Terra and Locke - Obvious
Title: Obvious
Theme + Number: 13. Romance
Claim: Terra and Locke (challenge)
Characters/Pairings included: Katarin, the kids, Duane, Setzer, Mog, mentions some others
Rating: E
Warnings: Very minor spoilers for Dissidia.
Summary: Terra's disappeared, which brings everything into perspective for Locke.
The dinner plates slipped through Locke's fingers, splashing the wash water onto his rolled up sleeves. He bit back a curse, and fished through the soapy water for the dishes. The past few weeks had made him feel nothing but inadequate. Sure, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but trying to take on the entire load that Terra managed so effortlessly seemed almost impossible. The thought made him drop another plate and he bit back another curse.
"Locke?"
He looked up to find Lydia, in only her nightgown and a pair of thick woolen socks peeking around the doorway. She tiptoed in, and lifted her hand, clenched around a small hairbrush. "Can you help me with my hair? Mama usually does it, and I've been trying to do it myself, but it's getting too hard and Katarin's busy and..." She trailed off, but Locke could tell from her quavering voice that she was fighting back tears.
"It's ok, Lydia. I'll help." He tilted his head toward the table, and she scampered forward to sit on one of the stools. Locke dried his hands and settled down behind her, taking the brush in hand.
Lydia had the longest hair of all the girls, and it was a tangled mess. He started from the bottom, apologizing each time the brush tugged on a snarl of hair. After the third or fourth apology, Lydia started giggling, which in turn made Locke relax. He quickly figured out how to clasp the hair in one hand, holding it so he wasn't jerking on her skull while he worked the tangles out.
He was about halfway up her back when Lydia spoke. "Locke, do you think Mama's ever going to come home?"
Locke throat closed up for a second, and he had to cough a little before he could answer, forcing his voice to be light and cheerful for her sake. "Of course, squirt. You mom's one of the toughest people I know. She'll be home before you know it."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Locke stopped brushing for a second to squeeze Lydia's shoulder. "You and all your brothers and sisters have been very brave. I know it's hard to wait, but that's just what we're going to have to do. She'll come home as soon as she can; we just have to be patient."
Lydia turned around, and while she wasn't crying, Locke could see the fear in her eyes. "You really think she's going to come home?"
Locke opened his arms, and Lydia scrambled into him. He held her tightly. She still didn't cry, but Locke could feel her shoulders quaking from the strain. "She'll come home, Lydia. She will."
Katarin found them in the same position a few minutes later. She raised her eyebrows at Locke, who shrugged in return. Smiling, she passed them to attend to the rest of the dishes. Locke eased Lydia out of his arms and back onto the stool, and finished up her hair. The top half was much easier to get through, and after he finished, she gave him another tight hug and ran back to her room.
Locke sat back in his chair, idly rocking the front legs on and off the ground. The days and days without news were wearing down everyone. He'd rushed to Mobliz as soon as he'd received Duane's telegram, but there was so little he could do except try to help with the kids. There were no clues, no signs of foul play. Even the constable was stumped. Setzer had his entire business fleet searching, and all of their friends had been notified, but there was nothing. It was like she'd disappeared into thin air, like... Like a dying esper. The thought brought Locke's chair back down to earth with a thump. Some thoughts were better left untouched. It had been over a month.
The sound of water draining caught his attention, and he found that Katarin had finished the dishes. She scrubbed at her face as she turned around, and Locke sighed at the dark circles clinging to the skin beneath her eyes. They were all worn down, trying to keep the kids optimistic, and sheltered from the rumors flying around town. They had to believe she would come back. He had to believe she would come back.
"Get some sleep, Katarin," he heard his voice speaking before he registered the thought. "You need it."
She stopped rubbing her face and smiled wryly in his direction. "Have you looked in a mirror lately, Locke? Speak for yourself."
Sure enough, before bed when Locke eyed himself in Terra's mirror, he had to sigh. He looked like he felt. Completely wrecked.
