[Final Fantasy IV] White Roses
Pairings/Characters: Kain, Rosa (Kain/Rosa unrequited, implied Cecil/Rosa)
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Notes: Written for my Kain claim at mount_ordeals, themes #19 Flowers, #34 Cold, #37 Silence, #96 Winter. 527 words. Beta reading by celeloriel.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IV belongs to Squaresoft. I own neither the characters nor the setting, nor do I make any profit from my fanfiction, which is purely for my own enjoyment.
Summary: Kain and Rosa grieve for Cecil.
Rosa wept as she laid the bouquet of white roses on the freshly turned earth. Kain watched from a distance, protecting her from those who would intrude on her grief. It was an icy, chill day in Baron, with thick clouds of snowflakes swirling and dancing on their way to the ground.
Far too pretty a sight for the day of Cecil's funeral.
He stood for an hour in the snow, unmoving, both watching and not-watching Rosa. She needed to go inside. They both did. But short of knocking her unconscious, Kain knew he could not make her leave until she was ready.
At last she rose stiffly and stumbled toward him, shivering and with her teeth chattering. Kain picked her up and carried her to the castle, such a slight weight in his arms. Her eyes were swollen and reddened. He carried her inside and up to her chambers, setting her carefully by the chair in front of the fire and brushing the snow from her hair. She stood, staring at nothing.
"Rosa." He spoke her name quietly. "You need to put on dry clothes. You'll take ill."
She didn't move.
"Rosa." He snapped his fingers in front of her face, and swore when she didn't even blink. Gritting his teeth, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face. Slowly her gaze shifted to his face, her eyes focusing on his. "Get changed," he said. "You'll take ill."
"It doesn't matter," she murmured. "He's gone."
"Yes. He's gone, Rosa, but you are not. However much you may want to join him out there--" Kain gestured in the direction of Cecil's grave.
"How can you say that? He was practically your brother!"
"I say it because he would not want this. If you won't think of yourself, then at least think of your children!"
He matched her glare until she turned away, reaching for the clasps of her tunic. He turned away and focused on the vase of white roses on the dresser--roses he knew Cecil had replaced as soon as they began to wilt.
The quiet rustling sounds behind him ceased. "Are you quite satisfied now, Kain?" Rosa asked, with a savage edge to her voice he had never heard from her before.
He turned to face her again. She was still shivering, wrapped up in a thick robe with snowflakes melting in her blonde hair. "Sit by the fire," he said quietly. "You need to warm up."
She stumbled to the left-hand chair before the fire, keeping her face averted from the larger chair on the right. Kain waited until she was seated. "Stay here and get warm," he said. "I will go make sure that Bryant and Kayla are all right."
"No." Slender, icy fingers wrapped around his wrist. "I can't--please stay."
He stood sentinel by her chair until at last her shivering eased and she drowsed, and then he tucked her quietly into her bed and left the chamber, leaving a candle burning beside the bed in case she should wake.
Whenever the white roses in Rosa's chamber began to fade, Kain had them replaced with new ones.
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Notes: Written for my Kain claim at mount_ordeals, themes #19 Flowers, #34 Cold, #37 Silence, #96 Winter. 527 words. Beta reading by celeloriel.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IV belongs to Squaresoft. I own neither the characters nor the setting, nor do I make any profit from my fanfiction, which is purely for my own enjoyment.
Summary: Kain and Rosa grieve for Cecil.
Rosa wept as she laid the bouquet of white roses on the freshly turned earth. Kain watched from a distance, protecting her from those who would intrude on her grief. It was an icy, chill day in Baron, with thick clouds of snowflakes swirling and dancing on their way to the ground.
Far too pretty a sight for the day of Cecil's funeral.
He stood for an hour in the snow, unmoving, both watching and not-watching Rosa. She needed to go inside. They both did. But short of knocking her unconscious, Kain knew he could not make her leave until she was ready.
At last she rose stiffly and stumbled toward him, shivering and with her teeth chattering. Kain picked her up and carried her to the castle, such a slight weight in his arms. Her eyes were swollen and reddened. He carried her inside and up to her chambers, setting her carefully by the chair in front of the fire and brushing the snow from her hair. She stood, staring at nothing.
"Rosa." He spoke her name quietly. "You need to put on dry clothes. You'll take ill."
She didn't move.
"Rosa." He snapped his fingers in front of her face, and swore when she didn't even blink. Gritting his teeth, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face. Slowly her gaze shifted to his face, her eyes focusing on his. "Get changed," he said. "You'll take ill."
"It doesn't matter," she murmured. "He's gone."
"Yes. He's gone, Rosa, but you are not. However much you may want to join him out there--" Kain gestured in the direction of Cecil's grave.
"How can you say that? He was practically your brother!"
"I say it because he would not want this. If you won't think of yourself, then at least think of your children!"
He matched her glare until she turned away, reaching for the clasps of her tunic. He turned away and focused on the vase of white roses on the dresser--roses he knew Cecil had replaced as soon as they began to wilt.
The quiet rustling sounds behind him ceased. "Are you quite satisfied now, Kain?" Rosa asked, with a savage edge to her voice he had never heard from her before.
He turned to face her again. She was still shivering, wrapped up in a thick robe with snowflakes melting in her blonde hair. "Sit by the fire," he said quietly. "You need to warm up."
She stumbled to the left-hand chair before the fire, keeping her face averted from the larger chair on the right. Kain waited until she was seated. "Stay here and get warm," he said. "I will go make sure that Bryant and Kayla are all right."
"No." Slender, icy fingers wrapped around his wrist. "I can't--please stay."
He stood sentinel by her chair until at last her shivering eased and she drowsed, and then he tucked her quietly into her bed and left the chamber, leaving a candle burning beside the bed in case she should wake.
Whenever the white roses in Rosa's chamber began to fade, Kain had them replaced with new ones.