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

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

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." 

Comments

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Okay, he did know what she meant, but...well, he had to at least try and argue his side of the coin. "What's wrong with this, Dagger? I love you, and you love me." He smiled that smile of his, but his tail was lashing faintly in what was probably worry. "Do we really need more than that?"

Yes, he knows the answer. He's just being stubborn. It's a fear thing.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Her expression shifted then; a bit more stern, her lips pursing together in something that was not quite a scowl. She'd been trying so hard, to get him to come up with it on his own; had she not been obvious enough? She'd even begun to think that it was her well-meaning nudges that had ultimately started to push him away.


"Zidane..." Dagger nearly sighed his name in exasperation. "People who are in love, usually, get married. I'm in a position, where I need to get married someday. And besides that, I want..."

A pause, as she bit down on the inside of her cheek. She had to say it, now, get it done with. She had told other people, and still others seemed to realize it without her saying a word! Why was it so difficult for him to understand?

"I want a family."

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

It was a topic Zidane danced around so many times when she brought it up. He'd avoided it for years really, to his own detriment as well...since Garnet wouldn't let herself slip into bed with him until they were married. But the whole idea...it terrified him.

To his credit though, he didn't back away at what were essentially her demands, he just...looked at her, trying to figure out what to say. "I know. And...I do love you." There was a but there, hanging at the end of the sentence as surely as the period was. He just didn't seem to know quite how to put it into words.

Finally he drew in a breath, tilting his head faintly down. "I'd make a terrible king, you know," he pointed it out...and it was very true. Zidane had issues when he was put in charge of keep the band on the theater ship in line, let alone running a kingdom. The whole idea was absolutely mortifying.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Garnet stared at him strangely for a moment. It seemed to have come to out of left field, but once the words were out of his mouth, the concept took hold in her mind, and wouldn't let go. She'd never put much thought into that aspect of things. Of course, she was Queen, it was something she could not avoid, and it was very much a part of who she was. But as far as what marrying her would mean for him?

"I think you'd be a fine king," she countered softly, "People like you."

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

He just stared at her for several long seconds, and then actually laughed out loud. It wasn't a boisterous laugh, but is was a genuine one. "I'm not worried about whether people like me or not, Dagger," he said, his voice tinged with laughter. "It's the...being in charge part. The..." He frowned. "The being king bit."

"Can you imagine me in charge of telling the army what to do? Or...trying to figure out taxes? Or export tarrifs? I can't even keep the Prima Vista running smoothly when Baku leaves me in command."

Which he mostly didn't anymore. He mostly left Blank in charge. With good reason.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Dagger could do nothing but stare at him. The whole thing was ... silly. First, there was the matter of the fact that, as the heir of the kingdom, being 'in charge' was her burden to bear, not his, not anyone elses. It was something she'd struggled coming to terms with, and at the same time, and truth she had come to embrace. It was a part of who she was, she could never change that... but she had never asked him to change.

"I never asked you to be any of that," she replied, a bit more sharply than she might had intended. Her expression hardened just a bit, and she finally withdrew her hand completely. "And if that's how you feel about that, what about us? What about other kinds of responsibilities?"

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane was a bit thrown by that. She wanted him to marry her, he knew that, and that meant he'd have to be king, wouldn't it? I mean, it was implied within the question? He thought it was.

But when her hands were tugged away, and she threw those other questions at him, in such an angry tone, worries about being king were forgotten. "Hey, I'd never abandon my responsibility to you, Dagger." He frowned, stepping closer, but he doesn't try to touch her, his arms at his sides. "I love you. You mentioned...you said you want a family, I-" there's a brief pause here, as he tries to sort out his thoughts (and get over some things), and he seems a bit annoyed with himself.

"I want a family with you." He finally said, with only the barest of shakes in his voice. "You me, a couple of cute little tailed brats running around. I do, I want that. I'd never skip out on that. I swear it."

Of course, that doesn't address the other issue at all, but...they'd get back to it. Hopefully.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Dagger caught her lower lip between her teeth. In her left hand, she still concealed the ring she'd been wearing just a bit ago; the object that really spurred this whole conversation into motion. She felt a tightening in her chest, a flare of something, as she listened to his words.

