squeaklings (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
squeaklings) wrote2023-05-29 02:08 pm
squeaklings) wrote2023-05-29 02:08 pm
Star Ocean 6 - Her Flower
Title: Her Flower
Wordcount: 975
Fandom: Star Ocean 6
Rating: G
Warnings: Follows Letty's Alby ED, no real spodlers
Summary: Once things have settle down, Albaird and Laeticia follow up on Marielle's desire to see Aster IV flowers blooming on another planet.
"Alby!"
The young knight turned at the sound of his princess's voice and came face to face with a small, slightly limp blue and white flower, with a grinning Letty behind it.
"Princess…?"
"It finally bloomed! Isn't it pretty?" She thrust the flower towards him again, her fingers caked in dirt, and he hesitantly leaned forward to examine the petals.
It was a small flower, the blossom not even as large as his ten-year-old hand. The petals were a vibrant blue that slowly turned to a pale white at the tips. It smelled sweet.
"Yes, Princess."
She beamed. "It's the first one I planted." Her cheeks flushed with pride and Albaird's heart skipped awkwardly. Laeticia continued, her eyes on the flower. "I'll do even better next year, and the next, until these little ones grow strong and true."
"Our little Letty, finest gardener in Aucerius." Theo grinned from Albaird's other side; the young man stood leaning against his spear, not even breaking a sweat despite their training spar Letty had interrupted. "Why don't we break here, Alby. I believe you have more pressing business." He nodded towards Laeticia, still holding the flower, and Albaird bowed.
"Will you show me the others?" He asked his princess, and looking at the smile she gave him, he found it suddenly hard to breathe.
**
"It's not too much further."
Marielle led the way through the garden paths, glancing over her shoulder at Albaird and Laeticia as she talked. The knight kept close to his princess's side as Letty chatted happily with their Federation friend the entire walk. He liked Marielle, but Laeticia was the one to form the closer friendship, and he was happy to just listen as his princess gushed about anything and everything they'd seen so far on this off world trip.
"I'm excited to see it!" Laeticia held her hands to her chest and closed her eyes for a brief moment. She was impossibly cute. "And you said they took to the soil well?"
"Yes, they're absolutely thriving." Marielle smiled softly. "I've heard the locals calling it 'Laeticia's Blossom.'"
"Oh." Letty's cheeks burned and Albaird's heart skipped. He placed his left hand to her lower back, his thumb rubbing comforting circles through her shirt, and she smiled up at him.
"Congratulations, Princess." Her smile widened, and he quickly looked away lest he cave into the sudden desire to kiss her. Letty bumped him with her shoulder, and he glanced back to a knowing, flushed smile and felt his own cheeks warm.
"Ah, here we are." Marielle paused at the crossroads, looking positively excited. If she noticed their brief exchange she said nothing. "It's down this path." Her eyes darted to Albaird's hand on Laeticia's back and he'd say the smile she gave him was mischievous. All right, so maybe she did notice. "I'll let you two go on ahead. Just use your communicators when you're ready to return and I'll come get you."
"Thank you, Marielle." Laeticia grabbed his hand in hers, fingers laced together, and nearly pulled him down the path. Albaird had the time to give their friend a very brief nod before he was bodily strung along.
The path continued for longer than he expected. When it eventually opened up into a wide field painted blue and white from the veritable sea of flowers blooming, they could only stand side-by-side and stare, his hand held tight in hers. Marielle had hidden the surprise well, and he was glad she'd given them privacy as he glanced at his princess, her eyes glistening as she took in her flower, blooming radiant beneath a foreign sky.
"Shall we?" He asked, and squeezed her hand gently. She nodded and he guided her through the paths, stopping every few feet for Letty to kneel and check on the flowers. They were bigger than on Aster IV, though Albaird couldn't say if that was because of the planet they were now on or because Laeticia had provided modified seeds. Ever since that first batch she'd been fiddling with it, making it stronger and more vibrant, but he was ashamed to realize that he hadn't paid too much attention to the end product. Between protecting his charge and the worsening relations with the Empire, flowers had been the farthest from his mind.
"Alby, this is beautiful." She paused again and plopped herself down in the dirt, hands hovering over the blossoms that surrounded them. "Come, look."
He did as she said, pressing his left hand to her lower back again as she pointed out variations between the flowers: little differences he would never notice that stood out to her discerning eye. She dug her fingers into the soil, traced petals and stems, even commented on the strange insects that fled from her shadow.
Watching her smile, her cheeks dusted pink with pride, Albaird found himself leaning closer until their foreheads touched.
"Alby?"
"Sorry, I just–"
She shushed him with a kiss. The pink in her cheeks had darkened considerably, but the smile she gave him was bright and beautiful and he readily leaned in to kiss her in return.
Though they'd been close for longer than he could remember, they'd only become intimate once everything with Scorpium had settled. Aside from their earlier display with Marielle, he did his best to maintain decorum in public, but beneath this strange sky with Letty's flowers surrounding them, they let themselves give into their feelings.
By the time they contacted Marielle the sun had nearly set. Albaird did his best to brush the dirt from Laeticia's hair and back before she arrived, but from the way Marielle eyed them both knowingly he felt it was a useless gesture.
"Did you enjoy the gardens?" The Federation office asked, and Laeticia nearly beamed.
