Chapter 19- Only You
Celes took a deep breath of clean air before she plunged through backstage and shoved her way through the curtains to make it into the open seating area. Her eyes burned, and she coughed frantically, even though her mouth was covered the best she could. Locke was coughing behind her too, which made her want to hurry more. Celes felt Locke's grip on her hand weaken, and she freaked out, looking behind her to see him in great pain. His eyes were clenched shut, and his face was pale. He opened one eye, and saw Celes, who didn't look much better herself. She quickly whirled around, but now her vision was terribly impaired. Her eyes were so watery, she didn't know she was at the exit doors until she literaly smacked into them with her face.
Celes cried out and brought her hand from her face to find the door handle. She finally found it, and pushed the door open, now in cleaner air and in view of the exit. She tugged Locke out with her, and leaned against the door tiredly, slamming it shut with her body. Celes huffed and wheezed from all the smoke, and looked up at Locke. He was coughing so badly, he shook all over. Celes gasped and took him in her arms, rubbing him on the back to calm him down before they actually left the opera house.
"It's ok Locke..." She murmured into his ear, and continued rubbing. She was a little surprised when he wrapped his own arms around her tightly, but she just continued to soothe him and then whispered that they needed to escape-while they still could.
Locke could only nod, and he backed off of Celes a little. She took his hand again, pushed open the exit to the opera house, and stepped outside into the cool nighttime air. She saw many people form the audience still around, but the mass of them had went home, apparently. Maria spotted them and gasped, running over in her huge dress. She threw her arms around Celes and Locke.
"What were you two doing, you idiots?!" She cried happily. "Oh, thank the heavens you are alright!"
"Yes, we're fine." Celes assured her, and Locke coughed out an agreement.
"Hmmm, you need to get him to an area where there is less people." Maria instructed.
"Yes, but where is Setzer?" Celes asked worriedly.
"Oh, do not worry about him." Maria said. "He helped out by taking many of the audience members back home."
Celes nodded, and smiled, relieved to know he was ok. Impressario then came over to fuss over Maria, and Celes took that time to take Locke over to the small forest that was nearby. No one was near there.
When they arrived, Locke choked out his thanks and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. Celes sighed and looked away, gazing back the opera house. There was smoke rising from the roof, and she could see that the top level of the building was engulfed in flames.
What a shame. Celes thought. This beautiful building had to burn and be destroyed. This building...which had so many memories....for all of us...
Celes looked to Locke and saw that he was gazing at the building too. He looked to Celes, and sighed also.
"Sorry to see it go..." He said softly, and gestured for Celes to come over to him. She did, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Celes leaned against his chest and closed her eyes. She couldn't ever immagine anything like this happening...
"Heh, so, anyway, thanks for saving me!" Locke said, and smiled.
"What do you mean?" Celes asked.
"You kept a cool head and got us both out safely." Locke said. "If I had been alone, I would have probably been freaking out and been burned to a crisp!"
"Hee-hee, guess I did save your butt then." Celes winked. "But I'm glad everyone got out ok..."
Locke looked down at Celes, and she peered up at him.
"Hmmm?" She questioned.
"You were going to tell me something before?" Locke asked, and smiled as he rubbed some ash off of Celes' cheek. Celes suddenly blushed.
"Oh, don't worry about that." She said, and pulled away form him.
"Don't play that game with me." Locke said, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You were going to tell me before, so what's any different now?"
Celes looked past him and up into the sky. The moon was bright and full, and the stars were glittering above them. Celes gasped a little when a shooting star streamed across the sky-her memories went back to Maria and Draco, and she felt a shiver run through her body.
"Celes...." Locke said. Celes immediately looked back to him.
"Locke...." She said softly, and put her hands behind her back. "Locke...lately...I've been thinking...about some things."
"Like what?" Locke asked.
"Like, us..." Celes said softly.
"Us?" Locke asked, and frowned a little. "Oh, Celes....you want to go back home, don't you? And you didn't want to tell me because you were afraid of hurting my feelings..."
