Chapter 5- Try Again
Locke and Celes returned to Albrook together that night, with Audrey. As soon as they dropped Audrey off, Celes led him to her home. She didn't get much of a reaction from him when he saw her small home. When he stepped inside, he did comment on how empty it seemed.
Celes didn't say anything as she started a fire to brighten up her main room. She gestured for him to sit down, and he did, however, it was the only chair in the room. Celes looked a little embarassed as she sat on the floor across from him. He smiled and got out of the chair, sitting on the floor with her. She smiled back.
"I apoligize for the way I acted last time we met." Locke said, suddenly getting serious. "I mean, there was alot of tension."
"Yes, but I'm sorry too." Celes said. "I don't really hate you."
"And you're not a....bitch." Locke said, and grimaced. "I can't believe I said that."
"It's alright, really." Celes offered. "I really....haven't been able to keep you off my mind..."
"Same here...." Locke said, and turned a shade of red. Celes blushed too and looked at the floor.
Locke looked around some.
"So you have a job and stuff, right?" He said.
"Yeah, it helps me get by." Celes said. "I mean, even though I still got a lot of GP from after we battled Kefka, I knew it wouldn't be enough to support me forever."
"That's right." Locke said. "That's why I'm still a treasure hunter." He smiled.
"You are just perfect for that." Celes smiled back.
Locke nodded. "Do you ever miss it?"
"Miss what?" Celes asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Miss traveling." Locke replied.
"Yes, very much." Celes said sadly. "But the truth is Locke, I can't do what you do. I'm no good at traveling for profit. I'd end up starving myself to death."
"Heh..." Locke smirked. "You know..."
"Hmmm...?"
"I, well, I have something I want to ask you."
"Then have at it Locke."
Locke hesitated before talking again.
Is he going to ask me something serious?? Oh my gosh, maybe he'll ask me out! Nah, he wouldn't do that...or maybe...
"Well, Celes, the thing is, lately, I've found that traveling alone is getting harder and harder these days. You know, it's still dangerous out, as you could probably guess from tonight's little adventure..."
Celes nodded, and shivered in remembrence.
"And, the other thing is, it's hard to find people you trust..." Locke trailed off.
"That's true." Celes said.
"And basically, what I was going to ask you was if you, maybe, wanted to be....my new traveling partner?" Locke looked down a bit so Celes could not see his red face.
Celes' eyes widened. She could not believe he was asking her this. This meant he trusted her. Out of everyone in the world, in his world, she was the one he wanted to spend practically all his time with. And Celes returned that trust. He was the only one she could ever immagine being with, telling her deepest secrets to. Well, not every secret...
"I'd love to!" Celes cried.
Locke looked up and widened his eyes.
"Wha!?" He cried, as if he expected her to say anything different.
"Yes, take me along with you!" Celes said, and clapped her hands together.
"Do you know exactly what you're getting into?" Locke asked nervously.
"Yes." Celes said in an unwavering voice. "I'll....have to quit my job. And leave my home and new friends behind. And I'll have to break into the 'old lifestyle' again...batteling, all that walking...and camping out under the stars..."
Locke blinked.
"I can't wait!" Celes said cheerfully. "When do we start?" Locke grinned.
"Tomorrow, if possible!" He exclaimed. "Do you need help packing or anything?"
"No, I can take care of that." Celes said. "It's really late Locke."
"Hmmm...yeah." He said. "Isn't there an inn around here somewhere?"
"Well, you can always stay here if you want." Celes said. "I don't have a guest room, but you can stay in my bedroom. I don't mind sleeping out in here. It will probably be more comfortable for you then the inn."
"Heh, thanks." Locke said.
"I'll pack in the morning." Celes offered. "You should get some sleep." She stood up, as well as Locke.
Celes led him to her bedroom, which definately looked inviting to him. Her bed was all made, the window was shut tight for the night, and Celes stooped down to start him a fire in the fireplace for him. When that was done, she went back to the doorway.
"See you in the morning." She said. "I'll make sure I'm up."
"Thanks again, really." Locke said, and waved. She waved back and shut the door behind her. Locke looked around and yawned.
Hmmm...would have guessed that Celes was leading a great life. Locke thought a little sadly. She really doesn't deserve this kind of lonely life...she deserves to be surrounded by the people that love and care about her. She deserves so much more...so why doesn't anyone give it to her? Why doesn't she give it to herself? Does anyone care about Celes other then me?
