Tongue Tied
Laurent, the newest child from the future to join the Shepherds, made his way through the camp making sure he introduced himself to everyone. It was well into the night when he finished all but one introduction. Next to his parents and reuniting with his friends the last introduction had been the one he was most excited to make but couldn't get to it earlier.
As he strolled along quietly, he raked his mind for the few memories he had of Robin. From what he could remember she was kind and brilliant; the only other person that could be his mother's equal when it came to intelligence. The few memories he had were short and blurry as she had vanished when he was young but they were memories he treasured none-the-less.
It wasn't until he arrived at her tent that he was finally able to put a face to his memories. He knew long ago that the face he remembered wasn't the right one as it always changed a little each time he remembered, but there was thing he was sure of and that was that she was beautiful. Recalling her soft smile his excitement grew and he was eager to meet her.
"Good evening Robin," Laurent greeted casually as to maintain his adult image. There was no response and he wondered if she was in there so he called for her again to make sure. When he heard a noise relief washed over him. "May we converse?"
"Good evening? More like good night," she groggily teased from behind her tent flaps. Thanks to her teasing the smile that he had been fighting to keep off plastered itself to his face. "Give me a second, please?"
Rolling on the balls of his feet, he didn't realize just how excited he was. Coming from inside her tent were strange shuffling sounds but the thought that he could have possibly woken her up, never crossed his mind. After what felt like an eternity to him she finally came out and all his thought processed ceased. He always believed that his imagination had over glorified Robin's looks but it seemed that his imagination didn't do her justice. Suddenly his mind remembered a strange little tidbit about her and that was that she was single in his time. He didn't know why that thought mattered but it was a thought he couldn't shake.
Her long white hair that was usually tied up in a messy pony tail was free and cascading down her shoulders to help protect her from the night's cold. Laurent's eyes followed the flow of her hair and eventually his eyes landed on her loose night gown, with a low top that showed off cleavage. Realizing that he was staring at her chest his eyes flew up to her warm, brown eyes that were watching him with amusement.
"And who might you be?" She asked kindly, not taking any offense to his stares.
It was such a simple question that anyone could answer and yet he with his vast intelligence couldn't. He knew the answer or at least he should have but for some reason he couldn't remember it. He found it quite ironic that the amnesiac, in front of him, could remember her name and yet he couldn't remember his. He couldn't even think to introduce himself as Miriel's son.
"What's your name?" He knew that she simplified the question in hopes of helping him, it didn't.
Throughout his embarrassing ordeal her calming smile never left and he was sure that it was contributing to his nervousness. With a smile that never faltered for a second she watched the mage struggled to say something-anything at that point in time. His eyebrows furrowed together as his concentration intensified but it was completely lost when she made the move of opening her tent flap and gesturing for him to enter.
"It's cold, isn't it?" Because of his excitement he hadn't noticed but now that it was pointed it out he couldn't help but feel it. Before he could brush it off his body betrayed him by shivering. She laughed at his embarrassment and he was once again captivated by her. Her laugh sounded wonderful to him and he found himself wanting to hear it more.
"We can talk inside." He froze as he stared at her and then open tent. The childish part of him (the part he denied with all his might) became very embarrassed and shy at the thought of being alone with her; and yet the part of him that was an adult relished in the thought of them being alone. While he struggled internally she grew impatient and forced him in.
His mind continued to remain blank as he sat at the chair, she offered him. The mage was unable to answer whether he wanted tea or water and that frustrated him more. Once again she made the decision for him, tea to help him relax. He stared at the cup unable to think about doing anything else.
"Do you like the tea, Laurent?" she asked only to break the silence as it was obvious that he had yet to try it.
It took him a second for him to realize that she had said his name. His head shot up like a wyvern taking flight and she giggled slightly because of it. "How did-" he quickly stopped, surprised by his own voice. Once again her laughter graced his ears.
"Inigo told me," Robin answered the never finished question with a smile. Incapable of finding his voice, yet again, all he could do was look at her and hope his question would get through, it did. "Why didn't I say anything earlier?" she asked for clarity and he simply nodded. "Because you were so cute as you struggled." A massive blush spread across his cheeks and she laughed again. In a pathetic attempt to hide his red cheeks he adjusted his glasses.
Though he was incredibly embarrassed, he felt a lot relaxed. His eyes wandered through her tent marveling at all the books. Resting on top of her desk was a book he knew all too well. As if drawn to it he got up to ghost his fingers over the cover, recalling a happy memory.
"Interested in tactics?" her voice broke his train of thought. Once again a blush stained his features. He wanted to apologize for his rude behavior but she waved him off.