"What? Oh, goodness, no!" Celes cried, and laughed a little. "It's not like that!"
"Oh.." Locke said, and laughed a little himself. "That's good. I mean, I was hoping you would want to stay..."
"Yes, I do." Celes said, and smiled. "But, you may not want me to stay after this."
"What?" Locke asked. "Oh, come on, it can't be that bad."
"Locke..." Celes said quickly. "Locke, I have feelings for you."
Locke blinked, and shook his head a little.
"What, Celes?" Locke cried, and stopped leaning against the tree. He stood up straighter, making Celes instinctively take a step back. He reached out, grabbed her hand, and tugged her over to him. Her breathing quickened, as he dropped her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Locke...I'm sorry, I didn't want to ruin things between us, but it was killing me inside, and I just had to tell..." Celes was interrupted when Locke suddenly pulled her body against his, slipping his right hand up her back and placing it behind her head, his fingers entwined in her hair as he leaned down and kissed her. Celes widened her eyes as he pressed his lips firmly against hers, but she relaxed quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck. The wind picked up a little, blowing her hair against his face, tickling his cheek. Locke broke the kiss, and smiled a little.
Celes tried to catch her breath as she reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Locke leaned in and kissed her again, only this time it was softer, and quicker. He pulled his lips back and put his hand on Celes' cheek.
"Celes..." He whispered, and blushed a little.
"Locke.....!" Celes replied, her face on fire. This was it, her first kiss! And, it was more incredible then she could have ever immagined or read about. Locke had made every nerve in her body awaken...
"Locke...I..." Celes said, but Locke placed a finger to her lips to quiet her.
"You don't have to say anymore...I know this was hard for you." Locke said, and pulled his finger away. "But....as you can see, I also, have.....feelings for you...."
"But why didn't you tell me before...?" Celes cried.
"For the same reason you never told me." Locke explained. "I was too afraid of losing you. And I decided, that if the closest I could have you was as a friend, then I would take it anyday."
Celes looked down. "Locke, did I make it look like I only liked you as a friend?"
"No, no, not exactly." Locke said. "But...I didn't want to be too forward with you. You have to understand Celes....from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I was attracted to you. But, after everything you had been through, with the Empire and all, I just didn't want to scare you off. You understand, right?"
"Oh, Locke... that is so sweet." Celes said, and smiled, looking back up at him. "I....never knew...!"
"Celes....it was always you....that was in my heart....only you." Locke replied.
Locke pulled her into a tight embrace, and kissed her hair lightly. Celes could tell her face was still red, but she didn't care. She wrapped her arms around him, and leaned against his chest as he held her for a few moments.
"Locke...?"
"Yeah?"
"What does this mean for us...?"
"Us?"
"Yeah..."
"Well....heh....you tell me...."
Celes blushed.
"What do you mean by that? Locke, you're terrible!"
"Heh, just kidding Celes....!"
Celes looked up from his chest and gazed into his eyes. Locke smiled and caressed her cheek lightly with his hand, blushing a little.
"Celes....would...you....umm.....you know....be...my...girl.........? You know....I'll take care of you every minute of....my life....and....I'll always protect you...."
"......oh, Locke, of course!" Celes cried, and they kissed passionately once again, under the moon and the stars. Approaching them slowly in the falling darkness was Maria, who was going to tell them to come back over, that Setzer had arrived back. But when she saw them holding each other from a distance, she smiled to herself, and turned right back around so she wouldn't interrupt.
"Maria, where are they?" Setzer asked when she walked back over. Maria smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ay, perhaps we should let them be for a few moments." She replied, and smiled. "Those two....have finally found each other, after staggering around blindly for years and years, always missing each other's loving embraces."
"Hey, that's a line from "Kindred Hearts", the opera we did last month." Impressario commented, not catching on to who Maria was really talking about.
"That's right." Maria said, and looked up at the sky. The moon was absolutely brilliant, it being so much nicer then the backround moon she was so used to seeing in her shows.
"The moonlight, it will bless their kindred hearts." Maria quoted again, to herself.
