Guy+Van
Title: Here's to the Future
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Word Count: 939
Spoilers: Guy and Van's past.
Summary: Van takes Guy to his family home for a special surprise. Written for glorious's Vanwork-a-thon.
"Vandesdelca, my feet hurt...!"
Van blinked at the small voice, and glanced back, smiling. "We're almost there, Master Gailardia. Just another few minutes."
Gailardia, toddling along behind him, rubbed at his eye as if trying to block off the tears that were threatening to overflow. "Y-you said that already!"
Sighing softly to himself, Vandesdelca took two steps towards him, closing the distance, and gently lifted the little boy into his arms, somewhat awkwardly because they were both still young. Gailardia squealed delightedly and wrapped his arms around Van's neck. "Thank you, Vandesdelca!"
The smile returning, more musing this time. "It's not a problem, Master Gailardia."
"Guy!" Gailardia corrected, lips pursed into a pout. "Say Guy, okay? Mary calls me that!"
He didn't notice how Van's cheeks turned ever-so-slightly pink at the mention of his young master's sister. "Yes, Master Guy."
"Just Guy!"
"... Guy, then," Van laughed, earning Guy's bright smile. "Are you ready for your surprise?"
Guy blinked, lifting his head to peer at Van. "I really get a surprise? Really really?"
"I said you did, didn't I?" The elder boy laughed again when Guy hugged him gleefully. "Don't get too excited, because it's probably not what you think." He tapped Guy's nose, banishing away the short-lived pout. "It's not a toy or anything you can take home with you, but it's something we can share later."
"How much later?" Guy asked curiously, clinging to Van's shoulder.
"A few months," Van promised, heading up one last hill, revealing the Fende family home. Guy brightened instantly, which didn't escape Van's notice. "You like coming here?" he asked, carrying him across the yard towards the house.
Guy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! 'Cause Vandesdelca is fun, and I like your room, and your mama gave me a cookie last time!"
Van smirked. "I knew you remembered that part." Guy blinked innocently at him. "We're here to see Mother this time anyway."
"Yay!"
Once they reached the house, Guy squirmed until Van let him down. He hurried in excitedly as soon as the door was open, toddling to the kitchen and finding a woman at the stove. "Lady Fende, Lady Fende~!"
The woman blinked, glancing down at the child tugging on her apron, and smiled. "Master Gailardia! What a lovely surprise. Are you here to visit?"
Guy's head bobbed. "Yeah! With Vandesdelca! He says he has a surprise!"
"Is that so?" Lady Fende mused, lifting her eyes as Van stepped quietly into the kitchen. "What kind of surprise?"
Van approached them, lowering a hand to ruffle Guy's hair. "Master Gailardia-"
"Guy!"
"... Guy was saying he doesn't like being the smallest. I thought I'd show him it wouldn't be for long."
Guy's eyes lit up. "Really?!" he exclaimed, at the same time as Van's mother gave a light laugh.
"That's what this is about," she nodded, understanding. "You wanted to show off your little brother or sister."
There was a pause.
"... You have a brother?!"
"Or sister," Van grinned, crouching down in front of the excited boy. "They're not born yet, so we don't know."
"Not born?" Guy echoed, confused. "What? Where is it?"
Not responding at first, Lady Fende shuffled over to the table and sat down. "Come here, Master Gailardia," she gestured, waiting as he followed her. She motioned to Van as well, and he gently lifted their young master onto her lap. "The baby is right here."
"Where?" he asked again, utterly lost, until the woman took his hands and placed them on her stomach. "... Here?!"
She laughed a second time, and Guy could hear Van chuckling behind him. He pouted until she playfully tapped his nose. "Yes, right there. Babies grow there before they're born."
Guy blinked, leaning in closer, hands still pressed to her stomach. He didn't feel anything - except that her tummy was kind of hard, and not bouncy like the scary fat cook in the kitchen at home - but if Lady Fende said there was a baby, then there was definitely a baby. "When can it come out?"
"When he or she is ready," Lady Fende answered cryptically. After a moment and Guy's disappointed look, she amended, "We're never really sure, dear. Not for quite a few months, though. It's a very long process, and it's barely started."
"Oh..." Crestfallen, Guy started to rub her stomach lightly, as if encouraging the baby to grow faster. "Can I meet it when the baby comes out?"
"Why do you think I told you about it, silly?" Van teased. Lady Fende gave him a sharp reprimand for being so casual, but Guy didn't bat an eye, focused intently on her. After a moment, Van brushed a hand through his hair again, more gently this time. "Of course you'll meet the baby. They'll want to have someone to play with, and I'll be getting bigger. They might not want to play with a big kid."
"Nooo!" Guy protested immediately, staring up at Van with widened eyes, starting to water. "I love Vandesdelca! Vandesdelca's the most fun to play with ever!"
Van laughed, patting his head appreciatively. "We'll all play together then, won't we?" Guy nodded, pulling back his hands to rub the tears away.
"I hope you have a boy," Guy mumbled when he was finished, shifting closer to curl up in Lady Fende's lap, ear pressed against her stomach. "Girls are weird."
Vandesdelca and Lady Fende just smiled, but he didn't see it. He was listening for a voice he couldn't hear - and wouldn't, for more than sixteen years.
I'll be a good big brother, he promised the unborn baby silently. Just like Vandesdelca.
