- Fleetwood Mac "Say You Love Me">

A Bit of Sage Advice - part three
by Ebonhawk

He lay on his bed, paying no attention to the still rumpled bedclothes. Why bother making a bed when you would just end up messing it up again? It had been a long while since he'd left the kitchen to get away from those flashing, silvery eyes that had watched him from the other side of the table.

The sun had slipped behind the mountains and didn't give nearly enough light to read the small type printed in his book. He'd have to get up and flip the light on soon.

A knock at his door brought his mind partially out of the science fiction novel in his hands.

"Who is it?" he called distractedly, his eyes still scouring the words currently held much closer to his face than they should have been.

"It's Sage. May I come in?"

Rowen felt his breath catch in his throat. This was not who he'd been expecting. Cye, yes. Kento, maybe. Sage... most definitely no. "Just a minute," he managed to get out. He marked his page and set his paperback down on his bed. Calm down, he told himself, just calm down. He's not here for whatever it is you're thinking.

God, I wish he was.

He sat up, crossing his legs in something resembling a half-lotus position, and ran a hand through his mess of blue hair. "Okay."

The door opened slowly, almost like Sage wasn't quite sure if he was doing the right thing. When he finally caught sight of the blond, Rowen thought he'd never seen the man so taken by nerves. He felt jittery himself, not able to keep his eyes on Sage for more than a few moments at a time. The soft click of the door closing stilled his flitting gaze and he stared hard at the floor.

"So. What are you doing?" Sage asked, sounding a little too casual.

It was a simple enough question, though, and easily answered. "Reading."

"Really? How unusual for you," Sage smirked, taking a couple of small steps farther into the room. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

Keep your eyes on the floor, Rowen told himself. "Not yet."

"Oh. Would you like to do something with me?"

Take a deep breath. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe we could just do whatever."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Rowen?"

"Yeah?" He fidgeted with his jeans, plucking absently at a seam.

He heard Sage exhale slowly, as if working up to something, then in a hushed manner, "Would you look at me...please?"

The archer froze, hardly believing the sad tone of Sage's voice and the implications that came with it. If possible, he stared harder at the floor, not even daring to breathe. Why did Sage sound so unhappy? He couldn't bring himself to lift his gaze. God, Sage, *don't* do this to me! I can't look at you... You'll see everything because I know I can't hide it from you right now.

When a warm hand touched his shoulder, he blinked and bit at his bottom lip. He hadn't even realized Sage had moved that close to him, he'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts.

"Please?" The whisper was almost too faint for him to hear.

Rowen found it impossible to resist that soft request. He lifted his eyes shyly and gasped, turning away from the emotions he saw plainly playing across Sage's face. Then, Sage's other hand came up to his jaw, bringing him gently back to see what was being offered to him. Whether it was a gift of Chance or Fate, Rowen didn't care; something was going to happen tonight because he saw a mirror of his own emotions in Sage's eyes.

"I'm going to try this Cye's way because I can't seem to figure it out on my own," Sage told him, his voice low for fear of having it break at an inopportune moment. The feel of Rowen's soft skin beneath his hand was exquisite. Drawing his courage together, Sage traced his thumb lightly over Rowen's lips, finding even more strength as he watched Rowen's eyelids slip half closed. A tiny, hesitant smile came to Sage's mouth when Rowen began to lean into his touch like a favored cat.

He grabbed Rowen's hands and urged him up off the bed. Stepping close, Sage determined contentedly that they were nearly of a height; it was something he'd strangely never paid any real mind before. He combed his fingers through the blue hair before slipping his hands down to learn the fine arcs and lines of the beautiful face by touch, as he'd wanted to for so long now.

