Author's Note: This is a Tales of Symphonia one-shot that I did for fun a while ago. As far as I'm aware, there aren't any spoilers.

A Different Song

"Hey, Kratos!"

The crimson-haired mercenary didn't even so much as budge, but his serious gaze landed on Lloyd all the same. The teenager loped over to him, grinning brightly.

"Why don't you take a break and join us? You've got to be pretty bored from sitting there so long," Lloyd offered, running a hand nervously through his own auburn hair.

Kratos merely returned his gaze to the horizon.

"Or not..." Lloyd added with uncertainty, dropping his arm back to hang at his side, shoulders slouching.

"I was not hired to socialize or to 'take a break' as you call it. My job is to protect the Chosen," Kratos replied finally with a half-hearted sigh, "and only that."

"Yeah, but-" Lloyd was interrupted as Kratos' eyes fell on him once again. He thought that maybe that look actually meant something, but with Kratos, you could never tell exactly what that something was.

"Well, uh, okay, but, if you change your mind, that's cool," Lloyd stumbled over his words in a final attempt to crack open the swordsman before he gave up altogether.

Kratos watched Lloyd as he returned to where the others were seated more-or-less in a circle. Perhaps he could have afforded to relax for a while, but the past had taught him to never let his guard down.

Ever.

"Okay," Colette was saying as she gathered up a jumbled stack of sheet music with notes and lyrics printed on them, "Lloyd, I think it's your turn."

"Uh, right, I guess it is," he laughed softly before taking the stack from his friend and shifting through it, "Hmm... well, to be honest I don't know a lot of these songs."

"It's okay!" Colette assured him with a smile, "I'll be happy to teach you the ones that you don't know!"

Genis, who was sitting beside his older sister Raine, groaned quietly, "You know, you don't have to teach him, Colette. I mean, even if you do, he-- ow!"

Raine had just jabbed him with her elbow. She shot the younger half-elf a look and shook her head in warning. Even if Lloyd couldn't sing on-key, there was no use in pointing it out. Of course, a person such as Raine would have no place to say so - her cooking was horrible, and the whole world knew it.

"Hey, I found one," Lloyd announced with a grin. With that he straightened and adjusted one of his sleeves which had risen up on his arm.

With Colette nodding encouragement, Lloyd began singing the words carefully at first and then more carelessly with each passing second as he became a little more sure of himself.

Kratos, who was without a doubt close enough to make out every note, closed his eyes and sighed. When he could withstand the attack on his eardrums no longer, he stood and made his way over to the others. His annoyance must have been present in his aura, because everyone -save Lloyd - fell silent.

Kratos Aurion simply stood there and waited with his arms crossed and his back straight. When Lloyd was done (rather when he finally turned back around after ending the song and spotted Kratos standing beside him) he practically shrank into the ground.

Colette took this opportunity to clap her hands together three times, smiling nervously.

"Lloyd... your singing is terrible," Kratos informed him with no other explanation.

"Well, okay..." Lloyd cautioned with a sheepish smile, "I guess I'm not really that good..."

"That doesn't even begin to describe it," Kratos added with a sigh, bringing one hand up to his forehead and the other to rest on the hilt of his sword.

"Although you sure do like putting down everything I do," Lloyd pointed out smartly, getting over the initial shock and now trying to reason with the more experienced swordsman, "First it's my sword skills, and now it's my voice. I guess you must be a master at singing just like you are at sword fighting."

"Not really."

"Yeah, well, if you think I'm doing something wrong, it's only natural for you to give an example of the correct way to do it, right?" Lloyd flashed a cheesy grin now that he felt more comfortable with the situation.

Kratos, on the other hand, was not entirely pleased.

"Lloyd, I do not sing."

"Oh, please sing a song for us, Mr. Kratos," Colette pleaded, clasping her hands together in her lap, "Since you have such a deep voice, I bet it'd be really soothing. If nothing else, you could sing a hymn to Martel."

How had he gotten roped into this? Kratos blinked in the Chosen's direction, but was interrupted in this action when Lloyd took hold of the hand that was resting on the sword and gave Kratos a tug towards the center of the camp.

Being used to such reckless advances in battle, Kratos managed not to trip, but the move was awkward. Kratos' eyes widened in confusion as Lloyd let him go and gave him the thumbs up.

"Go for it. Even if you're bad, we're not going to laugh at you," he grinned, adding quietly, "even if you did just insult me..."

Kratos let out another sigh. Glancing towards Raine, the voice of reason, and receiving only the look of a teacher who was not going to get involved.

"Very well..." Kratos agreed finally.

Casting his eyes up again at the stars and shutting his eyes, Kratos began to sing in a low voice that had gained a rough undertone over the years.

To be honest, Kratos' singing was no better than his own, but as Lloyd listened, for a moment something in his deep voice seemed lonely and familiar at the same time. Lloyd, however, couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Kratos had decided his singing lessons were over and was now watching Lloyd again.

"Not too shabby," Lloyd admitted, "I guess I'll keep working on it."

The mercenary made a "hmp" noise in response and began to stride back towards his post.

Genis merely shook his head. It didn't seem like Kratos was ever going to open up to them.

"Hey Kratos!" Lloyd called after him.

Stopping, he turned only his head, "What is it, Lloyd?"

"I was just thinking, you really should join in more often. It might be fun," was his answer.

Kratos returned his attention forward, "We'll see, Lloyd, we'll see..."