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DISCLAIMER: I do not own FF8, or anything to do with it, kudos go to Squaresoft for the brain power to come up with this most excellent world of characters and stories.
This is a new fic, it is about Laguna and Raine's relationship, and some added content, etc. Enjoy. To music, my everlasting muse, and the rain, my other muse.
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What if there was a chance to ressurect the fallen? What if the memories of one could recreate a person? A feeling? A Dream? A Life? If it were possible, would that be worth fighting for? Would it be right?
Laguna stood in his office and sighed. Today had been a bad day. Not one of those crisis world-go-boom bad days, but the long ones where your alarm doesn't go off, no hot water, burn your toast, find a hole in your favourite sock, sack load of paperwork on your desk, when you calmly ask for your coffee, are told the kitchen staff has run out, your niece borrowed your music and your car breaks down all before 3 pm. He had yet to see time do more than crawl as he waited for some sort of interruption from his work. It was times like these where his mind wandered back to his time with Raine, and how sorry he was for not saving her, for not being able to be with her when they had their son. The oldest wound still hurt with a pang of self-loathing and an ache that dripped like venom drip by drip. Worst of all, Ellone had gone to rebuild Edea's Orphanage and she was the one that kept the venom from dripping into his face, Kiros was off training a special ops division, and Ward... well let's just say Ward wasn't that talkative, plus, Laguna didn't know where he was. Probably with Kiros, so all in all, papers piling over his desk, treaty this, amendment that, President Laguna Loire had nothing for it but to sit and remember while doing his work. As he mused, Laguna twisted the wedding band he wore as a constant reminder of Raine, not like he needed one, but he really didn't feel like taking it off, around his finger absently dreaming about what could have happened if he could have saved her.
"I love you, Raine. I always will, but ... it just... it's getting so HARD!" he said, flumping down into his oversized office chair like a rag doll,
"I'm growing old here, old without you! We promised to grow old together, Raine! To have turkey dinners with our children and Ellie, to grow lots of flowers and go on trips, we promised to go on living together, but ... but you're not here. Is it so much to ask to want you to be HERE?" he didn't notice as the Presidential aide opened the door, seeing that President Loire was at it again, talking to that ring of his, so the aide calmly closed the door, leaving the President alone with his memories.
"I don't even have your picture anymore. I can hardly remember your face. I get close, there you are, your beautiful, shinning eyes, your long brown hair, that silly yellow head band you wore all the time" he said with a chuckle, miming out her face with his hands,
"But then, your nose is gone, and for the life of me I can't remember your nose, or the way your cheeks crinkled when you smiled, or how your breasts heaved so magically when we ... Hyne, it's been so LONG! I fought wars, I took chances, risked everything to save you, to keep you HAPPY, but ... but I had to pay the price for loving you too much, for allowing our life to be perfect. You sacrificed yourself, Raine! Why did you have to die!? Why couldn't you live, raise our son!? Squall... he's so... he looks a lot like you, that's what helps me remember, he's got my nose, that's why I can't picture yours. You'd be so proud of him... I wish you could see us now"
A light rapping came to the door as Laguna wiped his face with his hands, sniffing back tears as he shook his head, willing the tears to go away.
"Door's open!" he called, as the same Presidential Aide calmly opened the door,
"Someone to see you, Mr. President"
"Hm? Me? But I don't have anyone down on my sch..."
"Hello Father"
"Squall!" Laguna said, the young man coming into view, as Laguna jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in the process as Squall half cringed at his father's display.
"Oh, stupid chair... always gets in the... come in! Come, I'll... cancel everything... are you hungry? Do you need something? Is there a secret plot to have you usurp my Presidency? Usurper! I mean..."
Squall stood just inside the doorway with one hand covering his eyes. He had just gotten used to the idea of this idiot being his father, and generally had been getting along at a descent level.
"Oh, sorry... I ought not to... Shirley, will you leave us some space please? Oh... and can you tell Chef that there's going to be an extra person..."
"Two... there's two people" Squall piped in awkwardly, clearly wishing to melt into the floor as Laguna could hear a girl's giggle coming from the other side of the door, and the aide walked briskly out of the danger zone.
"Oh? And who might the second people be?" Laguna said, smiling as he put his hands on his hips in mock ticked-offishness. Squall moved his mouth up and down, before a slender finger could be seen poking him once in the ribs,
"Come on, Squall, let me at least get away from the door!" Rinoa laughed, swerving from behind Squall and swinging herself around him with her arms around his waist. If there was anything that would make Laguna flip out more than his son...
