Chapter 13- Wedded to Calamity
As he neared her, Quatre could see the look of disapproval on Leah's face.
"You went up to the rocks, and you didn't wake me?!" she exclaimed in exasperation, throwing her hands up in the air. Quatre was shocked at this sudden outburst of anger, until he caught the glitter in her eyes that meant she was joking, and the slow, deliberate blink of her eyes that she did so inconspicuously.
"You were sleeping so peacefully- I didn't want to wake you," he explained, feeling slightly guilty at the fact that he had never even thought she might want to come too. All the anger, fake though it was, melted off her face.
"Oh," she said softly, before grinning and jumping into his arms. "God, Quatre, I love you so much!" she looked at him, her eyes full of love and adoration.
"I love you too," he said softly, his voice gentle and musical. Leah looked at him in surprise.
"You've never said it that way before," she said, in a voice much the same as his. Though she held his gaze, he caught a slight movement in his peripheral vision- a small rubbing of the finger, a light caress of the bottom joint, a rolling of the fingertips of the other hand around the fourth finger. He was hit by a jolt of surprise and happiness, knowing in his heart what that gesture meant. In that instant, his mind jumped to his conclusion, the answer to the dilemma that had been pounding at his head all morning, and for some of the night until he had lost his head in the passion. He backed away from her, pulling his hands out of her grasp, and sank to the sand on one knee. He bent over, not wanting her to see what he was doing. She cried out in alarm as, his face hidden, he smiled. She didn't suspect anything. Good.
"Oh God! Quatre, what's the matter? Are you injured, wounded? did something happen up on the rocks? Oh please, Quatre, say something!!" The distress in her voice made him look up, a huge grin on his face.
"Leah Kimaya. From the first moment I saw you, I knew I was looking at an angel. My angel. My guardian angel. And from the first moment I talked to you, I knew I was helplessly and hopelessly in love with that angel." He paused to collect his thoughts. Leah was utterly and completely silent. "I didn't want to ask this in the dream world, where we are in so much danger. But.I don't know if we'll ever get out. I don't know if we'll ever wake. Our dreams.they may or may not tell what will happen. But if they do, I would never forgive myself for not asking you while we were both still alive, well, and happy. Will you marry me?"
Leah stared at him, speechless. He looked at her hopefully, holding up the ring he had bought.ages ago, it seemed. A single tear dripped down her cheek, and he worried. 'did I upset her? did I say something wrong? did I-' his thoughts were cut short by her teary reply.
"Took you long enough!" she cried out, her voice full of joy, happiness, and love. She held out her hand and Quatre slid the ring on her fourth finger as he rose from the sand. He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed the fingertips. "No, silly," she reprimanded playfully. "You're supposed to kiss these." She playfully puckered up her lips like a fish and came at him. He backed away in mock horror, pretending to scan the horizon for a way out, when true horror came into his face. Leah stopped her playacting instantly, looking at him with worry.
"What? What is it?" she asked.
He screamed in his head, 'No! Not now! Not when we're so happy!' The anger and frustration welled tears up inside of him and they spilled out from his eyes. He clenched his eyes shut angrily, trying to block them, trying to block what he'd just seen, trying to block the weakness, but when he opened his eyes again, the scenery still swam through tears. he shook his head, clearing his vision, and took her hand.
"We have to run," he explained through gritted teeth. "Now."
"W-why?" Leah asked in surprise, obviously not wanting the moment to end.
"They're back," Quatre replied angrily, his eyes not leaving the dark shapes crouched in the bushes and behind the trees, their guns evident at their belts and in their hands. Then he took off, his feet frantically pounding the sand, his hand clenched tight around Leah's. He could hear her running as well, and he let go of her hand as she came up beside him, obviously not needing any help to run. they reached the rocks and scrambled over them, trying to reach the other side, trying to reach safety. As they cleared the first set, five shots rang out in quick succession. Leah looked at Quatre, her eyes sombre.
"Quatre.we're going to die." Tears welled up in her eyes. quatre stopped running to turn and look at his wife. He took up her hands and held them, trying to soothe her, trying to calm her. His attention was completely on her.
A single assassin rose from the rocks before them, while their backs were turned, and aimed.
