~*~ Knights & Lovers ~*~

By Vick330

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and its characters are property of Squaresoft. No patent and/or copyright infringement is intended.

Foreword: The following contains erotica scenes, and is meant for mature readers. Please use discretion, and if sexually explicit material offends you do not read any further.

~*~*~*~*~

Deep in the stillness

I can hear you speak

You're still an inspiration

Can it be (?)

That you are mine

Forever love

And you are watching over me from up above…

Josh Groban – To Where You Are

~*~ IV – A Scent From The Past ~*~

He reached the gravestone, and carefully took in his surroundings. From here, the village could be seen in the faltering light of evening, but he had no business there anymore. Carved in hard granite, the letters and numbers were still sharp, and free of weeds as grazing animals kept the grass short. He kneeled and gently laid the flowers on the monument, they had been her favorite; over the years it had become a ritual in honor to the past.

A warm breeze blew from the east, bringing to his senses the aroma of wildflowers and lavender. Suddenly his mind left the present, as the memories were triggered by the mixed scents. The heart and the soul, unlike the body, know not of the limitations of time, and so he traveled to a night, long ago.

~*~*~*~*~

"Is she asleep?" inquired the young woman.

"Yes," replied her companion, "She cried, but I think she understands."

Raine averted her eyes, in an attempt to hide her sorrow. She had thought of many ways to hide him, or run away with him and Ellone. She knew that it was all a fantasy, as the Galbadian Army was known for its ruthlessness when it came to deserters, or people who helped them. Her hand caressed the ring he had given her, finding strength in all it represented. An official marriage was impossible at the moment, but they didn't need other people's approval to be together.

"Here, I was keeping this bottle for a special occasion." She offered, as she poured the dark liquid in a crystal glass.

He accepted it without comment, as words would have been superfluous. Tomorrow at dawn, he had to leave Winhill and he didn't know when -or if- he would return. Not before the war was over for sure, and it seemed like it was set to be a long one.

"Raine, I… I promise that as soon as…" he started, but a soft brush of her fingers on his lips silenced him.

"Remember what I told you, the first night we were together." She said in a whisper near his ear, "Lets not make vows that we are not sure we can keep."

"And lets cherish each moment, as we know not what tomorrow will bring…" he completed.

Since their first kiss they had known that it was all a matter of time, there was no 'if' in the issue of his departure, just 'when'. As he absentmindedly sipped his wine, she put her glass on a nearby table, took his hand and guided him to what had become their bedroom.

Through the open window came a warm breeze, bringing with it the bouquet of flowers from the fields. Their perfumes entwining themselves with the fragrance of the scented candles, which softly shimmering light gave the scene a surreal quality.

He gently held her, kissing her soft, warm lips with tenderness. Her small hands caressed his long hair, sending pleasant shivers down his spine, and then sliding under his loose shirt and easing it from his shoulders. She kissed his naked torso, unfastened his belt and relieved him of his remaining garments, in her naturally sensuous manner.

Laguna held her to him, feeling the soft fabric of her dress against his naked skin, his lips tasting her lovingly. After a while Raine gently pulled away, stepped back, and slowly revealed herself to him as she had done on another night, not that long ago.

She stood near the window, the moon's satin light making her appear like a masterful sculpture, carved in a pure stone. She then turned on herself, allowing him to drink in every detail of her body, the hesitations and uncertainties of their first encounters totally forgotten.

"Remember me this way, my love." She demanded softly.

Once more, he didn't know what to say. He had always had the bad habit of talking too much, but with Raine he had learned that silence can sometimes tell much more than words. For an answer he also posed for her, and as he was facing away from his lover, he felt her arms around him, and her lips exploring every inch of his body. He faced her, claiming her lips, tasting her soft skin, following every curve of her body in an attempt to make all his senses remember her. He would remember.

Raine led him to the awaiting covers, made him lay and looked at his quiet form for a long moment, taking in every detail of this man she loved, as she had never loved anyone else in that way before. Time stood still, for yesterdays and tomorrows did not matter; only the present had meaning. She needed to be one with him, with an intensity that was nearly painful, and thus they shared once more in the most intimate embrace, not knowing that it was the last.

Pleasure, pain, fulfillment, longing, joy, regret… they never knew that so many emotions, contradictory by their natures, could be felt at the same time. The full moon, sole witness to their desperate lovemaking, bathed them in its soft light, as the gentle breeze entering through the open window caressed their naked bodies. Some of the candles flickered and were snuffed out, but most of them valiantly fought to give the two lovers the comfort of their light.

Are you gently sleeping

Here inside my dream

And isn't faith believing

All power can't be seen

Raine held Laguna to her, unwilling to submit to slumber for fear that the morning, as an unwanted visitor, would cruelly creep on them both.  Their passion might have been just consumed, but their need for each other was not, and the sky was brightening when they finally fell asleep closely cuddled together.

All the candles had died by then.

~*~*~*~*~

He suddenly came back to the present, stared one more time at his beloved's resting place, and reluctantly walked away.  Not many would ever understand that the short time, he had been allowed with that gentle and beautiful woman, had been worth a lifetime.

There was something else that gave him strength, and allowed him to face each new day. He knew that when he had left after that last night, their love had been already been sealed by the conception of the fragile, and precious spark of a new life.

Laguna Loire smiled.

Part of Raine lived on.

~*~*~*~*~

And I believe

That angels breathe

And that love will live on

And never leave

And never leave…

~*~*~*~*~