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"Does that feel better?" you asked, bandaging the child's wrist firmly.
She sniffed lightly, rubbing her nose with the back of her free hand. "A-a little bit..." she replied, looking at the length of cloth around her cut.
You gave her a small smile. "Well, then go on and play. It'll heal with time."
With a tearful grin in return, she said a quick thank you and scampered off to play with her friends.
You cleaned up the medical supplies, tossing everything into the white kit that you often had to bring out. The orphanage was crowded with children, and it seemed like they hurt themselves everyday, though their injuries were rather minor. Kids would be kids, you told yourself with a fond eye roll and sigh.
As you set the medical kit on the wooden table, you turned, only to nearly bump into Lucius. "Oh!" you exclaimed, surprised that he had suddenly appeared. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you there."
Of course, as you had expected, he dipped his head in his own apology. "It's not your fault, _____. I should have greeted you sooner, as not to startle you." He then rested a gentle hand on your shoulder. "How are the children?"
"They're doing well," you said, looking at him. These few months of knowing Lucius made you able to simply look at him -- not stare at him as you had done before. He was simply too beautiful, too feminine, and you couldn't help but keep your eyes on his fair skin, his deep eyes and his flowing, golden hair. "Mandy somehow cut her wrist on a tree branch, but I fixed that up."
Lucius gave you a quick nod of approval. "You're always so good about that. It's no wonder why the children have taken such a liking to you."
It seemed ironic that he was the one complimenting you when he was the hero in the situation -- it was because of him that these orphans had their share of bread and porridge every day; it was because of him that they had a roof to shelter them from the wind and rain every night; it was because of him that they were loved. Lucius had started this orphanage out of compassion for the stray children who ran around, barefooted in the streets.
"And what about you?" you responded. "They love you more than they have every loved anyone. You have given them a second chance, a reason for living. They would not be alive without your help... or perhaps they would have resorted to being thieves or beggars, the dregs of society. Either way, you know that you have helped them immensely."
He beamed at you, his lips curving into a sincere grin. "I am happy to hear you say that, but you give me too much praise. I only serve Saint Elimine, and I know that she would wish for her followers to love others."
You returned the smile, but you couldn't help but mentally frown. "Do you ever do anything for yourself, Lucius? You are far too giving, too kind... I feel like you never have any time to yourself."
"I need no time for myself," he replied as though he were surprised that you would bring up such a subject. "I have dedicated my life to serving Saint Elimine, in turn, serving others, especially those who cannot help themselves."
"I think that's why I admire you so much." You reached into the pantry, taking out a fresh loaf of bread. Sometimes, you worried about him; he tended to forget to eat because he was always so concerned about everyone else.
A pale pink crept into his cheeks, though he kept himself composed. "You're far too kind."
You cut through the loaf of bread with one of the kitchen knives, placing several slices on a plate, and handing it to Lucius. "No, just truthful." At first he didn't take the plate, simply looking at it as though he didn't understand why you were offering it to him. "Go on," you said. "I know you tend to forget to eat when you're busy, which is always. You have to keep up your strength."
His eyes grew soft. For a moment, you thought that he was going to refuse, but he didn't. He accepted the plate from your outstretched hand. "Thank you, _____."
"Jason, what's the matter?" You were sure that half of working with children was comforting them when they cried.
His bottom lip trembled, though he sat down next to you on the rock. "I-I was playing w-with Harry when..." It turned out that he had gotten into a fight with several of the boys over who could be the general in their game of knights.
Perhaps that was the reason why you enjoyed working with children so much. Their lives were simple -- they did not worry about their next meal or shelter because they had Lucius to provide for them. Instead, they played, spending their time as children of their age should have. These young ones should not have to do anything else. Other than helping you around the orphanage, they should have time to learn and to grow.
You smiled once Jason's problem was resolved. The kids had apologized to one another and began to play again. They ran off with their sticks, traveling through thought and time. It was a wonder that they could bring themselves so much joy with a mere imagination.
"Did you ever play like that?" Lucius had found you, now watching Jason and the others romp in the grass with you.
"Oh, hi, Lucius!" you replied, shrugging your shoulders lightly. "You know, I honestly don't remember... it seems so long since I was a child of their age." You only remember being happy. That was it. "What about you?"
He gave you a sad smile. "I never played with boys my age. They teased me for my appearance, some of them particularly cruel..." His voice trailed off as though thinking about it had brought back these horrible memories. "They would taunt me, torment me for having such a feminine appearance... they would never play with me. They would instead brush me aside, only to talk to me when they chose to mock me. Sometimes they would steal my bread or what few toys I had..."
This was a shock to you because you had never heard such stories from Lucius before. You said, "I'm sorry..." You weren't sure what else there was to say -- this was his story. You would let him talk.