Not that one nights sleep fixed the problem. The days dragged on. Letters poured in from friends and colleagues, asking how they could help; neighbors stopped by daily asking for news. There was none. Setzer stopped by once a week to update them on the search, but there was nothing. Another month passed, and then another. People stopped inquiring, and Setzer hesitantly asked if they'd considered holding a memorial service in her honor. Locke answered that query with a stiff refusal and pretended he didn't see the pity in Setzer's eyes.
It was almost November, when Locke abruptly awoke to a screaming Katarin jumping onto the bed. It took a moment to wake up enough to sort her words in his mind, but when he did, he shot out of bed and scrambled to throw his possessions together. He calmed enough to read the message over a hurried breakfast eaten standing up. Duane had the chocobo saddled when he ran outside, still licking jam from his fingers. "Will you be okay starting out alone?" He asked, helping Locke buckle his pack to the bird.
"Yeah. Setzer's said he'd fly low and land when he sees me. I don't want any delays."
Duane clapped him on the shoulder. "Bring her home."
He rode hard, and sighted Setzer mid-morning. He stabled his exhausted bird with some understanding settlers, who were relieved to hear the good news, and fidgeted impatiently as Setzer spiraled down to land. The pilot didn't even bother with the ramps. Instead, he threw a rope ladder over to Locke, who scrambled up. He was grinning.
Setzer laughed at the sight of his face. "I stand corrected, Locke Cole. You are one lucky, lucky bastard."
Setzer was on the Falcon, thankfully, still the fastest ship in the skies. It wasn't fast enough for Locke, but it cut the journey to Narshe down to three days. He spent a lot of time out of the deck, looking at the land passing by beneath the ship, silently urging it to go faster. This annoyed Setzer enough to order him below and challenge him to a game of poker.
As they sat around playing on the second day, Setzer chuckled. "You are such a fool, Locke Cole."
Locke first assumed he'd let his horrible hand show on his face, but then realized Setzer was just making conversation. "About what this time?" he asked while rearranging his cards.
The gambler shook his head. "Have you ever told her how you felt?"
Locke froze. Setzer sat back in his chair. "You dropped everything the moment she disappeared. You were frantic for weeks, and then slumped into depression when we all started to wonder if she was dead. And now, you won't stop smiling, which is making it ridiculously hard to call your bluffs. Everyone can see it."
"We were all worried. It wasn't just me." Setzer raised his eyebrows and Locke sighed. "I knew I had feelings for her, but there were too many reasons not to pursue them, you know? She's got kids, I'm really not one to settle down, that kind of thing. But then something like this happens, and it really throws things into perspective. I'm just happy she's alive. I don't know what I would have done if she were really gone."
Setzer nodded. "Might I suggest that you consider revealing your feelings this time?"
"Relationship advice? From you?"
"I think you have no room to cast stones, Cole."
Locke scratched his head and chuckled. "Yeah, I know. How is Celes, anyway?"
"Worried and frustrated. She wanted to be out with me looking, but Figaro's Parliament is in session, so she couldn't leave. She and Edgar should have received my messages by now, which I'm sure will lessen some of the tension."
"Thanks for your help, Setzer. Really. We owe you."
Setzer shrugged. "No thanks are necessary. However, judging by that fact that you will not leave your cards alone, you have an awful hand. Call."
The third day was torture. Once he sighted the continent ahead, Locke wouldn't leave the deck, knowing they were so close. Winter was already taking hold in the north, but Locke bundled in his coat and endured the chill. They reached Narshe in the early afternoon. Setzer landed, and threw the rope ladder over again. "We'll catch up," he said, and Locke thanked him and scrambled down.
Mog was waiting for him outside the city gates. "About time, boss," he said, before leading Locke through the winding streets. "She's doing lots better. Don't know how long she was lying in the snow up on that cliff before we found her. She was sick, but the old women have been taking care of her, and they say she's better. She's got crazy stories to tell."
"Do you know what happened? How did she end up here?"
"It's a long story, boss. She can tell you herself."
