Night was already falling by the time they found Luzzu again: still sitting on the ground by the temple, still staring vacantly into the distance. A meal rested on a tray next to him, and his hands gripped a canteen. Lulu noticed that the food was barely touched, and she glanced at Wakka with a sigh. "He's taking it harder than I expected," she murmured.
Wakka shook his head. "He blames himself. We both know what that's like, ya?"
"Yes." Lulu lowered her eyes. As she so often did, she wished Chappu were here. He would have known what to say, just the right words to make Luzzu smile again. Still, she had to try. "I don't think he should be alone."
"Me neither. C'mon." Wakka picked his way through the rocks to Luzzu's side, and Lulu followed. Luzzu didn't seem to notice them at first; not until Wakka cleared his throat did he set down the water and start to scramble to his feet. Wakka stilled him with a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you're taking it easy, remember?" Luzzu paused, nodded, then dropped back to the ground with a heavy sigh, hands resting on his knees; his knuckles were scraped and raw from the pounding he had given to the temple walls. Wakka sat next to him, and after moving the dinner tray aside, Lulu took a place on his other side, shifting her skirts as she settled on the ground.
"Did Yuna receive the Aeon?" Luzzu looked to Lulu, who nodded, and then leaned his head back against the wall. "Good. May she succeed where the Crusaders failed and rid the world of this scourge. The right way, the way Yevon taught us. Even if it means she--" His mouth tightened, and he brought a hand up to pinch his nose; when he spoke again, his voice was thick with grief. "Dammit! Damn Sin, and everything it takes from us!"
Lulu let a gentle hand fall on his knee, and he turned to her with red-rimmed eyes. "And that's why Yuna fights," she said. "Why the Crusaders fight. And those of us left behind..." She lifted her face to his and kissed him, softly on the cheek. "We get through it, together. Like we always have."
"Listen to Lu, eh?" Wakka shifted and put an arm around Luzzu's shoulders. Luzzu lowered his head, and a few tears slid down his cheeks, leaving fresh trails to join the dry ones. "She knows what she's talking about."
"I-- I know." Luzzu drew his hands down his face to wipe it clean. "Thank you. And I'm sorry. You must have other duties."
"Nah." Wakka waved off his concern. "Yuna is helping the healers, Tidus turned in early, and Sir Auron is standing guard. Nothing he can't handle. Besides, someone's gotta keep an eye on you." He leaned over and kissed Luzzu's temple, then ruffled his hair. "Keep you outta trouble."
Luzzu almost smiled. "Now that you know I need watching?"
"Yup." Wakka grinned, although Lulu still read grief in his eyes, for losses both old and new. "Like a hawk."
"I've asked myself a lot of questions today. Most of them don't have answers yet. But I know one thing." Luzzu put an arm around Lulu's back and hugged her into his side. "You're right, Wakka. I should go home to Besaid and recover from my wounds. All of them." He grimaced. "I wish you would, too, but I understand why you can't." He paused, then sighed. "At least you're here tonight." He turned first to Wakka and kissed him, swift and hard on the lips, and then he kissed Lulu, more gently, bringing a hand to her cheek, his other tightening against her shoulder.
A surprise, but not an unpleasant one. Lulu took a moment to sink into the kiss, to accept the soft lips caressing hers, warm and alive, the opposite of the death that surrounded them all. She hadn't been kissed like this in so long, too long, not since--
Chappu's face drifted across her mind's eye and she had to break away; Luzzu's hand trailed down her cheek as he pulled back, too. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't..."
"It's all right." Lulu leaned against his side, a wordless invitation to put his arm around her again. She looked over Luzzu at Wakka; he caught her eye, then nodded. It was all right. Maybe the most "all right" in a long time. "We won't leave you. Not tonight."
"C'mere." Wakka pulled Luzzu into a sideways hug, and Luzzu let his head fall to pillow against Wakka's broad chest. Wakka leaned his head on Luzzu's; Lulu considered at them for a moment before snuggling into Luzzu's warm embrace. The three of them, together against the world one last time, letting the old wound they shared finally start to heal.
