Faith - Kain Highwind x Reader (FFIV)

X. The joy of being together

It has only been one day since you had departed from Cerinn, where the monks gratefully had offered you back packs with a lot of food rations inside as a gift for the rest of the journey. You happily walked alongside Kain, faintly humming to yourself, enjoying the sun shining down onto you. Despite the matter at hand, you could not help but bask in his presence each second you got the chance to do so. No matter if you two simply were silent or sometimes talked for a short time, every moment beside the Dragoon was like a blessing to you. Usually you were the one to give out such things, however, being at the receiving end for once actually was quite pleasant.

Seeing how you were getting closer to Ternes, your next goal, you reminded yourself to wake up from daydreaming before starting your job. Of course the situation was dire, yet you didn't believe it was wrong to not even enjoy a single moment. Furthermore, it was the positive moments in life that led you to keep going. Your (E/C) eyes scanned the environment, as you spotted a forest to your left, somehow recalling the first time you had met Kain, which was not even that long ago. Snickering to yourself, you caused the man next to you to glance over at you, while steadily walking down your path.

Shaking your head with a gracious smile, you focused on the horizon in front of you again. "You see, the moment we two first met just came to my mind. It's funny, thinking back makes it seem like an eternity has passed, however, it actually wasn't that long ago." Kain hummed in agreement, as if evoking the picture of said scene inside his head once more. You did the same, remembering the group of men that had kidnapped you in order to sell you. Honestly, now that you thought about it, you had been extremely lucky to have someone like Kain rescue you. "You know, I am sincerely glad that it was you finding me back then. I know there are many more people in this world who would want to make use of me in horrible ways. Nevertheless, I am truly grateful to have met somebody like you through all of this."

Your words were embedded in the warmth you were feeling, just speaking to the man you had come to develop deep feelings for. Sometimes, you wondered whether it was all right to feel this way. After all, when you had accepted your job, forced or not, you had promised your body to belong to the very task of purifying the evil of this world. In other words, that meant for you to always prioritize being a Holy Priestess. Although you were still incredibly loyal to your destiny, you had discovered something beside your work that you equally treasured. Someone who you wished to accompany for much longer than what was supposed to happen. It was frustrating to ponder about, because in your heart you very well knew that you couldn't simply give up on either of them. Was it even possible to live, giving your heart away to someone else and your body to your profession?

You knitted your brows, deep in thought. Suddenly, Kain's chesty but utterly soft voice echoed through your ears. "I can only direct the same at you. You helped me a lot too, despite us not having spent a large amount of time together. I am... Looking forward to the rest of the journey with you." Those sentences made your heart pound much louder in your chest, while setting your body on fire. Words, just as sweet as honey, were coaxing you into wanting to just jump into his arms. However, two things strictly held you back. First of all, the whole issue with your job and whether it truly was acceptable this way. Secondly, you knew you couldn't disregard Kain's feelings. He had gone through so much and since you didn't know what he felt towards you, it would have been wrong to force yourself onto him that way. Gulping, you pushed the urge to stupidly follow nothing but your desires back. There was a line and you knew better than to overstep it. It was being careful, nothing else.

Sooner than expected, it had turned dark and you unconsciously stared up at the sky. "I believe we should stop for today and look for a place to rest. Are you fine with that?" Kain asked you, facing you without averting his gaze. You blinked a few times, starting to grin to yourself. "Of course." You replied, while starting to look around. The current scenario reminded you of the first night during your travels with the Dragoon. Back then, you had been tired but refused to simply rest, in order to keep going with your mission. However, Kain had immediately been able to see through your ruse of not being exhausted, offering you to pause the wandering. Now, he had been the one to suggest the same thing again.

As you spotted a good place in between a few trees with enough distance to light a small fire, you mentioned, "You are rather skilled at interpreting my behavior, are you not? Somehow, I feel like you can see right through me." The smile on your face never left, whereas Kain answered, "I assume that is one way to put it. Perhaps it is because, just like me, you usually keep your feelings to yourself. At least the negative ones. We might be more alike than you expect." It sounded as if he was smiling to himself too, which made you twirl around to attempt to catch his exceptional expression. How lucky you were to actually spot his gorgeous grin! How much could this man actually get to your head? It was utterly frustrating but wonderful at the same time.

. . .

After you had prepared everything for the night, you sat in front of the fire, taking in its warmth, since it had been quite cold once the sun had set. Kain was silently resting beside you, leaning against another tree trunk. Your (H/L) (H/C) colored hair was softly blown up by the wind, as you felt it caressing your cheeks at the same time. However, it didn't bother you in the slightest. Every aspect of this moment was perfect to you. "Say, Kain have you always traveled alone before we met? You seem like the person to do that." You whispered into the dark night, your gaze still resting on the burning wood in front of you.

You heard the Dragoon shifting, in order to sit more comfortably. "Well, before the whole crisis back in Baron, I did move around a lot with my friends. Especially together with Cecil when we were on missions. It was really nice how simple everything was back then." Nostalgia dripped from his voice, slightly intermingling with the sadness he was feeling. Being aware of how difficult the prior time had been for Kain, you tried to focus the conversation on something else. "You know, I have been alone on my journeys for as long as I can remember. We Holy Priestesses are taught to not rely too much on others, as we are the ones chosen to save the world." The sarcasm in your voice was very evident, unsurprisingly though. "I never expected myself to have the whole world be dependent on my abilities. Even though I pose an important role at the moment, there are so many other strong people out there. I feel like humans simply like to think that we divine beings are the only ones who can bring fortune. It's ridiculous to be honest. Someone like you Kain, possesses at least the same amount of strength as I do, if not more! Holy people are not the only heroes here."

Once more Kain paused for a minute before he replied, "I would be lying if I said I wasn't proud of my profession and power. I agree with you that there are different kinds of strength and that so many people have the chance to change something. Even someone like me, who has betrayed those dear to him. I had someone offer me a hand, which was incredibly helpful. If we offer others the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, they can make a much greater difference." Your heart was warmed by these words, as you wholeheartedly acknowledged what he meant.

"Well, you offered me a hand too. Not only literally after you had saved me from those men, however, you also enabled me to experience something completely new as well," you admitted, returning his gaze with a gentle smile, "Thanks to you I was able to find out how great it is to not always be alone. Having a traveling companion is so comforting and extremely fun. For those memories we have made together, I am eternally grateful to you Kain." The Dragoon appeared to be slightly surprised by your words but after regathering himself, he sneakily replied, "That means you owe me something then."

Confused, you raised an eyebrow but then you quickly caught onto his behavior. "Oh stop, won't you?" You had to laugh, realizing he had been sarcastic. That was another thing you had learned over the course of time you had spent together. When Kain seemed to feel comfortable around someone, he opened himself more, even showing his playful side. It was endearing to witness at firsthand. Shaking his head with a weak smile, he then genuinely corrected himself. "Of course, you don't owe me anything. I assume you could say we are even then. That is something we can agree on, right?" Satisfied, you nodded before turning to look at the fire again. Soon, it was time to actually go to sleep, you thought to yourself. However, another day in his company awaited you. Naturally, your mission was on top of that.