A/N: This was a Christmas present for a dear friend who put up with me pulling an all-nighter (and getting her to pull an all-nighter) to play her Tales of Symphonia game. She's awesome. 'Nuff said. She asked for KratosXAnna, and while there is some of that, the fic took on a life of it's own, and it turned into more of a family-fic, rather than a romance.
Either way, she liked it, and told me to put it up on here, so... enjoy!
Lloyd was stood on the deck of a ship. It was evening, and the world was even darker than it should be because of the storm clouds gathering overhead. There were lanterns hug around the large passenger ship, though, so it wasn't at all hard to see. Determination infused Lloyd as he caught sight of his target, and he readied himself. Then he lunged forwards, ignoring the pitching and lurching of the ship beneath his feet. The waves had been growing in size for the last ten minutes, but Lloyd didn't care. He had a goal.
His target was knocked by the motion of the ship, and skittered across to the other side. Delighted at the challenge, Lloyd forged onwards, after the small, fluffy toy. Just as he reached it, the ship gave another lurch, and it rolled out of his reach again. Unperturbed, Lloyd chased after it, wobbling a little.
He got close again, and before it could evade him again, he lunged forwards and grabbed at it. His fist closed around it and he beamed in triumph, holding the toy aloft as he turned. There, leaning against the railing, was a woman. She was looking out over the sea, a smile on her face, her long black hair being whipped about by the wind. Her clothes were simple and worn, the clothes of a peasant, but she held herself with a confidence that was more suited to the wealthy and powerful.
"I got it!" Lloyd called brightly, waving the toy in the air. She looked at him, and beamed when she saw his triumphant face. Her eyes were a light, bright green that put Lloyd in mind of spring, when the whole world seemed to turn that colour.
"Well done, Lloyd!" She called, smiling proudly.
The ship gave a sudden lurch and Lloyd's eyes widened as he wobbled. He waved his arms in an attempt to stay upright, but to no avail. He toppled, pitching headfirst into the railing on the side of the ship. He let out a yelp of pain, but before he could do anything else, he felt gentle hands picking him up.
His mother settled him on her hip, looking concerned. The hand not holding him up stroked his cheek as she took in the red mark on his forehead. He looked at her with wide eyes that were rapidly filling with tears. Anna smiled softly at him and kissed the rapidly swelling bump gently. "There." She said softly, leaning back to smile at him again. "All better."
Lloyd couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah!" He agreed. Then, before he could even attempt to hide it, he yawned widely. He pouted as his mother laughed, but still leaned against her shoulder, clutching at her top as she turned and began walking towards the door that led down below deck.
"Bedtime, I think." Anna said.
"Don't wanna." Lloyd protested, but there was no fight in his tone. He was too tired to really protest. Anna laughed softly and began stroking his back as she descended a set of narrow, rickety stairs into the belly of the ship. A moment later, Anna was shifting Lloyd in her grip so she could open a door, and then she stepped into the room that Lloyd knew was theirs.
Looking around sleepily, Lloyd saw Noishe curled up on a threadbare rug, his muzzle resting on his forepaws and looking just as sleepy as Lloyd felt. His dad sat on the bed, watching Noishe with an odd expression on his face that Lloyd couldn't place. "Kratos? Are you alright?" Anna asked, stepping into the room and letting the door swing shut behind her, the latch clicking into place automatically.
Kratos looked round and smiled at the two of them, rising to his feet. "I'm fine." He said softly. Lloyd smiled sleepily and reached out towards his dad. Obligingly, his parents moved closer together and Anna carefully passed him into Kratos's arms. Lloyd's little hand fisted in the cloth over Kratos's shoulder his dad began swaying slightly, rocking the child in his arms. Another wide yawn escaped Lloyd, and Kratos chuckled. "Sleepy?" He asked mildly.
"Mm… no." Lloyd replied stubbornly.
"Of course not." Kratos replied solemnly.
Lloyd barely heard him. His eyes were sliding closed against his will, and the combination of the ship's movement and the way Kratos was rocking him was making him very, very comfortable. But not tired though. He wasn't tired. He didn't want to go to bed yet. "Little thing tuckered himself out." He heard Anna saying, accompanied by the feel of the backs of her fingers trailing across his cheek. "He was running around for ages, chasing that." She added.
There was a moment of silence. "I thought we lost that in Hima." Kratos said in a quiet voice. Lloyd still managed to pick up the confusion in his voice.
Anna laughed. "Apparently, Lloyd stuffed it down his shirt." She said with another giggle. Kratos chuckled, and Lloyd snuggled into his shoulder, seeking more warmth. He heard Kratos sigh, and felt him smooth the hair off Lloyd's forehead. "Are you really alright, Kratos?" Anna asked, and Lloyd knew she had moved closer because he could feel her body heat.
