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[Guy had a bad feeling.

He couldn't really explain where it was coming from, but then again he never really tried; though he was a fan of explaining oneself and becoming a master of one's desires, Guy never deluded himself into thinking that he was above things like instincts. Sometimes, people could just sense things that fell beyond the realm of logic. The sixth sense, it was sometimes called.

And right about now, it was making his stomach churn.

Guy tried to calm himself down with some daily routine; laundry, dusting and sweeping, cleaning the kitchen, preparing food. He checked Luke and Asch's rooms for dishes and dirty clothes, checked outside for any weeds to pull. Put himself to work making the house as nice and neat and tidy as he could.

It didn't work all that well. Even after Guy had rearranged the furniture in the living room for the fourth time, he didn't feel any better. There was definitely something wrong, and -giving up on the housecleaning front- Guy snatched up his katana, slid it into his belt and made a beeline for the front door.]

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[Just before Guy could reach the front door, it flew open to reveal one Luke fon Fabre, his eyes wild and scared as he bolted through the door - just a couple of feet, though, until he saw the blond a few feet away and reached out to catch himself on the frame just in time.

For a few seconds he just stared up at Guy, a sort of dreadful comprehension dawning on his face as he thought back to all of the times Guy had been so protective of him. Worrying and fretting when he was gone for just a day in Luceti while back on Auldrant, he could be gone for a month without a trace, and Guy would be relaxed and unconcerned. Growing angry with him when he'd push it just a little more than he should. All of those hints, everything that made Luke so suspicious...

He yanked back on the frame to propel himself back out the door and run. He wasn't sure where- He just knew that he had to get away. Not Guy, not now.]

Luke-!

[The "frightened rabbit stare and bolt" combo is the clincher and Guy propels himself after his best friend, uncaring of the door left swinging open in his wake.

Yeah, go ahead and try to outrun these AGL stats, Luke. It's not happening.

Once Guy catches up he throws out an arm to snatch up the back of Luke's coat, quickly using Luke's halt in momentum to grab his arm instead so he's not choking his best friend (seeing as how he most likely will need to breathe amidst all that dashing and blind panic).]

Luke, what the hell was that?! What's wrong?

[Damn those AGL stats at times like these. Luke hadn't even noticed that Guy was chasing him until he was yanked back, the force of it making the air in his lungs rush out, and for a second he felt like he couldn't breathe until he took in a sharp gasp in an attempt to catch his breath.

Once Luke realized that he had stopped and Guy was holding his arm tightly, the panic - and anger - flared up again, and he yanked his arm and tried to move again in an attempt to get away.]

Let go, Guy!

[Luke's jerk surprises Guy enough that he gets away, but only for a few steps before Guy lunges for a steadier grip.]

Like hell I will! Would you let me go if I suddenly ran off like a frightened deer?

[There's a small pause in Luke's motions as he considers that. Guy's got a point...

But then they just start up again, though at this point it's all about blind panic, like a wild animal that suddenly found itself caged and trapped. He jerks again, letting out a short, frustrated shout when he realized he wasn't going anywhere. Guy's grip on him was good and tight this time. So much for all those muscles Luke shows off.]

Damn it, you-!

[~~That's because they're fake~~ That's because Guy is a man determined right now. Whatever has Luke this spooked must be something intense, and Guy is starting to feel that little wad of dread down deep in his chest sinking into his stomach. Whatever is bothering Luke must be the source of the anxiety he's been feeling all day.

So Guy grabs Luke and pulls him against him, wrapping his arms around his neck and shoulders in not quite a hug. It's not particularly affectionate; almost more like he's going to force Luke to calm down, show him that he's going to hold him still until he gives up. Sometimes it's the only way to do things with him when he gets like this; hammer away until he crumbles, then slowly build him back up.

Luke is such a destructive person sometimes, but mostly only to himself.]

[It was as if someone just placed a lock on the cage around him; Luke let out another frustrated shout and squeezed his eyes shut before he twisted his body and stomped his feet, trying his hardest to get out of that hold Guy had on him. It was adrenaline and fear that was fueling him, and Guy was only adding to the flames by keeping him still. They must've been quite a sight to anyone passing by; Guy holding on tight while Luke practically kicked and screamed.

But when Guy was determined, it was hard to break through. With one last jerk of his body, Luke's tension seemed to decrease by half as he leaned forward as much as he could in Guy's grip, breathing raggedly. He was done. He wouldn't run anymore. His heart still beat wildly, but he was cornered and stuck and he knew it. There wasn't any point in fighting against something as impenetrable as this.]

