Title: life, living
Rating: G
Fandom: Odin Sphere
Relationship: Gwendolyn/Oswald
Wordcount: 1414
Short summary: Gwendolyn and Oswald live, after the world has ended and reborn.
Has it been two weeks, two months, two years? No matter how long it’s been, when Gwendolyn goes outside, she sometimes thinks of that unforgettable day. The day that ended one “world” and began another. The despair she felt as she closed her eyes to the hope she felt as she watched a field of green spread before her eyes, switched at an instant. Today is one such day of remembering while she gathers fruits from the trees. She has no wings and no Psypher, but she has a long enough stick to reach up and bring things down. Life is much different now, but not just in the daily activities. Perspectives on life changed quite a bit when the world did. Each day she and Oswald live rather simply. But she lives, not only for herself, not only for Oswald… For all those she has lost, for all those who may come…
She makes the walk back while the sun is halfway down and drops off today’s haul onto the table, one that shakes a little, despite Oswald’s efforts to fix it. It makes do for now, though. They haven’t traveled back to their old castle, but such a place would be too much for the two of them anyway. This cottage is more than enough for now, feels enough like a home. Speaking of which, Oswald isn’t home once again. She suspects he’s at that place, once more.
It’s not that she’s worried about him per se. It’s just that she wishes to see him, to be with him. So she goes outside again. To seek him.
*****
“Oswald. I think you should stop.”
It’s a bit awkward to clear her throat and catch her husband’s attention, but Gwendolyn has been watching Oswald for some time, or rather a few different times for short moments each, and thinks she knows what is really going on with him. Because even if she no longer fights as a warrior, she wouldn’t have been a good Valkyrie if she didn’t notice her husband sneaking off to somewhere nearby to tend plants over the past two weeks. Although the fact that he’s continued to water said plants even though the ground seems wet already suggests...
“Gwendolyn?” Oswald spins around to face Gwendolyn immediately, clearly surprised to see her. “What are you doing here?”
“I came back from my gathering trip.” Gwendolyn finds it funny how Oswald is trying to block her view of his tiny garden with his body. She smiles. “I was thinking of making dinner soon, but you weren’t at home.”
“Ah. I’m sorry about that.” Oswald scratches the back of his head. “Were you waiting long?”
“No, not particularly.” Gwendolyn shakes her head. “But it’s okay. I don’t know what you’ve planted so it’ll still be a surprise to me.”
She watches Oswald’s posture slump. “I guess I couldn’t hide it after all.” Oswald sighs. “But why should I stop?”
“I think you’re overwatering them. The ground is too soft here.”
Gwendolyn wouldn’t consider herself an expert about growing plants, when her role in her life before was that of a warrior, of a Valkyrie. Her limited experience came from using her Psypher to feed plants the photons they desired directly, which isn’t a possibility in this current situation. But Gwendolyn remembers some things Myris would say as she took care of the castle, making it a home if only for a short period of Gwendolyn’s life. That every living thing, human or Pooka, giant tree or tiny flower, has its own likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.
“Hmm. I will trust your judgment, Gwendolyn.” He laughs sheepishly. “Perhaps I wanted them to grow a little faster, but…”
She catches the look in his eyes before he averts them. He’s thinking back to that time, perhaps. Before Gwendolyn understood or accepted love. When they both made assumptions and she hurt him, badly, before she learned, and he learned, and they came to an understanding.
“You really want to grow something,” she says simply.
“Yes.” Oswald turns back to look at his plants. “I’ve spent so much of my life killing. I want to make something live instead.”
“I understand.” Gwendolyn too has killed many things in her life: people, animals, beasts. Of course she doesn’t think her decisions of her past were all wrong, knowing what she knew, believing what she did. But she too has developed some distaste for killing now that there is not honor or love to kill for. Instead she too wants to live, for a long time, for as long as she is allowed to by Oswald’s side.
She embraces Oswald from behind, wrapping her arms around him, leaning her head against his back. “But sometimes things take time. And sometimes things will happen and you just have to try again.”
There are other things they have been trying to bring new life. When the sun goes down and the stars light up the sky instead and they reach for each other in the cocoon of their bed… But it’s still different when life is brought entirely by one’s own guidance and care.
“Of course.” Oswald turns back around again to look at Gwendolyn, his hands going to cup her face. “But I would like to bring you flowers someday.”
So he is trying to grow flowers, Gwendolyn thinks to herself as she leans up a little and accepts Oswald’s kiss. There are plenty of flowers growing around them in the wild, but it is very like Oswald to think about his gestures overly much. She wonders what colors these flowers will be. White like snow? Red like blood? Blue like her dress? Pink like the blush of one’s cheeks?
Of course he knows she’ll love anything that he gifts her, right? She presses a light second kiss to his lips before breaking their embrace.
“I will look forward to that day, and many more.” She smiles. “But for now, let’s go home.”
They walk back to their small abode hand in hand. They make dinner together and Gwendolyn doesn’t burn the sauce this time. They laugh when they tumble together afterwards, in a way they never would have in a previous time, when they were wary and afraid and unknowing that true happiness comes from mutual happiness. And they fall asleep with no nightmares, for the second night in a row.
A few weeks later, Gwendolyn receives a bundle of flowers of all different colors: whites and pinks, yellows and blues. And that night, when she lies down next to Oswald and begins to idly count the days, she has a feeling… That there’s also another life that is successfully blooming.
But Oswald is sleeping so peacefully so she’ll tell him about it tomorrow, she thinks, before closing her eyes and joining him.
*****
Years later, their home is a little bigger, a little warmer. Their home is a little louder, a little messier. Life has been a continual learning process for the both of them. Learning to live and not just survive. Truly appreciating the beauty of each life.
“Oswald, dear, please open the door, I can’t make it in inside with all these—”
“Of course, just give me a moment…”
The door opens just in time for Gwendolyn to dump a bag of onions into Oswald’s waiting arms. And perhaps she sort of dumped herself into his embrace as well. They manage to make their way to the table, the new one that doesn’t shake when everything Gwendolyn and Oswald is carrying falls onto it in an unceremonious mess. Including herself.
“Well, that’s quite a lot. The harvest was good?”
Gwendolyn laughs as she recatches her breath. “Due to your excellent work.”
Oswald chuckles. “I’m glad.” He pulls Gwendolyn up by the hand. “So…”
A shout interrupts anything else Oswald is about to say but Gwendolyn can tell it’s not too urgent. She gives Oswald the kiss he had been angling for, quickly, before breaking away.
“Later,” she says as she pushes him off. “I better take care of that.”
Oswald smiles. “Alright. I’ll get this all sorted in the meantime.”
Her life is not perfect, not one bit, Gwendolyn thinks as she crosses the room to where their daughter is crying from being bit by their cat. But it’s perfect enough, because she and Oswald made this life together.
And, she knows this now, better than ever. That’s all she has ever needed.