(a/n: This is a bit late in posting but largely because I wasn't sure about putting it up.  I was oddly fascinated by the way they worked rather well in the story and they continue to fascinate me, though I'm still partial to Nara x Teuk.  ;)  I can only hope you enjoy it one way or the other.  Like the other one shots, it picks up after the final battle and goes on a tangent not related to the main story.  Needless to say, it was absurdly fun to write...  lol)

                She really had wanted to tell him tonight.  Eleanara had every intention of talking with Kyuhyun and letting him know the good news.  She had been vacillating for the past several days on whether or not she should say anything and he had been very nice lately, too.  But she hadn’t been certain until today when she’d gone to speak with Eun Mi about it.  The healer had taken one look at her and that knowing smile had come across her face and that was all she’d needed to know to be certain, but just to be sure, she had let her check her over.  Eleanara was pregnant with Kyuhyun’s child.

                She was both excited and terrified by the prospect.  If anything, she had wanted to do more of a planned approach, as she didn’t know if either of them was ready, but here she was…  The light elementalist glanced down at the dark ground that passed beneath her as she flew on her construct, letting the wind dry her tears on her face as it played with her hair and clothes.  It had been a stupid argument, as they usually were and instead of just working it out, she had turned and ran.

                “I don’t understand why you have to answer every call whenever anybody says they’re hurt or sick or in need of immediate attention,” Kyuhyun grumbled as Eleanara returned from another request for healing.  “They did just fine before we came here…”

                Patiently, Eleanara took a breath and favored him with a half-smile.  “Because I can.  It’s as simple as that,” she laughed with a shake of her head.

                Kyuhyun frowned at the response and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  “That’s a terrible answer and you know it.  I can go and burn every marauding animal that shows up to hunt the livestock but I don’t.”

                “That’s not the same,” she responded automatically.  “And theydon’t ask you to, now do they?”

                “Of course they don’t,” he snorted.  “They know better than to try.”

                Perturbed, the light elementalist set the basket she had been given with fresh bread and hard cheese as payment for her services.  She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, “There may come a time when I can’t so I would much prefer to do all I can now.  And who does it hurt anyway, that I should help them recover that much faster?” she demanded in turn, fairly used to the argument by now, though it had already gone a slightly different direction than normal.  Kyuhyun looked tired and that never helped them see eye to eye either.

                “You, for one,” he snapped.  “They ask for you at all hours, whether you’re sleeping or not, and that affects both of us,” the fire elementalist stated bluntly, his expression dour.  This latest request had come just after dinner and while it had been more of a legitimate request for once, as broken bones were bad business, they usually weren’t.

                Eleanara winced and looked away.  She didn’t mind that they bothered her…  Not really.  It always made her feel better to make their pain go away, but if that was why he looked so tired lately, she could understand why he was so irritable.  “But it’s usually the kids they’re more concerned over,” she tried to defend them, already feeling tight.  She hated fighting with him about this…

                “And that’s fine, Nara,” Kyuhyun admitted, unfolding his arms slowly as he took a step closer to her.  “But even the livestock gets treated with more respect than you since at least they get a good night’s rest unless they hurt themselves at night which is when they come calling for you.  You’ve got to set some boundaries or something,” he spoke firmly as he pointed a finger at her.

                “How can I set boundaries on making someone feel better?” she asked tightly and swallowed hard.  “We’ve both experienced enough pain not to wish it on others.”

                Annoyed now, Kyuhyun sighed in frustration and rubbed his hand roughly up and down his face.  “People get hurt all the time, Nara.  You can’t stop it and they’re never going to learn if you just keep patching them up after every mistake.”

                They were starting to go in circles again and she knew it.  She knew very well the validity of his argument too, but she just couldn’t let it go.  With the knowledge of her condition burning in her mind, she blurted, “And I suppose you’d say the same thing if we were to have children then?”

                For a moment, it looked as if Kyuhyun had been hit in the head by a brick before he recovered and shook his head.  “That’s different…and it’s beside the point,” he muttered angrily.  “Why are you bringing that up, anyway?  We don’t even have kids so there’s no point in pulling it into this conversation,” he rolled his eyes and looked away with an exasperated sigh.

                Stunned, Eleanara just stared at him and remained speechless.  Uncertainly, she placed her hands to her abdomen and suddenly felt very stifled in the home they shared.  She wasn’t sure why his words affected her so much but she had to get away…she had to think.  Before she could stop herself or before he could either, Eleanara bolted out the door and summoned her construct to take her away.

