[Thread; Closed]

[waitedinwinhill]

Characters: Laguna and Raine
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Too much waiting, lots of explaining
Location: Evil Forest
Date: February, 1804
Warnings: Wibbles, by the bucketload.

Comments

[prez_leg_cramp]

And that was how Laguna Loire found his wife. Fast asleep, looking exhausted (just like in that dream), and beautiful. Silently, he crouched down beside her and softly took her hands into his own. He rubbed them softly.

He honest to Hyne had no idea what to say to her when she did awaken. What he would exactly explain. Nothing. He was sure Squall and Ellone found her post by now and had already spoken to her. Laguna also had no idea what was said. There was going to be a lot of explaining and much of it... much of it he didn't want to explain.

Who ever wanted to be told that their husband arrived too late and because his wife was dead, had no idea where the children were taken too? Who wanted to be told that your own hometown wouldn't even tell the father of those children where they had been sent to, because they hated him so? Laguna could barely bear the hurt and pain it had caused and it was only through these seventeen years that his heart had healed.

But now it felt like it was being ripped in two again. Raine was alive. But

[waitedinwinhill]

Raine was barely aware of Laguna's presence, just barely stirring as he took her hands. But when he cupped her face, she groggily nuzzled into that caress. She'd know that hand anywhere, awake or asleep.

"Mm, Laguna...you're here." Her eyes stayed shut, however. He was here with her, so it had to be a dream. A good dream. One that she didn't want to wake up from. But wake from it, she was slowly doing. "You're late," she murmured, as she unwillingly blinked into wakefulness, smile gradually spreading as she saw him.

Something seemed different, but in her grog and the dark of the night, she couldn't figure out what. Nor did she care. After of months of waiting, longing, missing him so much, he was right in front of her. Raine flung herself against Laguna, holding him tight. He was here! He was real! All that other nonsense with the phone and the moogles and being pulled from a stump was not only forgotten but not even taken into consideration. What was important was that Laguna was here, with her now, and now she could tell him.

[prez_leg_cramp]

Laguna made an 'oof!' sound as he caught her, holding her tight as well. He buried his face into her hair and rubbed her back.

"Easy, easy," He murmured, though for Raine or himself he couldn't tell. He was simply struggling not to cry as he held the woman he had missed for seventeen years in his arms. "I know I'm late... 'M very late..."

[waitedinwinhill]

She stayed there, cheek resting on Laguna's chest, simply listening to the familiar cadence of his heart beating. Raine had no interest in scolding or nagging now that he was with her and she knew he was real. She'd show all the gossipy villagers who claimed he'd walked out on her. Hogwash. Even when sometimes she'd have twinges of doubt, she never lost faith in him.

"I told them you'd be back," she admitted with a tone of smug defiance. "I can't wait for them to see you." Raine shifted, so she could look up into his face, just to re-memorize every feature, every contour. One hand strayed up, so her fingers could brush his hair out of his face. He looked... older somehow, weary. Sad.

Her head tilted a fraction, eyes full of unspoken questions. The only one she issued aloud was the simple inflection of his name. "Laguna?"

[prez_leg_cramp]

Laguna's brows were furrowed as he looked at her. "They won't be seeing me, sweetie."

He didn't want to tell her. He didn't. But it would be too hard not to and besides, she didn't deserve being lied to. Laguna wouldn't be able to no matter how are he wanted to keep it a secret.

"I... I didn't come back. Not in time," He whispered. "I'm so sorry."

[waitedinwinhill]

Raine already knew that. She'd given birth to their son that morning. Was it really only that long ago? For a fleeting second, she wistfully thought of his tiny hands and bright blue eyes and healthy set of lungs and a smile twitched on her lips. One that faded as she watched Laguna. Something was wrong

[prez_leg_cramp]

Laguna shook his head. "No. I wasn't in time to... to get them before the villagers sent them to an orphanage."

This was getting harder and harder to tell. He didn't want to say it in full. That she had died in his absence and therefore wouldn't raise his kids as he should have. "I... I was too late. For everything."

Laguna shakily ran his fingers through her hair. "Squall is twenty one and growing now. Ellone is a young woman and... and I missed it all."

[waitedinwinhill]

"Orphanage?!" It came out far sharper than Raine intended, but the meaning conveyed well enough the shock and anger that compelled her outburst. "Why in the world would they send them to a-" The remainder of the words died on her lips as she began to realize the answer to her own question. "No. No..."

