AN: Thank you for all the reviews on chapter one. This is my first multi-chapter piece and i am still trying to get the jist of things. Please Read and Review as i would like to read both the good and the bad. Thank you:-)
Laughter could be heard for miles and miles around, shielding the retreat from the woes that could be heard just a few miles away. As much as the kids loved being at their makeshift school, Lacus and Kira loved teaching there. They both took turns helping out with each subject since one always offered a point of view the other did not see. Their styles met in harmony and it was the children who benefited.
The reverend came by from the orphanage along with some sandwiches he had prepared for everyone. He was called off the island early this morning, but returned to prepare lunch and watch the children for an hour while Kira and Lacus were given a break to go eat together, alone.
The sun blazed in the sky, burning away at the clouds in unforgiving rage. They sat under a tall mighty oak taking sanctuary in its shade with Lacus sitting in between Kira's legs, her slender back resting against him. Kira had wrapped his arms around her and secured his grasp on her even though it was truly held from the moment they had met. Lacus pretended to squirm in attempts to break free, knowing it would only mean he would hold on tighter. It was moments like these that Kira knew he was the wings to his angel.
But soon their moment had to end, and school resume much to the delight of all the children. Once they had been released from the reverend, he returned to the orphanage which allowed Kira and Lacus to finish their lessons. However, as much as the children enjoyed school, they still celebrated when it was announced that classes had ended. Kids will be kids.
The afternoon passed away and gave birth to the night as the sun started to set. It grew bright red and orange in anger as the world tried to push it down into submission, so that the moon may govern over the sky. Forced into one more act of compliance, the moon stole the light from the sun and reflected it down as its own. The sun fought a losing battle as the moon became more and more predominant in the sky, and the waves grew larger and filled with more mayhem with each passing second.
Drenched in moonlight, two figures played in the sand at the beach nearby, hiding from the prying eyes at their home. They appeared to be making a sandcastle of sorts. The girl looked on triumphantly at the wall she had just made for one side of the castle, only to have it crumble down a few seconds later. The boy's glee-filled smile turned into a laugh so hearty it knocked him down onto the soft sand with a muffled thud. Not to be outdone the girl walked over and kicked some sand onto the boy's shirt. "HEY!" he exclaimed. In the process she fell down onto the very castle they had been building. The boy snickered as he stood up and held out his hand to aid the girl back onto her feet.
His act of generosity was met with betrayal as a fistful of wet sand was soon flung across his face. And then the only act of war ever seen on this island broke out, a sand skirmish. In retaliation the boy scooped up as much sand as he could and flung it at the girl. His prize was a wet sand ball to the face. What happened next could never be described in words as only a whirlwind of sand was seen by even the keenest of observers. The waves' fury was drowned out by the innocent laughter of kids just having fun at the beach.
Only the kids were not kids at all. They were heroes, young adults, parents, teachers, and the center of the universe of the younglings at the orphanage. But now they relived a childhood that they never shared with one another.
The fun and games soon became more intense as one of the figures tackled the other. Her long pink hair wrapped around them both as they rolled around the sand laughing as if tomorrow they knew they wouldn't be able to. Kira had the slightest advantage, and eventually rolled over so he was on top of Lacus, pinning down her hands with his. He was lost in her eyes which were as intoxicating as wine and only thought back to all the times he shared with her.
She was always there for him. Always there to protect him, to care for him, to…..love him. He remembered watching her exit the life pod that had brought the two together and thinking how beautiful she was. He remembered waking up next to her after losing a battle where he felt his life was forfeit. He remembered thinking of only her while floating out in space at the last battle. He remembered the comfort she gave him when he had to come to terms with the nature of his own birth.
Lacus was and always will be his guardian angel. Laying there on top of her, he never realized angels were so soft to the touch. His eyes fixed on hers, as she locked her eyes upon his. They were all alone, yet kept company by the surf which came in for a quick hello and left just as fast, as well as the moon which ordered the clouds to swirl around it, so the two could enjoy the setting.
Lacus trembled softly under his touch, but never once felt the desire to release herself from his pin. A surge of wind from over the ocean water blew and danced between the trees causing them to sway. It almost looked like the trees were cheering Kira to go the next step, to take the relationship to the place he most wanted to be, thought it doubled as the place he feared the most.
