Chapter 26- Preperations
Over breakfast the next morning, Locke showed Celes the almost forgotten ring that would be hers as a symbol of their engagement. Celes set her food aside, and leaned her hand out over the table as he slipped the ring on. It was a perfect fit. Celes took her hand back, and examined the ring.
Set in a pure gold band was a piece of a red something that Celes had never seen before. Locke laughed as she furrowed her eyebrows in thought, and finally looked back up at him.
"This is very pretty." She said. "But..."
"But what is it?" Locke asked, and smiled. "I was hoping you would ask. The stone is called Garnet. It's actually sort of rare, a rather nice find for a treasure hunter like me." He winked, and Celes looked at it again. If you caught it in the right light, it would appear to be glass-like and delicate. She rested her face on her hands, and Locke continued on.
"I actually found that stone a while ago." He said. "Long before the World of Ruin, but after I met you."
"And you kept it?" Celes asked. "Why didn't you sell it...?
"Because, I found that in the Phoenix Cave." Locke explained. "I had been doing nothing but rough traveling for the past few weeks, because I was constantly on the lookout for that esper crystal. Nothing else had been on my mind. And one night, in the cave, when I had literally collapsed for the night, I found it. It was just lying there, waiting to be discovered by a traveller smart enough to look to his feet. As I picked it up and held it in my hands, you would not believe the first thing I thought of."
"What?" Celes asked excitedly.
"For once in what seemed like forever, my thoughts left the esper and went back to the thing I had loved before all that destruction....something I loved that I thought had left me. I saw the Garnet, and thought "This stone's shade would bring out the color in Celes' cheeks and lips. What a lovely ring this would make for her." And then I pictured you smiling at me and resting your face in your hands, just like you were doing now, with the ring on. And now I can see how right I was. I decided to keep it until it was appropriate for me to give it to you. I set it in gold last night when I went out."
Celes smiled and blushed a little. "Are you just telling me a story to make me feel good?"
"No!" Locke smiled back, and laughed. "I missed you that much!" Celes smiled more and sighed happily. This was the best engagement ring she could ever immagine having. Not only did Locke pick out something pretty, but it had a history behind it. A history that had begun to sneak up upon them along with their blossoming feelings for each other.
"So, dear, what sort of wedding do you want?" Locke asked, snapping Celes out of her thoughts. "We have more then enough money to support anything you want."
"Oh Locke, I don't want anything fancy." Celes said seriously, and leaned over the table towards him. "Just a nice celebration with our closest friends...since...well, we don't have any family with us."
"Hmm, just what I had in mind." Locke said, and leaned in also, kissing the tip of her nose. "Do I get a kiss in return if I can name each person that you want attending?"
"Sure." Celes giggled.
"Hmmm...How about we have Edgar, Sabin, Terra, Strago, Relm, Shadow, Mog, Umaro, Gogo, Cyan, Gau, and Setzer?"
"That's what I was thinking." Celes smiled, and kissed him back. "We'll have to nake out invitations and send them out."
"And we'll need a place to host the wedding." Locke added. "What were you thinking about that?"
"I don't know." Celes replied honestly.
"How about...right here, in the villiage?" Locke suggested.
"Alright!" Celes agreed. "This place is so cute anyway....it will be like something from a book!"
"What else am I forgetting?" Locke asked, and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling in thought.
"Well, there is still a lot to think about." Celes said. "But, we can come to that in due time. For now....lets just relax and tell our friends the good news!"
"I'll go into town and make up some simple announcements." Locke offered, and stood up. "While I'm gone, why don't you make a choice for your room here, and make it more comfortable? I think we may be staying here for a while."
"What are my options?" Celes asked, and laughed as he messed up her hair on his way over to the doorway.
"Any room you want!" He said.
"Even yours?" Celes asked, and raised her eyebrows. Locke blushed a little.
"There's plenty of room for you in there too." He said shyly, and Celes giggled. He gave her a short wave, and left, shutting the door behind him. Celes finished her breakfast, and put both their dishes away, after washing them. She smiled a little and sighed.
"I feel like a wife already." She said outloud, and laughed to herself. She could hear birds outside chirping merrily, as if they knew today was one of the happiest days of her life. "Immagine...being Locke's wife." Celes said again as she continued to clear the table and clean around the counters. "I never thought such a thing would happen." What did Celes think when it came to her future? She tried not thinking about it at all. She had trained herself to do that in the Empire....only think of the day you are in, you're more likely to survive that way. No wonder she ended up in sleepy Albrook once the world had been saved. Celes knew what she wanted...to be with Locke. But, she just didn't take the necessary action.