"It's not your fault," he answered, the same sad smile still on his lips. "It's so easy to forgive but hard to forget..."
"You have forgiven them already? After all they had done to you?"
"That is the way to salvation," Lucius said calmly. "It is the way of Saint Elimine. Unless we can learn to forgive all those who have trespassed against us, we will never be at peace."
It was strange talking to him about this. You had asked him a simple question about childhood and imagination, and he had returned your query with a sad tale, though he could speak about it almost easily. There was pain in his voice, but his sheer ability to forgive his tormentors impressed you.
"How do you do that?" you asked.
"Do what?"
"Forgive." You swallowed, thinking that you could never be so pure, so kind-hearted. "People can always say that they will forgive, but that doesn't mean that they truly have. They still hold grudges, these age-old animosities in their hearts... how do you manage to truly forgive?"
Lucius' eyes glimmered as his mood brightened, if only slightly. "Do you not know how to forgive others? Someone as kind as you? If you don't know now, you will surely learn. You are still young, _____."
You shook your head. "It's harder than you think it to be..." You imagined Lucius growing up as the most gentle boy, especially since none of his abuse had festered in his heart. He let everything go, as though it were meant to be. He forgave, and he was now living a content life.
"You will learn someday."
Would you? Perhaps you would have known better had you had someone who you needed to forgive... right now, you could think of no one you held a grudge against because you had lived a relatively peaceful life. "Someday," you repeated as you and Lucius watched the young boys play with one another.
"Lucius, will you have some tea?" You knocked on his door with your knuckles, though you tried to keep the noise level as quiet as possible so you wouldn't wake any of the children. They were fast asleep... and if not, they should have been.
"Come in, _____," he called softly from the other side of the door.
You obeyed, quietly turning the knob and slipping inside. "I have some hot tea for you," you began. Your thoughts drifted back toward why you had made him tea in the first place. "You've been up later and later, Lucius. Is there something you want to talk about?" If he ever wanted someone to turn to, you wanted him to know that you were always available. After all, the both of you ran the orphanage now.
He looked up from a small pile of papers on his desk. His face was pale, and you decided that he must have been tired. Upon seeing you, however, his eyes beamed at you. "Thank you," he said, accepting the cup of tea. "Nothing to worry about, _____. I'm just recording our work for reference. Some nobles wish to help our cause, though they would like a summary of what we do here."
"Oh?" you asked, peering over his shoulder. "We do need funding."
"Indeed," he replied, "but I think these particular people are looking to help publicize, which would also be helpful. The more children we can adopt out, the more we can take care of."
"I agree..." Your voice trailed off as you eyes found Lucius again, his golden hair glowing in the pale candlelight. "You look absolutely exhausted. I think you should get some sleep."
"I'm alright, but thank you for your concern."
You shook your head. "Please, Lucius? Go to bed. I can take care of this if it's urgent... you know that I can't run the orphanage alone, especially if you're in bad health."
He looked at you with his beautiful, blue eyes. "Well, I suppose it's not terribly urgent... I can finish in the morning." He must have seen just how hopeful you were. "Very well. Only because you ask, _____." Standing up and pushing in his chair, he nodded at his simple bed. "I'll sleep then, but only if you sleep too."
"Of course," you replied, basking silently in your victory. "Goodnight, Lucius. Sleep well." You then left, quietly shutting the door behind you.
Several weeks passed. You did your best to take care of Lucius, but he was still as busy as always. It wasn't a bad thing, you decided, because he was doing what he loved and for a good cause too. All the same, you wished that he would do something for himself. You had no doubt that running the orphanage and take care of the children made him happy, but he was always exhausted from doing so.
Perhaps the St Elimine wanted him to rest as well because a blessing came. Two sisters from an abbey in Pherae arrived at the orphanage one day. They said that they had heard of Lucius' work, and wished to help him. Apparently, the nobles who funded the orphanage had also publicized, spreading the word to several notable cities. Of course, Lucius was overjoyed and welcomed the sisters inside. They were given a room to share and a warm supper.
Immediately, the workload was lightened, though Lucius remained ambitious. He still spent a lot of his personal time on the children, playing with them and telling them stories.
The two sisters were wonderful people, helping around the orphanage with the cooking and cleaning. In fact, they were educated so they were able to teach the children literature and arithmetic. You could not have hoped for a better blessing -- you got along with the two sisters, named Pana and Naida, even considering them close friends after the first month had passed. And even better, the children loved them.
Since there was less work to do, you wanted to plan something special for Lucius to help him relax. Over the past few days, he had gone out many times to ask for donations to help the orphanage. Several generous, wealthy people gave the cause monthly funding, which was enough for food, clothing and the basics, but Lucius had been saving money in hopes of expanding the orphanage now that he had the hands that he needed.
