[ Three // Action // Open to Loire family, in Alfitaria. ]

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Well. Life had just been keeping him on his toes since his arrival on Gaia. Laguna had been kept busy, catching up with Raine and Elle, getting to know Slai, getting comfortable and making an effort to trust himself around the baby, meeting Squall and taking the tour of Garden. Aside from that first night in Treno, he and Raine hadn't managed much time to themselves yet. She had mentioned wanting to hold a sort of family conference, but before that, Laguna was pretty sure there was a couch in their rooms at the palace in Alfitaria that had their names written all over it. Once Raine returned from tucking Brooke in for the night, he would pounce. Possibly quite literally.]

((Backdated just a touch, to after the meeting with Squall & co. at Garden! The Loires need to talk about their living situation, and Laguna demands a cuddle before all that serious business.))

Comments

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Raine won't admit it, but she's quite tired. Brooke's finally gotten past being fussy about the change of residence and into something of a schedule, but it's on that still interrupts the nights with her cries. Little one is finally down for the night and Raine comes out with a weary smile for Laguna.]

I think she's really asleep this time.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Noting how exhausted she looked, Laguna merely grinned and decided to forgo the act of pouncing, moving over and patting the seat next to him to indicate she should sit down. Being a parent was exhausting, particularly a young mother without about a hundred and one other responsibilities to tend to in the meantime.]

Hopefully it'll last a little longer than the last stretch. If she wakes up again, let me get her? I think I can probably manage it, she's used to me by now, right? [He tilted his head slightly, causing the front bit of his dark hair to fall across his face.] Have a seat, gorgeous. You need to get off your feet.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Unable to resist that invitation, Raine sits down beside Laguna and curls her feet up under herself while she rests her head on his shoulder.How in the world did I make it without him here?]

You're not getting off duty if she's not used to you.

[The teasing remark comes with a smile and then a content sigh.]

You hear that? It's the sound of quiet.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Laguna promptly put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close as she settled against his shoulder and he lightly rested his chin atop her head.]

Quiet, huh? I'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. [He grinned.] But babies are a nice kind of noisy, don't you think? Well, except for the part where they keep you up. [He kissed the top of her head.] You need a vacation. Sorry you've had to do all this without me up 'til now.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you had to miss it. I really wanted you there.

[Both times. Raine places a hand on his chest and shifts just enough that she can look up at him while remaining firmly snuggled up close.]

You might want to re-think that vacation, Laguna. Where do you think Brooke came from in the first place?

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I missed it, too. If I'd known, I... there's no place I'd have rather been. [He frowned, and the expression felt foreign to him. Being apart from his family had been hard enough, but knowing what Raine had gone through in his absence...]

[Her next comment brought a smile back to his face, followed by a chuckle.] Vacations are dangerous territory for us, huh?

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

You could say that. Not that I minded.

[It's odd talking about their life together when he doesn't remember a bit of it, but Raine's pushing that to the side for the sheer joy of just having her husband back.]

This is already something of a vacation already. We'll have to go home sooner or later... if we can figure out where to go home to.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Laguna planted a kiss against her forehead.]

Yeah. A sorceress in Dali... doesn't seem like the best place if we want to keep our kids safe. We've had more than our fair share of trouble with sorceresses. I don't know Gaia very well, though... what are our other options?

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. Before, we lived in Jidoor for a while, but I hated it. The people were horrible. I think it's vanished now. [Which was a distressing thought that they could have been caught in that.] I've been to Lindblum, and then here with Rydia, but other than that I haven't seen much of other places.

[She pulls out her phone and looks at the map thoughtfully.]

So many choices but none of them are quite Winhill.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Laguna peered down at her phone, examining the map as well. He really had to learn to use his properly.]

I know. None of them will really be home. It sounded like Dali was close, but it's still not the same. What's Lindblum like?

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

It used to be the largest city in the world. It's... old fashioned, but very big.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

Huh. Big city... doesn't really seem like our speed, does it. [Actually, Laguna had no qualm with big cities, but he was very aware of the fact that Raine preferred the country, and he'd quite taken to small-town living himself while staying in Winhill.]

Any way to find out if Dali's safe again?

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

I can ask around but... She'll know we're there. It's hard. Ellone trusts her and apparently she's the woman who raised her and Squall both. But her first concern was to take Elle away and I just can't...

[Deep breath. She could say this.]

... I can't see our family be split up again.

*shakes fists at notifs*

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

... me neither. This place is our happy ending, you know? That's what it feels like to me, anyway. I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to any of you. If that includes finding a new place to live, that's fine with me. We'll do it.

Bad LJ!

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

It is. Our second chance and I don't intend to squander it.

I'll ask around and see what people think. Quietly. I'm not sure Ellone will be happy, but she's already been hurt so much for her gift.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Laguna adjusted his arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle tug as if to pull her closer, though there wasn't much distance to make up for.] Sounds like a plan. Elle might resist, but she knows we just want what's best for her, right?

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[A tug that more or less pulled her right into Laguna's lap. Not a bad place to be, especially with having some very rare alone time at the moment.]

She does. We talked about it, once she got over being angry.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[He pressed another kiss against the top of her head.]

She'll get a say in where we move, too. Hopefully she won't be so unhappy about it once we've talked about it a little.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Raine responds with a smile and by placing a hand on Laguna's face, rubbing her thumb along his jaw.]

Our family will be back together. She'll be happy with that.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[He grinned. It had definitely been way too long since they'd been able to spend time alone together like this. With everything leading up to the war in Esthar, he had been away from home over a year. He could definitely get used to life in Gaia if it meant not having to give any of this up.]

I love you. [He laid a hand over hers, holding it to the side of his face.] I'll never leave you again. Got that?

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[She nods, eyes shining and full of gratitude for that promise. He'll hold to it with his life and Raine knows it. No stern nagging that he'd exhausted his lifetime supply of being gone.]

I love you.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[That said, Laguna decided this was an excellent time to kiss her soundly.]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Excellent time indeed. Raine may have no hesitation about speaking her mind, but typically she isn't the one to initiate intimate gestures. However. She has missed Laguna so very much and it's such a relief to be with him again, that all that longing transfers to a very steamy kiss, with her winding her fingers into his hair to keep him close.]

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Laguna, on the other hand, is happy to initiate intimate gestures all day long if Raine will let him. He was particularly glad that there was no playful swatting this time around, even if he did enjoy it -- they had been separated far too long for that brand of teasing. He curled his fingers over hers against his own cheek, his free hand cupping her jaw so that his index finger slid neatly beneath her ear. He was mildly disappointed when it came time to break for air.]

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

[Raine's just as disappointed, although she takes that opportunity to playfully rub her nose against Laguna's.]

It's been too long.

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[He grins during the eskimo kiss, kissing the tip of her nose afterwards.]

It really has. Almost two years... for me.

[waitedinwinhill.livejournal.com]

Two years...

[Raine sighs and looks troubled. She knows how much longer it lasts for him at home and that breaks her heart so much.]

I'm sorry, Laguna. I should have told you...

[blue-desperado.livejournal.com]

[Laguna just shakes his head.]

Hey. You've got nothing to be sorry for, Raine.