[Once Luke starts giving off signs that he's not going to make a sincere effort to break the sound barrier, Guy lets him go. His toes are sore and his clothes are torn, but it's a small price to pay to get Luke to just calm down enough to try and ask him what's going on.

First Guy will lead Luke somewhere a bit more secluded, though.]

C'mon. [Over to a patch of grass off the beaten path. Nobody should walk by here at this time of day unless they were headed to House 5 to begin with.]

[There was still anger welling in his stomach, but he had already worn himself out trying to struggle away from Guy in the first place. So, Luke follows after him, keeping his head down and his jaw clenched shut. It's tempting, now that Guy has his back on him, so tempting to just jerk away and run, but Guy has a good grip on his wrist. If he even tried, Guy would know, and they'd just go through the process all over again.

Once Guy stopped and let go of him, Luke let himself fall into a sitting position, pulled up his knees and wrapped his arms around them. He was looking at anywhere but Guy, and if the deep frown didn't tell how upset he still was, then the slight, occasional and barely detectable quiver in his lips would.

He certainly wasn't going to start this conversation.]

Edited 2011-03-30 07:04 (UTC)

[Which puts Guy in a bit of a bind since he doesn't know what the hell Luke's so upset about anyway.

When Luke throws himself down and hugs his knees Guy takes a seat next to him, crossing his legs and sighing as he leans forward to drag a hand through his hair. A peek at Luke's face reveals an awful lot and Guy's jaw locks at the lip quiver.

Luke is...really, honestly, terribly upset. Something horrible must have happened. But how to approach the topic? Guy was probably somehow involved, since Luke was so reluctant to be around him. Sure, Luke was getting into that annoying habit of trying to keep things from him, but never like this. Bypassing the verbal shake-down and going straight for sincerity would be the best bet.]

...Luke. Won't you tell me what's wrong? You have me worried.

[It's a smart thing for Guy to do, because sincerity always worked best with Luke. Shouting would either make him withdraw or defend himself by shouting in return, and nothing would come out of any of that.

It's enough for Luke to curl up a little more, narrow his eyes and turn his head away, nearly hiding it in his knees at this point. It was easier to deal with this on his own, to push it away so that it couldn't rear its ugly face at him unless he was at his darkest moments. It wasn't happening here, after all...

... But he has to know. So, with his hands slowly gripping into his pants, he spits the words out, his voice trembling with raw emotions: fear and despair and rage.]

Why didn't you tell me I was going to die?

Edited 2011-03-30 07:48 (UTC)

[The words "I" and "die" coming out of Luke's mouth at the same time without a joking tone makes Guy's hands clench involuntarily into fists atop his knees and he has to physically stop himself from looking shaken. Then the actual meaning behind what Luke said hits him, and Guy reels back; he knows. How had he found out? How? Who had told him, who else here knew that?

But that wasn't the important part. No, Guy- Guy had to set him straight. He had to make Luke understand. He had to.]

You aren't. I don't know who told you that, but they were wrong.

[This was one of the reasons why Luke didn't want to tell Guy about this. Half of him expected this kind of response, and it just made the fury in his chest rise, leaking into his throat and causing his words to be touched with them, making them forceful and almost desperate in tone.]

Stop it. Stop lying to me, Guy! [Guy lied so much.] I know what's going to happen; my body's going to fall apart, and I'll die after that!

I'm not lying!

[Guy snaps before he checks himself, clenching his fists so tight his gloves squeak until he can manage to calm back down and uncurl his aching fingers. He hadn't wanted Luke to find out. Not when he was like this, not when all Guy can tell him is "you promised" and expect Luke to be satisfied with that. It had been the moment, that feeling, that convinced Guy. The look in Luke's eyes. It wasn't that Luke had promised he'd be back.

It was that Luke had looked straight at Guy when he did.]

I'm not lying. You don't die. Maybe you just went somewhere else for a while...but you didn't die. I would know if you'd died.

[That snapping tone made Luke fully bury his face in his knees and tightens his arms around his legs, as if he was withdrawing and protecting himself from whatever else might be thrown at him. It's all Luke felt like doing, either that or running away from it all. Why wouldn't Guy let him do that? Tear did, after she gave in and told him what happened and watched him run. Why did Guy have to be stubborn enough to keep Luke there and make him talk about this?]

That... That doesn't make any sense. How...?

[Even though the tension in his body didn't loosen one bit, his voice, hesitant and unsure, still held a trace of hope. He didn't die? But... logically, he should have. Luke was made entirely of fonons, as weird as that sounded. If all of those fonons broke apart... everything that kept his heart beating and his lungs breathing and his brain sending out those signals would be gone.