So where would she be now, if fate had not caused her and Locke to meet again in Tzen? That was something else Celes did not like to think about- the past. She bit her lower lip and finished her work, trying to not think about being without Locke. Celes then made her way to Locke's bedroom door, and pushed it open.
The room was relatively simple, like she expected. A full sized bed was set against the wall, it's deep blue comforter un-made. It looked like somebody had leaped out of bed in a hurry. Against the wall across from it was a cherry-wood dresser, with some of the drawers a little ajar, some with clothes sticking out. A big window was also in the room, the curtains drawn tightly. Celes peered out through the curtains, and saw more of the pretty backyard Locke had. Her eyes instantly met the spot in the grass where he had proposed to her, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled softly to herself.
Walking back to the bed, Celes picked up a pillow and smelled it. It had Locke's scent all over, and she hugged it to her chest, closing her eyes. She felt deleriously happy, and sank down onto the bed, the firm mattress feeling great on her back, while still holding the pillow. She closed her eyes and immagined what her life would be like in a few months...This would be her and Locke's house, together, and they would be with each other every moment of the rest of their lives.....and....
Celes blinked, and looked up at the ceiling. She hadn't thought about it until now, but what would she and Locke do about children? Would they have any? Did Locke want to raise a family? Did Celes? She didn't know...if anything, she felt scared, so she pushed the thoughts from her mind. Fear of the unknown....it bothered her that she was afraid of her own thoughts...or even, afraid of her own future.
Celes remained on Locke's bed until she heard him open the door to the house and call out her name. She blinked and sat up, dropping the pillow back in it's place.
"I'm here." Celes called back, and Locke appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. Locke smiled and sat down next to her.
"Like it in here?" He asked.
"It's nice." Celes replied. "The window has such a pretty view."
"That's what I thought about it too." Locke smiled, and pulled Celes into his lap, giving her a tight hug. She snuggled against his strong, warm chest, and kissed it lightly as he pressed his lips to her hair, inhaling her scent at the same time. It absolutely drove him crazy, the way she was lightly scented with a mixture of vanilla and honey. It made him want to kiss her all over, endlessly, until he died from exhaustion. He trailed his lips to her ear and ran his tongue over it, while running his hands over her stomach and resting them right below her chest. Celes felt her face warm up, and looked up to Locke. He smiled down at her, and kissed her temple.
"I love you so much." He whispered.
"I love you too, Locke." Celes replied, and turned her head more so that her lips met his. He closed his eyes and slipped his tongue into her mouth, gently running it over her teeth and her own tongue. Celes also closed her eyes as he gently took ahold of her legs and lifted them so that they were wrapped around his waist, and then pulled her closer. Celes pressed her hips against his, and felt a surge of energy run through her body, making her deepen the kiss.
Locke broke the kiss and smiled assuringly down at her as he tucked her hair behind her ears. Celes smiled back up at him, but felt a look of worry cross over her face as he brought his fingers to her suit straps again. Locke blinked, but let his fingers remain.
"Something wrong, Celes?" He asked.
"I....umm..." Celes murmured, embarassed, and looked down.
"We'll only go as far as you want, Celes." Locke said, and kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me. I love you, and you are alowed to tell me when to stop."
Celes smiled, and immediately felt a bit better then before.
"Oh, Locke...." Celes said, and shook her head. "I just want....I want something....to remember....for our wedding night..."
"That's what I want too." Locke said, and smiled back. "But....ya know, I can't help, to want to see you now....."
"Heh." Celes smirked, and giggled. "Well, you're just going to have to wait Locke Cole...for once, you can be patient."
"I've been patient for the past year...." Locke muttered, and winked at her playfully. Celes blushed and squeazed his arm.
"Stop teasing me!" Celes cried, and Locke grabbed her by the waist, pulling her as close as possible for the both of them, and kissed her deeply. Celes widened her eyes, and tried not to giggle. He pulled away, and smiled more.
"I'm glad we talked about this." He said, and ran his fingers through her hair. "In all seriousness, Celes, I will wait until our wedding night......for when you and I....." He blushed in mid sentence, and Celes hugged him tightly.
"So Celes, does this mean you won't sleep with me tonight?" Locke asked, and tugged on some of her hair. She blinked and looked at him.
"Locke, I thought we just talked about that!" Celes cried, and he laughed.
"I meant, with me, in my bed." Locke smirked, and Celes blushed deeply from the mis-interpretation.
"Oh, alright, I will." Celes said, and kissed him on the cheek. "Anyway, did you get the announcements done up?"
"Oh yeah..." Locke explained, and kept his arms around Celes as he began to tell her all about them...