Rowen's dark eyes were closed, ardently fixating on the sensation, his lips parted temptingly. Sage almost took advantage of the situation...it would have been so easy, just to lean in and-

Instead, recalling Cye's words, he caught Rowen up in his arms and held him close. "Oh god, Rowen... Touma... I want you. I *need* you," he asserted fiercely, the words tumbling from his lips in a frenzied rush. He could feel tears of undecided origin well up in his pale eyes, threatening to spill when Rowen hesitated, standing still and shocked in his encompassing arms. For a long, painful moment, he was terrified that Rowen would shove him away and make them tears of heartbreak. Gods, I've moved too fast! I know I have... but I can't stop now. "I-I love you."

Then, suddenly, the archer's arms slipped around him, subtle in their strength, returning the embrace. It was settled. They were tears of happiness and they slid gracefully down his glowing cheeks.

Rowen leaned his head against Sage's shoulder, basking in the sudden warmth that suffused his body at the words, when the arms holding him tightened almost impossibly. Was this really happening to him? He hadn't expected anything like this to happen so quickly. Would he wake up soon and find this was all a dream? His heart fluttered like a mad hummingbird and he held on to Sage like the world would end if he let go. Real or dream, he wasn't about to throw his chance away. "...Seiji..." he murmured, his voice sounding small against the other man's chest.

One of Sage's arms moved then and a hand began stroking his hair. He felt wetness against his face and raised his head to see Sage weeping. Lifting a wondering hand, he brushed the tears away and whispered, "Don't cry. I'm here." He paused, then leaned in closer, to breathe into Sage's ear, "I love you, Seiji. I'll never leave you."

Sage felt his fears melting. A smile spread wide across his face and he lifted Rowen from his feet, following a happy, childlike urge, spinning the other around in circles as he laughed. He collapsed onto the bed, drawing a startled Rowen beneath him.

"Cye was right," he spoke his thought aloud.

"What?" Rowen was confused.

"He told me that I should just tell you and he was right. He also threatened to do something about this himself if I didn't take any action," Sage explained, grinning. Then, he babbled on, "Come to think of it, Mom told me that, too. Not with the threat, mind you, but still. How can a body argue when two people tell you the same thing? Especially two people you trust completely. I should have listened to them sooner-"

Rowen blinked and said, "Oh. Sage?"

"Yes?" He looked at Rowen questioningly.

"I know it's a cliche and all, but would you just shut up and kiss me?"

Sage's smile became gentle and he moved to do as he'd been asked without complaint.

Cye glanced at the clock. It was well past nine in the morning. Sage *never* slept in this late. Where was he? "Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going upstairs for a moment. Please try to stay away from the stove." His only reply was a half-shrug that could've meant anything. Rolling his eyes, Cye left the kitchen and wandered up the stairs and down the hall to Sage's room.

He knocked on the door but received no answer. Raising an auburn brow in curiosity, Cye cracked the door open and softly called, "Sage?"

Nothing.

Concerned, he pushed the door fully open to survey the room. Other than the normal furnishings and such, it was empty.

No Sage.

The bed hadn't been slept in and Cye knew for an absolute fact that the blond *hadn't* gone out last night. He paused then to consider the talk he'd had with Sage the day before and grinned suddenly in giddy anticipation. Cye slinked down the hall to Rowen's room, tingling with excitement down to his very toes.

Intent on catching something good, he opened the door without warning and sucked in a happy breath at the sight that greeted him.

"Whatcha doin'?" Kento queried from the top of the stairs.

Shushing him with a finger placed to his own lips, Cye waved Kento over. "Look at this," he commanded quietly, waving a hand into the archer's room. Doing as told, for one did not go against the Imp's wishes, Kento smirked.

"About time," he commented, then flinched when Cye swatted him on the thigh. "Ow..."

Cye turned back to gazing on the new couple, securely wrapped around one another in the center of the bed and sound asleep, then released a happy sigh. "My work here is done. Now I can move onto my next project."

"Think you can do it?"

Throwing a look worthy of Puck over his shoulder, Cye replied, "Of course! She wants him, he wants her... They just don't know it yet. Give me time and I'll have them all over each like white on rice, or bees on honey-"

"Or Sage on Rowen?"

"Kento!"

THE END (of this particular tale...)