---
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Word Count: 939
Spoilers: Guy and Van's past.
Summary: Van takes Guy to his family home for a special surprise. Written for glorious's Vanwork-a-thon.
"Vandesdelca, my feet hurt...!"
Van blinked at the small voice, and glanced back, smiling. "We're almost there, Master Gailardia. Just another few minutes."
Gailardia, toddling along behind him, rubbed at his eye as if trying to block off the tears that were threatening to overflow. "Y-you said that already!"
Sighing softly to himself, Vandesdelca took two steps towards him, closing the distance, and gently lifted the little boy into his arms, somewhat awkwardly because they were both still young. Gailardia squealed delightedly and wrapped his arms around Van's neck. "Thank you, Vandesdelca!"
The smile returning, more musing this time. "It's not a problem, Master Gailardia."
"Guy!" Gailardia corrected, lips pursed into a pout. "Say Guy, okay? Mary calls me that!"
He didn't notice how Van's cheeks turned ever-so-slightly pink at the mention of his young master's sister. "Yes, Master Guy."
"Just Guy!"
"... Guy, then," Van laughed, earning Guy's bright smile. "Are you ready for your surprise?"
Guy blinked, lifting his head to peer at Van. "I really get a surprise? Really really?"
"I said you did, didn't I?" The elder boy laughed again when Guy hugged him gleefully. "Don't get too excited, because it's probably not what you think." He tapped Guy's nose, banishing away the short-lived pout. "It's not a toy or anything you can take home with you, but it's something we can share later."
"How much later?" Guy asked curiously, clinging to Van's shoulder.
"A few months," Van promised, heading up one last hill, revealing the Fende family home. Guy brightened instantly, which didn't escape Van's notice. "You like coming here?" he asked, carrying him across the yard towards the house.
Guy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! 'Cause Vandesdelca is fun, and I like your room, and your mama gave me a cookie last time!"
Van smirked. "I knew you remembered that part." Guy blinked innocently at him. "We're here to see Mother this time anyway."
"Yay!"
Once they reached the house, Guy squirmed until Van let him down. He hurried in excitedly as soon as the door was open, toddling to the kitchen and finding a woman at the stove. "Lady Fende, Lady Fende~!"
The woman blinked, glancing down at the child tugging on her apron, and smiled. "Master Gailardia! What a lovely surprise. Are you here to visit?"
Guy's head bobbed. "Yeah! With Vandesdelca! He says he has a surprise!"
"Is that so?" Lady Fende mused, lifting her eyes as Van stepped quietly into the kitchen. "What kind of surprise?"
Van approached them, lowering a hand to ruffle Guy's hair. "Master Gailardia-"
"Guy!"
"... Guy was saying he doesn't like being the smallest. I thought I'd show him it wouldn't be for long."
Guy's eyes lit up. "Really?!" he exclaimed, at the same time as Van's mother gave a light laugh.
"That's what this is about," she nodded, understanding. "You wanted to show off your little brother or sister."
There was a pause.
"... You have a brother?!"
"Or sister," Van grinned, crouching down in front of the excited boy. "They're not born yet, so we don't know."
"Not born?" Guy echoed, confused. "What? Where is it?"
Not responding at first, Lady Fende shuffled over to the table and sat down. "Come here, Master Gailardia," she gestured, waiting as he followed her. She motioned to Van as well, and he gently lifted their young master onto her lap. "The baby is right here."
"Where?" he asked again, utterly lost, until the woman took his hands and placed them on her stomach. "... Here?!"
She laughed a second time, and Guy could hear Van chuckling behind him. He pouted until she playfully tapped his nose. "Yes, right there. Babies grow there before they're born."
Guy blinked, leaning in closer, hands still pressed to her stomach. He didn't feel anything - except that her tummy was kind of hard, and not bouncy like the scary fat cook in the kitchen at home - but if Lady Fende said there was a baby, then there was definitely a baby. "When can it come out?"
"When he or she is ready," Lady Fende answered cryptically. After a moment and Guy's disappointed look, she amended, "We're never really sure, dear. Not for quite a few months, though. It's a very long process, and it's barely started."
"Oh..." Crestfallen, Guy started to rub her stomach lightly, as if encouraging the baby to grow faster. "Can I meet it when the baby comes out?"
"Why do you think I told you about it, silly?" Van teased. Lady Fende gave him a sharp reprimand for being so casual, but Guy didn't bat an eye, focused intently on her. After a moment, Van brushed a hand through his hair again, more gently this time. "Of course you'll meet the baby. They'll want to have someone to play with, and I'll be getting bigger. They might not want to play with a big kid."
"Nooo!" Guy protested immediately, staring up at Van with widened eyes, starting to water. "I love Vandesdelca! Vandesdelca's the most fun to play with ever!"
Van laughed, patting his head appreciatively. "We'll all play together then, won't we?" Guy nodded, pulling back his hands to rub the tears away.
"I hope you have a boy," Guy mumbled when he was finished, shifting closer to curl up in Lady Fende's lap, ear pressed against her stomach. "Girls are weird."
Vandesdelca and Lady Fende just smiled, but he didn't see it. He was listening for a voice he couldn't hear - and wouldn't, for more than sixteen years.
I'll be a good big brother, he promised the unborn baby silently. Just like Vandesdelca.
---