OH MY! dances I got a review! This inspires me! I write, this time, for Lady Zhen Ji who reviewed and pounced, begged and pleaded for an update... so... here you go! blush
I held my best friend as she sat with her head on my lap, and my anger fumed.
Malika, unaware of her surroundings, was clinging to my skirt, her face buried in my lap, and sobs racking her body.
On the floor, staring up at his mommy, was a little darkhaired boy with soft chocolate eyes. "Mama?" He tugged at her dress, and I reached down and collected him onto what was left of my lap.
"Nanti Maya... why is Mama crying?"
I brushed Malika's hair with one hand and cuddled her son with the other. "Mama's just sad, Luka. Why don't you go play with your nuncle, kay?" I put him down and he scampered outside to Braska. Reaching down, I wrapped my arms around my best friend and held her, my own anger rising, bubbling to the surface.
Auron had really done it this time.
Several hours later, Malika had cried herself into exhaustion. I covered her softly in a blanket, and lay her sleeping boy beside her. They made the sweetest picture, and I took a mental snapshot as I walked out the door.
Auron would pay tonight.
I stormed around the village, looking for the big man. "Where in the Farplane did that man go?" I snarled and muttered to myself as I searched. Finally, I rounded the corner and froze solid.
Under the tree where they had met, the huge warrior was on his knees. In his hands was... from what I could tell, it was a snapshot. A small picture I had painted of Malika and Luka, a few months after the boy was born. At first, I thought he was just sitting there, but as I crept closer, I could see his shoulders shaking.
My first instinct was to turn away, but for some reason, I was drawn to him. This big man, sitting alone crying under a tree. I slipped around, up the cliff wall by way of a small path that Malika and I had found years ago, and hid myself behind a bush.
Only after I was settled did I remember that this was my hiding place last time I heard him confess his love for her.
Peeking from between the branches, I could make out clearly as he spoke. His rough face was trailed with silver tears, and his voice kept cracking.
"I'm so sorry... I never meant to say those things. They were all lies anyway. I love you... "
My heart twisted.
"You're really beautiful. I lied when I said that I never told you that because maybe it wasn't true. It is true. You are beautiful."
This time it was me who covered my mouth, and it was to stifle a cry of pain.
"I just can't say things like that. I try, but then... my mouth freezes up... and its because I'm so in awe of how beautiful you are. Maybe if I dont tell you, noone else will notice and you'll never leave me."
My jaw worked soundlessly as he continued speaking to the small picture.
"And I love Luka. I do love my son. I'm so proud of him... I just don't know what to say. What do I do? He's so small... so fragile. I'm afraid if I pick him up, I'll hurt him... and I never ever want to hurt him."
By this time, tears streamed down my face.
"I love you both... so very much. And now... I've managed to lose you. Like I always lose my chances at happiness."
This statement slapped me hard. He believed he'd lost them? I crept down from my hiding place, and quietly walked up beside him. "Auron."
He jumped as though I had kicked him. Then his shoulders slumped again. He was waiting for the final blow, my statement she never wanted to see him again. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Auron-san, Malika's asleep at the house. Why don't you go get her and Luka and take them home."
He shook his head. "I can't. She'll never want to see me again, not after what I said to her."
I knelt down beside him. It was painful, to see this proud warrior broken like this. "No... thats not true. Take her home, tell her all the things you tell her here." I tapped the picture in his hands, disturbing the teardrops on it. "She loves you very much." He barely moved, glancing at me. "Its true." I nodded, reassuring him. Slowly, he rose. "A-are you sure?" I nodded again. "Positive. Go to my house, collect your wife and son. Take them home and never let them forget how much you love them." He nodded again, and with a slow, steady gait he walked away across the meadow. I watched him walk away before heading back to my place several minutes later.
As I opened the door, the little room was empty and I smiled. Good.
The next morning, I stretched and walked outside, in time to see Auron kiss Malika goodbye before heading out to fight fiends. I waved, and she smiled radiantly at me.
Apparently, all was well in that household again.
As Auron walked past me, he paused. "Thank you." He didn't look at me. "Thank you for giving me back the best thing that ever happened to me." He continued on before I could speak, and I watched him, a bemused smile on my face.
I had come out here intending to raise hell.
