pure blue
written by ginny



The skies were unusually blue that day. Azure goodness soaked in a bath of warm rays. There were no blinding clouds, and there was no blinding sun. It was just blue, pure blue.

He was very tired when he came, each of his joints seemed to be loose and dirt stained his wind-kept hair. His face held a bit of pallor, making the bags under his eyes appear even darker then they already were, and there seemed to be a bit of weariness in his stature. Still, though Alis and Tatiana told him he could afford to wait until the next day, he had to refuse. Despite all of his weariness, he could not wait another moment.

He had to return home.
She had been doing her usual chores, stopping every now and then with either a frustrated pout or an accomplished look light up her face. Her hand would graze her stomach as she walked around the house, fingers lightly resting on her abdomen. As she hung out the clothes to dry, she looked up at the perfect skies and thought of his clear, blue eyes.

Her young husband had been gone for a few days, and already her heart was aching. It was like this each time. Every time he was called off on a dangerous mission, he'd hold her in his arms the night before, a hand draped across her waist to assure her that he was there. Every time he left, she would hold him in her arms for a few moments that seemed to pass by all too soon. After a few minutes of her grasp, he would tell her it was time for him to leave and she would reluctantly let go and tell him to be careful.

She guessed the memory of his mother bidding his father farewell stained her permanently. She was just afraid that every time he left, it'd be the last time she'd see him. He was strong, she granted, but her father and his father were strong too. She knew that life was all too precious and fragile at the same time.

Lavi could not wait until she was well enough again to go on the missions with him. At least then, she'd be with him if they'd happen to stumble across death. Perhaps she was being selfish, but she wanted to be assured that for her there would not be another six months.

When she said she wanted to have a child and that she felt that they were ready to hold the responsibility, he had been very quiet. He asked if they could put it off for later, it was the same answer he'd given her each time. It was not that he didn't love her enough to father her children, but he had been terrified at the prospect that she'd end up like her mother. He wasn't sure if he was willing to risk her death for new life.

Lavi told him to stop being stupid and that she was much stronger then that.

Eventually, he had relented.

A weathered man made his way across the streets. He paused at each leaden step, dragging his feet across the dirt path. A flash of auburn hair and mahogany eyes continuously flickered in his mind. He was exhausted and his body kept telling him he should have taken the night's rest that Tatiana and Alis had offered.

A flicker of auburn and mahogany.

No.

He looked up. He could see the house distantly on top of the hill.

He had to return home.

She heard the ringing of the bells outside, hung up in front of the entrance. It was a beautiful wind chime that Al had given to her at the wedding. "In exchange for the cow," Al had said in her sweet voice. The bells rung a light, musical tone whenever the door opened or the wind blew by.

She wasn't sure if she exactly liked the bells. She always held the fearful thought that when she turned around, someone likened to Alex Rowe would be there telling her of the great misfortune that had been bestowed upon her. She wasn't sure if she would be able to stand that.

Other times, she was simply afraid it was only the wind.

The bells rang, and she turned around to see what it was.


"I'm home."
Instead of being welcomed with a smile, surprise or confusion, he found slight irritation marking her pretty features. Her mouth pulled down into a little frown.

"You're late."

She blinked and tears came.

Claus smiled, she always had a strange habit at crying at everything. He supposed it was a disease that she had caught when they were young.

"It's the baby," she sniffed, wiping at her tears with her hands. "I keep crying all the time."

Claus rolled his eyes at this and walked towards his wife, ruffling her hair a bit. It was just like her to make an excuse for her tears. She had always wanted to be strong, even when she was young. She had always tried to hide her weaknesses and emotions, despite the fact that she was just naturally a very open and emotional person.

"Are you sure about that?" Claus asked, a hint of laughter blended into his voice.

She looked up at him. Claus observed his wife for the first time since he returned home. He had been dreaming about this moment the whole time while he was away. Her head would be tilted up just so for her eyes to meet his. Her round eyes would desperately try to hold back the tears as she kept her mouth open slightly ajar.

"Baka." Lavi whapped him on the head lightly and turned her head away, a light blush blooming on her cheeks at Claus's intent observation. This was the only time she ever really felt nervous around him, that and whenever they made love. He would look at her for the longest time, blue eyes capturing each little detail, staring at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. After the blush subsided, she turned back to Claus and went up on her toes to kiss him on the lips.

"Welcome home," she murmured when she ended the kiss.

Claus's hand lowered to rest on her stomach lightly as he returned her kiss with another.

The bells rang again, and for once, Lavi did not check to see what it was.



Notes: This is my first, and probably last LE fic. I wrote it because there was a sentence stuck in my mind and the rest of the fic followed. Hopefully you enjoyed and hopefully it's written well enough and in character enough! :) Lavi and Claus make such a cute couple. :)
Also, the six months I add in there is in reference to Claus's mother dying six months after her husband.
Edited July 22, 2004: changed the title and edited the sucker. may go through another round of editing later