The house was up a series of steps and platforms, set on one of the many cliffs in town. Mog opened the door and led him inside, where he was hit by a wall of warm air. Three women were knitting next to the fire. They greeted Locke, and he was sent through a door and into the room where Terra lay sleeping.
Locke stopped right inside the doorway and drank the sight of her in. Is some ways, it was like stepping back through time to the beginning of their adventures, when he found her unconscious and shivering on the mine's cold floor. Over their months together, he'd watched over her while she slept, and woken her up so many times. Then things had gotten horribly complicated and confusing and everything had changed, but here, watching her sleep in Narshe again, it seemed so clear. Watching her sleep, he knew what he needed to do.
He moved into the room, and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached forward and cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb sliding across her cheek. The action roused her slightly and she shifted, but before she could move any more and before Locke could convince himself not to act, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.
This woke her up quickly and Locke pulled back to see confused violet eyes. "Locke?" Her voice was a little hoarse and scratchy.
Rather than answer, Locke leaned down and kissed her again, longer this time. When he pulled away, he didn't go far, instead looking down into her wide eyes. "I know I should wait and do this properly, you know, woo you with a romantic dinner or something, but I can't wait anymore. I was terrified that you were gone forever, and experiencing that made me realize that I can't live without you. I've felt this way for a long time, and always talked myself out of saying it, but I'm not going to be stupid and wait anymore. I love you. I really do." He finished the explanation with another kiss, and then sat back on the bed to wait for her reaction.
Much to his surprise, she chuckled. She shook her head when he looked at her. "I'm going to have to find a way to contact Cecil. And Cloud."
"Who?"
"Some of my friends from... Well, I don't really know where we were. It's complicated. But they both tried to help me and assure me that things could be good for me. And now I'm back, and this happens and I guess love is a kind of blooming flower?" She saw the look of confusion on his face and burst out laughing. "It is a really, really long story."
But instead of elaborating, she pulled Locke into another kiss, and he took this to signify that everything was going to be all right. When they broke apart, both were smiling.
Theme + Number: 13. Romance
Claim: Terra and Locke (challenge)
Characters/Pairings included: Katarin, the kids, Duane, Setzer, Mog, mentions some others
Rating: E
Warnings: Very minor spoilers for Dissidia.
Summary: Terra's disappeared, which brings everything into perspective for Locke.
The dinner plates slipped through Locke's fingers, splashing the wash water onto his rolled up sleeves. He bit back a curse, and fished through the soapy water for the dishes. The past few weeks had made him feel nothing but inadequate. Sure, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but trying to take on the entire load that Terra managed so effortlessly seemed almost impossible. The thought made him drop another plate and he bit back another curse.
"Locke?"
He looked up to find Lydia, in only her nightgown and a pair of thick woolen socks peeking around the doorway. She tiptoed in, and lifted her hand, clenched around a small hairbrush. "Can you help me with my hair? Mama usually does it, and I've been trying to do it myself, but it's getting too hard and Katarin's busy and..." She trailed off, but Locke could tell from her quavering voice that she was fighting back tears.
"It's ok, Lydia. I'll help." He tilted his head toward the table, and she scampered forward to sit on one of the stools. Locke dried his hands and settled down behind her, taking the brush in hand.
Lydia had the longest hair of all the girls, and it was a tangled mess. He started from the bottom, apologizing each time the brush tugged on a snarl of hair. After the third or fourth apology, Lydia started giggling, which in turn made Locke relax. He quickly figured out how to clasp the hair in one hand, holding it so he wasn't jerking on her skull while he worked the tangles out.
He was about halfway up her back when Lydia spoke. "Locke, do you think Mama's ever going to come home?"
Locke throat closed up for a second, and he had to cough a little before he could answer, forcing his voice to be light and cheerful for her sake. "Of course, squirt. You mom's one of the toughest people I know. She'll be home before you know it."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Locke stopped brushing for a second to squeeze Lydia's shoulder. "You and all your brothers and sisters have been very brave. I know it's hard to wait, but that's just what we're going to have to do. She'll come home as soon as she can; we just have to be patient."
