Star Ocean (All Series) Fan Fiction ❯ A Tear to the Dead ❯ Romero x Albel ( One-Shot )

A Tear to the Dead

By Chlover

The sun rose over the crystalline water.

It was beautiful how it sparkled. Every ounce of the endless expanse of Ocean carried a history; an ancient wisdom that no man or woman could begin to understand. It was too far beyond humanity. No better or worse, just distant in its great difference.

But its beauty was nothing in comparison to that one lonely tear glistening in the corner of his eye.

His eye. Oh his wicked eye. How could such an ingrate hold such beauty and sadness? He calls me a worm, maggot, fool, and swine, and I call him a few more I would prefer not to name. But the one word I've never called him is 'Beautiful'. A word so contrasting and so suiting indeed. The only word to describe his anger, his hatred, and his belligerence.

In the morning sun, that tear screamed of a wickedness tearing at his heart.

Albel The Wicked had a heart. A heart that wept all alone. Guilt and anger at himself fueled his hatred for the others and myself. Such a pathetic and pitiful way for a man to live, so why couldn't I look away from that undesirable beauty? I ached for him. I was only one man, and he was all that I could think about. That tear that spoke of depths to his soul that I had never thought possible; it consumed my thoughts like a disease.

The curve of his dry bottom lip trembled ever so slightly.

I wanted to hold him. I wanted to betray myself and indulge his sorrows; to nurture them until he could smile sincerely.

"Albel," I whispered to myself too quiet for him to hear.

His delicate jaw twitched and the tear escaped in a mad dash down his porcelain cheek. Perhaps my word had not been as quiet as I had expected. I suspected that had I spoke it quiet enough for only the spirits to hear, he would have sensed it, as if it were a summoning. His head pivoted in my direction in such a swift fluid motion, it reminded me of a wave. A light summer wave. But such an idea was blown away when the loneliness in his gaze was replaced by anger, embarrassment, and hatred. He stumbled to his feet, and grasped his sword.

I wanted to tell him that he didn't have to be alone anymore. That I was there.

But all I said was, "Lovely day, isn't it?"

His lip curled in a bitter sneer. "Romero," He spat venomously, "What foul circumstances have brought you to me?"

"My, my, aren't you in a snippy mood today." I tittered, amused.

Inside I still ached to hold him. Even the way his hate-filled eyes burned through me pulled at my cold heart. It was such an unfortunate situation, but the tear was still there, and as angry as he appeared, it reminded me of what he really felt. Maybe anger was a relief to him. Maybe it was less painful. Oh Albel, if that is so, I will make you as angry as it takes to relieve you of that agony.

"Leave me be, maggot!"

That I could never do, my love.

"Stop staring at me!" His shouts sent the birds near by fluttering away in a panic.

You are asking too much of me, my love.

Albel dropped his sword, his brows furrowed in desperate confusion. "Why must you haunt me? Be gone, you bastard! Do you hate me so that you cannot spare me this torturous taunting?!"

But I love you...

"Speak, you ghastly apparition! Do not mock me with your silence!"

"Albel Nox..."

More tears welled up in his eyes. But these were not of sadness. These were tears of frustration. It seemed I had caught him at a vulnerable time. He could not keep his cool with whatever had plagued his thoughts before my presence was known. My disease was his own.

He collapsed to his knees and screamed at me, "Why can't you stay among the other zombie scum? Why?! Why torment me?!"

I could not answer that. The words were caught in my throat. Instead, I drifted forward to approach him. I wanted to see him closer. I wanted to see the tears that fed my lust; that angry face that made me love him. That cursed angry face!

"Stay away! Keep away from me, maggot!"

"I cannot. My dear Albel." I whispered to him, unable to speak in a normal tone. My words threatened to escape me before they could be spoken. My lips feared for what my heart yearned. "You may despise me. You may fight me, but I have no life for you to take. Do what you must, but I will not abandon you. I will never abandon you."

"Why?" He struggled to fight back a desperate sob. "Just tell me why?"

Oh yes, I was being consumed.

"Because you are beautiful."

~FIN~