Recovery (Wakka/Lulu/Luzzu, PG)
Wakka shook his head. "He blames himself. We both know what that's like, ya?"
"Yes." Lulu lowered her eyes. As she so often did, she wished Chappu were here. He would have known what to say, just the right words to make Luzzu smile again. Still, she had to try. "I don't think he should be alone."
"Me neither. C'mon." Wakka picked his way through the rocks to Luzzu's side, and Lulu followed. Luzzu didn't seem to notice them at first; not until Wakka cleared his throat did he set down the water and start to scramble to his feet. Wakka stilled him with a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you're taking it easy, remember?" Luzzu paused, nodded, then dropped back to the ground with a heavy sigh, hands resting on his knees; his knuckles were scraped and raw from the pounding he had given to the temple walls. Wakka sat next to him, and after moving the dinner tray aside, Lulu took a place on his other side, shifting her skirts as she settled on the ground.
"Did Yuna receive the Aeon?" Luzzu looked to Lulu, who nodded, and then leaned his head back against the wall. "Good. May she succeed where the Crusaders failed and rid the world of this scourge. The right way, the way Yevon taught us. Even if it means she--" His mouth tightened, and he brought a hand up to pinch his nose; when he spoke again, his voice was thick with grief. "Dammit! Damn Sin, and everything it takes from us!"
Lulu let a gentle hand fall on his knee, and he turned to her with red-rimmed eyes. "And that's why Yuna fights," she said. "Why the Crusaders fight. And those of us left behind..." She lifted her face to his and kissed him, softly on the cheek. "We get through it, together. Like we always have."
"Listen to Lu, eh?" Wakka shifted and put an arm around Luzzu's shoulders. Luzzu lowered his head, and a few tears slid down his cheeks, leaving fresh trails to join the dry ones. "She knows what she's talking about."
"I-- I know." Luzzu drew his hands down his face to wipe it clean. "Thank you. And I'm sorry. You must have other duties."
"Nah." Wakka waved off his concern. "Yuna is helping the healers, Tidus turned in early, and Sir Auron is standing guard. Nothing he can't handle. Besides, someone's gotta keep an eye on you." He leaned over and kissed Luzzu's temple, then ruffled his hair. "Keep you outta trouble."
Luzzu almost smiled. "Now that you know I need watching?"
"Yup." Wakka grinned, although Lulu still read grief in his eyes, for losses both old and new. "Like a hawk."
"I've asked myself a lot of questions today. Most of them don't have answers yet. But I know one thing." Luzzu put an arm around Lulu's back and hugged her into his side. "You're right, Wakka. I should go home to Besaid and recover from my wounds. All of them." He grimaced. "I wish you would, too, but I understand why you can't." He paused, then sighed. "At least you're here tonight." He turned first to Wakka and kissed him, swift and hard on the lips, and then he kissed Lulu, more gently, bringing a hand to her cheek, his other tightening against her shoulder.
A surprise, but not an unpleasant one. Lulu took a moment to sink into the kiss, to accept the soft lips caressing hers, warm and alive, the opposite of the death that surrounded them all. She hadn't been kissed like this in so long, too long, not since--
Chappu's face drifted across her mind's eye and she had to break away; Luzzu's hand trailed down her cheek as he pulled back, too. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't..."
"It's all right." Lulu leaned against his side, a wordless invitation to put his arm around her again. She looked over Luzzu at Wakka; he caught her eye, then nodded. It was all right. Maybe the most "all right" in a long time. "We won't leave you. Not tonight."
"C'mere." Wakka pulled Luzzu into a sideways hug, and Luzzu let his head fall to pillow against Wakka's broad chest. Wakka leaned his head on Luzzu's; Lulu considered at them for a moment before snuggling into Luzzu's warm embrace. The three of them, together against the world one last time, letting the old wound they shared finally start to heal.