FFIX - Kuja/Zidane/Garnet(Dagger)
Theme: 09-Talking Over Distance
Fandom/Pairing: Final Fantasy IX, Kuja/Zidane/Garnet(Dagger)
Title: Worrying About You
Author: Jameva
Rating: G; it's fluff and sweetness, nothing else.
Disclaimer: I don't own FFIX and make no profit from this piece
Note: This is more of an introduction to the threesome, the theme being more general so that I could get a few quick necessary explanations out of the way.
Zidane.
The blond genome jerked up, unsettling the chair he’d been happily snoozing on. He looked around nervously, expecting to see some kind of admonishing officer -probably wearing a noisy, rusty suit of armour-bearing down on him for sleeping while he was supposed to be on guard duty. Not that he was slacking, but Dagger was just the other side of the door with only a few counsellors debating over state affairs. She could defend herself well enough against that sort of threat. Becoming a royal sort of bodyguard had been useful at first, giving him a legitimate reason to hang around, but he’d quickly seen the downside of things. Such as sitting on chairs with obvious balance malfunctions.
Seeing nobody, Zidane decided he’d imagined things and leaned back, head leaning on crossed arms and ready to resume his nap.
Zidane.
He sincerely hoped his fall hadn’t sounded as loud to the debating princess as it had to him. Standing up and rubbing his abused rump, Zidane looked around carefully, but still the hall was deserted of any possible source for the calling of his name. Which was weird, because he was fairly sure he’d heard something…
Are you sleeping again? Wake up!
He recognized the voice then. The fact that Kuja, currently miles away up north investigating a surviving nest of highly lethal monsters, was talking to him could only mean that he was using the strange sort of telepathic link they shared as genome brothers. He tended to forget about that…
Kuja? What’s wrong?
They rarely used this sort of communication. It was wearisome, so they saved it for emergencies. He could remember the first time he’d realized they were connected; Kuja had been dying in the Iifa Tree, calling to him weakly, unconsciously. The feeling was carved into his bone, and never would he be able to use their link without remembering that moment, without fearing just for an instant that maybe it would happen all over again.
Nothing you need to worry about. How is my canary?
Zidane snorted at the nickname, the one he’d insisted on using no matter how it had made Dagger uneasy at first, wearing her out until she got used to it. He could tell Kuja was fine, but he was still instinctively worried, the feeling never fully leaving.
In a meeting. Bored as hell, probably. Why?
I’ll be delayed. The monsters are proving resilient, weak but annoyingly good at surviving. Tell her not to worry.
Zidane grinned then, wide and amused and somewhat mischievous. Trust Kuja to find lethal monsters weak. It had been such a weird beginning between Kuja and Dagger, two old enemies only his presence held together. They’d warmed up to each other, eventually, miraculously, and now he had the luxury of loving two people who loved each other as well.
Will do. That’s all?
I don’t see what else could make me waste my time talking to you.
Ah, scathing as ever, dear Kuja. Sometimes, he’d even caught himself doubting the man’s feelings, although that lasted about as long as it took to KO a zombie with a Life spell. The silver-haired genome never failed to show his love for him, although he had a tendency to use the most wicked, twisted way of doing it. By now, he didn’t expect anything else; in fact, if he were to start going romantic on him, truly romantic and not some of his theatrical trash preceding some sadistic change in the game, then he’d begin worrying.
Like talking to our dear Queen almost-directly?
Indeed, Queen Garnet Til Alexandros 17th, nicknamed Dagger by a few, was standing at the door, looking down at his slouching form disapprovingly while the counsellors shuffled out, some still bickering, their eyes running over him without stopping, used to his presence by now, as if he was some boring old watchdog no one bothered with anymore. If it allowed him to stay with Dagger without questions asked, then he didn’t mind.
“Zidane…” Oh, her tone was threatening. Soft, silky and hiding a very, very sharp blade. That probably meant she’d heard his ungraceful fall just as bad as he had felt it, and he’d get an earful for it. Unless he managed to distract her.
“Kuja wants to talk to you,” he stated without hesitation, knowing every second he waited was one step closer to imminent pain and suffering. The Queen could show impressive imagination when it came to punishing him for whatever mischief he’d caused.
Seeing Dagger’s expression melt into confusion and concern, he grinned inwardly, knowing victory when he had it.
“Kuja? You mean…?” She knew about their link, of course. It had often saved each other’s bacon when an expedition had gone bad. No matter her royal duties, whenever Dagger heard about one of them being in trouble, real trouble, she would go to them as quickly as she could, complete white magic array in tow. And she had quite the array.
“Don’t worry, he’s fine,” he added quickly, knowing she’d be likely to start fretting like mad, anxious and sure Kuja was near death and generally upset at the whole world for preventing her royal Highness from leaving as soon she’d like to rescue her second beloved. Hey, if people knew that was what she did those times, they’d lock her up in her room and appoint someone else as steward. Or try, in any case.“He just says he’s going to be delayed a bit, so don’t worry.”
Indeed, her tensed shoulders relaxed at the news, glad that it was something so small. It might be the first time the use of this means of communication hadn’t preceded urgent calls for help, so he could understand her feelings. He was still uneasy, no matter what Kuja was affirming, but he’d be glad to grow used to their link not necessarily meaning life-or-death situations.
Zidane, unless Garnet is really there, I assure you I don’t appreciate the joke.
Hey there, be patient! She’s there alright, I was just telling her what you asked me to tell her.
Dagger was watching him attentively, noting his spaced out expression and knowing he was conversing with Kuja. She was obviously impatient, wishing to know what was going on, if something had happened, expecting the worst.
“Nothing new, just him being impatient,” he reassured her, shrugging and standing up, happy to see the meeting over so that he could stretch his legs some. “Do you want to tell him something?”
Dagger didn’t even have to think about that. Immediately she nodded, her hair ornaments jingling softly. “Just tell him to be careful and come back safe.”
Aw, you hear that? Don’t go pulling off some crazy stunt.
The fact that I heard her words with your voice is disturbing, but tell her not to worry.
Right. So hurry up, hey? Your side of the bed is getting cold.
Kuja did not reply, predictably, and did not wait around to see if Zidane would pull another remark of that sort. The blond genome laughed as he followed Dagger through the castle halls, her puzzled and impatient expression only causing him to laugh some more.
“He says don’t worry, again.”
Dagger nodded with a sigh, and they both knew they wouldn’t really stop worrying until Kuja was back from the monster hunting alive and healthy. Still, at least they knew he was fine and had assessed enough of the enemy that they could presume he’d remain that way.
“Oh, can you please tell him to bring me back some silver from the northern mines? It’s impossible to find here, no one trades it from so far, but it’s the best quality.”
Zidane blinked, surprised at the request, then shook his head, mentally poking Kuja into listening again.
Unlike you, I’m busy. What do you want?
Dagger wants you to bring her some silver from the northern mines.
Somehow, I doubt she would use our connection to ask such a thing.
Suit yourself, but she’ll probably just send you back if you don’t. You know how she is.
It would be easy for me to blame the lack of communication on your part, actually.
Come on, you wouldn’t do that. Just get the silver; it’ll be easier for everyone.
But less entertaining.
…You’re evil.
Yes, well, that’s never quite changed, hasn’t it?