It wasn't even coping with the prospect of dying that distressed Raine, although it did, as much as the idea of the children being sent away. Left alone. Why would they do such a thing? Couldn't someone have taken them in? Anyone? Just until Laguna came home. Did they hate him that much that they couldn't even stand the sight of his son? Did they truly believe he'd abandoned them and would never return

[prez_leg_cramp]

Laguna was silent for a few moments before he swallowed thickly. "The childbirth. It... was too much. You had... you'd... it was shortly after."

They didn't tell him when it actually happened so he never knew how late he had been, just that he was. When he had gotten there, they blamed him for everything. Laguna believed them too. Had he been there sooner, he could have probably saved her.

The sight of her bottom lip trembling broke his heart. His thumb swiped across it. "Don't cry," He murmured, pulling her back to his chest. "I'm here...I'm here."

[waitedinwinhill]

He sounded so broken. Her beloved, annoying, silly, frustrating, goofball of a husband was serious and so sad. Raine clung to him, drawing strength from being held, and all the while wilting inside that she'd done this to him. Why didn't I tell him?

There were things she needed to know, too many to ask all at once. But a horrible thought dawned on her. "That was this morning. Does that mean...?" She could not bring herself to finish that question. Was she only here to make him watch her die again? Once was bad enough. "You... oh Laguna, I'm so sorry. I should have told you. I should have asked you to come home."

She'd once patched him up when he was dragged in broken, but how did anyone ever heal grief?

[prez_leg_cramp]

"I don't know," He murmured, though he wasn't sure if she really was going to die again. After all, despite this being the Evil Forest, wasn't this place also the one that housed that healing spring or something? He had heard of it, anyway, in passing.

It sparked hope in him but he didn't mention it. He didn't want to bring his own hopes up only have them broken. Laguna shook his head and shifted slightly to bring his arm beneath her knees and lifted her up. He may have gotten older but he was still strong. "It's... don't be sorry. We both didn't know how long it would take nor did I expect them to ask me to stay and help rebuild."

[waitedinwinhill]

Raine found she was too tired to protest being carried; a truth she found irritating, since she was still accustomed to her independent ways. Yet there was something undeniably comforting at finding herself in her husband's arms. Comforting enough to almost forget everything he'd told her. But not fully.

"How long did you stay?" Loaded question. She wanted to know how long their children were left alone before he came home. How late was he?

[prez_leg_cramp]

Laguna was silent for several moments, unsure of how to answer quite yet. He truthfully didn't remember how long he had been gone. A few months late? Weeks? He sighed softly. "I... don't know. I had to wait until I was sure they could handle the rebuild on their own."

He stepped into the small airship and gently set her in one of the seats. He knelt down next to the chair and cupped her face. "It... at this point, I don't think it matters anymore. I was late. Bottom line."

[waitedinwinhill]

The feel of his hand on her face provided much needed comfort, grounding. She leaned into it, and yet kept her sights fixed on Laguna's face, still drinking in the sight of him, while her blue eyes searched frantically for answers. "But you're here now. That matters." Raine would hold onto that. It kept her from falling into despair and longing for her newborn. No, too late. "I'll miss everything," she choked out before the tears began to fall in earnest.

I still fail apparently

[prez_leg_cramp]

Laguna pressed his forehead against Raine's. "I know," He murmured, his thumb swiping at her tears even as his own finally began to fall. "I missed everything too." He pulled her up again and sat in the chair, setting her on his lap as he held her. They were both missed everything and to anyone else, they were probably the least likely people to deserve such a fate.

But Laguna already knew for it to be true and nothing could stop it, not even Gaia. It was a fate he long ago accepted and he hated it. But at the very least, he got to hold Raine in his arms, right here, right now. Seventeen years and he hadn't realized exactly how much he missed doing such a simple thing until this very moment.

"I love you."

Me too :|

[waitedinwinhill]

"I love you." The words came out as a whisper, but filled with intensity. It had been her anchor all those lonely months, that they loved each other and would be together soon. But the bitterness of the truth couldn't be held at bay, even as much as she love Laguna, and the tears fell all the more. Tears that weren't just from the shock but every one she'd bottled up in his absence.

When she lifted her head, Raine realized she'd quite soaked Laguna's shirt and dabbed at the damp spots with her hand. "You're all wet."