The mage's eyes returned to the book and he read the title that he had to have read over a thousand times, "Tactics for Beginners Volume 1". For anyone else it might have been alarming to see such a book for the chief tactician but he knew better. Gingerly he flipped through the book and stopped when he noticed her hand writing in the margins. A smile formed on his lips as he was able to make out the writing clearly.
"Not really," he finally answered and she frowned. He continued to flip through the book, noticing what parts had yet to be written and his smile grew as he knew exactly what she was going to eventually write. "When I was six you gave this book to me or at least your future self did."
"I gave that book to a six year old?" she blurted out from shock. Stopping his inspection of the book to gaze at her; he smiled when he saw the bewildered expression on her face. Her eyes focused on him and a small smile graced her lips. "I guess considering who your mother is I shouldn't be surprised."
Saying nothing he returned his attention back to the book. He loved it when someone compared him to his mother, it was like they recognized his intelligence, but when Robin did it, it left a bad taste in his mouth. He wasn't sure why but he didn't want to her to see him as her friend's son; instead, he wanted her to see him as a man.
"Would you like that book?"
"No!" he exclaimed loudly startling everyone. Coughing into his hands he tried to calm down not only himself but Robin as well. "You have to give it to myself, of this time, when I turn six." The smile he wore as he recalled that memory was contagious. "I want myself, of this time, to also experience that happy memory."
"How about this then?" She closed the little distance they had and his nervousness returned in full force. His heart skipped a beat when her bare shoulder brushed against his; though he had no idea why he was blushing when his shoulder was fully clothed. At a loss for words again, he was at the mercy of her delectable scent. He was freed from her strange control when she pulled back and yet he was greatly disappointed.
After a couple of seconds of silence of him just staring at her blankly, he finally noticed that she was holding out a book for him. Taking the book he noticed that it wasn't just any book but the next volume to the one they were discussing. His eyes returned to hers, hoping for answers for his jumbled mind. Smiling kindly she gestured to the crate that was next to him, it took him a couple of seconds but he finally got it.
"You're welcome to borrow any of my books." Wide eye he stared at all the books and she chuckled. "Take whatever you like. Though, I fear that most of them are about tactics."
Laurent didn't care, not one bit. He was just simply amazed at the amount of books, he didn't even care that they were not organized (okay, he cared a little). He rummaged through them, taking delight in every book he touched, unable to decide which he wanted to read first. The decision was made for him when she handed him a very rare tome, "Micaiah's Pyre".
His eyes widen as he stared at the tome she placed in his hand. He wanted to refuse such a grand gift, as he felt it would be wasted on him but his voice was nowhere to be found. She chuckled at his attempts to communicate that it was too great of a gift and it was quickly becoming a sound he always wanted to hear.
"It's quite the interesting tale," She exclaimed. "Besides I…." her cheeks took on a red hue and she refused to look at him properly; it was an image he engraved in the back of his mind. "I want you to be safe."
Both embarrassed and honored he felt the need to say something. Unsure if his voice had returned, he opened his mouth hesitantly to speak but it wasn't his voice they heard. "He's just as smart as Miriel!' the voice bragged from the other side of the tent's flaps; a voice Laurent recognized as his father's. With cheeks a blaze he lost the nerve to speak.
"I get it already! You're a proud father, now shut the hell up already!" a second voice complained and Robin recognized it as Sully.
"Time for second watch already?" Robin asked only to break the silence. She watched as embarrassment still made it hard for him to look at her. "It's getting late," she added and to him it sounded like she was a bit hesitant to say it.
He wasn't ready to say good bye yet but he could not deny the time. "Oh yes," he quickly agreed finally noticing how late he came to greet her. It was then he realized that he never did properly introduce himself and that it was too late to try to do it over. "I do apologize for my rudeness." She just laughed off his apology.
Saying their good nights he headed for the exit but stopped just short of opening it. He could feel that even the tips of his ears were warm to match the rest of his face and he debated whether or not if he should turn to face her. Eventually his nerves won and he remained rooted in place admiring the tents flaps as he was unable to do much more.
"Would it…I mean if it wouldn't be too much trouble…," he stopped with a sigh and quietly to himself cursed.
"Would you like to visit tomorrow night?" she asked and he was grateful (if not a little embarrassed) for her intuitive intuition. Spinning on the balls of his feet he turned to look at her and her smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"May I?" he found himself asking without thinking. Not hesitating in the slightest she agreed. "Excelsior!" She burst out laughing at his statement and it brought a sheepish grin to his face. It was right then and there that Laurent decided that Robin's laugh was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.
Not my best work but we need more Laurent x Avatar stories!
By the way, would you like to give me a review? I would be most appreciated!