"I'm just… worried." Kratos admitted lowly. Lloyd frowned. He didn't really understand why they moved around as much as they did, they just did, but every time they moved on, Kratos used that word. 'Worried.' Lloyd didn't really know what it meant, but it seemed to mean 'scared', and scared was a word Lloyd did understand. He didn't want his dad to be scared. Dads weren't supposed to get scared. Ever.
"Worried?" Anna asked. "Why?"
Kratos sighed, and Lloyd felt Anna move in even closer, so they were wrapped in a three way embrace. "They keep getting closer." Kratos stated, and Lloyd absently wondered who 'they' were. "We were lucky we got out of Palmacosta unscathed."
"It had nothing to do with luck!" Anna declared, and though her voice was still low, her tone was fierce. "If I remember rightly, it was all skill." She added, sounding amused.
Kratos snorted. "Still…" He said wearily. "I don't know how long we'll be able to keep going." He said in a voice that trembled slightly with emotion.
"We'll keep going as long as we have to!" Anna said fiercely. "Don't you start doubting now, Kratos! We're going to keep on fighting, keep on living… keep on loving." She added in a softer voice. "And I don't care how many tantrums Mithos throws." She finished firmly.
There was a single beat of silence, but then Kratos laughed, long and hard. "He is, isn't he?" He asked as his laughter faded into chuckles. "Throwing a tantrum, I mean." Anna made an agreeing sound, and Kratos chuckled softly before subsiding into silence. "It's one big tantrum." He decided after a moment's thought.
"Mm." Anna agreed softly. "He must be very sad." She said thoughtfully.
There was a long silence, and Lloyd was very nearly asleep when he finally heard Kratos murmur "Yeah…"
The next thing he knew, he was being jostled about a little as Anna pulled his pyjama top over his head. He grumbled a little, wiggling as she tugged the neck over his head. As his head popped out the top he pouted sullenly at her. "Sorry, Lloyd." She said, kissing the top of his head and carrying him over to the bed. She settled him down and covered him with the blanket. "Sleep well." She said, kissing his forehead again. "Sweet dreams, little one."
"Na'night." Lloyd replied sleepily, smiling up at her. She smiled and nuzzled her nose against his, making him giggle. He yawned again and rolled onto his side, and the bed shifted as Anna stood up. He could vaguely hear her and Kratos shuffling about the room.
A few minutes later, he felt the bed dip as his parents slipped in on either side of him. "Sleep well, Anna." Kratos whispered softly.
Anna leaned over Lloyd and kissed Kratos lightly on the lips. "You too, Kratos." She replied quietly as she lay back down. Smiling, Lloyd curled up and snuggled down into the covers, finally letting himself drift off to sleep properly.
It felt like only moments later that he was woken by the cold he felt on one side. Rolling over, he blinked blearily and tried to make sense of what he was seeing. As he woke more fully, he realised Anna had gotten up and was stretching her arms over her head. No wonder he felt cold. Anna let out a small sigh, and then walked round the bed towards the door.
Noishe whined. Turning, Anna smiled at him. "It's ok, Noishe. I just want some fresh air." She whispered. "You can protect my boys while I'm gone, right?" She checked, smiling widely. Noishe crooned affirmatively, but then let out another worried whine. "Eh? What's wrong?" Anna asked, and Lloyd peeked over his dad's shoulder to look at the expression on her face. It was a confused frown. Noishe whined again. "Are you worried because of the storm?" Anna asked, and again, Noishe made an affirmative sound. Anna laughed quietly. "But that's half the fun!" She announced brightly. Noishe let out a whine that was practically a groan of exasperation. Anna laughed again. "Watch over them, ok, Noishe?" She checked again, before slipping out of the door.
Lloyd sat up fully and stared at the door curiously. Where had his mum gone? He looked at Kratos, then back at the door, then to Noishe, who looked back balefully. Making his mind up, Lloyd scrambled off the bed. He winced a little as his bare feet smacked against the floorboards, but Kratos didn't wake, so Lloyd made his way to the door quickly.
When Anna had left, the latch hadn't quite fallen into place, so it was a simple matter for Lloyd to get his fingers into the crack and pull it open. It creaked as it swung open, and Lloyd moved out into the corridor. It was only a little way to the stairs, but once he reached the bottom and was looking up at the steps, Lloyd realised that the stairs themselves would be difficult without Kratos or Anna to carry him.