Lacus broke the silence between them though, and never broke contact from the passion sealed within his eyes. "Kira, I lo-"
"Lacus, I'm sorry." Kira cut in. Immediately he saw the hurt in her, despite the labors she made not to show any emotion. Her sad eyes glossed over with tears which where held back by her resolve alone.
"How could I have been so stupid? I rushed things and now I may have ruined it all. But…it just all felt so perfect, so right. Today felt like the day…and now it may never come" she told herself whilst on the verge of crying. She had to say something; she had to salvage this someway, somehow.
"Sorry for what Kira? It's my fau-"
Once again Kira cast his manners as he interrupted her, "Lacus, I'm sorry for doing this." He began to shift his weight off of her.
Lacus could feel her delicate little heart start to shatter. She had scared him away. She knew Kira had been wronged in the past by another, which scarred him away from commitment…why couldn't she just have been more patient?
And then it happened.
Her tender pink lips met with his for the first time. The shock had left her eyes bulging and displayed the vast array of emotions which flowed through her. They slowly closed as she deepened her kiss with him, her hands still restrained by his. They explored each others lips until it was Kira who slowly pulled away.
"I'm sorry for doing this without asking you" he whispered softly into her ear with a sheepish grin on his face. He had more to say but before he knew it, he was flipped over, and now it was Lacus that lay on him. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered seductively to him, purring as she spoke "please do so as you wish."
The purring triggered Kira's body to react without his consent. Lacus raised an amused eyebrow and giggled as she felt his natural biological response against her. This time she was in control. She showered him with kisses, delighting in all the affection she could show. Her wish was answered each time Kira kissed her back.
"Ahem"
The two of them froze and turned their heads to look who had come to disrupt them, even though they already knew it could be one person.
"Reverend!" they both said at once. The remained embracing one another because they both knew the Reverend was blind. Nonetheless that awkward tension in the air remained.
"I knew I could find you two still here. The hour is awfully late. The children have already gone off to bed. Don't worry, I handled it, I used to take care of them on my own you know." He stated simply while smiling.
Kira and Lacus were taken aback. Just how long had they been out here taking delight in one another? They never got so distracted before! Both were too stunned to comment so the Reverend decided to break the silence.
"Yes well if you would be so kind as to make your way to the house now. I have kept some dinner aside for you both. Do take care not to wake the little ones." He declared almost like an order. "Oh and feel free to resume your activities afterwards." The reverend may be blind, but ever remains a man of vision.
Both Lacus and Kira blushed red in the cheeks and pulled themselves up. They patted the sand off one another, just as a reason to hold and comfort one another a little longer. Lacus flipped her shiny pinky wavelike hair to shake some sand out, while Kira just watched, enjoying that movement. Together they walked hand in hand back towards the orphanage, a smile on both their faces.
Yet on the inside Kira was torn. He had never been happier in his life, yet night was upon them and the time to sleep had arrived. While most guys would only have one thing on their mind in this situation, Kira could only think of what happened every time he fell asleep. And that terrified him.
Soon thereafter they lingered in front of Kira's door ready to part ways for the night. Despite looking a little bit frizzled from rolling around in the sand, Lacus' inner beauty still radiated through. They continued to hold hands, but Kira used it as leverage to tug her towards his embrace and reminded himself what her lips tasted like, strawberries. It was funny. He had taken so long to kiss her, but now that he had, he couldn't get enough of her.
She parted the kiss after a few moments ready to turn away but Kira clinged on. She rewarded his affection with a small kiss and spoke in a voice so faint yet not a whisper.
"Kira I have to go shower and get ready for bed. It's getting late."
Kira responded with deep purple puppy-dog eyes. "Lacus please, just stay with me a little longer."
Her eyes grew wide yet playful; a bashful look emerged on her face which caused her to fix her eyes idly down upon the floor. "Kira, I don't think its time for us to do THAT yet. Besides the kids will notice if I'm not there." That was true. While the orphans fondly referred to the two as Mommy and Daddy, they never could understand their 'special' relationship.
He kissed her again softly, and nuzzled himself into the nape of her neck. "No, it's not that. I just…I just wanted you to be near me." Lacus didn't know about the nightmares he had. He didn't want to tell her, give her something else to worry about when he had just come to terms with his "birth". What he knew is that when she was nearby, he could handle anything.
She responded while she ran her hand up and down his back, still sealed in his loving embrace. "And I want to stay near you two, but we have to think about the kids. I don't think that's the way we want them to find out," she said half amused.
