Don't own Valkyrie Profile Two, although I DO want Rufus for my own! Lol ;)

… The K. Plains …

"Ow!" muttered Princess Alicia as they stumbled away from yet another successful confrontation. She rubbed at her neck, blinking in surprise at the smudge of red on her fingertips.

"What happened to you?" Leone asked, eyeing the younger woman curiously.

"One of them must've cut me," Alicia replied. The others stopped and turned to see what the holdup was. "What are you two doing?" demanded Rufus, stalking over to the pair of females. "Break a nail?"

"No. It looks like one of them bit her," Leone answered sourly, giving the half-elf a dirty look before sauntering off the join her partner.

Sighing, Rufus stepped closer and motioned to Alicia to move her hair. "Let me see," he told her. Nodding slightly, she pulled her hair away from her neck, tilting her head to give him a better look at her boo-boo. "Wow…it looks like a one of the bats had a taste for blood," he finally murmured as he gently prodded the wound. The skin around the two puncture marks was mildly puffed up and starting to bruise as Rufus studied it.

"They're making camp," Alicia told him, watching over his shoulder as the rest of the group started to set up tents and a fire about fifteen feet away.

"Why'd you guys want me to help anyway?"

"We didn't ask you to, you just came wandering over," she reminded him, flinching a bit as he probed the wound a little too hard. "Sorry," he muttered, squinting to get a better look. "Don't you have healing magic?"

"I can't see what I'm doing. I'd have to guess at where to cast it and pray that it works."

"Oh."

"Yes…"

"Well, I'll do my best, but I doubt that it'll be much," he teased, pulling various items and potions out of his bag. "However, I do know a cure that's been handed down for centuries…if you wanna try it, that is."

"Um, all right? Will it hurt?"

"No, of course not. But we have to be totally alone, OK?" Alicia nodded, accepting Rufus's hand when he reached down to pull her to her feet. "Follow me," he instructed, leading her around the side of a large rock, out of sight of their friends. "Ready?"

Alicia nodded, watching the half-elf with wide, curious eyes. "How does it work?" she asked, unable to quell her anxiousness. "Like this," Rufus whispered, leaning towards her neck. She felt a light, warm sensation on her neck before he withdrew, cheeks stained crimson. "Did it work?" she asked, lightly touching the now-healed area, her whole neck tingling like it was on fire.

"Yep," assured Rufus, grinning widely. Alicia squealed happily before hugging him in gratitude, questioning quietly, "What'd you do?"

"Just kissed it better," he replied nonchalantly.

Author's Note:: I actually did think this up while fighting those giant bats in the K.Plains (can't spell) and I love the Rufus/Alicia ship!!! I don't know if this will be my first/last fic. For them or not, however, so review and let me know!