timeandtides_backup | Our paths, they did cross, though I cannot say just why...

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Our paths, they did cross, though I cannot say just why...

Characters: Garnet and Zidane
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: A Reunion after one long (and one less long but more confusing) absence.
Location: Alexandria
Date: January 1804
Warnings: Nothing? Well, emotions. And probably some wibbles.

Zidane stood outside of Dagger's door inside the Palace at Alexandria, staring at the ornate pattern on the wood with an oddly distant expression on his face. He'd entered this door hundreds of times, he dropped in on her constantly and it was an open invitation, and yet suddenly he was nervous. He didn't want to say scared, but that was there too, lurking away at the back of his mind.

He almost made himself knock, almost, his hand raised up to knock, stopped, raised again, and then he stopped and frowned at himself. This didn't make any sense. Sure, this wasn't exactly an usual situation, but...but she was still his girl. This shouldn't have been anything different. He shouldn't be so nervous.

So, after a few moments of collecting himself, Zidane reached out and pushed the door open, stepping in the same way he had hundreds of times before, with the same big smile (he hoped) and cheerful expression (he hoped) that was always there. He was happy to see her...he really was. No matter what else was going on, he was always happy to see her.

"Hey Dagger, I'm ho-" the briefest of pauses. "Back."

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"We... well, we..." Dagger paused, finding that she didn't have an answer. She sighed, her arm draping around his neck and shoulder, as she curled up in his lap. "I don't know."

His new question had her lifting her head, blinking at him. He'd taken any personal items with him the last time he'd left. "A room can always be made up, that's never a problem." She had a feeling that wasn't what he'd meant, though.

Zidane let his arms drape around her again as she seemed to wilt a little in his lap at her realization that she didn't know what to do. "Well, we have to tell them eventually. I mean...otherwise it's kind of a sad sort of engagement..." He gave her a little smile, his attention not really on her answer to the room question until he really thought about it.

"...What do you mean? I have all my stuff in that guest room on the second floor, right? Or did you have it put into storage?"

Dagger gave him a strange look -- similar to the one given to someone who has maybe just sprouted an extra limb. "No, you took everything with you the last time you were --"

She stopped mid sentence. More and more, she was really beginning to believe that he'd forgotten everything, and it hadn't all just been some ruse to get in good with her again. Her brow creased in consideration. "...you might ask Blank? Maybe you took it back to the Tantalus base."

Zidane sighed at the way Dagger again started talking about a time that he didn't remember and honestly wasn't sure about. Everyone kept acting like he had been here somehow. But he couldn't have been, he'd remember!

It was getting tiring though, saying that over and over, so he just sort of nodded his head in resignation. "I'll ask him. This is so weird." He smiled at her and leaned forward to kiss her softly.

"Oh. What kin of ring do you want?"

"Hmm..."

Now there was something she hadn't really considered. It wasn't as though she really needed any more pieces of jewelry -- she had a set of jewelry for nearly every precious stone known to humanity. Gold, Silver, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, all of them left to her by her late mother. She changed her jewelry depending on her choice of clothing and the occasion.

"Something that goes with anything," she said, finally. "Something simple."

And then, a playful poke in his ribs, "and preferably something not stolen, or purchased with stolen gil." It was joking in tone, but if Zidane knew her at all, he'd know she was dead serious.

"Something simple, right," well, that was probably for the best. Not that he didn't want Dagger to have all the fancy things in the world, but she was Queen. He couldn't hope to compete with her jewelery for expense. He'd have to think of something else.

The poke got a smirk out of it, and he caught her wrist before she could do it again, giving her fingers a kiss. "Really now, would I do something like that? Hmm?"

"Yes," she looked him right in the eyes, leaning in until they were nose to nose. "You would."

And there she stayed for a long while, her eyes nearly crossing due to their proximity. She closed her eyes then, laughing softly.

Zidane gave a sigh that turned into him laughing along with her, and when she closed her eyes he leaned forward to kiss her right on the nose.

"Fine, then. No stolen rings. Or rings purchased with stolen gil." He leaned back a bit in the chair, considering carefully. "What if someone gives me gil tat they might have stolen but I'm not certain? Can I spend that on a ring?"

Blank was his bro, after all!

"Zidane..." Her tone was stern, almost scolding, but not entirely ill-tempered. She left it hanging there for a moment, he head titled ever-so-slightly, watching him with appraising eyes.

Rather than answering his question directly, she set her hands on her hips (an awkward motion, considering her current position, seated in his lap), and pressed her lips into a tight line. "I love Blank and the rest of your Tantalus brothers, but you know you're going to have to give up stealing when we're married, right?"