But there was still the not-so-buried doubt. "How do I know that for sure?"

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane doesn't seem to know what to say to that idea, his eyes slightly narrowed, his face covered in a mask of puzzled determination, trying to figure out how to make her believe. And finally he settled on what seemed the simplest idea.

"You can always tell when I'm lying, Dagger," maybe, years ago, he had been better at it with her. But now? She'd seen him lie too many times to other people, to get things done, he just couldn't slip them past her. "So you know that I'm not."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Slowly, she shook her head. "It's not that I think you're lying. But... I know you, Zidane." she smiled sadly. "You've never been good at staying put. And after all that's happened recently, I've begun to think, it's my fault."

She turned away from him then, her focus out the window. A sunny winter's day, the sky overhead blotted with thick white clouds, threatening to blanket all of Alexandria in white. For a moment, it was almost distracting.

"I know that who am, makes things difficult. To me, this place is home, but to you, it must seem like a cage. I want you to stay, but... maybe that's wrong."

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

He stood perfectly still as she spoke, but when she was finished he stepped up behind her, hooking his arms lightly around her waist...and she'd feel his tail curling around her right angle.

"You said, a few minutes ago, you never asked me to do all those things I talked about. You know, the scary stuff. Taxes." He is smiling a little as he talks. "But you have said you want me to marry you...and I know I'm kind of a flake half the time, but..."

A little pause, drawing in a breath, "if I marry you, don't I have to do those things?"

His voice doesn't have that 'gotcha' sound to it, he's...literally asking if there's some other way for it to work.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Without even meaning to, she leaned back into him, folding her arms over his. The fur of his tail tickled her ankle in a familiar, comforting way.

"If you were King... maybe, a little. But I would never ask you to do anything alone. We've always been a team, haven't we?"

Well, except for that time she drugged them all, ran away toward Alexandria, and took that detour through Treno to help Blank. Or that time Zidane decided that Kuja and the Iifa tree were his problem alone. And, maybe a few other times...

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane couldn't resist the smile as he felt her weight settle against him, and her hands resting ontop of his arms. They stood like this a lot, it was...comfortable. And she obviously still had that habit, which was a good sign.

"Well," he started to speak, his voice soft so as not to disturb the moment, but stopped again as he tried to collect his thoughts. "You know how I kinda...sneak off every..." A pause. Right, it had been a year. He didn't know if that was still true.

"Before. Last year. I'd stay here a lot, but then take a week to go to Lindblum, or a week to go see Mikoto, or two weeks to go explore some cave on the Forgotten continent..." He paused for a second, thinking still about the next bit.

"Is there any way I can...be king..." Okay, voice definitely is tinged with worry and probably almost cracked as he said that. "And still have my little trips away?"

Well, it took forever to get out, but there was the idea.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Only if you take me with you! her heart cried, but she had to bite her tongue. Maybe Zidane's wanderlust was contagious, because Dagger was sure she had to have caught it from somewhere. Ever since the flash of light, the word of new places and people appearing over the face of Gaia, she'd wanted to see it all for herself. Her responsibilities laid in Alexandria, and until things had stabilized, she couldn't very well go traipsing about on some tour across the world!

Finally, she sighed, turning to tuck her head beneath his chin. "Maybe not quite as spontaneously as you're used to," she admitted.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

He shifted faintly so that she could get comfortable like that, giving her a little squeeze as she turned her head, that smile still on his face, though his eyes were narrowed as he thought about what she had said.

"But...I could go," he said, and there was actually a little bit of surprise in his voice that it hadn't just been a 'probably not'. "Because...there's so many things out there, Dagger. New towns and caves and castles and..." He actually laughed softly.

"Well, you know me." He could never resist an adventure, after all. "Hey, you could even come with me sometimes. We could make Rusty run the kingdom for a few days."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

She almost laughed. Almost. "Somehow, I don't think that Steiner would be too happy about that."

And then, she did laugh; softly, something more felt than heard. It was so much like old times, Dagger wanted to cry. If it all turned out to be some elaborate dream, she hoped she never woke up. There was so many dark, terrible things she had to think about, and for that moment, she felt the weight lifted, if only a bit.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

"Well, I'll be king, so it doesn't matter if he doesn't like it, right? 'cause...king." He nodded sagely at this obvious truth, and then smiled when he felt her relaxing some in his arms.