There was a soft whine behind him, and Lloyd looked round to see Noishe looking out of the door after him. Slowly, Noishe padded out of the room and whine-growled at Lloyd again, jerking his head towards the bedroom. Lloyd narrowed his eyes and shook his head stubbornly, pointing up the stairs. Noishe whined, and Lloyd pointed again. Huffing, Noishe padded over to him and gently grabbed the back of Lloyd's pyjama top in his mouth. Lloyd was just about to start struggling when Noishe began climbing the stairs.
A wide grin spread over Lloyd's face and he curled his legs up so his feet wouldn't knock the steps. "Thank you, Noishe!" He stage-whispered. He heard a muffled growl in reply, and grinned wider. They reached the top of the stairs and Noishe set Lloyd down gently. Lloyd immediately got to his feet and pushed open the door to the deck.
The wind howled in and nearly knocked him off his feet. If it hadn't been for Noishe standing behind him, Lloyd might have tumbled down the stairs. The rain didn't quite reach them, hidden in the doorway as they were, but the spray still caught them and made Lloyd narrow his eyes. He looked around for Anna, a little scared when he didn't see her, but then he spotted her half way up the rigging. Noishe gave a worried, despairing whine and crouched down, hiding his muzzle beneath his paws.
Determined, Lloyd stepped out of the shelter provided by the doorway and out into the storm. Behind him, he thought he heard Noishe whimper again, but he could have imagined it. It was cold and wet and windy, and Lloyd did not understand what his mum was doing out here, when she could be snuggled up in bed, warm and dry. He toddled over the deck, a little fascinated by the rivulets of water cascading over the wood, but intent on reaching his mum.
His bare feet slipped on the water-slicked wood, and he nearly fell, but then Noishe was there, and Lloyd found himself draped awkwardly over Noishe's head. "Ah-hah! Thank you!" Lloyd called to Noishe over the howl of the wind and the crash of the waves. He pushed away from Noishe and staggered a few more steps.
"Lloyd!"
Looking up, Lloyd saw his mother, swinging down out of the rigging and running towards him. She scooped him up and curled around him a little to protect him from the wind and rain. Lloyd hugged her as she darted for the cover of the door leading below decks. When she stopped at the top of the stairs, she looked down at Lloyd. "What were you doing?" She asked, looking confused and scared.
"Wanted to see where mummy went." Lloyd replied honestly, then shook his head, much like Noishe was doing, to get rid of the water in his hair. Anna laughed, turning her face away from the spray he'd created. "Why was mummy outside?" Lloyd asked.
Anna looked at him and smiled, flicking his nose gently with one finger. "Mummy just wanted to enjoy the storm a little." She replied.
Lloyd tilted his head. "Enjoy?" He asked, confused.
"I wanted to have fun in the storm." Anna clarified. "Like splashing in puddles." She added, her eyes suddenly glittering excitedly.
Lloyd perked up. Splashing in puddles he could understand. Splashing in puddles was fun. "Ah! I get it!" He said brightly, and Anna beamed at him. "Can we splash in puddles now?" Lloyd asked hopefully.
Biting her lip, Anna looked between Lloyd and the storm. "You'll catch a cold." She warned him half-heartedly.
"So will mummy." Lloyd replied in that matter-of-fact tone that only very young children seem to be able to pull off. When Anna still seemed reluctant to take Lloyd back out into the storm, he clutched at her rain-soaked nightgown and looked up at her with wide, pleading eyes. "Please?" He asked emphatically.
Anna laughed. "Well, alright then." She agreed, poking his nose lightly. Lloyd screwed up his face, giggling. Then they were back out on the deck, and the rain was coming down harder than ever, making everything look hazy and misty. Anna's hair was whipped round by the wind, and for a moment, all Lloyd could see was the rain-slicked black of her hair. But then Anna turned, and Lloyd laughed as he caught sight of a bedraggled Noishe sitting in the doorway to the interior of the ship.
Suddenly, Lloyd was in the air, held aloft by Anna's outstretched arms. He looked down at her, and saw that she was grinning, eyes sparkling with delight. He heard her laugh, elated, and he couldn't help but grin back, reaching out and grabbing a strand of her hair as it flicked passed him. Anna laughed again and spun on the spot, making the rest of the world but her face blur. The rain and wind whirled passed him, dizzying and exhilarating, and then he was back against his mother's chest. He could feel her laughter vibrating through him, could hear it even over the howling of the wind, as she continued to spin, though this time holding him close.
Anna stopped spinning quite suddenly, and Lloyd found that he was very dizzy. "Kratos!" Anna called happily, though she sounded surprised. As Lloyd's eyes focused again, he saw his father stood in the doorway behind Noishe. He was still in his nightclothes and his hair was rumpled from sleep, but he had his sword in hand and there was a decidedly unimpressed expression on his face as he looked at the pair of them.
"Daddy!" Lloyd called happily, waving one small hand in the air in greeting.