"Rinoa! What a surprise! I mean, Squall's a surprise, don't get me wrong, but I always thought he fought like the Plague to keep you as far away as Dr. Odine as possible!"
"He does, but I insisted. Hello, Sir" Rinoa said, stepping closer to the older man, who belayed her outstretched hand to give her a hug.
"Any girlfriend of my son, is more than welcome in my house, call me Laguna, please... I'm not old enough to be Sir-worthy yet am I?" Laguna watched quizzically as Squall smiled a bit, not much of a smile, but enough that Laguna could tell he was smiling as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"C'mere, son!" Laguna said, stepping forward and enveloping Squall in a hug, to which Squall went straight and stiff as a board. Rinoa just laughed as Squall rolled his eyes and patted his father on the back, sliding out of the embrace in time to notice that it had been far to easy this time.
"Lag... Dad? Something wrong?" Squall asked, grimacing as he noticed Laguna sniff a tear out of his eye.
"Hm? No! No, there's nothing wrong... I'm just... I was thinking about your moth... it's been a rough day."
Instantly Laguna Loire went up a few pegs in Squall Leonheart's mind as the man he never knew to be serious opened up and acted human for once, not all bubbly and bouncy, plus, it was the first time he had openly said anything negative about life. Rinoa took the two steps to Squall, securing an arm around his waist as she leaned her head on his shoulder as Squall looked in and away from his father's eyes. She inwardly giggled as she saw Laguna do the same; what was the saying about father and son? Squall surprised her, too as the room filled with five very important, long awaited words,
"Want to talk about it?" Father and son locked eyes as it was Laguna's turn to be awed by his son's actions. Slowly he nodded his head, motioning out the door,
"Yeah, yes, I want to talk about it. But not here... how about we go into the living room?"
Squall nodded as Laguna's leg twitched, as the man let out a pathetic smile/laugh as he grabbed his leg with one hand, massaging it briefly before motioning to the door, and the Presidential Palace beyond. Okay, so maybe it wasn't going to be such a bad day for long.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own FF8, or anything to do with it, kudos go to Squaresoft for the brain power to come up with this most excellent world of characters and stories.
This is a new fic, it is about Laguna and Raine's relationship, and some added content, etc. Enjoy. To music, my everlasting muse, and the rain, my other muse.
=========================================================================
What if there was a chance to ressurect the fallen? What if the memories of one could recreate a person? A feeling? A Dream? A Life? If it were possible, would that be worth fighting for? Would it be right?
Laguna stood in his office and sighed. Today had been a bad day. Not one of those crisis world-go-boom bad days, but the long ones where your alarm doesn't go off, no hot water, burn your toast, find a hole in your favourite sock, sack load of paperwork on your desk, when you calmly ask for your coffee, are told the kitchen staff has run out, your niece borrowed your music and your car breaks down all before 3 pm. He had yet to see time do more than crawl as he waited for some sort of interruption from his work. It was times like these where his mind wandered back to his time with Raine, and how sorry he was for not saving her, for not being able to be with her when they had their son. The oldest wound still hurt with a pang of self-loathing and an ache that dripped like venom drip by drip. Worst of all, Ellone had gone to rebuild Edea's Orphanage and she was the one that kept the venom from dripping into his face, Kiros was off training a special ops division, and Ward... well let's just say Ward wasn't that talkative, plus, Laguna didn't know where he was. Probably with Kiros, so all in all, papers piling over his desk, treaty this, amendment that, President Laguna Loire had nothing for it but to sit and remember while doing his work. As he mused, Laguna twisted the wedding band he wore as a constant reminder of Raine, not like he needed one, but he really didn't feel like taking it off, around his finger absently dreaming about what could have happened if he could have saved her.
"I love you, Raine. I always will, but ... it just... it's getting so HARD!" he said, flumping down into his oversized office chair like a rag doll,
"I'm growing old here, old without you! We promised to grow old together, Raine! To have turkey dinners with our children and Ellie, to grow lots of flowers and go on trips, we promised to go on living together, but ... but you're not here. Is it so much to ask to want you to be HERE?" he didn't notice as the Presidential aide opened the door, seeing that President Loire was at it again, talking to that ring of his, so the aide calmly closed the door, leaving the President alone with his memories.