He had to be dead. There was no way Luke could be alive if his fonons drifted apart. But what was Guy saying...?]

[Guy shakes his head.]

I don't know how. But I can say with absolute certainty that in my time, you're not dead.

[Whether or not that's just Guy deluding himself is yet to be seen. Of course, Guy doesn't think he's deluding himself; he just thinks everyone else lacks faith in Luke.]

[Luke stays quiet for a moment; Guy... really sounds sincere. No bluffing, no lying. But Tear... she wouldn't lie, either. Not about this. One person he trusts says that he'll die, and another says that he won't...

It's hard for him to figure out who he's supposed to believe.

While half of him can't possibly deny that he'd die and never be able to be brought back if his fonons drifted apart, while that half was almost content with the reasons why that happens; to save the world, to take Asch's place to die...

The other half is desperate to believe that he'll make it. That he can keep living and being with everyone, alive and healthy, still with Asch. Maybe that was too much to hope for, but...

The thought of dying and knowing that there's nothing else left after that leaves him shaking, gripping his pants and pressing his face against his knees. When he finally does speak, his voice is quiet and shaky.]

I don't want to die...

You won't.

[Guy doesn't even hesitate; he removes his glove, reaches over to tug Luke's off as well and takes his hand, squeezing it.]

Even if your fonons become unstable, you still have a pretty strong ally, Luke. Remember?

[It's true. He does have a strong ally... allies, at that. But what was Guy trying to tell him? That he'd find a cure? No, there was no cure. According to Tear, even Jade had said that there was no hope of keeping Luke alive. All there was for him was prolonging it for just a little longer. That he'd be there for him?

That... seems much more likely. Luke grips Guy's hand tightly, appreciating the sentiment behind both the touch and the words, even if there was such strong fear and hope still inside him. Such high emotions caused a sharp hitch in his breathing and for his hands to shake, even though there was something warm to grip onto.

One thought rose up in his head, one that he had to voice in a subdued fashion, as if he was trying to keep it from breaking.]

What if...

[But he can't quite finish it - "What if it happens here?"]

[Guy grips Luke's hand and sets his free hand atop Luke's head to interrupt him. He's not sure what Luke was going to say, but he can guess at it.]

Don't start on that. The reason your fonons got unstable in the first place is because you used your hyperresonance in a way that shouldn't have been possible just by yourself. So long as you don't do that here -and I don't see why you'd have to- you'll be fine.

[Guy hesitates, then offers Luke a comforting smile.] Besides, Asch has done some pretty incredible things with his own hyperresonance here, including bringing you back. If something happens to you, I know he'll be able to take care of you.

[Though Luke couldn't see Guy's smile at first, what he said made him freeze. Asch... Asch brought him back before? But Asch hated him. Why would he...?

But that still makes Luke finally lift his head from his knees, and though the tear tracks are smeared, it's still pretty obvious they were there.]

Asch can do that? For... me?

Well, I saw him do it once. It's safe to assume he could manage it again.

[Technically Luke and Asch had both decided to be separate people and...somehow separated but Guy will avoid the details in favor of reassuring Luke sans confusion.

He brushes his hand through Luke's hair before lowering it to clasp Luke's hand between his.]

So trust me, okay? Please?

[Asch... Asch could save him, maybe. Luke didn't think that a hyperresonance could bring people back, but...

But Luke was willing to cling to any kind of hope at this point, no matter how far-fetched it might seem. And Guy... Guy always looked out for him. Not just as a servant, but as his friend. His best friend.

Luke didn't respond verbally, but after keeping eye contact with Guy for a moment, he glanced away, if only to make it easier to lean his head forward to rest his cheek against Guy's hand, shut his eyes, and give a tense nod.

He'll trust him with this. It's such a terrifying thing to trust someone with, but... If anyone deserved it, it was Guy.]

[And Guy just abandons the hand-clasping altogether to shift and pull Luke into a sturdy hug, closing his eyes as he rests his chin atop Luke's head.]

You know I'd never let you walk away from me if I wasn't positive you'd come back.

[Tower of Rem aside. Guy will never let that happen ever again, respecting Luke's wishes or not.]

[The hug surprises Luke a little, but only enough for him to widen his eyes and stay still for a second before he shuts them and relaxes - at least, enough for him to lean into the hug and reach up as much as he could to rest a hand on Guy's shoulder.]

Yeah... I know.

[He's still quiet, still tense and still so afraid, but maybe he'll be okay. Maybe he will be, as long as Guy's here.]