Lydia turned around, and while she wasn't crying, Locke could see the fear in her eyes. "You really think she's going to come home?"
Locke opened his arms, and Lydia scrambled into him. He held her tightly. She still didn't cry, but Locke could feel her shoulders quaking from the strain. "She'll come home, Lydia. She will."
Katarin found them in the same position a few minutes later. She raised her eyebrows at Locke, who shrugged in return. Smiling, she passed them to attend to the rest of the dishes. Locke eased Lydia out of his arms and back onto the stool, and finished up her hair. The top half was much easier to get through, and after he finished, she gave him another tight hug and ran back to her room.
Locke sat back in his chair, idly rocking the front legs on and off the ground. The days and days without news were wearing down everyone. He'd rushed to Mobliz as soon as he'd received Duane's telegram, but there was so little he could do except try to help with the kids. There were no clues, no signs of foul play. Even the constable was stumped. Setzer had his entire business fleet searching, and all of their friends had been notified, but there was nothing. It was like she'd disappeared into thin air, like... Like a dying esper. The thought brought Locke's chair back down to earth with a thump. Some thoughts were better left untouched. It had been over a month.
The sound of water draining caught his attention, and he found that Katarin had finished the dishes. She scrubbed at her face as she turned around, and Locke sighed at the dark circles clinging to the skin beneath her eyes. They were all worn down, trying to keep the kids optimistic, and sheltered from the rumors flying around town. They had to believe she would come back. He had to believe she would come back.
"Get some sleep, Katarin," he heard his voice speaking before he registered the thought. "You need it."
She stopped rubbing her face and smiled wryly in his direction. "Have you looked in a mirror lately, Locke? Speak for yourself."
Sure enough, before bed when Locke eyed himself in Terra's mirror, he had to sigh. He looked like he felt. Completely wrecked.
Not that one nights sleep fixed the problem. The days dragged on. Letters poured in from friends and colleagues, asking how they could help; neighbors stopped by daily asking for news. There was none. Setzer stopped by once a week to update them on the search, but there was nothing. Another month passed, and then another. People stopped inquiring, and Setzer hesitantly asked if they'd considered holding a memorial service in her honor. Locke answered that query with a stiff refusal and pretended he didn't see the pity in Setzer's eyes.
It was almost November, when Locke abruptly awoke to a screaming Katarin jumping onto the bed. It took a moment to wake up enough to sort her words in his mind, but when he did, he shot out of bed and scrambled to throw his possessions together. He calmed enough to read the message over a hurried breakfast eaten standing up. Duane had the chocobo saddled when he ran outside, still licking jam from his fingers. "Will you be okay starting out alone?" He asked, helping Locke buckle his pack to the bird.
"Yeah. Setzer's said he'd fly low and land when he sees me. I don't want any delays."
Duane clapped him on the shoulder. "Bring her home."
He rode hard, and sighted Setzer mid-morning. He stabled his exhausted bird with some understanding settlers, who were relieved to hear the good news, and fidgeted impatiently as Setzer spiraled down to land. The pilot didn't even bother with the ramps. Instead, he threw a rope ladder over to Locke, who scrambled up. He was grinning.
Setzer laughed at the sight of his face. "I stand corrected, Locke Cole. You are one lucky, lucky bastard."
Setzer was on the Falcon, thankfully, still the fastest ship in the skies. It wasn't fast enough for Locke, but it cut the journey to Narshe down to three days. He spent a lot of time out of the deck, looking at the land passing by beneath the ship, silently urging it to go faster. This annoyed Setzer enough to order him below and challenge him to a game of poker.
As they sat around playing on the second day, Setzer chuckled. "You are such a fool, Locke Cole."
Locke first assumed he'd let his horrible hand show on his face, but then realized Setzer was just making conversation. "About what this time?" he asked while rearranging his cards.
The gambler shook his head. "Have you ever told her how you felt?"
