Title: Let Me Stay
Fandom: Final Fantasy VI
Characters: Edgar Figaro x Terra Branford
Prompt: 079. When?
Word Count: 1065
Rating: G
Summary: Have you ever wondered when you felt so taken?
Author's Notes: Post-game
He did not visit as often as she had hoped, though his periodical stops and the invitations to parties every now and then were enough--at least that was what she was trying to tell herself--to get her by another day. But his absence from her side was a constant struggle; Terra knew that he had things to do and that visiting was basically out of the question...but there was just an empty feeling in her heart without him there.
...her heart?
With the slightest shake of her head the woman set the needle and ripped shirt she had been holding to her lap, settling her hands there shortly after. Where had that come from? It was a silly thought, it really was. Why would her heart be feeling empty without the king of Figaro’s presence? It made no sense.
Or did it?
Terra scowled at her own thoughts. Thinking that way about the king was something she had told herself to never do. After all, had he not just been acting himself and just teasing her with the flirting? That was what he did best…right? He was a well known flirt, especially when with a woman around, though she could not really recall a moment when he had paid her little attention and gave it to a woman he barely knew. His attention had seemed to just settle itself on Terra more and more over the time they had spent together, his occasional flirting turning (dare she even think it?) more than just that, it had maybe felt like he meant the things he was saying.
And if he had meant all those and she had just been pushing aside those words as meaningless ways of flirting…then did that mean she had been pushing Edgar away as well?
The pang in her chest brought her to reality, or perhaps it had been the sound of a knock on her bedroom door. Whichever it had been had brought her thoughts and senses back enough so that focus was on that of a tall figure with long blond hair and soft blue eyes. She had not even heard his boots on the wood floor, nor had she heard the children calling for her to tell her that they had a guest.
A flush of pink to her cheeks Terra put the needle and shirt to her bed and stood, smoothing the bottom of her dress before offering him the best of smiles she could. “You decided to visit.”
“To be away from a beauty such as you was troublesome… I find it much easier to think and focus on tasks at hand when you’re nearby.” A smile flashed as her flush turned a deeper shade; her ears were burning and she prayed to the gods he would not make mention of it. The last thing she needed was Edgar Figaro pointing out her flush when she full well knew it was there.
But why was it him that made her heart flutter the way it did, from just a single glance or soft smile? Was it because…
“You’re words are much too kind.” It was the best response she could think of, Terra’s mind far too caught up with trying to come up with an explanation for the reasoning behind her fast beating heart and flushing face at the simplest of sweet words.
“Only for you, Terra.”
“…Ed…gar.” Hard. It was hard to say his name as he stood there with a thoughtful gaze; hug her or not to hug her. Leave or stay. Kiss her or let her keep up her thoughts he felt nothing more than just a friend to her. If those were the thoughts swimming through his mind then they were far too easy to read from his gaze and she wished he would just as soon look away as he had arrived. “Will you… That is to say, how long are you planning to stay?”
No quick response. His gaze moved to the shirt the green haired woman had been mending, blue eyes studying it for a moment before turning right back to her face to catch her questioning gaze. Edgar chuckled. “If you would let me, I was hoping for a few days.”
“It…” She blinked and turned away, folding her hands over her chest and swallowed. It was a chore to will her heart to stop hammering, to stop her face from turning redder than it was…to tell herself to stop from just moving up to him and throw her arms about his waist and hug him.
It was not…She could not do that.
He was her friend, her king. What would he see in her? She was just a half-Esper who could no longer use her magic; a woman who had once been the dog and slave to the Empire, killing thousands of innocents and shading the ground red with blood. Why would he want anything to do with her knowing that?
“…and I would like to be here with you, as well.”
“Excuse me?” She turned with green eyes wide as they fell to his face. “What… Edgar?”
“I told you, Terra, it’s a troubling thing to do when it comes to being away from you.” And Edgar meant every word and meaning of that; it was purely evident from the way he stared at her, the way he moved to stand before her…the way his arms went around her to pull her into a loose embrace.
“Oh…” She breathed, surprised and taken by shock at this entirely new feeling threatening her mind and heart. What was it? She had known the love of the children but this, this was an entirely different feeling from that or anything she had ever felt before.
“Let me stay, Terra.”
And with a sigh Terra wrapped her arms about his waist and hugged him; he was so close and asking to be closer. Who was she to deny him that? He wanted to be there and she wanted him there…
“Of course you can.” Her face buried to his chest she let a short pause catch after the reply, a feeling of safeness swelling within her. Oh how she did like being held in his arms. She believed she had figured out the internal question of ‘When had my heart started belonging to the king?’ at just that moment.
BIG DAMN TABLE.