[Guy holds him for a bit longer, then pulls back. He takes Luke's head in his hands and touches their foreheads briefly -Score and Yulia, he's too dependent on Luke, Jade was right this is unhealthy but Guy doesn't even care right now- before backing away to give Luke space again.]

I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to worry...which I know is what you're going to do for days, no matter what I say. So I'll stick around and you can let me take care of you so you have nothing else to stress about, okay?

[The forehead touching made him flush just slightly out of embarrassment, if only because that sort of thing just did not happen often, even with him being in a steady relationship, and he rubbed his neck and glanced away once Guy backed away. It's only juts occurred to him that they were right out in the open, despite being hidden away a little, and... Guy's offer makes him feel like even more of a kid, even though he knows it's true and that Guy will likely take care of him even if he refuses.]

Y-You don't have to do that.

I don't? Hm. Then I won't.

[Which is a lie. He will.

Guy stands and offers a hand down to Luke.] You look exhausted, though. So maybe just for today?

[Luke narrowed his eyes a bit at the offer, though the look had lost its bite a while ago. Acknowledging that he needs someone else to take care of him, even for a day, still makes him feel like such a little kid.]

... I guess so.

[He reaches out to take Guy's hand and allow him to pull him up, only barely helping in pushing himself up. It tells how tired he is over all of this - he'd normally try to help himself even while allowing others to do it for him.]

[Well, he's seven years old, so feeling like a little kid is pretty natural huh?

Even after Guy pulls him up, he throws an arm around Luke's shoulders to steer him back over to the house, smiling warmly and chattering about what he'll make for dinner, or some amusing story from the bar, or lightly teasing Luke about his relationship with Xion.

Meanwhile, in the back of his mind, he's outlining what exactly he needs to say to Tear the next time he sees her.]

[And Luke responds as expected, though with only half the vigor that he normally would. A quiet agreement over dinner, or a light chuckle at whatever happened at the bar, or a flush and a glance away at the teasing, but no obvious motions to make Guy stop. He knew what Guy was trying to do; he was trying to get Luke to think about anything other than his impending death back on his world. Or... "death", rather, according to Guy.

One they're inside, Luke glances at the stairs - he'd rather go up to his room and just stay there alone for a while, to give himself time for all of this to sink in, but Guy isn't exactly letting go of him. So, he lets out a soft sigh. Maybe he should try getting out of this...]

[Guy sees that longing look Luke is casting toward the stairs, and as much as he wants to make sure the redhead doesn't angst himself right back to where he started he has to admit that some time alone -when he's calm- will probably do wonders for his psyche.

So Guy removes his arm and takes a couple steps toward the kitchen.]

I'm going to go ahead and start dinner. I'll come get you when it's done, all right?

[Luke hadn't been expecting that, so he stays in place with wide eyes as he looks after Guy. Did he really just... let him go? Here he thought he'd have to fight for it.

But with one last glance at the stairs, he nods.]

Yeah... okay. Thanks, Guy.

[And he heads off.

Once he's in his room, he goes to his bed, lies down on his side and thinks. Normally, Luke would think himself right into a depressive spiral unless one of his friends interrupted him, but since he was already at a pretty low level, it was hard to go down anymore.

He thinks about what the rest of his friends thought, the ones back on Auldrant. Who would vouch for Guy? Who would vouch for Tear? Why were their stories so different? Is it because Guy's from further in the future? He knew Tear was further in the past than him, so maybe... Maybe he just hadn't "come back" yet. How did they all react to Luke dying? Were they scared, like he was? Or were they okay with it? ... What about Asch? Ha, he was probably happy... Luke would finally die and he'd get to be the real Luke. Just like he was supposed to.

He thinks about Xion. He'd told her that he was proof that fate could be changed, that he had been fated to die, only to be saved, for better or worse. Yet in the future, he'd go through dying anyway. He hadn't changed his fate at all... Just prolonged it a little. What good was it to fight against fate when it would rear its head further down the line?

But... No, he couldn't think that way. Not after everything, not after trying so hard to fight against the Score... And he came back, right? Surely that defied his fate to die.

He thinks about him returning, like Guy had said. How did it happen? How did he go from dying to coming back from the dead? It was all so confusing... Luke doesn't even know how long he thought about all of this, but at least his thoughts are a little more settled by the time Guy heads up to his room.]

[That should be sufficient brooding time, probably.

Guy heads up the stairs and makes plenty of noise so Luke knows he's coming ahead of time, just so he doesn't startle the kid. Knock knock.]

Luke? Ready to come down?

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