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Happier Ever After

"I think Dion and Terence would make wonderful fathers and in an ideal world they’d be incredibly lucky to have someone as endlessly kind and resourceful as Medicine Girl (Kihel) as their daughter!" —Stewart Clarke (GameRant Interview)

Summary: Five of Kihel Lesage’s fondest memories of her parents, and one more she wasn’t awake for.

Final Fantasy XVI | 4.5k words | Modern AU, Family | Complete Characters: Kihel (Medicine Girl), Dion Lesage, Terence Pairing: Dion/Terence (FlareKnight, TeDi, Teredio)

Kihel remembered picking a scab on her elbow after her grandmother’s death.

She got the wound while playing in the park, then hid it from everyone until the blood dried. It was pretty fun; it gave her something to do while the grown-ups were busy, and Nana wasn’t there to scold her.

But playtime ended and dinnertime passed, and Nana never came. Worried that maybe she was still doing house chores late at night, she asked Dion where her Nana was.

“Nana’s not coming back?”

“... No, Kihel. She’s not coming back.”

“Not even to get angry at my booboo?” She showed him the injury on her elbow, smudged with dried blood and dirt.

A tight hug and something wet dripping onto her shoulder. “No… I’m sorry.”

She was still picking the scab by the third day, when the three of them went out to church. There, Nana was sleeping inside a box while everyone prayed and sang. “Why is everyone wearing black today, Uncle Terence?”

Terence merely held her hand quietly. He had dark circles under his eyes like Dion. “They are saying goodbye to Nana… to Aunt Ethel today.”

They went back home after the church people took Nana away, and she started picking at her scab again. The wound bled after a few minutes and her elbow started to hurt. Dion and Terence immediately came to her room when they heard her cry.

“Nanaaa! It hurts!”

In hindsight, Kihel probably already realized it deep down in her heart, but just didn’t know it yet. Such was the mind of a child.

Dion and Terence both embraced her; it was the first time she saw grown-ups cry. Then Terence stood up and got medicine and a kitty band-aid from her dresser. “Can you bring up your arm like this?”

Terence quietly cleaned her wound and put the kitty band-aid over it. Then Dion asked her a question. “Kihel, I… Do you… want to stay here?… With us?”

He sounded strange when he said that. Stay with them? She never lived with anyone but Nana before, but they said Nana wasn’t coming back. She didn’t know anyone else. “I will live... with Uncle Dion and Uncle Terence?”

Dion’s eyes were shiny and sad when she asked him that, but he was trying his best to smile. “Yes, Kihel.” He sounded braver now. “With us. Do you want to?”

Nana wasn’t coming back. And Kihel didn’t know anyone else. “... I want to.”

Dion hugged her again, Terence did the same. And she felt happy.

After that, Kihel stayed with a lady called Tarja for a few days while Dion and Terence went out to do important stuff. “We will come back, we promise.”

“Okay, Uncle Dion, Uncle Terence.”

Those three days couldn’t have passed quickly enough. Tarja was very nice and cooked delicious food, but Kihel missed Dion and Terence. All she could remember was not letting Tarja remove her kitty band-aid from her elbow.

When the three of them went home again, Kihel saw her new room: it was light pink and blue and green, with a soft bed and toys and books. Her clothes from her and Nana’s old home were in the closet, and there were new dresses, too. “Do you like it?” Terence asked.

Kihel looked up to Terence’s face; there were smudges of pink and green paint on his cheek. There were also small paint marks on Dion’s fingers. She giggled. “Yes, I like it!”

They hugged her again, one after the other. “We’re so happy! Welcome home, Kihel.”

She let go of her elbow with the kitty band-aid and hugged them back. “I’m home!”

Art classes started as early as first grade, and their teacher asked them to draw their families for their first project.

Kihel wasn’t an exceptional artist—even now, she never held such delusions, but she liked to believe she’d become better since then. But she wasn’t thinking of such things at that time, and only wanted to talk about her family.

