Title: Home
Rating: K+
Warnings: Unbeta-ed, some OOC-ness, ignore character death
Genre: General, Angst
Main Character(s): Rey, Murrue, Mwu
Ship(s): MwuxMurr
Summary: Rey finally lets go of his past. One shot.
Disclaimer: Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed, Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed Destiny, characters and places are copyright to Hajime Yate, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Sotsu Agency and Sunrise.
Author's Notes: One of the reasons why I love GSD so much was due to Rey. He may be a manipulative jerk but bear in mind, he wasn't always like that. It had been Dullindal's influence on him since he had been a child. He calls Murrue and Mwu by their surnames at first but that will soon cease as he grows more familiar with his 'family'. This was before I watched Phase 50.
He had spent hours laying in shell-shock in the infirmary as they fixed up his broken arm and other injuries, that man's – he refused to use the name anymore, couldn't and wouldn't – words flitting in and out of his mind. It hurt much more than the broken arm and bruises. He vaguely remembered a gentle hand stroking his hair as he lay there, numbed by the painkillers and by the dull ache in his heart. It had been Talia, showing a motherly concern openly for him. Beside her had been the Archangel's captain and the man who had sparked that connection and feeling he had whenever he was nearby. Rey had simply just close his eyes, too weary and hurt to even wonder why they were here with Captain Talia. He dozed off, not hearing them as they began to talk in hushed tones.
When he woke up, he found none of his comrades there at his side. He remembered feeling slight bitterness well up when he saw. That Shinn and Lunamaria had better things to do than to come see him, probably off celebrating with their newfound friends from the Archangel that the war was over. Those two were more receptive to the Archangel crew than him. Until Talia came in with those two, looking far more weary than during the war. She had smiled at him kindly, told him things were hectic and upside down at the moment before she launched into what she had came to say without preamble.
He was to be in custody of Captain Murrue Ramius and Commander Mwu La Fllaga. They will take care of his recovery, he will stay with them for some time at their home on ORB. It was the best they could do for him at the moment. He was allowed to take the offer or refuse and return to PLANT with the Minerva. Rey didn't know why, until today, he had opened his mouth and rasped out a yes. He couldn't understand it but he did know that he didn't want to go back to PLANT again. Too many memories remained there and he wasn't ready to face them. Ramius's face lit up with a warm smile while La Fllaga merely nodded. Talia had looked relieved, as if she had been afraid he might put up a fight.
The house was a modest, two-storey affair. Painted white with iron-wrought rails balcony that overlooked the sea. The garden smelled of herbs and roses and oranges. There was the odd orange tree there which had made him wonder who planted it and why. His second thought had been, why not an apple tree which he realized he had voiced out loud when La Fllaga chuckled and said oranges were much better. His bedroom was larger than the room he shared with Shinn on board the Minerva. White walls and ceiling, French doors leading out to the sunny balcony facing the sea view. He had noticed that they had already sent his belongings over; his books were lined along the bookshelf, his laptop sitting on the desk, a box of his knick-knacks which he kept during his time of service (mostly childhood momentos and trinkets) and his duffel bag of clothes. He was going to have to buy more clothes since he wasn't very well going to parade around the house in his uniform.
Rey settled down quietly and without fuss. He did his chores without being asked to, even the laundry (though he had a little accident with the machine when he dumped the entire box of detergent in it causing the laundry room to be filled with bubbles). Ramius, he found out, worked as part of the mechanics at the ORB military when she was not at the captain's seat of the Archangel. She left early in the morning and arrive home in time to prepare dinner. Unlike Talia, her mannerism was much kinder, much more open and warm. She include him in her chatter, coaxing him to talk more, joking that he need to fill his quota of the day. La Fllaga, he discovered, was actually a former Earth Alliance captain of the unit called Phantom Pain. He had been known as Neo Lorrnoke during that time before his memories of the past were recovered. He was a Newtype as well, which explain that tingle Rey got whenever the man was around or nearby.
When the two were at work, Rey spent his time reading in living room (it was sunny and he liked the window seat) or in his bedroom. He sometimes read outside as well, under that orange tree. Other than reading, he would wander around the house and the garden or go down the beach. He avoided using his laptop; nearly everything of that man was inside. He had wanted to throw it against the wall the first time after he recovered but some part of him had him keep it instead. So, it sat on his desk, untouched. Many times his fingers hovered over it, to flip it on and go through the folders and files inside but he never did. He was going to have to get a new laptop, so he could keep in contact with Shinn.