It was a relief. He knew whatever was going on in the world had to be such a pressure on her. If he'd shown up, and she'd said she was getting married, just like that...he probably would've left. Just to make it not worse.

Instead, well...he didn't have to. He gave her another reassuring squeeze, and kissed the top of her head gently, but didn't say anything else.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

"It's not quite that simple," replied Dagger, with a tone of resignation. She'd long ago come to accept that fact that, more often than not, she would be watched, and followed. Of course, she hadn't let that stop her from occasionally sneaking out into to town. Still the same old white-mage garb, but it seemed to do the trick.

A pause. "If you want to get out, you can't tell anyone, they'll just insist on following." and then she craned her head back, so that she could look up at him.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

"I'm pretty good at not telling anyone till I'm already gone, you know," Zidane said, tilting his head to peer down at her, a little grin on his face before he looked away. When he spoke again, it was in a 'dictation' sort of voice.

"Dear Rusty, we've gone to see what this 'Raithwall's Tomb' is. Will be back in a week. Don't burn the castle down. Do whatever Beatrix tells you. Love, us"

And then he looked back at her, and gave her a little kiss again on her forehead. "See? Works like a charm."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Dagger rolled her eyes, although the faintest of smiles curled her lips. Leave it to Zidane to pursue the most simple, obvious solution, even if it could never really be so easy. Although, maybe it could. It always seemed to work for him, somehow. Much to her aggravation, at times. Raising up on the tips of her toes, she placed a chaste kiss to his cheek.

"...I've missed you," she whispered, her voice cracking.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane did have a way of making things like that work. Whether it was his charm or some trick of his personality...or just some trick....he seemed to always find a way. So she should've just had faith that he could pull this off, too.

Something about the kiss, and those whispered words, stilled his smile though, as he looked down at her face. He reached up to run his fingers through her hair lightly, letting the tips trace across her cheek. He wanted to say something in return. He had missed her, he needed her, he didn't want her to marry vayne, something deep and emotional and resonant that would make this problem go away.

His tail had been flicking about in a panic for the last twenty seconds or so as his mind raced, but now it settled, slipping up to curl lightly around her left wrist. He seemed...calm. And there was a little smile tugging at the corner of his lips. And then he surprised even himself as he leaned down slightly to kiss her, a soft kiss on the lips, it was hardly more than a peck, and then looked her in the eyes with those huge orbs of his.

"Marry me?"

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

She could have drowned in those eyes of his. And then just as she thought she might do exactly that, he spoke again. Dagger blinked. She drew back sharply, pulling herself out of whatever daze she'd fallen into, scanning his face.

"What?" she asked Then, she seemed to calm a little. "Don't tease me, Zidane."

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Zidane seemed rather confused when Dagger backed away like that, though his tail managed to keep its grip on her wrist. "What? I...I'm not..."

Here, have a frown. Did he do it wrong? There must have been something he...Oh. Right! "I forgot!" The frown turned into a bit of a grin, as he promptly dropped to one knee in front of her, still gripping her hands, and keeping that tail around her wrist.

"Alright, so, I still have to go get a ring and stuff, right, but...uh..." Okay, pause. It had been hard enough the first time. And this time was more...formal and stiff and less off-the-cuff-take-the-chance sort of thing. But once a breath was taken, and his eyes met hers again...

"Marry me, Dagger?"

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Dagger had been about two seconds away from getting irritated with him over the whole thing. That is, until he dropped to one knee. At that point, her heart leapt into her throat, and she thought she might have stopped breathing. All she could do for the longest time was stare down at him in disbelief. 'Marry me, Dagger.' -- it didn't come anywhere near close to the proposal that Vayne had made; simple, to the point. Familiar.

"...Is that what you really want?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper, but so full of hope.

[tantalus-born.livejournal.com]

Now that question got that sideways smile of his up at her, and a little kiss to back of her wrist...simply by merit of being the closest exposed part of her. And then he gave her other wrist a tug with his tail.

"If I didn't, would I have asked? Come on, Dagger. You know me better than that." Was he terrified? Yes. Of course. Good lord. Did that mean he didn't mean it? Not a chance.