Eight Days of Luke (Plus Fifty-Two) // Three
The day before Teodoro’s funeral, Luke, Tear, and Natalia took to walking around Yulia City in hopes of distracting a certain Melodist. Natalia asked the sort of questions Guy would ask; while her motives were fairly obvious, Tear seemed to welcome the diversion. She stopped short suddenly, the familiar haze on her face, as a mother walked by with an infant in her arms. Natalia smiled, hiding her mouth with her hand, while Luke chuckled quietly.
The mother disappeared around a corner, and Tear snapped out of her trance. She looked to the aristocratic cousins staring at her and blushed. “W-what?” she stuttered, avoiding their gaze.
“Oh, nothing,” Natalia replied, a knowing grin on her lips.
Moments later, a toddler rushed towards them, crashing into Luke’s legs. The boy fell over, bottom lip quivering. “Hey, kid, you okay?” Luke asked, crouching down. Tear fell to her knees at once, checking for injuries.
“I l-lost my mommy!” the child cried, latching onto Tear’s outstretched arm. She blushed but pulled him closer, allowing the boy to weep into her chest.
Natalia crouched down as well. “Where did you see her last? Perhaps we can help you find her.”
“I, I don’t know!” he sniffled, and Tear pat his head. Luke sighed, and Natalia attempted to sooth him through soft ‘shhs.’
A shadow fell on them from above, and Luke looked up. “And what do we have here?” asked a familiar count, smiling.
“A lost kid,” Luke grinned, getting to his feet to greet his friend. “When did you get here, Guy?”
“About an hour ago,” Guy replied, crossing his arms. “I asked about you all, and they said you were wandering around.”
Natalia stood. “It is nice to see you again, Guy.”
“Same to you, Natalia.”
“Waaaaah!” the boy cried, bringing the attention back on him. Tear held him close, humming in his ear, attempting to calm him down. “I want my mommy!!”
“We’ll find her,” Tear said in a voice very unlike her hardened soldier’s tone. When he still didn’t relax, she began to sing in a hushed tenor, and a familiar tune carried into her friends’ ears. When she finished, the boy fell asleep, and she smiled. With a hand from Luke, Tear got to her feet, holding the toddler protectively. “Let’s ask around. When he wakes up, I’d like him to be with his mother.”
“Of course,” Luke nodded, smiling. As the four of them set out, he watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she’d look like with a child of her own to cradle.
When they found the child’s parents later, Luke couldn’t help but notice she looked almost regretful as she passed the boy to his worried mother.
(tbc)
The mother disappeared around a corner, and Tear snapped out of her trance. She looked to the aristocratic cousins staring at her and blushed. “W-what?” she stuttered, avoiding their gaze.
“Oh, nothing,” Natalia replied, a knowing grin on her lips.
Moments later, a toddler rushed towards them, crashing into Luke’s legs. The boy fell over, bottom lip quivering. “Hey, kid, you okay?” Luke asked, crouching down. Tear fell to her knees at once, checking for injuries.
“I l-lost my mommy!” the child cried, latching onto Tear’s outstretched arm. She blushed but pulled him closer, allowing the boy to weep into her chest.
Natalia crouched down as well. “Where did you see her last? Perhaps we can help you find her.”
“I, I don’t know!” he sniffled, and Tear pat his head. Luke sighed, and Natalia attempted to sooth him through soft ‘shhs.’
A shadow fell on them from above, and Luke looked up. “And what do we have here?” asked a familiar count, smiling.
“A lost kid,” Luke grinned, getting to his feet to greet his friend. “When did you get here, Guy?”
“About an hour ago,” Guy replied, crossing his arms. “I asked about you all, and they said you were wandering around.”
Natalia stood. “It is nice to see you again, Guy.”
“Same to you, Natalia.”
“Waaaaah!” the boy cried, bringing the attention back on him. Tear held him close, humming in his ear, attempting to calm him down. “I want my mommy!!”
“We’ll find her,” Tear said in a voice very unlike her hardened soldier’s tone. When he still didn’t relax, she began to sing in a hushed tenor, and a familiar tune carried into her friends’ ears. When she finished, the boy fell asleep, and she smiled. With a hand from Luke, Tear got to her feet, holding the toddler protectively. “Let’s ask around. When he wakes up, I’d like him to be with his mother.”
“Of course,” Luke nodded, smiling. As the four of them set out, he watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she’d look like with a child of her own to cradle.
When they found the child’s parents later, Luke couldn’t help but notice she looked almost regretful as she passed the boy to his worried mother.
(tbc)