Celes took a deep breath of clean air before she plunged through backstage and shoved her way through the curtains to make it into the open seating area. Her eyes burned, and she coughed frantically, even though her mouth was covered the best she could. Locke was coughing behind her too, which made her want to hurry more. Celes felt Locke's grip on her hand weaken, and she freaked out, looking behind her to see him in great pain. His eyes were clenched shut, and his face was pale. He opened one eye, and saw Celes, who didn't look much better herself. She quickly whirled around, but now her vision was terribly impaired. Her eyes were so watery, she didn't know she was at the exit doors until she literaly smacked into them with her face.
Celes cried out and brought her hand from her face to find the door handle. She finally found it, and pushed the door open, now in cleaner air and in view of the exit. She tugged Locke out with her, and leaned against the door tiredly, slamming it shut with her body. Celes huffed and wheezed from all the smoke, and looked up at Locke. He was coughing so badly, he shook all over. Celes gasped and took him in her arms, rubbing him on the back to calm him down before they actually left the opera house.
"It's ok Locke..." She murmured into his ear, and continued rubbing. She was a little surprised when he wrapped his own arms around her tightly, but she just continued to soothe him and then whispered that they needed to escape-while they still could.
Locke could only nod, and he backed off of Celes a little. She took his hand again, pushed open the exit to the opera house, and stepped outside into the cool nighttime air. She saw many people form the audience still around, but the mass of them had went home, apparently. Maria spotted them and gasped, running over in her huge dress. She threw her arms around Celes and Locke.
"What were you two doing, you idiots?!" She cried happily. "Oh, thank the heavens you are alright!"
"Yes, we're fine." Celes assured her, and Locke coughed out an agreement.
"Hmmm, you need to get him to an area where there is less people." Maria instructed.
"Yes, but where is Setzer?" Celes asked worriedly.
"Oh, do not worry about him." Maria said. "He helped out by taking many of the audience members back home."
Celes nodded, and smiled, relieved to know he was ok. Impressario then came over to fuss over Maria, and Celes took that time to take Locke over to the small forest that was nearby. No one was near there.
When they arrived, Locke choked out his thanks and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. Celes sighed and looked away, gazing back the opera house. There was smoke rising from the roof, and she could see that the top level of the building was engulfed in flames.
What a shame. Celes thought. This beautiful building had to burn and be destroyed. This building...which had so many memories....for all of us...
Celes looked to Locke and saw that he was gazing at the building too. He looked to Celes, and sighed also.
"Sorry to see it go..." He said softly, and gestured for Celes to come over to him. She did, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Celes leaned against his chest and closed her eyes. She couldn't ever immagine anything like this happening...
"Heh, so, anyway, thanks for saving me!" Locke said, and smiled.
"What do you mean?" Celes asked.
"You kept a cool head and got us both out safely." Locke said. "If I had been alone, I would have probably been freaking out and been burned to a crisp!"
"Hee-hee, guess I did save your butt then." Celes winked. "But I'm glad everyone got out ok..."
Locke looked down at Celes, and she peered up at him.
"Hmmm?" She questioned.
"You were going to tell me something before?" Locke asked, and smiled as he rubbed some ash off of Celes' cheek. Celes suddenly blushed.
"Oh, don't worry about that." She said, and pulled away form him.
"Don't play that game with me." Locke said, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You were going to tell me before, so what's any different now?"
Celes looked past him and up into the sky. The moon was bright and full, and the stars were glittering above them. Celes gasped a little when a shooting star streamed across the sky-her memories went back to Maria and Draco, and she felt a shiver run through her body.
"Celes...." Locke said. Celes immediately looked back to him.
"Locke...." She said softly, and put her hands behind her back. "Locke...lately...I've been thinking...about some things."
"Like what?" Locke asked.
"Like, us..." Celes said softly.
"Us?" Locke asked, and frowned a little. "Oh, Celes....you want to go back home, don't you? And you didn't want to tell me because you were afraid of hurting my feelings..."
"What? Oh, goodness, no!" Celes cried, and laughed a little. "It's not like that!"