When we're married. Still such a strange concept to contemplate.

Zidane sighed, though he didn't exactly ever survive very long under those looks she gave him. Her typical response would be to escape, to slip away when she happened to look elsewhere until her mood had changed. Unfortunately, that was rather difficult when she was in his lap.

"Now wait. Completely stop stealing?" He frowned a little at her. "I mean, okay, I'm sure I can tone it down a lot but..." He smiled weakly. He was a thief, after all. He couldn't buy equipment for anything else!

Garnet crossed her arms, giving Zidane a withering look, her lower lip protruded just a bit. "Yes, completely. Do you know what sort of trouble it would cause if the queen's husband were stealing from people? I know it's how you've lived all your life, but it's still a crime!"

Zidane sighed, "Fine, fine. I'll..." He didn't quite answer though, as his arms hooked around her waist lightly, his tail flicked up to curl around her ankle, and he tugging her closer again and kissed her. He might have said something againtst her lips, but it was sadly muffled by said lips and therefore whatever it was has been lost to time!

But hey, it was lost for a good cause, right?

She should have seen it coming. What, with the way his tail had so skillfully ensnared her leg. The arms around her waist should have sent off alarm bells he's up to his old tricks, he's trying to distract you but it had been so long, that rather than brush off his advances, her body betrayed her, welcoming every touch, every embrace, and then --

Well, any momentary protest she'd made, died a swift and painless death as his lips worked against hers. Her eyes slip closed, her arms snaking up around his neck.

...what was it they were they talking about?

The familiar click of Beatrix's boots echoed in the hallway, the even and brisk pace of one who moves with purpose. They stopped immediately outside the door, which had been left quite ajar, for the general to see her queen and her erstwhile love in a questionable and not at all decorous position. Still, without a word, she spun round on her heel and withdrew to another section of the castle, the sound of her steps fading as she went.

Man, Zidane was rather thrilled he could still have this sort of effect on her. It had been a year, after all, and whatever...insane ghost-him had been running around...obviously had not been keeping up the necessary garnet-affection times. But he felt her melting against him, and knew he still had it. That was almost as reassuring as her actually saying yes to his proposal.

"Mmr..." he didn't exactly stop kissing Dagger when the door opened and Beatrix walked in, he just sort of froze up, arms still wrapped tightly around the Queen, eyes turning in that direction to stare at the General until she spun around and walked out.

Oops.

'Stopped' or not, Dagger noticed the change in his demeanor. Facing away from the door, of course, she did not have the full view that Zidane had. However, with her senses brought back into focus, she did hear the sound of Beatrix's distinct marching down the hallway.

Suddenly, Dagger pulled herself off of Zidane -- or at least, she tried to. That tail of his was like a vice grip, and it took much more effort to get her leg lose again.

"Oh for goodness sake," she muttered quietly, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She needed to chase after Beatrix, now, explain what was going on, before...

Well, not that she expected Beatrix to gossip, but certainly, things needed to be straightened out.

To be fair, even with the interruption, Zidane was reluctant to let Garnet go. There was kissing going on! But when she actually tugged away, he did release her, his tail last, watching her slip from his lap. He stood as well, stretching a bit, and then reached out to give her hand a squeeze. "You can go after her." He said with at little smile of his.

"I'll still be here when you get back," he knew that was probably a worry, judging from what he was learning about the time he had lost. "Promise." Besides, he wanted to poke around the room a bit. And was rather hoping she'd forget she had dropped that ring and stone on the floor...

Dagger paused, her hand caught in his. Looking down at him from where she stood, she smiled just a bit. As much as it pained her to think about, she wasn't sure that she really believed him. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd left him, and returned to find he'd run off again. Still, she leaned over, kissed his cheek, and finally slid out of his gasp. Then, she departed the room with haste; She had some explaining to do.

Zidane watched Dagger run after beatrix, and then turned his attention to the two objects still sitting on the floor in hte middle of the room. He picked up the stone first, turning it this way and that, holding it up to the light, trying to make sense of it. If it was special, beyond the fact that it was an interesting stone, the thief couldn't tell.

And then he turned his attention to the ring. Now this was a problem. He held it between two fingers as he looked through it at the window, then flipped it in the air several times, catching it smoothly each time. He was tempted to just throw it away, flick it out the window and watch it bounce into the lake, just like that. Dagger would be furious, but...she'd get over it. Eventually.

Was it worth the temporary anguish? Well...he honestly wasn't sure. He tucked it into the front pocket of his vest. He could always claim later he was holding it for safe keeping...

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Our paths, they did cross, though I cannot say just why...

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