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seikilosTitle: A Quiet Moment
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia
Theme: #9 - footprints
Genre: Romance- and angst-flavoured genfic. Or something.
Rating: PG
Words: 985
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Summary: Botta gives Yuan a quiet moment during a Triet Desert night.
Spoilers? Until Mount Fooji, the second time.
Author's Notes: Not a lot of action in this one. If meditative fic's not your cup of tea, this ain't for you.
Botta stifled a yawn as he walked down the corridors of Sylvarant Base on his way to Yuan’s office. It was after eleven o’clock at night, and Botta had just finished his work—or at least, as much work as he was doing that day. He was looking forward to being able to go to bed and have a good night’s sleep.
He rarely slept in his own room these days. Enough Renegades had caught onto his relationship with Yuan over the years that there was little point in subterfuge. Yuan’s bed was both more comfortable and, more importantly, had Yuan. It was a far more attractive option than his own Spartan bedroom.
Reaching Yuan’s office, Botta knocked.
“If you’re Botta, come in. Anyone else, go away.” Yuan sounded even crankier than was his norm.
Botta sighed softly and then entered to find Yuan still at work at his desk. From his posture of one hand cupping his forehead and the way he was leaning into it rather than simply resting against it, it looked as though he had been there for quite some time.
He walked over to Yuan’s desk and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Yuan? It’s after eleven.”
“I’m not stopping until I figure out where I can cut costs without eliminating something essential, if that’s what you’re implying,” Yuan snapped. After a moment, he slumped back in his chair, rubbed his face, and looked up at Botta. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s useless taking out my frustrations on you. Worse than useless.” Yuan went back to staring blankly at his papers, elbows resting on his desk. “. . . I’m running out of money, Botta.”
Botta remained silent, listening.
“After spending three thousand years accumulating wealth and never spending it, you wouldn’t think it would be so fast to disappear, but I’m getting dangerously low and there’s no way in hell I can make enough back to support the entire operation, even with my investments.” He kept staring at the paper. “In another century at most, if I’m lucky, my money is going to be gone. All of it.”
Botta said nothing in reply. He reached forward and began gently rubbing Yuan’s back. He had known almost all the funding of the Renegades was from Yuan’s personal wealth, but that had never worried him. Yuan seemed to have a limitless amount of gald. It looked as though that was not the case.
Abruptly, Botta removed his hand and said, “Yuan, come with me.”
“You’re giving me the orders now, are you? Can’t it wait?” Yuan asked, although he set his pen down and shoved his chair back. From his face, Botta could tell his leader was surprised at Botta’s uncharacteristic behavious.
“No.”
“All right, then. Lead away.” Yuan, after walking over to Botta’s side, slipped his hand into Botta’s.
Botta gave Yuan’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You’ll need your coat, first.”
“Right. I’ll bring yours out as well.” Yuan disappeared into his private quarters.
After five minutes or so, Yuan returned wearing the light jacket he kept specifically for desert nights. Botta’s coat was folded over one arm. Botta took the coat with a “thank you” and put it on. Then he walked out the door, Yuan catching up after a few steps and striding along beside him, not touching him. They never acted like lovers if there was even the slightest chance of being seen. Though their relationship was generally approved of, it only led to a relaxation of discipline if they—and others—acted so informally.
With that in mind, Botta led Yuan outside of Sylvarant Base into the chill night. It was only when they were out of sight of the Renegades on guard duty that he took Yuan’s hand again and slowed his pace.
“Where are we going?” Yuan asked, moving closer to Botta. “If you’re aiming for Triet, first, it’s to your left, and second, you must have spent too much time out in the sun to think it would be a good idea to try to walk there.”
“We’re not going to Triet. We’re going for a walk.” Botta tilted his head up to look at the stars, brilliant and shining and clear.
Yuan shook his head, seeming almost rueful. “This is a ‘get Yuan to relax’ plan, isn’t it?”
Botta let his silence speak for him as, sauntering along, he continued to observe the stars.
The other man snorted. “I guessed as much.”
He let go of Botta’s hand and instead wrapped his arm around his lover’s waist. As Botta’s arm settled around his shoulders, Yuan’s expression softened. The tension that kept him as taught as a bowstring eased slightly. A very small smile appeared on Botta’s face as he felt the change in Yuan’s body.
The two walked out in the still desert for quite some time. Their pace was slow as they simply looked at their surroundings. They didn’t speak; they were content to walk in comfortable silence.
After a while, Yuan and Botta turned around to retrace their footprints and return to the base. Shortly before they came into view, they once again let go of each other. They weren’t fooling the Renegades on duty, though; the pair of guards wore smiles as they saw their leaders return. Both Yuan and Botta kept their expressions neutral and kept moving.
Upon reaching Yuan’s office, Botta looked over his shoulder and watched Yuan glance at the papers on his desk for a moment before following him into his living quarters. They undressed and got into bed, arms around one another, Yuan’s head resting on Botta’s chest. Botta heard Yuan’s breathing even out almost immediately as he fell into an exhausted sleep. In the dim light, he could see Yuan frowning, even in slumber. Tiredly, he smoothed Yuan’s forehead with a hand once, twice, before slipping into a restless sleep of his own.
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia
Theme: #9 - footprints
Genre: Romance- and angst-flavoured genfic. Or something.