She was still working on her drawing after dinnertime, scribbling away in the living room while Dion washed the dishes. Terence will be back home from work soon, and she hoped to show them her finished project before they went to bed.

In the end, Terence came home later than expected, so Dion had to tuck her to bed so she wouldn’t wake up late for school the next morning. Her drawing remained on her desk so they’d see it in the morning when they came to wake her up.

Terence drove Kihel to school the next morning. He was smiling the whole time. “Have fun today, Kihel,” he sent her off with a gentle pat on the head. Kihel dodged it, giggling at how his fingers tickled her scalp.

She couldn’t wait to show her uncles her drawing at dinner tonight. It’s okay even if it’s late.

In art class, each student came to the front to present their drawing. When it was her turn, Kihel proudly stood up and showed hers to everyone. “This is my family. I’m in the middle. On the left is Uncle Dion, and on the right is Uncle Terence. They are very, very kind.

“My uncles always came to play whenever Nana had to go to work. I also stayed at their house whenever Nana went to the doctor. Then Nana died last year, and I now live with my uncles. This is our happy family picture. Thank you.”

Kihel was beaming when she finished, but no one clapped for her.

Marcus stood up and pointed at her picture. “Where’s your mommy and daddy?”

She didn’t know the answer to that. Was Nana mommy? What about daddy - was it Uncle Dion or Uncle Terence? Kihel was very confused, and her cheeks were red and puffy. “I… I…”

Then suddenly, Mr. Rosfield clapped his hands. Was he crying? Her other classmates started clapping, too. It was only then that Kihel began to cry for real.

At the end of art class, Mr. Rosfield said something that would stay with her for many years: “Remember, class: there are many kinds of families. Not everyone has a mommy or daddy or Nana or aunt or uncle, but everyone has someone who loves them.”

Kihel was the last to leave school that day. Mr. Rosfield sat quietly with her at the steps of the building. She was still holding onto her drawing.

Terence’s car pulled into the driveway a few minutes later, and both her uncles quickly came out of the car. “Kihel! Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yes, Uncle Dion, Uncle Terence.”

Mr. Rosfield immediately stood up and greeted her uncles. “Flare, Knight. Good to see you both again.” They hugged each other briefly before Mr. Rosfield beckoned Kihel to come closer. “It’s time to go home?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s time to go home.” Kihel held Terence’s outstretched hand as they walked back to the car. Dion stayed a little longer to talk to Mr. Rosfield. “Thank you, Phoenix. I… We owe you one.”

“It’s nothing. Kihel is my student; I only did what any teacher would do.” Mr. Rosfield firmly pat Dion’s shoulder. “Go on, they’re waiting for you.”

The drive home was quiet even though the three of them were in the car. Maybe her uncles were tired from work, but Dion definitely didn’t show it. He sat in the back with her instead of the seat beside Uncle Terence, and held her hand while looking out the window.

Why were they sad, Kihel wondered. Would her drawing make them smile again?

Terence and Dion were still preparing dinner when Kihel finished her bath. She swallowed the ball of air in her mouth, holding her drawing in her hands.

She will show it to them, Kihel decided. She will make them smile.

Dion stopped setting the plates when he heard Kihel’s footsteps approach. Terence was also watching her closely. It felt like art class again, except Mr. Rosfield wasn’t there to clap for her.

She breathed in deeply. “Um, can I show you my drawing?”

Dion’s face softened as he knelt before her. Terence did the same. “Yes, my dear. Can we see it?”

Kihel brightened at once, bringing up her family picture. She repeated the same speech she made during art class, growing more and more confident with each statement. She remembered Mr. Rosfield’s words, and the pat he gave Dion before they went home.

‘Everyone has someone who loves them.’ Kihel stopped short before the last part. “Then… Then Nana died, and…”

Terence looked alarmed and reached out to her, but Dion held his hand to stop him. He became quiet once more. Kihel found her voice again.