It was then she noticed him…trembling? No he must have been feeling cold, and must be hugging her out of warmth now. Still…
Once again Kira put the needs of his children before his. He lifted his head so he could gaze into her deep blue eyes once more, and leaned in for one last kiss goodnight. It started soft and slow at first but ended up full of so much vigor it was almost sloppy. Lacus couldn't get over just how affectionate he was feeling, how open. She loved it.
He watched his angel float away cuddling herself, reminded that the events of the day really had happened. It would have been tragic if this was all some twisted dream she would wake up from. Kira remained until she was out of sight, and walked into his room closing the door behind him. He tried to focus his thoughts only on her, but the more he tried to take his mind off his nightmares, the more they haunted him.
Not bothering with a shower, he doffed his shirt, changed his pants and lay in bed. The ticking of the clock that wasn't there returned to mock him once more. He sighed to himself and closed his eyes. Now thoughts of Lacus would only keep him awake. He started doubling numbers in his head until he passed out, the last thing on his mind the number 16777216.
Their island was a peaceful one. The problems of Orb refused to impede upon the innocence and gentleness that can be found only here. Elsewhere deals were being stuck, people were being backstabbed, and merchants of death made significant gains. This island slept peacefully in the night. Its inhabitants shielded by the moon's grace.
Lacus slept in the children's room as always, a huge grin on her face as she slept. None had to guess who or what she was dreaming about. A few of the children had somehow managed to snuggle around her, despite the fact they were all sleeping by the time she came in. One had even clutched onto her pink nightgown, the one which left her back bare. It was a room that rejected pain and sadness when the night came; a room Kira was never able to fall asleep in.
Tranquility in the orphanage was driven away by the tossing and turning of the sheets. Muffled moans could barely be heard outside his room, as Kira's restlessness had unknowingly wrapped his blanket around his neck. This is how it was every night.
The night dwelled on and Lacus was woken by the sudden tugging against her nightgown. She rubbed one eye and looked over to the side to see a little boy speak while till half asleep. "Mommy…I want some water" She smiled and made her way off of the bed. Her hair looked as perfect as it always did despite the hour. She put on her slippers and stretched before she left the room and made her way down the hall.
It was no wonder the children always asked her to get things at night. The hallway even spooked her a little with everything so dark. Shadows hiding in shadows watched the princess make her way down. She jumped as she heard some moans, then realized they came from Kira's room, but shrugged it off thinking maybe he was only having one of those restless sleeps after such a memorable day.
She retrieved the water from the kitchen and made her way back when a muffled scream of pure agony stroked her ears unforgivingly. Without hesitation she dropped the glass she held and ran into Kira's room praying all was alright.
She saw a broken soldier stare down at his hands which shook so violently even her coordinator eyes couldn't distinguish the fingers. His eyes pleaded her to help despite the shame he felt. The tears were held back but his will power was quickly wavering. It wasn't about being a crybaby, effeminate, or weak. It was about a man who had been through hell and knew what it meant to be truly terrified.
"Oh Kira..." she spoke and drifted over to him. Without another word being spoken she climbed onto his bed sitting upright next to him. She pulled her towards him, allowing him to rest his head on her chest, only slightly revealed by her nightgown. Her arms wrapped around him and his around her, his shaking continued, but less severe. She hummed a little tune, a special one she had wrote just for him which lacked words, her emotions not to be limited by them.
His shaking eventually subsided while cuddled against her, and his breathing normalized. His eyes remained open but all he could envision was unending darkness. He shifted around a little in her embrace, and once again it was up to Lacus to break the silence.
"How long has this been happening?" It was then she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt, and that she had never seen him like this recently. It was then she noticed the scars his clothes had hidden. There was only a few, but each one remarkable in its length and severity. How badly had he been injured in that last battle? He didn't have these when he was brought to Plant half dead just a few years ago…
"A few months now" remarked Kira, interrupting her thoughts.
"What did you see?" a question she instantly regretted asking. Talking about it would only reopen the wound. She wanted to comfort him, but it might just end up hurting him more.
Kira clenched her tightly, and his quivering voice embodied just how shattered he was at the moment "Bodies, men without faces all attacking me. Each one threatening our lives. I had no choice, I had to kill them. Every single one. But they always got right back up as if nothing happened, and their wails screeched right through me. Soon I was too tired, too outnumbered. They killed you. Hacked you to pieces in front of my eyes while you screamed and I could do nothing. Our children soon followed, all begging me to help them while I could only slash away and relieve no suffering."