Over breakfast the next morning, Locke showed Celes the almost forgotten ring that would be hers as a symbol of their engagement. Celes set her food aside, and leaned her hand out over the table as he slipped the ring on. It was a perfect fit. Celes took her hand back, and examined the ring.
Set in a pure gold band was a piece of a red something that Celes had never seen before. Locke laughed as she furrowed her eyebrows in thought, and finally looked back up at him.
"This is very pretty." She said. "But..."
"But what is it?" Locke asked, and smiled. "I was hoping you would ask. The stone is called Garnet. It's actually sort of rare, a rather nice find for a treasure hunter like me." He winked, and Celes looked at it again. If you caught it in the right light, it would appear to be glass-like and delicate. She rested her face on her hands, and Locke continued on.
"I actually found that stone a while ago." He said. "Long before the World of Ruin, but after I met you."
"And you kept it?" Celes asked. "Why didn't you sell it...?
"Because, I found that in the Phoenix Cave." Locke explained. "I had been doing nothing but rough traveling for the past few weeks, because I was constantly on the lookout for that esper crystal. Nothing else had been on my mind. And one night, in the cave, when I had literally collapsed for the night, I found it. It was just lying there, waiting to be discovered by a traveller smart enough to look to his feet. As I picked it up and held it in my hands, you would not believe the first thing I thought of."
"What?" Celes asked excitedly.
"For once in what seemed like forever, my thoughts left the esper and went back to the thing I had loved before all that destruction....something I loved that I thought had left me. I saw the Garnet, and thought "This stone's shade would bring out the color in Celes' cheeks and lips. What a lovely ring this would make for her." And then I pictured you smiling at me and resting your face in your hands, just like you were doing now, with the ring on. And now I can see how right I was. I decided to keep it until it was appropriate for me to give it to you. I set it in gold last night when I went out."
Celes smiled and blushed a little. "Are you just telling me a story to make me feel good?"
"No!" Locke smiled back, and laughed. "I missed you that much!" Celes smiled more and sighed happily. This was the best engagement ring she could ever immagine having. Not only did Locke pick out something pretty, but it had a history behind it. A history that had begun to sneak up upon them along with their blossoming feelings for each other.
"So, dear, what sort of wedding do you want?" Locke asked, snapping Celes out of her thoughts. "We have more then enough money to support anything you want."
"Oh Locke, I don't want anything fancy." Celes said seriously, and leaned over the table towards him. "Just a nice celebration with our closest friends...since...well, we don't have any family with us."
"Hmm, just what I had in mind." Locke said, and leaned in also, kissing the tip of her nose. "Do I get a kiss in return if I can name each person that you want attending?"
"Sure." Celes giggled.
"Hmmm...How about we have Edgar, Sabin, Terra, Strago, Relm, Shadow, Mog, Umaro, Gogo, Cyan, Gau, and Setzer?"
"That's what I was thinking." Celes smiled, and kissed him back. "We'll have to nake out invitations and send them out."
"And we'll need a place to host the wedding." Locke added. "What were you thinking about that?"
"I don't know." Celes replied honestly.
"How about...right here, in the villiage?" Locke suggested.
"Alright!" Celes agreed. "This place is so cute anyway....it will be like something from a book!"
"What else am I forgetting?" Locke asked, and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling in thought.
"Well, there is still a lot to think about." Celes said. "But, we can come to that in due time. For now....lets just relax and tell our friends the good news!"
"I'll go into town and make up some simple announcements." Locke offered, and stood up. "While I'm gone, why don't you make a choice for your room here, and make it more comfortable? I think we may be staying here for a while."
"What are my options?" Celes asked, and laughed as he messed up her hair on his way over to the doorway.
"Any room you want!" He said.
"Even yours?" Celes asked, and raised her eyebrows. Locke blushed a little.
"There's plenty of room for you in there too." He said shyly, and Celes giggled. He gave her a short wave, and left, shutting the door behind him. Celes finished her breakfast, and put both their dishes away, after washing them. She smiled a little and sighed.
"I feel like a wife already." She said outloud, and laughed to herself. She could hear birds outside chirping merrily, as if they knew today was one of the happiest days of her life. "Immagine...being Locke's wife." Celes said again as she continued to clear the table and clean around the counters. "I never thought such a thing would happen." What did Celes think when it came to her future? She tried not thinking about it at all. She had trained herself to do that in the Empire....only think of the day you are in, you're more likely to survive that way. No wonder she ended up in sleepy Albrook once the world had been saved. Celes knew what she wanted...to be with Locke. But, she just didn't take the necessary action.
