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I'll Be There

^^^^^

"Pit! Wait!" Link called, chasing after the youth. The Angel was already outside the fort and sprinting out into the woods. Baby, I know it must hurt, but don't destroy your friendship with Ike. "PIT!"

The blonde skidded to a halt, nearly sliding into a river. "Pit?" he called, looking up and down the bank. Finally, he spotted the heart broken cherub sitting on a stone by the water's edge, hugging his knees to his chest. "Pit?"

"He doesn't love me," the brunette cried. "He'd rather be with an animal!... Why am I not good enough, Link? Why won't Ike love me?"

Knowing that he had to tread lightly, the Hylian began, "Everyone likes different things, Pit. If Ike doesn't love you, it isn't because there's something wrong with you… Nor is it anything wrong with Ike. It just means that there's someone else out there…"

The brunette considered this as he held the bottle, containing the life-saving liquid. He eyed the shimmering container. "What if Ike is the one for me, and he's making a horrible mistake? I can make sure that Soren slips away, just like he was going to before Ike found out that he was sick.

"Pit, that wouldn't be right, and you know it," Link pleaded, slowly making his way to the youth's side.

The Angel squeezed his eyes shut, sending tears down his cheeks. "What's so wrong about it? Ike made his choice when he left Soren behind. Soren's a monster and Ike's a pure soul! Soren's sickness is the Goddess's way of telling Ike that he deserves better!"

"If the Goddess wanted Soren to die, we wouldn't be standing here right now with the cure," the hero reasoned, placing his hand over the cherub's. "If Soren dies by the Goddess's will, it would upset Ike but he will go on. However, if Soren dies because you didn't think he deserved to be saved, it would destroy him…. Please, Pit. Don't throw the cure away."

The youth sighed and handed the bottle to Link. "Okay… I don't want to make Ike hurt any more. We'll heal his friend and see what happens next."

The blonde smiled and stroked the Angel's back. "Thank you… As hard as it is to accept, you're doing the right thing."

^^^^^

When Link gave Ike the elixir, Pit stayed in the conference room. The Hylian saw the guilty look in the cherub's eyes when he stated that he wanted to keep his distance. But no one will ever know what you wanted to do; not Ike, not Soren. We'll just forget that moment ever happened. Still, he didn't pressure the youth to stay.

The Hylian only watched to make sure that Soren drank as much as he could, then Link went off to sit with Pit. The Angel looked as down and heartbroken as the day they had first spoken in the garden. It cut the blonde to his core to see the brunette so upset. "Hey, Pit," he greeted softly, sitting down beside the youth. The Angel didn't shy away from him, so Link took it as a good sign. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

The Angel shook his head. "It's hard for me to talk about it without becoming angry… Why can Ike not see that we are perfect for each other? Must I beat him over the head?"

Link looked down. "If Ike can't see you for the perfect person you are, maybe he doesn't deserve your love. I'm sure that there's someone out there who will love you – every bit of you – and no one else."

The youth nodded. "I know Ike will love me. I just have to get him alone…" the cherub looked up at Link. "Will you help me, Link?"

Though the blonde was inwardly cringing at the thought of being Pit's accomplice, he found that he couldn't say no to that sweet, pleading look. "I will."

^^^^^

"Ike," Link called to the mercenary, who was currently sitting on the base's front porch while Soren nibbled on a sandwich.

"Yeah," the bluenette called back.

The blonde sighed. "Pit needs to talk to you… he says it's urgent…" The Hylian gestured to the front gate, where the Angel could be seen peeking in.

The mercenary nodded and mumbled as he stood, "Better go check and see what he wants. Don't go anywhere," he ordered his recovering companion. "Link, keep an eye on Soren for me, 'til I get back."

Link nodded and moved closer to take Ike's spot next to the youth, though with more space between them. The branded and the Hylian watched as Ike left the protective walls of the base only to meet up with a very energetic Pit. The Angel was animated as he spoke to the larger man, bouncing around him, wings fluttering. After a brief introduction, the cherub took the mercenary's hand and led him off into the woods. The blonde couldn't stop the longing sigh that left him as Pit vanished from view.