"Oh.." Locke said, and laughed a little himself. "That's good. I mean, I was hoping you would want to stay..."
"Yes, I do." Celes said, and smiled. "But, you may not want me to stay after this."
"What?" Locke asked. "Oh, come on, it can't be that bad."
"Locke..." Celes said quickly. "Locke, I have feelings for you."
Locke blinked, and shook his head a little.
"What, Celes?" Locke cried, and stopped leaning against the tree. He stood up straighter, making Celes instinctively take a step back. He reached out, grabbed her hand, and tugged her over to him. Her breathing quickened, as he dropped her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Locke...I'm sorry, I didn't want to ruin things between us, but it was killing me inside, and I just had to tell..." Celes was interrupted when Locke suddenly pulled her body against his, slipping his right hand up her back and placing it behind her head, his fingers entwined in her hair as he leaned down and kissed her. Celes widened her eyes as he pressed his lips firmly against hers, but she relaxed quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck. The wind picked up a little, blowing her hair against his face, tickling his cheek. Locke broke the kiss, and smiled a little.
Celes tried to catch her breath as she reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Locke leaned in and kissed her again, only this time it was softer, and quicker. He pulled his lips back and put his hand on Celes' cheek.
"Celes..." He whispered, and blushed a little.
"Locke.....!" Celes replied, her face on fire. This was it, her first kiss! And, it was more incredible then she could have ever immagined or read about. Locke had made every nerve in her body awaken...
"Locke...I..." Celes said, but Locke placed a finger to her lips to quiet her.
"You don't have to say anymore...I know this was hard for you." Locke said, and pulled his finger away. "But....as you can see, I also, have.....feelings for you...."
"But why didn't you tell me before...?" Celes cried.
"For the same reason you never told me." Locke explained. "I was too afraid of losing you. And I decided, that if the closest I could have you was as a friend, then I would take it anyday."
Celes looked down. "Locke, did I make it look like I only liked you as a friend?"
"No, no, not exactly." Locke said. "But...I didn't want to be too forward with you. You have to understand Celes....from the moment I first laid eyes on you, I was attracted to you. But, after everything you had been through, with the Empire and all, I just didn't want to scare you off. You understand, right?"
"Oh, Locke... that is so sweet." Celes said, and smiled, looking back up at him. "I....never knew...!"
"Celes....it was always you....that was in my heart....only you." Locke replied.
Locke pulled her into a tight embrace, and kissed her hair lightly. Celes could tell her face was still red, but she didn't care. She wrapped her arms around him, and leaned against his chest as he held her for a few moments.
"Locke...?"
"Yeah?"
"What does this mean for us...?"
"Us?"
"Yeah..."
"Well....heh....you tell me...."
Celes blushed.
"What do you mean by that? Locke, you're terrible!"
"Heh, just kidding Celes....!"
Celes looked up from his chest and gazed into his eyes. Locke smiled and caressed her cheek lightly with his hand, blushing a little.
"Celes....would...you....umm.....you know....be...my...girl.........? You know....I'll take care of you every minute of....my life....and....I'll always protect you...."
"......oh, Locke, of course!" Celes cried, and they kissed passionately once again, under the moon and the stars. Approaching them slowly in the falling darkness was Maria, who was going to tell them to come back over, that Setzer had arrived back. But when she saw them holding each other from a distance, she smiled to herself, and turned right back around so she wouldn't interrupt.
"Maria, where are they?" Setzer asked when she walked back over. Maria smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ay, perhaps we should let them be for a few moments." She replied, and smiled. "Those two....have finally found each other, after staggering around blindly for years and years, always missing each other's loving embraces."
"Hey, that's a line from "Kindred Hearts", the opera we did last month." Impressario commented, not catching on to who Maria was really talking about.
"That's right." Maria said, and looked up at the sky. The moon was absolutely brilliant, it being so much nicer then the backround moon she was so used to seeing in her shows.
"The moonlight, it will bless their kindred hearts." Maria quoted again, to herself.