Shinn shared an apartment with Lunamaria at Onogoro. Luna was now a college girl. He had smiled at the thought; she was probably too busy chasing after one guy after another to get her assignments done. Shinn had enlisted back into ORB military, under the oath of Cagalli Yula Athla, to serve her and his country. Last he heard, Shinn was a part of Waltfield-Jule Squadron. The two came over to visit him every other week, when Shinn had time off and when Luna had caught up with all her assignments. They talked about what they were doing, what they plan to do in the future, the current situation at ORB but nothing about the past. It was subject none of them tread into. For that, he was grateful. He had no doubt he would have broken down and discard the barriers he had built around him since young; the stoic, impassive mask he wore.
He would have kept it up as well, if it weren't for that.
The baby grand piano which sat at the corner of the living. It had appeared one day and he taken no notice of it at first until it clicked and he back pedalled to stare at it. His feet made their way over to it, even though his mind was protesting loudly. His hands came up on their own accord and slender fingers skimmed over ivory-white keys. He stared at the keys for a long moment before he sat down on the bench. It had been so long since he touched the keys or even played. Unbidden, a memory of a younger him came to mind, thumping out a tune enthusiastically on the piano under the watchful and amused eyes of that man and another he never got to know. At the first tinkle, his fingers moved across the keys, playing a melody he had grown familiar with, knew it by heart. As he played, the memories which he had locked away at the recess of his mind came flooding back, pounding him with images and words. The half-truths and lies, the deceit and empty promises leaving behind a broken heart and doubt and conflict.
His fingers crashed down on the keys, making a horrendous sound as he clench them into white-knuckled fists. Something wet and warm dropped onto his fists, followed by another on the ivory keys and then some more. For the first time since the aftermath, Rey began to cry openly, chest heaving with sobs as he tried to fight for control but felt it slipping away from him. He pounded on the keys, wanting to break them until firm hands grasped his wrists, turned him around forcefully and he found himself wailing into La Fllaga's chest. Gentle hands rubbed his back, soothing him, calming the roiling emotions down. He heard comforting murmurs but couldn't make out what they were except it was Ramius as he purged himself of the past memories and pain. He had held it in for far too long, he realized detachedly. Held it inside for fear breaking down. Only fall to pieces in front of the two people he hardly knew well but who had been there with him throughout his days here.
Later, he would remember having no more tears left, far more exhausted than when he had been in after a battle and held by Ramius as she offered comfort to him, whispering soothingly, stroking his damp hair as they sat on the couch (he didn't realize La Fllaga had moved him). La Fllaga saying something kind to him which he nodded before closing his eyes from the world. When he woke the next day, he felt the ache around his heart had faded away, and his shoulders felt lighter. He got rid of the laptop (tossing it into the bin without so much as a backward glance), made a call to his friends and they spend the entire day wandering around the city like what kids their age would do, window shopping, bantering, bickering and the heaviness in his chest was replaced by a light-heartedness he had long since forgotten what it felt like. They visited the memorial for those who had perished during the war, the three of them standing in contemplative silence. Luna had placed a floret of irises before bowing slightly.
When he came home later in the evening, after dinner with those two (Luna had badgered Shinn into paying since he was the only working one and Shinn had made that face at her), he found Ramius and La Fllaga waiting for him at the living room. They had news for him from Talia. He took the message, listening to it as he went around his room, changing out of his daytrip clothes into a plain t-shirt and pajamas pants. He went downstairs to see them in the kitchen; they both gave him expectant looks, as if bracing themselves for the bad news that would come.
Rey concentrate on peeling the orange as he mumbled that he was staying here with them, that is, if they still want him to. The look on Ramius's face told him it was more than she had expected. She had enveloped him in a spontaneous hug while he stood stiffly in her arms before loosening and relaxing into it, realizing she wasn't going to do anything to him. La Fllaga made the remark that since he was going to be the permanent resident here, he was going to have to earn his keep, and that was by getting a job. Rey merely nodded and smiled in good humour, even as Ramius whirled on La Fllaga and chided him.
The memories were still there but they did not had a strong hold on him as before. Their grip had loosened enough for him to move on. Maybe they weren't his family but it felt like he was really at home.
Owari.
