My head swung towards the direction I heard his voice from, and it seemed almost as if he was illuminated from above as I saw him. Sun-colored hair, and a grey uniform; his sky-blue eyes looked straight at me.
“Lucia!”
Before I could even finish thinking that he was a fast runner, I was already in his arms. I missed his smell. My dearest.
Was I dreaming? The moment I thought that I wanted to go home — to see him — he appeared right before me. It was too coincidental. If this were a dream, it would just disappear again. Ah, I couldn’t take that. I don’t want to dream about this anymore...!
As I shut my eyes tightly, I heard him whisper in my ear, “It’s really you, Lucia...”
My eyes shot open.
“Lucia, I’ve missed you so much...!”
Hearing his strained and shaking voice, my heart shook as well. My throat tightened painfully.
“Sir...Celes...” I murmured.
I slowly touched his back. He seemed thinner than I remembered. Feeling him touch my cheek, touching him with my fingers, I finally realized that this wasn’t just a dream that was too good to be true. The moment I realized it, the tears started flowing. I missed you, too...
Though I’d hidden myself away to protect him, that didn’t stop me from being horribly lonely. More than anyone or anything, losing you was the hardest. The fact that I lost you had made me unable to even look at the sky.
“Sir Celes...!”
Realizing he was here, and that I didn’t need to keep trying all alone anymore, I finally cried. I was scared. Sad. Lonely. I missed him. Feeling all of those emotions burst, I sobbed like a small child in his arms.
“Lucia...” His arms loosened, and he touched my face. “I’m sorry for being late. And I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you. But I’m glad...that you’re okay...!”
Sir Celes was crying too. I didn’t know what to say, seeing a man cry for the first time. I wasn’t the only one suffering. Sir Celes must have been a wreck hearing that I’d died.
“I’m sorry...” I whimpered.
He brushed the tears from my cheek, shaking his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“But...” I touched his face. “I’ve always wanted to tell you...”
“Huh?”
I steeled myself when I saw his blue eyes widen in surprise. I wasn’t going to let myself regret not saying something anymore.
“I’m sorry for not calling you Celes. I’ve always regretted it. I should’ve called you it instead of getting embarrassed. Celes...thank you for coming for me. I missed you too. I missed you so, so much.”
“Lucia?”
“I love you, Celes. I’ve loved you all this time since we last saw each other. I’m so happy I can touch you again like this.”
Having finally come out with it, Sir Celes smiled. My beloved sun-like smile.
“Lucia...”
“Wait! Just stop right there! Don’t go off into your own little lovey-dovey world just yet!”
Just as his face drew closer, I heard another familiar voice. Then, Sir Celes got shoved down out of the way.
“Hey little lady. We’ve been looking for you!”
“Sir Gaius!” My jaw dropped. I hadn’t expected him to be there. I could tell that he was the real Sir Gaius when he patted me on the head. “What are you doing here!?”
“You’ve gotten a lot thinner since I last saw you. Are you doing okay? Must’ve been hard, huh.”
I clung to his big chest happily, and he squeezed me tightly back. “I missed you!”
“Okay, maybe you should hold off on talking like that for now. I’m happy, but I don’t wanna die yet.”
As Sir Gaius put me back down with a laugh, Sir Celes picked me right back up.
“Sir Celes!?”
I was surprised, seeing his face so close after he scooped me back up, hands holding my back and beneath my knees. Once I calmed down, I was kind of embarrassed. Everyone in the village was staring at us.
“Let’s go somewhere we can be alone.”
“Wait, what about me?” Sir Gaius grunted.
“Isn’t letting us be the adult thing to do?”
“No, but stopping a young’n from getting out of hand is. Calm down, Celestino.”
Hearing them arguing, I laughed, my tears now forgotten. I hadn’t felt this way in a long time. I finally felt like I was back where I belonged.
Clinging to Sir Celes’s neck, I blurted out all of my feelings. “I’m home, Celes!”