                Confused and dumbfounded by her reaction, Kyuhyun followed her out the door.  “Nara?  Wait!” he called after her as her pale construct lifted her into the night sky, illuminated by a half moon and nothing else.  What was she running for?  Usually, their arguments just ended in her tears and his apologizing, or if nothing else mutual silence, though they had gotten better lately.  She had been making great strides in speaking up for herself, hence the argument just now, and he was learning not to be quite so cutting with his remarks all the time…  Again, present argument notwithstanding.  But he knew he was right on this one.

                The villagers didn’t have to call on her for everything and they knew it but they abused the hell out of her generosity…or rather her inability to turn someone down.  He was still working on that with her.  Granted, it was part of the reason he liked her, but she needed to learn to put her foot down too.  And she had seemed so happy this afternoon before she had been called away to yet another accident by a parent that thought it was the end of the world.

               Resolutely, he pulled his shoulders back and followed along after her.  There were only a handful of places she would flee and none of them were that far away.  One of these days, he was going to figure out how to make a construct he could ride without turning himself into cinders.  That was one trick he hadn’t yet mastered in the two years since they had defeated Enrhyll.  Instead, he summoned a small fire bird to follow her in his place.

                Stubbornly, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gestured for the construct to take them down.  The stupidest part about their argument tonight was that he was right and she didn’t want to admit it, which made her feel all the worse for having run away.  Her construct set them down near the cliffs she liked to sit at and watch the sunrise and sunset.  The sound of waves crashing against the wall far below them rose up to greet her, a steady rhythm like some massive creature breathing.  Gently, she placed a hand against her abdomen again and sighed.

                As many times as she told Kyuhyun she didn’t mind, there were plenty of days that she did and just didn’t say it…  Of course she wanted to help them all but a full night’s rest was a luxury she very much enjoyed and while they didn’t interrupt all that often when they slept, it was still a nuisance when it was little more than a sprained ankle or something equally as inconsequential.  In frustration, she scrubbed her face with her hands, berating herself for bringing up old memories.  That had been cruel and unnecessary of her.

               Neither of them needed the reminder of what they had experienced in the past.  It only caused more pain that she couldn’t heal and that always made her feel guilty.  She knew they were both still overcoming small things with that.  Certain blades struck them both with fear and even fire on occasion, when he was up to summoning it; and neither of them could wear any sort of bracelet or wrist binding.  “Stupid…” she told herself, feeling fresh tears pool on her lashes.  What if he stayed mad at her?  She didn’t want that.  Would he forgive her for her rash words?

                Restlessly, she paced back and forth…back and forth as her construct watched her, turning its head to follow her path.  “Aya…  Why did I say that?” she groaned in guilt.  She couldn’t go back to face him now…  Not when he was right and she’d managed to go and do something as dumb as that.  What would she say to him?  Sorry?  He already told her she said it too often still.  Well…he might have to hear it one more time anyway.

                Quickly, she moved back to the construct, determined to go back and make it right, but then she paused with one hand resting on its neck.  Even if she did make it right…what was she going to tell him about their child?  She looked down at her still mostly flat belly and chewed her lip.  What if he got mad at her for that too?  Wait…that was dumb.  Why would he get mad at her for that?  Wouldn’t he be happy?  But what if he wasn’t?  ‘We don’t even have kids…’ came ringing back in her head.  With a muted cry, she sat down on the ground in front of her construct and pulled at the grass distractedly.  She really was such a fool…  A guilt-ridden and in the wrong fool…

                The little firebird flapped back to Kyuhyun and twirled around excitedly.  “So I take it you’ve found her?” the fire elementalist smirked as he watched the construct in amusement.  From what he’d been told, it looked much like the larger version he had appeared in when he had been reborn just over two years ago.  The smaller version was incredibly useful for scouting and in instances like this, finding Eleanara.

                Not only that, but it helped to illuminate the area just enough to give him light to see by that the moon did not provide adequately.  As the pair approached the cliffs, he shook his head and sighed.  He should have known.  With the sky as the perfect backdrop and the light construct emitting a very soft glow, he could see the dragon sitting back on its hind legs, looking down at a laid out Eleanara who appeared to be staring up at the stars.  One of her slender hands moved up to her face and wiped at her eyes; he smirked again with a shake of his head.  More tears…

                Quietly, he approached her and looked at the construct when it turned its head to peer at him in interest.  He shifted his attention to the woman on the ground and spoke, “Are you done crying?”

                Immediately, Eleanara sat bolt upright and looked about ready to flee again as she settled her gaze on him.  “Kyu!” she cried, scrambling to her feet quickly and looking inordinately uncertain and guilty.

                “Well?” he asked as patiently as he ever did.