“And… I now live with my new dads. This is our happy family picture.” She smiled at the end. This time she knew she was crying properly.

Dion reached out to hug her first. He was crying, too. Terence embraced both of them at once. They stayed like that for a very long time.

“Thank you for your picture,” Dion said softly. “We love you, always.”

Kihel sniffled happily. “I love you both, too.”

They ate dinner late that night, and she had ice cream before bedtime. For the first time, Kihel knew for sure that she was home, and she was loved.

Growing up, Kihel wouldn’t really describe herself as a problem child. Her parents pretty much agreed with her on that in general, having never been called in for low grades or not behaving in school. She was generally a good student for the most part all throughout grade school and middle school.

It wasn’t to say she and her dads never had any disagreements through the years. Kihel was growing and learning, so she was bound to develop her own opinions and ideas that may or may not clash with those around her. It was a normal part of life.

Of all the times Kihel had fought with her parents, prom night during senior year of high school was probably the worst one to date, to her at least.

Someone—Marcus, if she recalled correctly—sneaked alcohol into the school gymnasium. How he easily got past security with that unusually heavy bag was a puzzlement, but it made everyone excited nonetheless. There was a happy sort of buzzing energy all around, as the bottles were secretly passed around among the students, each one taking a curious sip then giggling to their friends after. For some, it was probably their first taste of alcohol, and thus a celebration of small wins that seemed big to them at that time.

Kihel blanched when a half-empty bottle was suddenly shoved into her hands. “Your turn, Lesage.”

She quickly glanced around, looking for some form of protest or escape. “Be careful, Kihel,” Terence had warned her earlier before dropping her off at school, and she had dismissed it easily, self assured that her parents were being worrywarts, as usual.

As it turned out, they had legitimate cause to be concerned, after all, and Kihel was this close to making it real as her hand trembled around the bottle she held, and her classmates cheered her name louder and louder. It was like a repeat of art class in first grade again, but worse.

No, Kihel thought defiantly. She was better than that. Her dads raised her well, and she was going to make them proud of her.

“I’m not drinking,” she firmly refused, handing back the bottle to the one standing next to her. “We shouldn’t be. It was in the rules.”

“Don’t be a spoilsport, Lesage,” Marcus’ friend jeered at her, the condescending tone he used making her want to claw at something in irritation. “Whose rules, the teachers’? They’re not even here!” Everyone laughed.

They actually were, Kihel thought darkly, but probably were too afraid to break up the growing disturbance like the old cowards they were. Her grade school teachers were better. Her dads—

“Or was it your dads who told you ‘no’?” Marcus chimed in. “You poor goody-two-shoes, acting all that just to make up for not having real pare—”

Kihel didn’t let him finish that sentence.

Everything else after was a blur, but she remembered her arms hurting all over, and her knuckles and fingernails burning. By the time she regained her senses, she felt weak and limp in the arms of a couple of friends who seemed to have been holding her back the whole time.

In the end, both she and Marcus were punished with a week-long suspension each. As much as her homeroom teacher fervently took her side, she couldn’t defend a student’s blatant display of violence in campus before the disciplinary committee, no matter what the circumstances that led to it. That said, the committee at least gave Kihel credit for speaking out against the rulebreakers, as well as for standing up to the slander against her parents.

“She’s a brave child, but she’s still young,” one teacher told her parents when they came to pick her up after the punishment was decided. “I believe that with time and enough guidance, she’ll be able to temper that energy and channel it to where it’s needed the most.”

The ride home was eerily quiet. Kihel was still sullen when they finally pulled into their driveway, refusing to get out of the car even after Dion had left. “I’m not sorry.”

Terence said nothing, his glance lingering briefly at her through the rearview mirror before following Dion into the house. It was a whole different kind of fight, one she was very unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. She couldn’t reason or argue or scream her way out, lest she drowns in the ringing silence and the pain that spread from her gut down to the very ends of her fingers and toes.