"Does he know you love him, or is he too caught up in Ike to take notice?" Soren asked, setting his sandwich aside.

The Hero's ears flattened out to the sides as he was taken off guard. "Um… I'm sorry?"

Soren raised a questioning brow. "For what?"

Link shrugged nervously. "I dunno… For making it too obvious, I guess."

"It's only obvious to those who pay attention, which is why Ike and Pit haven't caught on yet."

I knew Ike wasn't the type to pay attention, but that really doesn't seem like Pit… Maybe he's just preoccupied. The Hylian turned to his crimson-eyed companion. "You've only been up for the last half hour, and you've already noticed," he noted. "Either you pay way too much attention or I'm making an ass out of myself for my making feelings painfully obvious."

The youth shrugged. "I only notice because I've been in your position before. It's easier to recognize after you've lived it."

"Yeah…" But I don't want to think that Pit's treating me like Ike treated you. "I guess we're a similar in that sense… What do you think I should do to get him to notice me." Surely you tried everything with Ike.

"Hm, you can start by saying everything you usually keep to yourself. Pit isn't a mind-reader as far as I can tell. Just don't hold back when you're around him."

Link bit his lip, unsure if he should ask his next question. "… And what if he… ignores me?"

Soren didn't flinch, even though the blonde was sure the youth knew why he had asked. "It doesn't mean that he didn't hear you. Just because he may walk away doesn't mean he'll never come back… Ike came back."

"Yeah, but you almost died! That's horrible that he never acknowledge you until he almost lost you! Who does that?!"

The young branded didn't flinch. "Ike's thick; it's one of the reasons I love him. It takes him a while to figure things out, but once he does, his resolve is unshakable."

I think you're too forgiving.

As if sensing Link's scrutiny, Soren stated, "You may think I'm a fool, but just as Pit can do no wrong to you, Ike can do no wrong to me. That's part of being in love."

The Hylian looked at the youth, not sure what to feel. Can I be as strong as you? How much abuse does it take to fall out of love? Can I really be ignored for so long, and then suddenly open my heart and loving someone like none of it ever happened?

I can… for Pit.

(End Chapter)

Description
I'll Be There

^^^^^

"Pit! Wait!" Link called, chasing after the youth. The Angel was already outside the fort and sprinting out into the woods. Baby, I know it must hurt, but don't destroy your friendship with Ike. "PIT!"

The blonde skidded to a halt, nearly sliding into a river. "Pit?" he called, looking up and down the bank. Finally, he spotted the heart broken cherub sitting on a stone by the water's edge, hugging his knees to his chest. "Pit?"

"He doesn't love me," the brunette cried. "He'd rather be with an animal!... Why am I not good enough, Link? Why won't Ike love me?"

Knowing that he had to tread lightly, the Hylian began, "Everyone likes different things, Pit. If Ike doesn't love you, it isn't because there's something wrong with you… Nor is it anything wrong with Ike. It just means that there's someone else out there…"

The brunette considered this as he held the bottle, containing the life-saving liquid. He eyed the shimmering container. "What if Ike is the one for me, and he's making a horrible mistake? I can make sure that Soren slips away, just like he was going to before Ike found out that he was sick.

"Pit, that wouldn't be right, and you know it," Link pleaded, slowly making his way to the youth's side.

The Angel squeezed his eyes shut, sending tears down his cheeks. "What's so wrong about it? Ike made his choice when he left Soren behind. Soren's a monster and Ike's a pure soul! Soren's sickness is the Goddess's way of telling Ike that he deserves better!"

"If the Goddess wanted Soren to die, we wouldn't be standing here right now with the cure," the hero reasoned, placing his hand over the cherub's. "If Soren dies by the Goddess's will, it would upset Ike but he will go on. However, if Soren dies because you didn't think he deserved to be saved, it would destroy him…. Please, Pit. Don't throw the cure away."

The youth sighed and handed the bottle to Link. "Okay… I don't want to make Ike hurt any more. We'll heal his friend and see what happens next."

The blonde smiled and stroked the Angel's back. "Thank you… As hard as it is to accept, you're doing the right thing."