Part of the reason why I asked her to come along with me is because I can't stand seeing her alone. Ever since I first met her, I never wanted her to be alone. I wanted to make sure she was being taken care of. Is that wrong of me? I did make her that promise over a year ago. Maybe she's sick of me...
**********
Later that night, Locke suddenly awoke from a nightmare. It was a dream he often had...memories of Rachel that still came back to haunt him. "I set your heart free..." Were her last words, but Locke was not completely reassured by them. Just because he was free to love others, didn't mean he wanted to...what if what happened to Rachel happened to...Celes?
He moaned and got out of bed, deciding her needed some fresh air to clear his mind. He stepped out of Celes' bedroom, and carefully tiptoed through the living room. Celes was on the floor, covered in a twisted up blanket, her hair tied up in a braid, sleeping peacefully. Locke noted that she looked like an angel...
He walked outside, and without really knowing where he was going, mindlessly made his way through town. He soon stopped though, at a familiar bridge that was infront of the inn. Locke smiled softly and leaned over the rail to gaze into the dark water.
"The last time I was here..." He whispered. "...Was when Celes and I got in that fight after out trek through the magitek factory. Well....it wasn't really a fight..." He shook his head. "She wouldn't even speak to me."
"Who are you talking to?" A voice asked from behind him. Locke turned around and found Celes there, staring at him. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and loose strands of hair from the braid were blowing in the soft breeze.
"Celes!" Locke said, and laughed nervously. "What are you doing out here?"
"You're not very quiet." Celes said, and smiled.
"Ack, sorry." Locke said. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's alright." Celes replied. "So, why are you here?"
"I had an interesting dream." Locke said. "I decided that maybe I should take a walk to clear my mind."
"To this bridge?" Celes asked softly.
"Ahhh.....that was just a coincidence." Locke protested. Celes smirked.
"Don't give me that look." Locke moaned. "That's exactly what you did..."
"....A year ago, right here." Celes finished for him. "But you deserved it. You totally deserved it..." She laughed and playfully punched him.
"You bully!" Locke laughed, and grabbed her wrist, tugging her over to him. Celes tried to break away from him, but was laughing too hard to do so. She briefly looked down at their reflection in the water, and widened her eyes.
"Locke, behind you!" She screamed.
Locke and Celes returned to Albrook together that night, with Audrey. As soon as they dropped Audrey off, Celes led him to her home. She didn't get much of a reaction from him when he saw her small home. When he stepped inside, he did comment on how empty it seemed.
Celes didn't say anything as she started a fire to brighten up her main room. She gestured for him to sit down, and he did, however, it was the only chair in the room. Celes looked a little embarassed as she sat on the floor across from him. He smiled and got out of the chair, sitting on the floor with her. She smiled back.
"I apoligize for the way I acted last time we met." Locke said, suddenly getting serious. "I mean, there was alot of tension."
"Yes, but I'm sorry too." Celes said. "I don't really hate you."
"And you're not a....bitch." Locke said, and grimaced. "I can't believe I said that."
"It's alright, really." Celes offered. "I really....haven't been able to keep you off my mind..."
"Same here...." Locke said, and turned a shade of red. Celes blushed too and looked at the floor.
Locke looked around some.
"So you have a job and stuff, right?" He said.
"Yeah, it helps me get by." Celes said. "I mean, even though I still got a lot of GP from after we battled Kefka, I knew it wouldn't be enough to support me forever."
"That's right." Locke said. "That's why I'm still a treasure hunter." He smiled.
"You are just perfect for that." Celes smiled back.
Locke nodded. "Do you ever miss it?"
"Miss what?" Celes asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Miss traveling." Locke replied.
"Yes, very much." Celes said sadly. "But the truth is Locke, I can't do what you do. I'm no good at traveling for profit. I'd end up starving myself to death."
"Heh..." Locke smirked. "You know..."
"Hmmm...?"
"I, well, I have something I want to ask you."
"Then have at it Locke."
Locke hesitated before talking again.
Is he going to ask me something serious?? Oh my gosh, maybe he'll ask me out! Nah, he wouldn't do that...or maybe...
"Well, Celes, the thing is, lately, I've found that traveling alone is getting harder and harder these days. You know, it's still dangerous out, as you could probably guess from tonight's little adventure..."
Celes nodded, and shivered in remembrence.
"And, the other thing is, it's hard to find people you trust..." Locke trailed off.
"That's true." Celes said.
