Disclaimer: I own nothing. Atlantis is owned by Disney.
A/N: The idea for this story came from a prompt provided by Leona.
A/N 2: Reviews are Good. This has been a subtle hint from the author - Please return to your regularly scheduled reading.


Kida feels very badly for the thought as soon as it comes into her mind, but it is not the first time such a thing has occurred to her. And as they are seated cross legged across from each other, eating their evening meal, it is very apparent to her, that Milo and she will never be married.

She tilts her head studying him as he goes into detail about the dig site, food forgotten ( her forgotten ) and arms flailing in his excitement, and as the words he speaks become even more detailed (far more than she is able to follow - for Kida might know his language but she has not studied his field of research ) she doubts they will even make it very long as a couple at all.

And, honestly Kida thinks if Milo is to be wed to anything in life, it is to be this : to his work, his studies.

Living within Atlantis for the many years they were stuck under the protected dome, refused their former pursuits of war, a significant fraction of the population chose academia as their new path.

Researching what happened that awful day, researching the crystals, researching the machines that no longer worked. Some made new discoveries into such simple things as the air they breathed or other aspects of nature around them.

So, Kida understood this way of life; it simply saddens her that she did not see earlier ( before emotions began to be involved on both sides ) that to Milo she would always come second to these things of which he speaks, to his discoveries.

Because he is attracted to her - yes, she has seen this many of times in the way he looks upon her ( in the ways he will stumble upon his words and blush ). He might even have a fondness that he has mistaken for love towards her - but she has seen far greater passion from Milo directed at the discovery of some new artifact, than has ever been directed upon her.

And Kida has lived a long time - much longer than Milo - by now she knows many things about the ways of people, but more importantly perhaps, she knows herself. Knows well that she cannot take being second in some man's favor (even when first is not another living being), and be happy in her life. She also knows from just the short time she has spent with him that Milo is a good man, and that if he knew she did so, just to please him, he would feel immense guilt.

So, less than a week after his people leave, Kida interrupts Milo's excited ramblings about a bit of cookware, from a generation before the time of the Great Flood, a team of academics found, and gently tells him, in a tone kept steady with strong control, that they are friends but not beloved.

He freezes, eyes wide as a startled animal behind his round glasses

" Kida ?" he asks, his confusion clear, and she feels such compassion towards this brave, kind man, reaching forward she brushed a bit of hair off of his forehead and smiled sadly.

"I need to be first in someone's life, Milo Thatch," she says plainly. "I do not wish to change you, do not wish to take away your wonder and sense of great discovery of each and every aspect of my city. You have been dear to Atlantis, dear to me - and you will always be welcome here. But your mind is busy with this. That is your first - I could not be content in such a life were I to be second."

"But - but, I could -," he started.

"No," Kida stopped him firmly, "you could not. You could not promise me this - give me hope - to only leave tomorrow and be caught up in the things which you find. You could not do this to me, again and again, and make me bitter. Break apart the friendship that we have."

She stood smoothly from her cross legged position: graceful, strong, proud, and - gentle , so very gentle in this moment as she gazed down at him. "You could not do this because you are a good man, Milo Thatch. And I will not let you make me hate you," she said quietly.

Then Kida simply left the room and Milo stared at where she had been for a long time.