^^^^^

When Link gave Ike the elixir, Pit stayed in the conference room. The Hylian saw the guilty look in the cherub's eyes when he stated that he wanted to keep his distance. But no one will ever know what you wanted to do; not Ike, not Soren. We'll just forget that moment ever happened. Still, he didn't pressure the youth to stay.

The Hylian only watched to make sure that Soren drank as much as he could, then Link went off to sit with Pit. The Angel looked as down and heartbroken as the day they had first spoken in the garden. It cut the blonde to his core to see the brunette so upset. "Hey, Pit," he greeted softly, sitting down beside the youth. The Angel didn't shy away from him, so Link took it as a good sign. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

The Angel shook his head. "It's hard for me to talk about it without becoming angry… Why can Ike not see that we are perfect for each other? Must I beat him over the head?"

Link looked down. "If Ike can't see you for the perfect person you are, maybe he doesn't deserve your love. I'm sure that there's someone out there who will love you – every bit of you – and no one else."

The youth nodded. "I know Ike will love me. I just have to get him alone…" the cherub looked up at Link. "Will you help me, Link?"

Though the blonde was inwardly cringing at the thought of being Pit's accomplice, he found that he couldn't say no to that sweet, pleading look. "I will."

^^^^^

"Ike," Link called to the mercenary, who was currently sitting on the base's front porch while Soren nibbled on a sandwich.

"Yeah," the bluenette called back.

The blonde sighed. "Pit needs to talk to you… he says it's urgent…" The Hylian gestured to the front gate, where the Angel could be seen peeking in.

The mercenary nodded and mumbled as he stood, "Better go check and see what he wants. Don't go anywhere," he ordered his recovering companion. "Link, keep an eye on Soren for me, 'til I get back."

Link nodded and moved closer to take Ike's spot next to the youth, though with more space between them. The branded and the Hylian watched as Ike left the protective walls of the base only to meet up with a very energetic Pit. The Angel was animated as he spoke to the larger man, bouncing around him, wings fluttering. After a brief introduction, the cherub took the mercenary's hand and led him off into the woods. The blonde couldn't stop the longing sigh that left him as Pit vanished from view.

"Does he know you love him, or is he too caught up in Ike to take notice?" Soren asked, setting his sandwich aside.

The Hero's ears flattened out to the sides as he was taken off guard. "Um… I'm sorry?"

Soren raised a questioning brow. "For what?"

Link shrugged nervously. "I dunno… For making it too obvious, I guess."

"It's only obvious to those who pay attention, which is why Ike and Pit haven't caught on yet."

I knew Ike wasn't the type to pay attention, but that really doesn't seem like Pit… Maybe he's just preoccupied. The Hylian turned to his crimson-eyed companion. "You've only been up for the last half hour, and you've already noticed," he noted. "Either you pay way too much attention or I'm making an ass out of myself for my making feelings painfully obvious."

The youth shrugged. "I only notice because I've been in your position before. It's easier to recognize after you've lived it."

"Yeah…" But I don't want to think that Pit's treating me like Ike treated you. "I guess we're a similar in that sense… What do you think I should do to get him to notice me." Surely you tried everything with Ike.

"Hm, you can start by saying everything you usually keep to yourself. Pit isn't a mind-reader as far as I can tell. Just don't hold back when you're around him."

Link bit his lip, unsure if he should ask his next question. "… And what if he… ignores me?"

Soren didn't flinch, even though the blonde was sure the youth knew why he had asked. "It doesn't mean that he didn't hear you. Just because he may walk away doesn't mean he'll never come back… Ike came back."

"Yeah, but you almost died! That's horrible that he never acknowledge you until he almost lost you! Who does that?!"

The young branded didn't flinch. "Ike's thick; it's one of the reasons I love him. It takes him a while to figure things out, but once he does, his resolve is unshakable."

I think you're too forgiving.

As if sensing Link's scrutiny, Soren stated, "You may think I'm a fool, but just as Pit can do no wrong to you, Ike can do no wrong to me. That's part of being in love."

The Hylian looked at the youth, not sure what to feel. Can I be as strong as you? How much abuse does it take to fall out of love? Can I really be ignored for so long, and then suddenly open my heart and loving someone like none of it ever happened?

I can… for Pit.

(End Chapter)