It was always difficult work to ask for donations, very tedious and long-winded because so much paperwork was involved, and Lucius was tired as usual.
You talked to Pana and Naida about giving him a day off, and they were more than happy to run the orphanage while you took him out on a picnic. They even volunteered to prepare your lunch for you.
"That's not necessary," you replied, though you were quite thankful that they were willing to do it.
Pana would have none of that. "No, no, we insist!" she said, her hands on her hips. When she took that stance, she was determined to have her way. "Let Naida and I take care of the picnic foods. We used to picnic with our family all the time when we were growing up--"
"And we have some of the most delicious recipes on a warm, summer afternoon," Naida finished for her. They were incredibly close sisters, and often finished each others' sentences for one another. "In fact, I'll go to the garden right now... I have an idea for what we're going to make."
With an impish smile on both of their faces, they frolicked off to the garden, where the children were bound to be playing, picking and eating their fill of berries.
You obviously were left with no choice but to raise the white flag and let the sisters do what they wanted to do. Although you would rather do most things by yourself, you figured that it wouldn't hurt to have them prepare lunch for you, especially since they seemed to be culinary experts.
"Lucius?" you called softly, when you saw his blonde, silken hair in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Good morning, _____," he responded, a sincere grin on his face. "How did you sleep last night?" He greeted you like this every morning, asking you how you slept the night before. It made you feel like he genuinely cared about your well being.
You smiled back at him, noticing that he was slicing bread for the children's breakfast as he did nearly every morning. Toast was something for them to munch on while the porridge was cooking. You joined him, taking your own knife as you began cutting fruit into bite-sized pieces for them. "I slept well. What about yourself?"
Lucius laid the bread onto a tray and slipped it into the oven. He then tossed a few hunks of wood into the fire to keep it going. "I'm doing well too. It's a lovely morning, isn't it?"
You looked outside the window, noting the blue skies, the gentle waving of the tree branches in the wind and the chirping of birds. "It's beautiful... perfect for a picnic."
"A picnic? What makes you say that?"
"Because..." you began, removing the picnic basket that had been prepared for you and Lucius from the pantry. "...we're going on a picnic!" You let out a small laugh as you presented it to him.
Of course, Lucius was surprised. "We? You mean just the two of us?"
"If that's okay with you," you said. "Pana and Naida said that they could manage the orphanage while we're gone, but I don't want to force you to do anything that you don't want to..." For a moment there, you grew nervous, thinking that you might have put him in an awkward situation. What if he didn't want to spend the morning and afternoon with you?
His bright eyes beamed at you. "Why, I would be honored. This is quite the pleasant turn of events."
You were actually shocked that he didn't provide any resistance to your planning -- none of this "But what about the children?" or "I have to run a few errands today!" excuses. He freely agreed to go with you, and he seemed to be perfectly fine with leaving the children for a couple of hours.
The two of your finished preparing breakfast. Pana and Naida came down the stairs with the children, all of them dressed and ready for their meal. You served all of them their bread and fruit, while the porridge cooked on the stove. This took about an hour, considering how many children there were.
"Will you two be okay?" you asked the sisters.
Pana gave you a gentle push toward the door. "Of course, _____!"
"Don't worry about a thing!" Naida assured, doing the same to Lucius. "The two of you work so hard. We insist that you have a day of fun!"
"The children will be fine, won't you?" Pana asked, directing the question at the many kids who were situated around the table.
They all replied with positive remarks, telling you and Lucius to have fun.
You gave Lucius an assuring look, and he nodded. The both of you then left through the back door of the orphanage, taking the hillside trail along the forest and the brook. You had the picnic basket in your hand; you could tell that Pana and Naida had made something special.
The day remained beautiful, even as you ventured beside the babbling brook. You and Lucius talked as you so often did... only, you felt as though Lucius was more relaxed outside, where his worries were washed away. He didn't have to think about the children when he was out here. He could enjoy the fresh, morning air and the warm sun as it draped its rays upon the land. He studied the flowers that grew in the wilderness, pointing them out to you when he saw a particularly beautiful one.
And you were happy, happy knowing that he was having a wonderful time.
When lunchtime rolled around, you and Lucius found a shady spot beneath a large tree, where you rolled out the picnic blanket. You prompted him to sit down across from you, and he did so gladly.
"Now will you tell me what's in that basket?" he asked you.
You grinned at him with a sheepish laugh. "Truth be told, I don't know. It's supposed to be a surprise for the both of us." You placed the basket on your lap, giving him a curious look. "Are you ready?"
Lucius nodded, and you could see that he wanted to know as badly as you did.