"Absolutely. If ever there's a chance, please invite us again."
Wordcount: 975
Fandom: Star Ocean 6
Rating: G
Warnings: Follows Letty's Alby ED, no real spodlers
Summary: Once things have settle down, Albaird and Laeticia follow up on Marielle's desire to see Aster IV flowers blooming on another planet.
"Alby!"
The young knight turned at the sound of his princess's voice and came face to face with a small, slightly limp blue and white flower, with a grinning Letty behind it.
"Princess…?"
"It finally bloomed! Isn't it pretty?" She thrust the flower towards him again, her fingers caked in dirt, and he hesitantly leaned forward to examine the petals.
It was a small flower, the blossom not even as large as his ten-year-old hand. The petals were a vibrant blue that slowly turned to a pale white at the tips. It smelled sweet.
"Yes, Princess."
She beamed. "It's the first one I planted." Her cheeks flushed with pride and Albaird's heart skipped awkwardly. Laeticia continued, her eyes on the flower. "I'll do even better next year, and the next, until these little ones grow strong and true."
"Our little Letty, finest gardener in Aucerius." Theo grinned from Albaird's other side; the young man stood leaning against his spear, not even breaking a sweat despite their training spar Letty had interrupted. "Why don't we break here, Alby. I believe you have more pressing business." He nodded towards Laeticia, still holding the flower, and Albaird bowed.
"Will you show me the others?" He asked his princess, and looking at the smile she gave him, he found it suddenly hard to breathe.
**
"It's not too much further."
Marielle led the way through the garden paths, glancing over her shoulder at Albaird and Laeticia as she talked. The knight kept close to his princess's side as Letty chatted happily with their Federation friend the entire walk. He liked Marielle, but Laeticia was the one to form the closer friendship, and he was happy to just listen as his princess gushed about anything and everything they'd seen so far on this off world trip.
"I'm excited to see it!" Laeticia held her hands to her chest and closed her eyes for a brief moment. She was impossibly cute. "And you said they took to the soil well?"
"Yes, they're absolutely thriving." Marielle smiled softly. "I've heard the locals calling it 'Laeticia's Blossom.'"
"Oh." Letty's cheeks burned and Albaird's heart skipped. He placed his left hand to her lower back, his thumb rubbing comforting circles through her shirt, and she smiled up at him.
"Congratulations, Princess." Her smile widened, and he quickly looked away lest he cave into the sudden desire to kiss her. Letty bumped him with her shoulder, and he glanced back to a knowing, flushed smile and felt his own cheeks warm.
"Ah, here we are." Marielle paused at the crossroads, looking positively excited. If she noticed their brief exchange she said nothing. "It's down this path." Her eyes darted to Albaird's hand on Laeticia's back and he'd say the smile she gave him was mischievous. All right, so maybe she did notice. "I'll let you two go on ahead. Just use your communicators when you're ready to return and I'll come get you."
"Thank you, Marielle." Laeticia grabbed his hand in hers, fingers laced together, and nearly pulled him down the path. Albaird had the time to give their friend a very brief nod before he was bodily strung along.
The path continued for longer than he expected. When it eventually opened up into a wide field painted blue and white from the veritable sea of flowers blooming, they could only stand side-by-side and stare, his hand held tight in hers. Marielle had hidden the surprise well, and he was glad she'd given them privacy as he glanced at his princess, her eyes glistening as she took in her flower, blooming radiant beneath a foreign sky.
"Shall we?" He asked, and squeezed her hand gently. She nodded and he guided her through the paths, stopping every few feet for Letty to kneel and check on the flowers. They were bigger than on Aster IV, though Albaird couldn't say if that was because of the planet they were now on or because Laeticia had provided modified seeds. Ever since that first batch she'd been fiddling with it, making it stronger and more vibrant, but he was ashamed to realize that he hadn't paid too much attention to the end product. Between protecting his charge and the worsening relations with the Empire, flowers had been the farthest from his mind.
"Alby, this is beautiful." She paused again and plopped herself down in the dirt, hands hovering over the blossoms that surrounded them. "Come, look."
He did as she said, pressing his left hand to her lower back again as she pointed out variations between the flowers: little differences he would never notice that stood out to her discerning eye. She dug her fingers into the soil, traced petals and stems, even commented on the strange insects that fled from her shadow.
Watching her smile, her cheeks dusted pink with pride, Albaird found himself leaning closer until their foreheads touched.
"Alby?"
"Sorry, I just–"
She shushed him with a kiss. The pink in her cheeks had darkened considerably, but the smile she gave him was bright and beautiful and he readily leaned in to kiss her in return.
Though they'd been close for longer than he could remember, they'd only become intimate once everything with Scorpium had settled. Aside from their earlier display with Marielle, he did his best to maintain decorum in public, but beneath this strange sky with Letty's flowers surrounding them, they let themselves give into their feelings.
By the time they contacted Marielle the sun had nearly set. Albaird did his best to brush the dirt from Laeticia's hair and back before she arrived, but from the way Marielle eyed them both knowingly he felt it was a useless gesture.
"Did you enjoy the gardens?" The Federation office asked, and Laeticia nearly beamed.
"Absolutely. If ever there's a chance, please invite us again."