Rating: PG
Words: 985
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Summary: Botta gives Yuan a quiet moment during a Triet Desert night.
Spoilers? Until Mount Fooji, the second time.
Author's Notes: Not a lot of action in this one. If meditative fic's not your cup of tea, this ain't for you.
Botta stifled a yawn as he walked down the corridors of Sylvarant Base on his way to Yuan’s office. It was after eleven o’clock at night, and Botta had just finished his work—or at least, as much work as he was doing that day. He was looking forward to being able to go to bed and have a good night’s sleep.
He rarely slept in his own room these days. Enough Renegades had caught onto his relationship with Yuan over the years that there was little point in subterfuge. Yuan’s bed was both more comfortable and, more importantly, had Yuan. It was a far more attractive option than his own Spartan bedroom.
Reaching Yuan’s office, Botta knocked.
“If you’re Botta, come in. Anyone else, go away.” Yuan sounded even crankier than was his norm.
Botta sighed softly and then entered to find Yuan still at work at his desk. From his posture of one hand cupping his forehead and the way he was leaning into it rather than simply resting against it, it looked as though he had been there for quite some time.
He walked over to Yuan’s desk and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Yuan? It’s after eleven.”
“I’m not stopping until I figure out where I can cut costs without eliminating something essential, if that’s what you’re implying,” Yuan snapped. After a moment, he slumped back in his chair, rubbed his face, and looked up at Botta. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s useless taking out my frustrations on you. Worse than useless.” Yuan went back to staring blankly at his papers, elbows resting on his desk. “. . . I’m running out of money, Botta.”
Botta remained silent, listening.
“After spending three thousand years accumulating wealth and never spending it, you wouldn’t think it would be so fast to disappear, but I’m getting dangerously low and there’s no way in hell I can make enough back to support the entire operation, even with my investments.” He kept staring at the paper. “In another century at most, if I’m lucky, my money is going to be gone. All of it.”
Botta said nothing in reply. He reached forward and began gently rubbing Yuan’s back. He had known almost all the funding of the Renegades was from Yuan’s personal wealth, but that had never worried him. Yuan seemed to have a limitless amount of gald. It looked as though that was not the case.
Abruptly, Botta removed his hand and said, “Yuan, come with me.”
“You’re giving me the orders now, are you? Can’t it wait?” Yuan asked, although he set his pen down and shoved his chair back. From his face, Botta could tell his leader was surprised at Botta’s uncharacteristic behavious.
“No.”
“All right, then. Lead away.” Yuan, after walking over to Botta’s side, slipped his hand into Botta’s.
Botta gave Yuan’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You’ll need your coat, first.”
“Right. I’ll bring yours out as well.” Yuan disappeared into his private quarters.
After five minutes or so, Yuan returned wearing the light jacket he kept specifically for desert nights. Botta’s coat was folded over one arm. Botta took the coat with a “thank you” and put it on. Then he walked out the door, Yuan catching up after a few steps and striding along beside him, not touching him. They never acted like lovers if there was even the slightest chance of being seen. Though their relationship was generally approved of, it only led to a relaxation of discipline if they—and others—acted so informally.
With that in mind, Botta led Yuan outside of Sylvarant Base into the chill night. It was only when they were out of sight of the Renegades on guard duty that he took Yuan’s hand again and slowed his pace.
“Where are we going?” Yuan asked, moving closer to Botta. “If you’re aiming for Triet, first, it’s to your left, and second, you must have spent too much time out in the sun to think it would be a good idea to try to walk there.”
“We’re not going to Triet. We’re going for a walk.” Botta tilted his head up to look at the stars, brilliant and shining and clear.
Yuan shook his head, seeming almost rueful. “This is a ‘get Yuan to relax’ plan, isn’t it?”
Botta let his silence speak for him as, sauntering along, he continued to observe the stars.
The other man snorted. “I guessed as much.”
He let go of Botta’s hand and instead wrapped his arm around his lover’s waist. As Botta’s arm settled around his shoulders, Yuan’s expression softened. The tension that kept him as taught as a bowstring eased slightly. A very small smile appeared on Botta’s face as he felt the change in Yuan’s body.
The two walked out in the still desert for quite some time. Their pace was slow as they simply looked at their surroundings. They didn’t speak; they were content to walk in comfortable silence.
After a while, Yuan and Botta turned around to retrace their footprints and return to the base. Shortly before they came into view, they once again let go of each other. They weren’t fooling the Renegades on duty, though; the pair of guards wore smiles as they saw their leaders return. Both Yuan and Botta kept their expressions neutral and kept moving.
Upon reaching Yuan’s office, Botta looked over his shoulder and watched Yuan glance at the papers on his desk for a moment before following him into his living quarters. They undressed and got into bed, arms around one another, Yuan’s head resting on Botta’s chest. Botta heard Yuan’s breathing even out almost immediately as he fell into an exhausted sleep. In the dim light, he could see Yuan frowning, even in slumber. Tiredly, he smoothed Yuan’s forehead with a hand once, twice, before slipping into a restless sleep of his own.
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no subject
Date: 2007-04-08 09:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-08 10:04 pm (UTC)I'm glad to be spreading the love of Botta. ♥ He deserves it, poor dear.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-09 04:03 am (UTC)He does. ♥ He truly does.