"And basically, what I was going to ask you was if you, maybe, wanted to be....my new traveling partner?" Locke looked down a bit so Celes could not see his red face.
Celes' eyes widened. She could not believe he was asking her this. This meant he trusted her. Out of everyone in the world, in his world, she was the one he wanted to spend practically all his time with. And Celes returned that trust. He was the only one she could ever immagine being with, telling her deepest secrets to. Well, not every secret...
"I'd love to!" Celes cried.
Locke looked up and widened his eyes.
"Wha!?" He cried, as if he expected her to say anything different.
"Yes, take me along with you!" Celes said, and clapped her hands together.
"Do you know exactly what you're getting into?" Locke asked nervously.
"Yes." Celes said in an unwavering voice. "I'll....have to quit my job. And leave my home and new friends behind. And I'll have to break into the 'old lifestyle' again...batteling, all that walking...and camping out under the stars..."
Locke blinked.
"I can't wait!" Celes said cheerfully. "When do we start?" Locke grinned.
"Tomorrow, if possible!" He exclaimed. "Do you need help packing or anything?"
"No, I can take care of that." Celes said. "It's really late Locke."
"Hmmm...yeah." He said. "Isn't there an inn around here somewhere?"
"Well, you can always stay here if you want." Celes said. "I don't have a guest room, but you can stay in my bedroom. I don't mind sleeping out in here. It will probably be more comfortable for you then the inn."
"Heh, thanks." Locke said.
"I'll pack in the morning." Celes offered. "You should get some sleep." She stood up, as well as Locke.
Celes led him to her bedroom, which definately looked inviting to him. Her bed was all made, the window was shut tight for the night, and Celes stooped down to start him a fire in the fireplace for him. When that was done, she went back to the doorway.
"See you in the morning." She said. "I'll make sure I'm up."
"Thanks again, really." Locke said, and waved. She waved back and shut the door behind her. Locke looked around and yawned.
Hmmm...would have guessed that Celes was leading a great life. Locke thought a little sadly. She really doesn't deserve this kind of lonely life...she deserves to be surrounded by the people that love and care about her. She deserves so much more...so why doesn't anyone give it to her? Why doesn't she give it to herself? Does anyone care about Celes other then me?
Part of the reason why I asked her to come along with me is because I can't stand seeing her alone. Ever since I first met her, I never wanted her to be alone. I wanted to make sure she was being taken care of. Is that wrong of me? I did make her that promise over a year ago. Maybe she's sick of me...
**********
Later that night, Locke suddenly awoke from a nightmare. It was a dream he often had...memories of Rachel that still came back to haunt him. "I set your heart free..." Were her last words, but Locke was not completely reassured by them. Just because he was free to love others, didn't mean he wanted to...what if what happened to Rachel happened to...Celes?
He moaned and got out of bed, deciding her needed some fresh air to clear his mind. He stepped out of Celes' bedroom, and carefully tiptoed through the living room. Celes was on the floor, covered in a twisted up blanket, her hair tied up in a braid, sleeping peacefully. Locke noted that she looked like an angel...
He walked outside, and without really knowing where he was going, mindlessly made his way through town. He soon stopped though, at a familiar bridge that was infront of the inn. Locke smiled softly and leaned over the rail to gaze into the dark water.
"The last time I was here..." He whispered. "...Was when Celes and I got in that fight after out trek through the magitek factory. Well....it wasn't really a fight..." He shook his head. "She wouldn't even speak to me."
"Who are you talking to?" A voice asked from behind him. Locke turned around and found Celes there, staring at him. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and loose strands of hair from the braid were blowing in the soft breeze.
"Celes!" Locke said, and laughed nervously. "What are you doing out here?"
"You're not very quiet." Celes said, and smiled.
"Ack, sorry." Locke said. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's alright." Celes replied. "So, why are you here?"
"I had an interesting dream." Locke said. "I decided that maybe I should take a walk to clear my mind."
"To this bridge?" Celes asked softly.
"Ahhh.....that was just a coincidence." Locke protested. Celes smirked.
"Don't give me that look." Locke moaned. "That's exactly what you did..."
"....A year ago, right here." Celes finished for him. "But you deserved it. You totally deserved it..." She laughed and playfully punched him.
"You bully!" Locke laughed, and grabbed her wrist, tugging her over to him. Celes tried to break away from him, but was laughing too hard to do so. She briefly looked down at their reflection in the water, and widened her eyes.
"Locke, behind you!" She screamed.