"I don't even have your picture anymore. I can hardly remember your face. I get close, there you are, your beautiful, shinning eyes, your long brown hair, that silly yellow head band you wore all the time" he said with a chuckle, miming out her face with his hands,
"But then, your nose is gone, and for the life of me I can't remember your nose, or the way your cheeks crinkled when you smiled, or how your breasts heaved so magically when we ... Hyne, it's been so LONG! I fought wars, I took chances, risked everything to save you, to keep you HAPPY, but ... but I had to pay the price for loving you too much, for allowing our life to be perfect. You sacrificed yourself, Raine! Why did you have to die!? Why couldn't you live, raise our son!? Squall... he's so... he looks a lot like you, that's what helps me remember, he's got my nose, that's why I can't picture yours. You'd be so proud of him... I wish you could see us now"
A light rapping came to the door as Laguna wiped his face with his hands, sniffing back tears as he shook his head, willing the tears to go away.
"Door's open!" he called, as the same Presidential Aide calmly opened the door,
"Someone to see you, Mr. President"
"Hm? Me? But I don't have anyone down on my sch..."
"Hello Father"
"Squall!" Laguna said, the young man coming into view, as Laguna jumped out of his chair, knocking it over in the process as Squall half cringed at his father's display.
"Oh, stupid chair... always gets in the... come in! Come, I'll... cancel everything... are you hungry? Do you need something? Is there a secret plot to have you usurp my Presidency? Usurper! I mean..."
Squall stood just inside the doorway with one hand covering his eyes. He had just gotten used to the idea of this idiot being his father, and generally had been getting along at a descent level.
"Oh, sorry... I ought not to... Shirley, will you leave us some space please? Oh... and can you tell Chef that there's going to be an extra person..."
"Two... there's two people" Squall piped in awkwardly, clearly wishing to melt into the floor as Laguna could hear a girl's giggle coming from the other side of the door, and the aide walked briskly out of the danger zone.
"Oh? And who might the second people be?" Laguna said, smiling as he put his hands on his hips in mock ticked-offishness. Squall moved his mouth up and down, before a slender finger could be seen poking him once in the ribs,
"Come on, Squall, let me at least get away from the door!" Rinoa laughed, swerving from behind Squall and swinging herself around him with her arms around his waist. If there was anything that would make Laguna flip out more than his son...
"Rinoa! What a surprise! I mean, Squall's a surprise, don't get me wrong, but I always thought he fought like the Plague to keep you as far away as Dr. Odine as possible!"
"He does, but I insisted. Hello, Sir" Rinoa said, stepping closer to the older man, who belayed her outstretched hand to give her a hug.
"Any girlfriend of my son, is more than welcome in my house, call me Laguna, please... I'm not old enough to be Sir-worthy yet am I?" Laguna watched quizzically as Squall smiled a bit, not much of a smile, but enough that Laguna could tell he was smiling as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"C'mere, son!" Laguna said, stepping forward and enveloping Squall in a hug, to which Squall went straight and stiff as a board. Rinoa just laughed as Squall rolled his eyes and patted his father on the back, sliding out of the embrace in time to notice that it had been far to easy this time.
"Lag... Dad? Something wrong?" Squall asked, grimacing as he noticed Laguna sniff a tear out of his eye.
"Hm? No! No, there's nothing wrong... I'm just... I was thinking about your moth... it's been a rough day."
Instantly Laguna Loire went up a few pegs in Squall Leonheart's mind as the man he never knew to be serious opened up and acted human for once, not all bubbly and bouncy, plus, it was the first time he had openly said anything negative about life. Rinoa took the two steps to Squall, securing an arm around his waist as she leaned her head on his shoulder as Squall looked in and away from his father's eyes. She inwardly giggled as she saw Laguna do the same; what was the saying about father and son? Squall surprised her, too as the room filled with five very important, long awaited words,
"Want to talk about it?" Father and son locked eyes as it was Laguna's turn to be awed by his son's actions. Slowly he nodded his head, motioning out the door,
"Yeah, yes, I want to talk about it. But not here... how about we go into the living room?"
Squall nodded as Laguna's leg twitched, as the man let out a pathetic smile/laugh as he grabbed his leg with one hand, massaging it briefly before motioning to the door, and the Presidential Palace beyond. Okay, so maybe it wasn't going to be such a bad day for long.