Instead, I had ressurected one man's Heaven.
Not bad... don't you think?
I held my best friend as she sat with her head on my lap, and my anger fumed.
Malika, unaware of her surroundings, was clinging to my skirt, her face buried in my lap, and sobs racking her body.
On the floor, staring up at his mommy, was a little darkhaired boy with soft chocolate eyes. "Mama?" He tugged at her dress, and I reached down and collected him onto what was left of my lap.
"Nanti Maya... why is Mama crying?"
I brushed Malika's hair with one hand and cuddled her son with the other. "Mama's just sad, Luka. Why don't you go play with your nuncle, kay?" I put him down and he scampered outside to Braska. Reaching down, I wrapped my arms around my best friend and held her, my own anger rising, bubbling to the surface.
Auron had really done it this time.
Several hours later, Malika had cried herself into exhaustion. I covered her softly in a blanket, and lay her sleeping boy beside her. They made the sweetest picture, and I took a mental snapshot as I walked out the door.
Auron would pay tonight.
I stormed around the village, looking for the big man. "Where in the Farplane did that man go?" I snarled and muttered to myself as I searched. Finally, I rounded the corner and froze solid.
Under the tree where they had met, the huge warrior was on his knees. In his hands was... from what I could tell, it was a snapshot. A small picture I had painted of Malika and Luka, a few months after the boy was born. At first, I thought he was just sitting there, but as I crept closer, I could see his shoulders shaking.
My first instinct was to turn away, but for some reason, I was drawn to him. This big man, sitting alone crying under a tree. I slipped around, up the cliff wall by way of a small path that Malika and I had found years ago, and hid myself behind a bush.
Only after I was settled did I remember that this was my hiding place last time I heard him confess his love for her.
Peeking from between the branches, I could make out clearly as he spoke. His rough face was trailed with silver tears, and his voice kept cracking.
"I'm so sorry... I never meant to say those things. They were all lies anyway. I love you... "
My heart twisted.
"You're really beautiful. I lied when I said that I never told you that because maybe it wasn't true. It is true. You are beautiful."
This time it was me who covered my mouth, and it was to stifle a cry of pain.
"I just can't say things like that. I try, but then... my mouth freezes up... and its because I'm so in awe of how beautiful you are. Maybe if I dont tell you, noone else will notice and you'll never leave me."
My jaw worked soundlessly as he continued speaking to the small picture.
"And I love Luka. I do love my son. I'm so proud of him... I just don't know what to say. What do I do? He's so small... so fragile. I'm afraid if I pick him up, I'll hurt him... and I never ever want to hurt him."
By this time, tears streamed down my face.
"I love you both... so very much. And now... I've managed to lose you. Like I always lose my chances at happiness."
This statement slapped me hard. He believed he'd lost them? I crept down from my hiding place, and quietly walked up beside him. "Auron."
He jumped as though I had kicked him. Then his shoulders slumped again. He was waiting for the final blow, my statement she never wanted to see him again. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Auron-san, Malika's asleep at the house. Why don't you go get her and Luka and take them home."
He shook his head. "I can't. She'll never want to see me again, not after what I said to her."
I knelt down beside him. It was painful, to see this proud warrior broken like this. "No... thats not true. Take her home, tell her all the things you tell her here." I tapped the picture in his hands, disturbing the teardrops on it. "She loves you very much." He barely moved, glancing at me. "Its true." I nodded, reassuring him. Slowly, he rose. "A-are you sure?" I nodded again. "Positive. Go to my house, collect your wife and son. Take them home and never let them forget how much you love them." He nodded again, and with a slow, steady gait he walked away across the meadow. I watched him walk away before heading back to my place several minutes later.
As I opened the door, the little room was empty and I smiled. Good.
The next morning, I stretched and walked outside, in time to see Auron kiss Malika goodbye before heading out to fight fiends. I waved, and she smiled radiantly at me.
Apparently, all was well in that household again.
As Auron walked past me, he paused. "Thank you." He didn't look at me. "Thank you for giving me back the best thing that ever happened to me." He continued on before I could speak, and I watched him, a bemused smile on my face.
I had come out here intending to raise hell.
Instead, I had ressurected one man's Heaven.
Not bad... don't you think?