A/N: Oh, yay, another ToS fanfiction! This was actually written about a week ago, but it seemed a lot shittier last week, so I didn't try to do anything to it... It's not the best thing I've ever written, but I kinda like it. Tell me if you find any errors, guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia: DotNW or any of the other Tales of games, sadly.

Trust Me

Ratatosk couldn't believe what he was hearing. Emil must have hit his head sometime during the day as what he had just said to him was possibly one of the most ridiculous things anyone could have ever said to him in these ten thousand years that he'd been alive.

And that was really saying something.

It couldn't be helped that he laughed at the very idea of it. Emil looked dismal at his reaction, but still Ratatosk managed to speak, his laughter ceasing abruptly, "You're hilarious." The words were said so flatly and without an ounce of his previously displayed amusement that it could've been taken as sarcasm.

"Ratatosk, I really mean it!"

"Uh-huh. Right."

Honestly, Emil was convincing no one, especially not Ratatosk. Few had ever dared to trust Ratatosk-especially not some stupid kid like Emil. Few had dared to trust him and the summon spirit was fully content to have it stay that way. But Emil's arms were crossed and there was this unfamiliar scowl on his face, like he'd been serious and he was upset that Ratatosk didn't believe him.

Not that that was making his claim any more credible.

"Ratatosk!" Emil looked offended, he noted with faint surprise. "I mean it! I trust you!" His urge to laugh was renewed, but it was shot down when Emil's expression didn't change. Not to mention he was still wearing that infuriating pout.

"Emil!" he began, copying the tone the other boy had used, "I mean it! You're hilarious!"

And there it was: His expression didn't change. Red eyes blinked curiously at his counterpart. Perhaps... No. No one trusted Ratatosk, except for his Centurions, and he'd even lost some of that trust. The only people who "trusted" him were the little bastards that had managed to convince him of that so they could get something from him.

That had to be it; Emil wanted something.

"What the hell do you want?" Ratatosk asked abruptly after a moment, surprising his green-eyed twin. For a moment, Emil stood staring at him owlishly, before he clarified, "You're going through all this trouble to convince me that you 'trust' me. You obviously want something from me."

He looked surprised.

"I don't want anything..."

Now that was funny.

Every human wanted something. Emil might be his other self, but he was raised just like every other mortal was; it didn't excuse him from being a greedy little bastard just like the rest of them were.

After all, it was only when they wanted something that they came to Ratatosk.

Trust had nothing to do with it; they were just trying to butter him up and lull him into a false sense of security.

And yet Ratatosk was getting a different vibe from the disheartened male, like what he was trying to convey wasn't a petty lie and like he really wasn't trying to get something out of "trusting" one of the most powerful summon spirits. He considered what the harm would be in believing the male for a moment before sighing, grabbing the attention of the other boy. "Fine," he muttered, earning a smile from Emil. "Just don't think you can take that back and ask for something later!" His roar didn't affect Emil, who simply nodded, still smiling from ear-to-ear.

And suddenly, Ratatosk believed him.

A/N: Well, I hope you liked that little one-shot. Criticism is always appreciated!