As he neared her, Quatre could see the look of disapproval on Leah's face.
"You went up to the rocks, and you didn't wake me?!" she exclaimed in exasperation, throwing her hands up in the air. Quatre was shocked at this sudden outburst of anger, until he caught the glitter in her eyes that meant she was joking, and the slow, deliberate blink of her eyes that she did so inconspicuously.
"You were sleeping so peacefully- I didn't want to wake you," he explained, feeling slightly guilty at the fact that he had never even thought she might want to come too. All the anger, fake though it was, melted off her face.
"Oh," she said softly, before grinning and jumping into his arms. "God, Quatre, I love you so much!" she looked at him, her eyes full of love and adoration.
"I love you too," he said softly, his voice gentle and musical. Leah looked at him in surprise.
"You've never said it that way before," she said, in a voice much the same as his. Though she held his gaze, he caught a slight movement in his peripheral vision- a small rubbing of the finger, a light caress of the bottom joint, a rolling of the fingertips of the other hand around the fourth finger. He was hit by a jolt of surprise and happiness, knowing in his heart what that gesture meant. In that instant, his mind jumped to his conclusion, the answer to the dilemma that had been pounding at his head all morning, and for some of the night until he had lost his head in the passion. He backed away from her, pulling his hands out of her grasp, and sank to the sand on one knee. He bent over, not wanting her to see what he was doing. She cried out in alarm as, his face hidden, he smiled. She didn't suspect anything. Good.
"Oh God! Quatre, what's the matter? Are you injured, wounded? did something happen up on the rocks? Oh please, Quatre, say something!!" The distress in her voice made him look up, a huge grin on his face.
"Leah Kimaya. From the first moment I saw you, I knew I was looking at an angel. My angel. My guardian angel. And from the first moment I talked to you, I knew I was helplessly and hopelessly in love with that angel." He paused to collect his thoughts. Leah was utterly and completely silent. "I didn't want to ask this in the dream world, where we are in so much danger. But.I don't know if we'll ever get out. I don't know if we'll ever wake. Our dreams.they may or may not tell what will happen. But if they do, I would never forgive myself for not asking you while we were both still alive, well, and happy. Will you marry me?"
Leah stared at him, speechless. He looked at her hopefully, holding up the ring he had bought.ages ago, it seemed. A single tear dripped down her cheek, and he worried. 'did I upset her? did I say something wrong? did I-' his thoughts were cut short by her teary reply.
"Took you long enough!" she cried out, her voice full of joy, happiness, and love. She held out her hand and Quatre slid the ring on her fourth finger as he rose from the sand. He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed the fingertips. "No, silly," she reprimanded playfully. "You're supposed to kiss these." She playfully puckered up her lips like a fish and came at him. He backed away in mock horror, pretending to scan the horizon for a way out, when true horror came into his face. Leah stopped her playacting instantly, looking at him with worry.
"What? What is it?" she asked.
He screamed in his head, 'No! Not now! Not when we're so happy!' The anger and frustration welled tears up inside of him and they spilled out from his eyes. He clenched his eyes shut angrily, trying to block them, trying to block what he'd just seen, trying to block the weakness, but when he opened his eyes again, the scenery still swam through tears. he shook his head, clearing his vision, and took her hand.
"We have to run," he explained through gritted teeth. "Now."
"W-why?" Leah asked in surprise, obviously not wanting the moment to end.
"They're back," Quatre replied angrily, his eyes not leaving the dark shapes crouched in the bushes and behind the trees, their guns evident at their belts and in their hands. Then he took off, his feet frantically pounding the sand, his hand clenched tight around Leah's. He could hear her running as well, and he let go of her hand as she came up beside him, obviously not needing any help to run. they reached the rocks and scrambled over them, trying to reach the other side, trying to reach safety. As they cleared the first set, five shots rang out in quick succession. Leah looked at Quatre, her eyes sombre.
"Quatre.we're going to die." Tears welled up in her eyes. quatre stopped running to turn and look at his wife. He took up her hands and held them, trying to soothe her, trying to calm her. His attention was completely on her.
A single assassin rose from the rocks before them, while their backs were turned, and aimed.