Categories > Games > Final Fantasy 8 > Fated Children
Chapter Sixteen - Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
Laguna gains some knowledge he'd rather not have.
?Blocked
The letter sat on the desk in the hotel they were in. Nobody asked what it was about. Laguna had received, informed them, "I have a son," and disappeared under the covers of the bed. Where he had remained for nearly two days.
Ward was out in Esthar, trying to gather intelligence despite his inability to speak. Kiros sat on the edge of Laguna's bed, just waiting for him to say anything.
The first words he said were, "Why does everyone I love die?"
"I'm still here," Kiros replied. Laguna gave the dark man a soft smile and grabbed his hand, bringing the knuckles to his lips.
Then he said, "Why do all the women I love die?"
"Ellone's still alive." Laguna rolled his eyes and tried to muster a glare, but it just looked pitiful and wet.
"Why does everybody leave me?"
"What am I, chopped liver?"
Laguna rolled onto his stomach and covered his face with a bemoaning sob as he complained, "You're killing my whiny buzz, Kiros!"
"We need you. You promised: after you made sure Ellone was safe in Winhill-."
"Ellone's not safe in Winhill. Raine's dead. I've got a kid, and I don't know what's happened to him or where he is or-."
Kiros kissed Laguna, very gently, and murmured against his lips, "You can't always protect everyone. But you /promised/."
"I promised Raine-."
"She'll understand. Your son, he'll understand too." Laguna just shook his head. Kiros robbed his shoulders consolingly. "Come on. We have to go rid Esthar of a Sorceress."
"What was I thinking?" Laguna muttered, but crawled slowly out of bed. Kiros kissed him again, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear.
"You were thinking of the best. For Ellone. For Esthar. You're a good man, Laguna."
"I don't feel like a good man, Kiros," Laguna whispered. His grip was tight on Kiros' fingers, and he stared ahead at the floor as they left his tiny room. When they entered the common area, his eyes drifted over to the desk and the letter that sat there with forlorn news.
Quietly, Laguna asked, "Why?" A tear slipped down his cheek. Kiros pulled him away.
"Come on." As they stepped to the door, Kiros wrapped his arms around the older man, and said to his hair, "I love you. I'm still here."
"I know." And perhaps there was a bit more hope in his voice now.
Ward was out in Esthar, trying to gather intelligence despite his inability to speak. Kiros sat on the edge of Laguna's bed, just waiting for him to say anything.
The first words he said were, "Why does everyone I love die?"
"I'm still here," Kiros replied. Laguna gave the dark man a soft smile and grabbed his hand, bringing the knuckles to his lips.
Then he said, "Why do all the women I love die?"
"Ellone's still alive." Laguna rolled his eyes and tried to muster a glare, but it just looked pitiful and wet.
"Why does everybody leave me?"
"What am I, chopped liver?"
Laguna rolled onto his stomach and covered his face with a bemoaning sob as he complained, "You're killing my whiny buzz, Kiros!"
"We need you. You promised: after you made sure Ellone was safe in Winhill-."
"Ellone's not safe in Winhill. Raine's dead. I've got a kid, and I don't know what's happened to him or where he is or-."
Kiros kissed Laguna, very gently, and murmured against his lips, "You can't always protect everyone. But you /promised/."
"I promised Raine-."
"She'll understand. Your son, he'll understand too." Laguna just shook his head. Kiros robbed his shoulders consolingly. "Come on. We have to go rid Esthar of a Sorceress."
"What was I thinking?" Laguna muttered, but crawled slowly out of bed. Kiros kissed him again, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear.
"You were thinking of the best. For Ellone. For Esthar. You're a good man, Laguna."
"I don't feel like a good man, Kiros," Laguna whispered. His grip was tight on Kiros' fingers, and he stared ahead at the floor as they left his tiny room. When they entered the common area, his eyes drifted over to the desk and the letter that sat there with forlorn news.
Quietly, Laguna asked, "Why?" A tear slipped down his cheek. Kiros pulled him away.
"Come on." As they stepped to the door, Kiros wrapped his arms around the older man, and said to his hair, "I love you. I'm still here."
"I know." And perhaps there was a bit more hope in his voice now.
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