Locke froze. Setzer sat back in his chair. "You dropped everything the moment she disappeared. You were frantic for weeks, and then slumped into depression when we all started to wonder if she was dead. And now, you won't stop smiling, which is making it ridiculously hard to call your bluffs. Everyone can see it."
"We were all worried. It wasn't just me." Setzer raised his eyebrows and Locke sighed. "I knew I had feelings for her, but there were too many reasons not to pursue them, you know? She's got kids, I'm really not one to settle down, that kind of thing. But then something like this happens, and it really throws things into perspective. I'm just happy she's alive. I don't know what I would have done if she were really gone."
Setzer nodded. "Might I suggest that you consider revealing your feelings this time?"
"Relationship advice? From you?"
"I think you have no room to cast stones, Cole."
Locke scratched his head and chuckled. "Yeah, I know. How is Celes, anyway?"
"Worried and frustrated. She wanted to be out with me looking, but Figaro's Parliament is in session, so she couldn't leave. She and Edgar should have received my messages by now, which I'm sure will lessen some of the tension."
"Thanks for your help, Setzer. Really. We owe you."
Setzer shrugged. "No thanks are necessary. However, judging by that fact that you will not leave your cards alone, you have an awful hand. Call."
The third day was torture. Once he sighted the continent ahead, Locke wouldn't leave the deck, knowing they were so close. Winter was already taking hold in the north, but Locke bundled in his coat and endured the chill. They reached Narshe in the early afternoon. Setzer landed, and threw the rope ladder over again. "We'll catch up," he said, and Locke thanked him and scrambled down.
Mog was waiting for him outside the city gates. "About time, boss," he said, before leading Locke through the winding streets. "She's doing lots better. Don't know how long she was lying in the snow up on that cliff before we found her. She was sick, but the old women have been taking care of her, and they say she's better. She's got crazy stories to tell."
"Do you know what happened? How did she end up here?"
"It's a long story, boss. She can tell you herself."
The house was up a series of steps and platforms, set on one of the many cliffs in town. Mog opened the door and led him inside, where he was hit by a wall of warm air. Three women were knitting next to the fire. They greeted Locke, and he was sent through a door and into the room where Terra lay sleeping.
Locke stopped right inside the doorway and drank the sight of her in. Is some ways, it was like stepping back through time to the beginning of their adventures, when he found her unconscious and shivering on the mine's cold floor. Over their months together, he'd watched over her while she slept, and woken her up so many times. Then things had gotten horribly complicated and confusing and everything had changed, but here, watching her sleep in Narshe again, it seemed so clear. Watching her sleep, he knew what he needed to do.
He moved into the room, and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached forward and cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb sliding across her cheek. The action roused her slightly and she shifted, but before she could move any more and before Locke could convince himself not to act, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.
This woke her up quickly and Locke pulled back to see confused violet eyes. "Locke?" Her voice was a little hoarse and scratchy.
Rather than answer, Locke leaned down and kissed her again, longer this time. When he pulled away, he didn't go far, instead looking down into her wide eyes. "I know I should wait and do this properly, you know, woo you with a romantic dinner or something, but I can't wait anymore. I was terrified that you were gone forever, and experiencing that made me realize that I can't live without you. I've felt this way for a long time, and always talked myself out of saying it, but I'm not going to be stupid and wait anymore. I love you. I really do." He finished the explanation with another kiss, and then sat back on the bed to wait for her reaction.
Much to his surprise, she chuckled. She shook her head when he looked at her. "I'm going to have to find a way to contact Cecil. And Cloud."
"Who?"
"Some of my friends from... Well, I don't really know where we were. It's complicated. But they both tried to help me and assure me that things could be good for me. And now I'm back, and this happens and I guess love is a kind of blooming flower?" She saw the look of confusion on his face and burst out laughing. "It is a really, really long story."
But instead of elaborating, she pulled Locke into another kiss, and he took this to signify that everything was going to be all right. When they broke apart, both were smiling.