Kratos beckoned them over, and as one, Lloyd and Anna shook their heads stubbornly. Anna even went so far as to back away a couple of steps. "Come and join us, Kratos!" Anna called, her voice light with happiness.
For a moment, Kratos remained where he was, but then he sighed and stepped through the doorway and out into the storm, giving Noishe's ears a quick scratch as he passed him. He walked over to his wife and son, wearing a decidedly exasperated expression. "You're both going to catch colds, you know." He said once he reached them.
"It's worth it." Anna replied brightly.
At that moment, Lloyd caught sight of Noishe slinking after Kratos and began squirming in his mother's grip. After a moment, she knelt down and placed him on the deck. Immediately, Lloyd wobbled and stumbled the few steps over to Noishe, preventing himself from falling over by grabbing fistfuls of Noishe's fur. Noishe whined and nuzzled him, making Lloyd laugh as he hugged him round the muzzle.
He looked up to see Kratos still wearing that weary, exasperated look, and Anna rolling her eyes as she grabbed his hand and tugged him further out onto the deck. "Come on, Kratos!" She called over the wind. "Where's the fun in life if you just wait for the storm to pass?"
Kratos's shoulder's slumped as he shook his head, and Lloyd could just tell that he was laughing. "You're crazy." He told Anna simply.
Anna's response was more delighted laughter as she spun away from Kratos and lifted her arms to the heavens, tilting her head back and closing her eyes against the rain. For a moment, the scene seemed to be suspended in time as Anna stood there, revelling in the feel of wind and rain and sea spray on her skin, and Kratos watched her, his expression unbelievably tender. Lloyd stood still, which was a rare event, suddenly struck by the feeling that the rest of the world had simply fallen away, time had stopped and this moment was going to last forever.
But then Anna's eyes snapped open and she turned to look at Kratos, reaching out her arms towards him as if asking for a hug. "Dance with me, Kratos!" She called enthusiastically.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, a grin spread over Kratos's features as he closed the gap between them and caught Anna by the waist with one arm. His other hand scooped hers out of the air and held it at shoulder height. Anna smiled widely, her eyes curving into crescent as she placed her free hand on Kratos's shoulder and they began to dance.
Lloyd watched for a while as his parents spun and whirled through the storm, their only music the creaking of the ship, the howl of the wind, and the pounding waves. They were drenched to their bones, barefoot and still in their nightclothes. It was spontaneous, raw, and probably more than a little insane, but it was real. The air around the pair of them almost seemed to glow with their happiness, but it could just have been the rain misting as it hit them.
After a little while, Lloyd got bored of watching his parents dance in the rain and he pushed away from Noishe, wobbling a little before getting knocked over by the wind. His fall was broken by Noishe, and he grinned at him, before righting himself again. He took the best running start he could, then jumped, and watched in delight as water splashed up around him. Laughing, he did it again, and again. A particularly strong wave knocked him off balance, but before he could even begin to fall, Noishe was there again.
Beaming, Lloyd smacked his palm against the deck and, as he hoped, a miniature tidal wave hit Noishe right in the face. Noishe recoiled, startled, then turned baleful eyes on Lloyd, who was howling with laughter, rolling around on his back. Noishe let out a playful growl and lifted his front paws, before slamming them against the deck and splashing Lloyd. Lloyd spluttered and laughed and splashed Noishe again.
They played until Lloyd was too tired to carry on, and then Noishe lay on the rain-soaked deck, and Lloyd sat against his side with Noishe curled round him and protecting him from the worst of the wind. He snuggled into the warm fur, weaving his fingers into it as he watched his parents through half-lidded eyes. They were still dancing, but slower now, just revolving and swaying on the spot. Anna's head was resting against Kratos's shoulder, and his cheek was pressed against the top of her head. Both of them had their eyes closed, with expressions of utter contentment on their faces. He saw Anna's lips move, and Kratos opened his eyes to look down at her as he answered.
Kratos's eyes met Lloyd's and his eyebrows flew up. He said something else to Anna, and she looked round, smiling fondly. The two of them stopped dancing and walked over to where Lloyd and Noishe lay. "Tired?" Anna asked as she knelt beside Noishe, stroking his head gently and causing him to croon happily.
This time, there was no bravado; Lloyd nodded. Kratos leaned down and lifted him carefully out of the warm cocoon of Noishe's fur. For a moment, Lloyd protested to the biting chill of the wind, but then he was wrapped snugly in his father's arms, and he settled down again. Anna stood up and moved in close, blocking the last of the wind and rain from reaching Lloyd. "Let's go inside." She said softly, and then bent slightly to kiss Lloyd on the forehead. "Sleep well, Lloyd."