers curled under her palm into a tight fist, and her jaw locked stubbornly in fear. "That's when… he attacked."

Sheena started shifting slightly, not sure if she was uncomfortable the way she was sitting or about retelling the story. She chooses to sit up anyway, and the two of them shifted again. Sheena had her legs pulled up to her chest. "I was thrown off the balcony, and I blacked out. When I woke up… everyone in the room was dead, Volt had killed them."

Her voice faded, and she brought a fist to her mouth, not wanting to let the next part of her story slip from her lips. She closed her eyes tightly, the memories flooding her inner thoughts. The smells and senses, how her body ached when she woke up from her fall, to the sickening taste of blood on her tongue from her split lip. The hum of electricity and how it cracked through the air and made her hair stand up on end. She opened her eyes.

"Volt appeared in front of me, and he attacked me but…" Her voice faltered. Tears pooled into her eyes. "My grandfather saved me. He stood in front and… took the full hit. He, he said that the mission was a failure, and that I of all of them should run, and he fell. I thought he was dead, but he fell into a coma…"

Zelos wrapped his arms around Sheena again, and put himself around her. He held her like how he always wanted to be held when his mother died and Seles was taken away from him. A hug that was accepting, loving, and warm. He was surprised when Sheena started to sob; he had never known her to cry. That just prompted him to hold her tighter.

"Shhh, Sheena, it's okay. It isn't your fault," He said softly, "It may seem it, but don't blame yourself. You were only seven."

"I-I just…" Sheena had no heart in her to argue as she sobbed. When she calmed down, she continued, "The vice chief wants me to finish the mission. Its why I go back so often, he asks me to finish the mission."

"Do you refuse?" He asked innocently.

"…yes." She admitted shamefully, bowing her head.

"Why?"

"Because, because I can't. I'm scared… really scared. What would happen if I failed again?"

Zelos did not miss a beat in replying, "You wouldn't fail again because I, the Great Zelos, would be there."

She shot him a dark look over her shoulder, "You're not joking, right?"

"Of course I'm being serious. If I'm there, nothing can go wrong," He smiled at her. "I'll be there to make sure everything goes right."

"No, Zelos." The dark look slipped from her face and was replaced by a worried look. "After what happened, I couldn't put you in that kind of danger." They moved, Zelos detangling from Sheena with on leg stretched out and another brought up close to his chest. Sheena sat next to him with her legs tucked around her. Her hand touched his shoulder, and Zelos grasped her free hand and squeezed. "I could never ask you to do something like that for me."

Zelos wiped away the few tears on her cheeks, "Well, you wouldn't be asking me, now would you? I offered, anyways, the next time you go against Volt," His hand went behind her head and he brought their lips together for a kiss. "I'll be there to protect you while you do your pact thing."

"Zelos-"

He cut her off with another kiss. "Sheena, I'm serious. This is something you have to do right?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Well then, I'll be by your side the whole time. Okay?"

"No Zelos, I can't-"

"Don't say that." He had a serious look in his eyes that made Sheena's heart skip a beat. "You can do it. I'll be there to protect you… You got to make a pact with him eventually, right? I can't let you go there by yourself." He blushed, "You're my world, ya know, and I won't let anything happen to you."

Sheena's face was bright red, "W-well you're my world too! That's why I don't want anything bad to happen to you as well!"

"Well then," He said confidently, "I guess you'll have to watch my back while I watch yours."

Sorry about the long wait! It's over 4000 words and nearly 9 whole pages long, so I hope this makes up for the missed weeks! Please review! I love hearing what you guys think of my writing!