He almost broke out in tears once again but Lacus caressed him with such love that he held back those emotions. "And then I was all alone. And they said I was cursed with the blood on my hands. The next thing I knew my hands were dripping with blood. I couldn't wipe it off. I couldn't…"
He had already accepted that whatever power that may be would forgive him. These dreams were just a reminder that first…he had to forgive himself.
"Shhh, its ok. I'm here now. The dream is gone now."
"It'll come back tomorrow. It always does." That left Lacus without response. She couldn't tell him it wouldn't, it wasn't up to her. She could only hold him. "When it does, then I shall be here, with you. We will handle it together."
He released himself from her hold, not realizing just how compelling she could be. "Lacus no, I don't want you to experience what I am, even if it's just through my response."
He was opening up so much to her. Showing her his passions, his desires, his wishes. She didn't want to be left out of his fears or his pain. Those too would be a part of her now.
"No Kira, we are going to handle this together and that's final. I don't want to hear any more arguments about it!" She gave Kira her scrunched up angry face that he loved. No matter how hard she tried to look strict and determined, it only enhanced her cuteness. This made Kira smile a little. "Whatever you command my princess."
His response drew a smile upon her face. He was feeling well enough to tease her a little. Hopefully that meant he would be able to sleep. She curled up her feet so she could glide them under Kira's blanket, much to his amazement.
"Lacus when you said you would be here when I had those dreams I didn't think you meant like this!"
She responded in her matter-of-fact voice "Of course silly. I made the decision and now I must follow through. We will find a way to explain it to the kids." She hadn't bothered to tell Kira to behave. She trusted him. She loved him after all. She had however allowed him quite a bit of leniency. As she thought this to herself, she felt a devilish grin form behind her face while she lay on her side able to face Kira.
Kira too brought himself beneath his covers, and held her closely in his arms. But soon he readjusted himself, resting his head in the valley of her chest. He could hear Lacus giggle a little bit, but she didn't push him away. She wrapped an arm around him, and there the two slept. She gently stroked him until she was sure he was asleep, before drifting off herself. Her last thoughts were thanks that he did not have to go through this alone.
Wings were meant to serve angels. To help them accomplish their goals and desires through self-sacrifice and hard work. The wings never asked for anything in return, except to be close to their angel. Though sometimes, it would have to be the angel that takes care of their wings.
Down the dark hall and into another room, a sleepy brunette girl woke up and looked around for her mommy. She needed her to come with her to get some more water since it appeared one of her brothers had finished it. Then she realized her mommy wasn't there, and she gasped as she could feel her heart stop for a moment. Her mommy wasn't there this time when she fell asleep. Her eyes contained her terror, as her fright told her of only one place she could expect comfort.
She ran out of the room, forgetting her slippers, and paying no attention to the clutter all over. She raced down the hallway and tripped over a glass left on the floor. As she fell down, the tears began to flow freely. It was only when she realized that her daddy wouldn't just give up like that, was she able to pull herself to her feet and run the rest of the way to his room. Ignoring the clock that hung overhead, she opened the door allowing some additional light to seep in.
There on the bed, she saw two forms, the pink hair on one revealing where her mother was. So mommy was staying with daddy now? Hmm. It really should have bothered her, but it just…didn't. In fact she kind of liked the idea that her parents were together more often. It made her life feel more stable in some strange intangible way.
Having made it thus far, she wasn't about to retreat to her room only to return early morning. She climbed onto the bed which obviously wasn't meant for three people, and fit herself between her mom and dad. The size of the bed was fine, it just meant they would all have to be closer together and that was just fine with the little girl.
She snuggled in between her parents, however just a little more towards her dad. She could always count on her daddy. That would always be true. As she closed her weary eyes once more that night, her face revealed a smile brimming with happiness. Now things felt just right.
Kira would sleep well that night. It wasn't that he dreamed, just he wasn't haunted with another nightmare, this time. His nightmares would return, with less frequency as time passed one would hope. This was a soldier's curse. This is the price they paid long after the parades are over and people stopped being outraged. This is the result no one wanted to see. He knew that in the end he would be ok. As long as he could remain being the wings to an angel.
AN: And that is the end of this Story. I was debating on whether i should do another Kira Lacus piece, or work on one of the other pairings i like (found on my profile).
Anyways I hope you enjoyed this work and please Read and Review.
:-)