Work Text:
Lullaby - ‘a song to quiet someone or lull them to sleep; a soothing refrain’
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The chill of the late-night made Katsum shiver slightly as her simple cotton nightgown did little to protect from the cold, and she snuggled deeper into her knees and folded arms, tucking her tail under her legs as she kept her forlorn gaze on the frosted windows across from her. She could just see the faint falling snowflakes outside the glass, and she did her best to focus on them rather than the faint whisperings of her nightmares she’d just awoken from.
After the many battles and wars she’d been through, and the many troubles she’d seen and experienced, it was not at all uncommon for her to be plagued by night terrors. The most common ones were from the night of the attack on her island, the day for kingdom fell to Garlean invaders, the fires burning the homes of her people and the castle as the tallest towers of the building fell on itself, and the screams of terror as the magitek machines and soldiers advanced on the fleeing people. The second most common was the memories of the Ghimlyt Dark, the largest battlefield she’d ever stepped foot on so far. Usually those consisted of her fighting with Raihogg at her side, fighting through the Garleans both on the ground and in the air looking to find Aymeric amidst the chaos and ensure he was safe.
Tonight though…tonight she had been fighting eaters.
Those corrupted beasts that took the form of an angel and twisted anything beautiful about the word 'angelic’, creatures that preyed upon anything and everything for their life essence. The battle at the Ostall Imperative had been the bloodiest battle that she’d fought in, and its events had darkened her mind’s eye tonight and kept her from getting any rest. She’d been fighting through them, felling each one that charged at her and protecting the Crystarium soldiers that she could when one of the larger ones flew over slowly, seeming to call to her attention as she watched it descend on the battlefield. Her sapphire gaze followed its path across the land until it landed on the targets it appeared to be approaching, and her eyes widened as she launched forward, calling Raihogg with fear as she struggled to move fast enough. Her nightmare had manifested a group of Ishgardians, temple knights and their Lord Commander on the First, and while the injured knights were struggling to stand and protect the people behind them, Aymeric was standing protectively between them and the sin eater.
“Heavens, give me strength. Yet this knight shall not yield, monster!” She heard his voice cry out as the sin eater moved to strike and he prepared to stand against it, but Katsum knew he would not survive, none of them would. Her panic rose as her feet seemed to grow heavier and Raihogg did not answer her call, and she knew she would be too late.
Thankfully, Raihogg had awoken her from her nightmare, saving her from the horror with his mighty roar in her soul. She had been sitting at the end of the bed as she was now ever since, keeping quiet so as to not disturb her real husband from his slumber. She wasn’t sure how long it had been, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to sleep. The idea was so daunting that it made her chest hurt and her hands shake. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying not to cry.
“Katsum?” The sound of Aymeric’s deep voice startled her slightly as he shifted to sit up, the bed sheets sliding off his bare chest as he scooted closer to her and gently reached out to lay a hand on her back, “My sweet, are you well?”
She took a deep breath and turned her head slightly as she hid her face in her elbow, gazing at him sadly, “Nightmares.”
He nodded understandingly, a sad yet warm smile crossing his face, “Would you like to talk about it?” She shook her head, “Is there something I can do to help?”
Katsum thought for a moment before she shrugged, rather unsure if she was honest with herself. She briefly remembered a dream as horrifying as this one back when she was sick and Aymeric was caring for her, and remembered finally falling back into a better sleep while they were cuddling. Katsum set up slightly and reached out to him pitifully. She probably looked like a child with the way her ears were laid back on her head and tail tucked around her. Yet Aymeric paid it no mind as he smiled and leaned forward, scooping the miqo’te into his arms and pulling her back into the safety and warmth of the bed sheets again. He laid her down beside him and cuddled her into his side, intertwining their legs as he pulled the sheets up to her shoulder. She sighed happily at the warmth that not enveloped her body and nuzzled into his neck.
“Shall I sing for you, my love? Until you fall asleep again?” Katsum glanced up at him as he smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She realized she had never really heard him sing before. They had spoken for it before as she had sung for him before, and so she knew that he had had some form of lessons when he was learning to play the piano, but he had never “performed” for her yet. Now curiosity spoke for her as she nodded, snuggling close and comfortably as she looked up at him in wonder. The elezen chukled smoothly as he cleared his throat and began:
‘ A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth (Little baby, hear my voice)
Mise ri d' thaobh, Ó mhaighdean bhàn (I'm beside you, O maiden fair)
Ar rìbhinn òg, fàs a's faic (Our young Lady, grow and see)
Do thìr, dìleas fhéin (Your land, your own faithful land)’
Her ears lifted as the heavenly sound of his velvety voice, her heart and body melting into him as she sighed lovingly and hugged his arm. She knew the words very well. It was the lullaby her mother would sing to her as a child, a lullaby that Katsum hoped one day to sing to her own children as well. Yet to hear him sing it was something somehow even more beautiful that she ever imagined.
‘A ghrian a's a ghealach, stiùir sinn (Sun and moon, guide us)
Gu uair ar cliù 's ar glòir (To the hour of our glory and honour)
Naoidhean bhig, ar rìbhinn òg (Little baby, our young Lady)
Mhaighdean uasal bhàn (Noble maiden fair)’
With her ear pressed to his neck, she could hear all the vibrations of his vocal cords and it nearly lulled her back to sleep right then and there. He repeated the verses again as the song goes and she struggled to keep her eyes open, blinking furiously in the low light to stay awake.
“Sleep, my sweet Kat,” Aymeric murmured into her hair as he kissed her head again, “Sleep as I protect you from your night terrors. I will see you first thing in the morning.”
Katsum lost all will to fight at that and finally let her eyes close as he continued to sing softly, holding her close so that she snuggled into his neck gain and lulling her into a far more sweeter dream than the last.