She didn’t know how she ended up in her room after that, but Dion was asleep at her bedside when she woke up. Terence was just opening the door with a tray of food in his hands when he yelped in joy in her direction. He immediately set the tray down on her desk and crushed her in a tight hug.

“Don’t make us worry like that again,” he voice broke as he scolded her, warm hands balling into fists as he shuddered. Oh, it’s like when Nana died all over again.

The commotion had awoken Dion, and he cleared his throat to get their attention. “Terence couldn’t sleep for the past two nights, you know,” he said to her nonchalantly, but couldn’t betray the similar emotion that filled his voice. Her dads would probably be fighting over who was more worried in more lighthearted times, but such thoughts were not suited at all for tonight.

It was the first time in a while since Kihel properly observed her parents’ faces up close, and she could see how much raising a family had aged them so. They were actually still young, having only been in their mid-twenties when they adopted her. They were still growing, too, Kihel realized, but they couldn’t show her their weaknesses—simply because they were her parents.

But they were also people, weren’t they? Everyone made mistakes. What was so strange about that?

Kihel shuddered in Terence’s arms, releasing the breath she didn’t know she held in until now. Why did their most important memories make them cry every time?

“This is so stupid,” Kihel whined after telling them as much, and the three of them laughed softly, having reached an unspoken understanding of sorts. They’ll weather through it somehow, together.

“I can’t do this.”

“You can, love. This is the last one.”

Kihel merely laughed from the sidelines as she watched Terence coax Dion into rehearsing his speech one more time. It had become like a comedy routine of theirs for the past month now, amid the rest of the wedding preparations they had to take care of. The great Dion Lesage getting stage fright was simply unthinkable.

The invitation from the Lesage family had been an unexpected but nonetheless welcome surprise. Dion had merely dropped the envelope in shock as he and Terence exchanged confused looks. “I thought you’ve been disowned?”

“Apparently not,” Dion muttered. Kihel picked up the fallen paper to read its contents. “... requesting the honor of your presence at the wedding of Anne-Marie Dubois and Olivier Lesage… Your brother wants you as his best man, Dad?”

“No one else probably wanted to do it,” Terence sighed, waving his hand. The Lesages were probably getting desperate, if they were going so far as to contact a family member they’d previously cut off, so they could keep up appearances. “What will you do, Dion?”

Kihel could tell how much of a tight spot this had put Dion in, if the way his eyebrows deeply furrowed was of any indication. If she could have her way, she’d summarily decline the invitation and any future attempts of the Lesage family to contact her dad, but she’d learned to control herself and pick her battles ever since high school. It was still hard, though, especially when family was concerned.

In the end, familial ties had won out and Dion responded ‘yes’ to the invitation. He believed this a good opportunity to reconnect at the very least, despite having nonexistent fraternal feelings for the groom. He and Olivier’s mother, Annabella, have always had a frosty relationship at best, with frequent bouts of aggression from his stepmother’s end. How Dion could even think of being cordial with her confounded both Terence and Kihel, but they respected his wishes all the same.

Another thing that probably helped the situation was the same Annabella apparently being the biological mother of Mr. Rosfield, her art teacher from grade school. Kihel had been genuinely surprised upon finding out that Dion and Mr. Rosfield were even related at all, but in hindsight, that probably explained why they were such good friends since she was a child.

Mr. Rosfield had called earlier to say that he and his brother were also attending the wedding, as a sign of goodwill towards their estranged mother. At least Dion will have someone he trusts with him there, since she and Terence weren’t invited. A shame, though, since she’d only gotten to meet Mr. Rosfield a handful of times since graduating from grade school.

Terence was still coaching Dion when Kihel broke out of her reverie. Looking at the way they lightly teased each other like this, it seemed like the two of them were practicing their vows for their own wedding instead. They never got to officially tie the knot, however, because raising Kihel had taken priority at that time, until all notions of holding a wedding had fallen to the wayside over time.