Of course, you didn't have to wait any longer so you lifted open the basket. You began to remove its contents. There was a loaf of fresh bread and a small knife to go with it so that you could slice it. Next came a plate of deviled eggs, something that you hadn't tasted in a long while because it was time consuming to make in large quantities. Inside the basket was also a hunk of cheese for you and Lucius to share and a few strips of jerky.
At the very bottom of the basket, wrapped in white cloth was something else -- there was a note placed neatly on top of it: "Do not open this until you are ready for dessert." There was also a smiley face drawn next to it.
You handed the note to Lucius. He read it, curiosity consuming his facial features. "I wonder what it could possibly be."
"Me too," you replied, beginning to cut the cheese. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Let's start eating so we can be ready for dessert."
The food was perfect, very ideal for picnic foods that could be easily transported to the spot of your choice. You and Lucius enjoyed your lunch very much, sharing casual conversation with one another as you ate.
"So what do you plan on doing?" you asked.
Lucius wiped his mouth with a napkin. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, do you plan on living the rest of your life like this? With your orphanage and the children?"
"It's always been something that I've worked towards," he said. "As an orphan myself, I feel very strongly about taken care of those who do not have parents. Is that so wrong?"
You blinked. "Oh, that's not what I meant at all!" You quickly clarified, "I realize that this is what you've always wanted, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with reaching out to those who need you the most... but is that all you want in life? You just want to run your orphanage and you're happy?"
"I am rather content, yes... why wouldn't I be?"
While you were happy for him, what he said made your heart sink, if only slightly. You were hoping for another answer, but, of course, you didn't say anything. If Lucius was enjoying his life as it was, then who were you to say otherwise? Instead, you gave him a small smile. "What matters is that you are."
Lucius looked at you, his beautiful face and fine hair glowing in the sunlight. He seemed to realize that something was wrong, though he was unsure of how to address it. Instead, he took the picnic basket and removed the wrapped dessert. "Here," he said. "Why don't you open it?"
You agreed, carefully unwrapping the cloth. Upon seeing what the dessert was, you paused. "This is..."
"...it's lempi," he finished for you, apparently just as surprised as you were.
Lempi was a sort of pastry, a special cake made of fruit, baked only made for couples. It was said that any two people who shared a slice of it were bound to share a future together, the reason why it was a popular dessert at many weddings.
You were at lost at why Pana and Naida would prepare this for you -- it was actually quite difficult to make, and the ingredients were expensive. It was as though they knew how you felt about Lucius... but did he feel the same way?
When you looked at his face, you noticed that he was blushing, a light pink stained upon his cheeks.
You then realized that you were blushing as well, and you felt warm even in the cool shade. "...I had no idea that Pana and Naida made this... for us."
"I wouldn't have guessed either," he replied. There was a moment of awkward silence as the both of you simply stared at the lempi. Finally, Lucius moved, placing his hand on top of yours. "_____, will you share it with me?" he asked, his voice soft, only a mere whisper. He seemed nervous.
You smiled, your heart fluttering at what he had just asked you. "Of course!" With that, you began to divide the cake evenly. You gave Lucius his slice, and he took it gratefully.
Before you could take your first bite, Lucius interrupted, his blue eyes fixed on you. "Just moments ago, you asked me if the orphanage was all I wanted in life... and I answered yes, but... well, I wasn't entirely being truthful."
Thinking that he had more to say, you remained quiet.
"...the orphanage is very important to me, yes, and you know this. However, you're important to me too, _____. I... I'm not sure how to say this, but I would like you to know that you bring light into my life. Since the time that you've started working with me, I've been even happier than I thought that I could ever be. "
You were simply teaming with joy. "I'm so glad to hear that..!" you responded, a broad smile on your face. "I just wasn't sure that you felt the same way that I did, and I didn't want to scare you by telling you how much you meant to me... you make me happy too, you know that? I'm so lucky to be able to work with you, by your side."
"...will you stay here then? With me?" Lucius began picking at his slice of lempi with a fork.
"Only if it makes you happy."
He laughed lightly. "You have no idea just how happy that would make me." With that said, you shared the lempi, and, according to tradition, your futures were intertwined.
When your picnic was over, you packed up everything, ready to head back to the orphanage.
As you walked along the trail, Lucius touched your shoulder as he so often did. You turned around to see what he wanted, but you were caught in his gaze. He was as beautiful as he had always been, but there was something different about him -- he seemed happy, truly happy.
Without another word, he leaned in, letting his lips brush against yours in an innocent and affectionate kiss. "Thank you for showing me happiness, _____," he whispered against your lips. "...I love you." The last part was added nervously.
And how did you respond? You kissed him again. "I love you too."