So where would she be now, if fate had not caused her and Locke to meet again in Tzen? That was something else Celes did not like to think about- the past. She bit her lower lip and finished her work, trying to not think about being without Locke. Celes then made her way to Locke's bedroom door, and pushed it open.
The room was relatively simple, like she expected. A full sized bed was set against the wall, it's deep blue comforter un-made. It looked like somebody had leaped out of bed in a hurry. Against the wall across from it was a cherry-wood dresser, with some of the drawers a little ajar, some with clothes sticking out. A big window was also in the room, the curtains drawn tightly. Celes peered out through the curtains, and saw more of the pretty backyard Locke had. Her eyes instantly met the spot in the grass where he had proposed to her, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled softly to herself.
Walking back to the bed, Celes picked up a pillow and smelled it. It had Locke's scent all over, and she hugged it to her chest, closing her eyes. She felt deleriously happy, and sank down onto the bed, the firm mattress feeling great on her back, while still holding the pillow. She closed her eyes and immagined what her life would be like in a few months...This would be her and Locke's house, together, and they would be with each other every moment of the rest of their lives.....and....
Celes blinked, and looked up at the ceiling. She hadn't thought about it until now, but what would she and Locke do about children? Would they have any? Did Locke want to raise a family? Did Celes? She didn't know...if anything, she felt scared, so she pushed the thoughts from her mind. Fear of the unknown....it bothered her that she was afraid of her own thoughts...or even, afraid of her own future.
Celes remained on Locke's bed until she heard him open the door to the house and call out her name. She blinked and sat up, dropping the pillow back in it's place.
"I'm here." Celes called back, and Locke appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. Locke smiled and sat down next to her.
"Like it in here?" He asked.
"It's nice." Celes replied. "The window has such a pretty view."
"That's what I thought about it too." Locke smiled, and pulled Celes into his lap, giving her a tight hug. She snuggled against his strong, warm chest, and kissed it lightly as he pressed his lips to her hair, inhaling her scent at the same time. It absolutely drove him crazy, the way she was lightly scented with a mixture of vanilla and honey. It made him want to kiss her all over, endlessly, until he died from exhaustion. He trailed his lips to her ear and ran his tongue over it, while running his hands over her stomach and resting them right below her chest. Celes felt her face warm up, and looked up to Locke. He smiled down at her, and kissed her temple.
"I love you so much." He whispered.
"I love you too, Locke." Celes replied, and turned her head more so that her lips met his. He closed his eyes and slipped his tongue into her mouth, gently running it over her teeth and her own tongue. Celes also closed her eyes as he gently took ahold of her legs and lifted them so that they were wrapped around his waist, and then pulled her closer. Celes pressed her hips against his, and felt a surge of energy run through her body, making her deepen the kiss.
Locke broke the kiss and smiled assuringly down at her as he tucked her hair behind her ears. Celes smiled back up at him, but felt a look of worry cross over her face as he brought his fingers to her suit straps again. Locke blinked, but let his fingers remain.
"Something wrong, Celes?" He asked.
"I....umm..." Celes murmured, embarassed, and looked down.
"We'll only go as far as you want, Celes." Locke said, and kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me. I love you, and you are alowed to tell me when to stop."
Celes smiled, and immediately felt a bit better then before.
"Oh, Locke...." Celes said, and shook her head. "I just want....I want something....to remember....for our wedding night..."
"That's what I want too." Locke said, and smiled back. "But....ya know, I can't help, to want to see you now....."
"Heh." Celes smirked, and giggled. "Well, you're just going to have to wait Locke Cole...for once, you can be patient."
"I've been patient for the past year...." Locke muttered, and winked at her playfully. Celes blushed and squeazed his arm.
"Stop teasing me!" Celes cried, and Locke grabbed her by the waist, pulling her as close as possible for the both of them, and kissed her deeply. Celes widened her eyes, and tried not to giggle. He pulled away, and smiled more.
"I'm glad we talked about this." He said, and ran his fingers through her hair. "In all seriousness, Celes, I will wait until our wedding night......for when you and I....." He blushed in mid sentence, and Celes hugged him tightly.
"So Celes, does this mean you won't sleep with me tonight?" Locke asked, and tugged on some of her hair. She blinked and looked at him.
"Locke, I thought we just talked about that!" Celes cried, and he laughed.
"I meant, with me, in my bed." Locke smirked, and Celes blushed deeply from the mis-interpretation.
"Oh, alright, I will." Celes said, and kissed him on the cheek. "Anyway, did you get the announcements done up?"
"Oh yeah..." Locke explained, and kept his arms around Celes as he began to tell her all about them...