Chapter 17: Daybreak

"Aah! Daybreak!"

Whatever had happened to him before, it didn't last long. Within moments he was opening his eyes again, having registered Hector's weary but relieved voice from a fair distance. He could pick up other voices as well, Lyn's and Eliwood's primarily. Opening his eyes fully, the light of the sun danced gently upon his senses. Like a new energy, invigorating strength.

Sitting up, he rubbed his head and looked about him. To his left side was the entire convoy, laughing and celebrating their victory over something or other. It sounded like they were talking about some sort of dragon, although he could never be quite sure. He spotted Raven in the crowd, being patted on the back by Dorcas. He laughed to himself a little, they must have been key players in the victory it seemed.

Turning his eyes the other way, before he even saw anything he recognized the warmth of a presence by his side. His eyes first fell on her leg, dirty from the battle. Looking up, he came face to face with the same angel who had held him twice before in his 'dying' moments.

"Good morning, Lucius" she said warmly.

"…Good morning, Florina" Lucius replied, smiling wearily. Lucius then stood to his feet whilst Florina, who was also sat down, joined him.

"The battle…has it finished?" Lucius asked. Florina giggled a little, nodding her head.

"You should have seen Raven" Florina explained. "He charged the dragon first. Dorcas followed soon after and Oswin didn't want to miss out on it, hee hee! It was a very heroic display before the lords went in to attack, and we all did our bit, but that was the highlight" she explained. Lucius imagined the image, laughing quietly as he glanced towards Oswin, who was with Hector. The two were laughing heartily, mimicking each other's moves, completely elated with their victory to a sense of euphoria.

"It looks as if I missed out on the big moment then" Lucius said wistfully, looking down by his hand to see that the Aureola was gone. As quickly as he looked to his hand, he saw and felt Florina's hands wrap around him, her head nestling by his side in front of his shoulder.

"You were great" she said quietly. "The way you struck Nergal down in one shot…people will be talking to you for a long time"

Lucius felt her head rubbing softly against his shoulder. A whirlwind of emotions flew through his mind as he felt her against him, a whirlwind that certainly dazed him from the inside. But of all the emotions, one stood prominent, one that Lucius had feared would arise by spending time with Florina, being in physical contact, feeling warmth within him.

It was doubt.

He had to speak to her about at soon as he could. Even if that meant right there and now, whilst they were still separated from the rest of the celebrating group.

"Florina, I want to ask you something" Lucius said suddenly. Florina stopped rubbing her head as soon as Lucius's request hit her ears. Slowly, she fearfully let go, looking up to him.

"…What?" she asked. Lucius felt uncomfortable, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.

"…About a couple of days ago…" he said. That was all he needed to say as Florina's eyes widened ever so slightly, before her face started to blush. Lucius knew there was no going back; Florina wasn't smiling.

"Oh…" she breathed out. "Th-that…"

The two stood there in severe discomfort. Any misspoken words could shatter something truly precious, and the both of them knew that fully well. About thirty seconds passed before Florina decided to say it.

"I-I'm sorry I kissed you" she said, putting her bravest face on. She looked as Lucius held a sincere, understanding face. She felt the energy to explain everything she felt; she reminded herself that the person she was talking to could never bring himself to harm her. "I've been feeling a lot of things lately, emotions th-that I-I…u-uh…" She became flustered, too afraid to tread any further, forgetting her motivation instantly. "i-I…I j-just wan…w-wanted to…."

"Florina" Lucius said solidly, his heart also beating fast, but his mind set on the search for the right path. "I know you're nervous. I want you to know clearly that nothing you say will make me change my mind about you"

The melting words ached on Florina's heart. Her tears were urging to escape, but she wiped her eyes vigorously, desperate not to cry. How could she say it without his refusal afterwards? Was she facing an impossible scenario, a dream that was never meant to come true? She felt perfectly find admitting it to herself, she had started to fall in love with Lucius, the most unexpected person of the group. She knew it looked strange, but his kindness was always welcome to her. His genuine smiles, the comfort he brought. The expressions he would show always gave Florina's heart a little flutter, his completely smooth, almost woman-like face, and his deceptive, yet modest and tender voice meant something special to Florina. It made her feel different, made her experience states of mind that she had only otherwise experienced with men that were just too far out of her reach. She felt happier around him, and each day strengthened these emotions inside of her. To feel the kingdom of dreams she had built, the sudden rush of diary entries she had written, near depleting an otherwise purposeless journal, to feel the wonderful worlds she imagined come crashing down around her was just too hard for her to take.

She couldn't bring herself to admit it. She was falling for him. And out of the fear that she would face the simple words of rejection, her stutter turned into a weak cry of anguish. Her attempt to be strong and defy the tears she used to shed so often had failed her as her composure fell apart. And as soon as the first tear fell, Lucius had taken her right into his arms, holding her tightly. She knew she would find herself in his embrace again, it at that moment, she wanted to stay there, to hold onto him as her dreams liquidated and slipped down the drain of reality.

"Florina, it's okay…" Lucius hummed tenderly into her ears. "I know how you feel about me, I've noticed it too" He was telling the truth; why else would he consider her to be his angel? "I've been feeling closer and closer to you over the days, and…I've….Florina, you have to understand; I've never experienced or done anything near to this in my whole life!" He started to chuckle at the sheer scale of it all. "I mean, you're the first kiss I've ever had, the first person w-who ever showed these feelings to me"

It was time for the verdict. Lucius had to play his cards, all his hand had to be on the table, face up and plain to see, if there was ever to be a happy ending for them both.

"…It's not that I don't love you, Florina…" he whispered tenderly, stroking her hair. He could feel her heart knocking against her ribs and against his robe; he felt so close to her that it was unreal. "…It's just that I'm not ready to love you yet. That's all…"

Lucius closed his eyes, the heavy weight being lifted by his relief. He said it truthfully, and he forced himself to suppress his smile. Opening his eyes, still sweetly stroking Florina's hair, he looked across to the group again. They were still celebrating, but through the crowd, he could see both Lyn and Raven looking at them from different parts of the convoy. Lucius feared they would intrude, but their faces assured him that he was in a private moment.

He knew he couldn't stay long; everybody had a ship to catch and a welcome feast to eat. He held Florina and pulled her away softly, placing her right in front of him, his nerves fully settled now that everything was clear. He then placed his hands delicately to her face and kissed her forehead tenderly before looking into her eyes.

"All I need is some time" he said. "Whatever happens, I promise you that you'll be happy"

Florina slowly nodded, drying the last of her tears before Lucius placed an arm around her and walked her back to the convoy, where the open arms of their comrades welcomed the two. The adventure was finally coming to an end.