                His face was hard to see in the dim light but he didn’t look mad.  Not that she could tell half the time anyway, but she gathered her courage and bowed low before blurting, “I’m sorry!”

                “Aish,” Kyuhyun sighed with a roll of his eyes.  “You say that too often,” he reminded her.

                Still bowed, she couldn’t stop the stream of words that poured from , “I know but I was wrong and I shouldn’t have said that earlier and I shouldn’t have run and I thought you would be mad because I was being dumb and it does bother me when they ask for my help all the time and I always tell you that it doesn’t because I don’t want you to worry only you do anyway and it doesn’t help and then I feel guilty because I want you to be happy and I don’t want to hurt you and I have to tell you that-“

                Before she could finish, strong arms pulled her into his embrace and pressed her cheek against his chest as he cupped the back of her head with his hand.  “Nara,” he stated softly as his lips came to rest against the top of her head.  “It’s alright.  I know, dummy,” he laughed, the term spoken in an affectionate manner.

                “I’m sorry,” she murmured again as her arms tightened around him and she felt his laughter rumble through him.

                “I know,” he repeated and kissed the top of her head softly.  When she calmed down enough, he finally pushed her back just a little bit and smiled down at her.  “Now.  There was something you wanted to tell me?” he prompted lightly.

                As she had been laying here staring at the sky, she had been trying unsuccessfully to find a way to tell him that she was sorry and that she was pregnant.  A couple of thoughts had seemed doable and not too shocking but everything that she had tried to come up with abruptly went out the window as she saw him looking down at her with those beautiful brown eyes; nothing but affection shining through.  “I’m pregnant,” she stated, still staring up at him.

                Kyuhyun blinked in confusion, positive that he had misunderstood her.  “Huh?  You’re…”

                “Pregnant?” she finished uncertainly for him, not sure how to react.

                “How?!  What…?  You’re…  Umm,” he stumbled back a step and couldn’t find the words to say much of anything intelligible as he fumbled awkwardly for a response.  As he struggled, he watched the uncertainty slide back over her features and he realized how much his reaction was making her nervous and unclear about her admission.

                Eleanara bit her lip and took a hesitant step back.  It was as she feared.  He wasn’t ready…  It wasn’t the good news she wanted it to be.  Oh dear…  What was she going to do now?  “I’m…uh…I’m just…”  She looked around trying to find the construct again…

                “You are a dummy,” she heard spoken behind her before she felt warm hands clasp her face and pull her into a deep and loving kiss.  Easily, she melted into his embrace, feeling every worry and fear just fade away in light of his response and the feel of his body pressed against her under the night sky.  Kyuhyun pulled back with real reluctance and stared down at her face as the concern just disappeared.  He used his thumbs to wipe away the rest of her tears and smiled at her genuinely.

                “I thought…” she started to say uncertainly before she stopped herself and flushed under his gaze, an embarrassed smile crossing her face.

                “Uh-huh,” he snorted softly.  “You just surprised me,” he told her, still feeling himself shake inside with the new knowledge.  He had certainly not been expecting that news…  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he asked instead.

                Eleanara looked back up at him and smiled warmly.  “I just found out today for sure,” she admitted, placing her hands against her abdomen and drawing both their gazes downward.

                Well that certainly explained a fair few of her reactions lately.  Tentatively, Kyuhyun reached a hand down to place on top of hers and he smiled.  “Do you know…?”

                “I’ve no idea,” she admitted, not sure how she would know one way or the other anyway what she was carrying.

                Kyuhyun nodded thoughtfully and then used his hand to pick her chin up so she would look him in the eyes again.  “Either way, I’m sure I’ll love them just as much as I love you.”  She gave him that breathtaking smile then; the one that could light up the sky and the one he had fallen for her because of.

                She didn’t trust herself to speak just then, so she let her lips answer for her as she reached up to pull him into her kiss.  As he responded and held her closer, she slid her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his lips pressing against hers, hungry and passionate.

                “Well then,” he murmured as he stopped kissing her to speak.  “Let’s get you home, shall we?” he asked playfully as he stooped to catch her legs under one arm and her shoulders under the other.  Eleanara giggled in delight while she kept her arms looped around his neck and he hefted her into is arms more comfortably.

                “Home sounds good,” she agreed warmly, resting her head against his shoulder.  When he started walking, her worries and uncertainties drifted away, gone as if they’d never been.  As usual, he was right.

(a/n:  So?  Yay or nay?  Would you be interested in seeing other pairings?  I had thought about it - it's part of the reason I didn't mark the one shots as complete after the Reunion scenes - but wasn't sure.  Still playing with the idea in my head.  I'll let you know when I do I suppose.  ^_^)