Yet they still endured together all the same, through all those years. Seeing her dads wear their engagement rings as she grew up left a deep impression on her, kindling in her so much warmth and a desire to someday find the one she would spend the rest of her life with.

What a sorry bunch of romantics they were, but Kihel wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Did you say something, Kihel?”

Whoops. “Just talking to myself.” Kihel smiled. “I’ll go back to studying now. Good night, dads.”

“Good night,” her parents said in unison. They’ll probably bring out the wine now that she’s gone and end up sleeping together on the couch until the next morning, but no matter. It was her turn to make breakfast tomorrow anyway.

“Cheers! ”

The shuttering of multiple cameras accompanied the clinking of champagne flutes as the group toasted to Kihel, who was grinning as she downed her own glass. It wasn’t everyday that she graduated from college, and she was going to savor every bit of triumph after years of hard work.

Kihel had initially wanted to pursue a business-related degree to follow in Dion’s footsteps, but something had been pulling her to go into Pharmacy instead. Meeting Tarja again after many years at a volunteering activity had sealed the deal, when her heart was moved by all the people who needed help. It vaguely reminded her of a far-away memory she couldn’t quite place, but she decided not to think deeply into it.

“So, what’s next for you, Kihel?” Mr. Rosfield—Joshua—asked her. It felt strange to be calling her former teacher by his first name after all this time, but Joshua’s older brother Clive and his wife Jill were also present tonight, and it would definitely be confusing to tell who she was referring to at any given moment.

“Probably a community-based clinic for now? It’s where all the patients are,” Kihel mused. “I don’t think I’ll do med school. My parents are not getting any younger, and I’d like to spend as much time as I can at home.”

Dion’s outraged “We’re not that old yet!” and Terence’s protesting “Couldn’t you just say you missed us?!” both came out at the same time, which had the whole table laughing again. Kihel’s laugh was the loudest of them all, even as her ears were a vivid shade of red, and not just from the alcohol. She did miss her parents a lot; college was the first time she’d been away for so long. But she wasn’t going to say that outright until all their guests left.

As the small party finally wound down, Joshua discreetly called Kihel’s attention. “It’s happening tonight,” he told her knowingly, looking fondly towards the kitchen, where her parents were busy cleaning up.

Kihel smothered a squeak with her palm. “Oh! Finally! Dad Dion told you?”

“Yesterday, through text. But I imagine you’ve also noticed some things here and there over the past weeks, haven’t you?”

She actually had, a little, but didn’t want to presume. Maybe they’d just been waiting for her to finish with school before pushing through with their wedding plans. Terence had even hinted at it during one of their regular calls in her last semester. Still, Kihel was quite excited at the prospect of her parents finally officially getting married after more than twenty years.

Back in the kitchen, Terence passed a cleaned dish to Dion, who dried it with a worn dishcloth. Their fingers briefly touched and lingered for the longest few seconds only two people who loved each other would know, and shared the most beautiful, intimate smiles they reserved only for when they were alone together. Kihel put a hand over her heart at this sight, trying not to cry, lest she give away the fact that she already knew.

Joshua patted her shoulder encouragingly. “Everyone’s happy and excited for them. Those two more than deserve it, really.” And maybe there was something in Joshua’s voice that made her think he knew more than he let on, but she was probably just imagining it. “Thank you for being with them, Kihel.”

Oh, no. Why did she have to cry now? Every. Single. Time!

“Phoenix! ” Her dads hollered in unison at Joshua, who was soothingly rubbing her back as she sniffled back her tears. “How dare you make our daughter cry!”

Joshua merely shrugged, not even defending himself. Clive and Jill were both watching with amusement. And just like that, Kihel began to laugh again, albeit in small hiccups this time. “I’m alright, dads. Joshua and I were just catching up.”

“Hmm, if you say so.” Dion looked over Kihel one more time, then briefly sent Joshua a threatening glare before returning to the kitchen. Terence gently smoothed over her hair before kissing the top of her head, to which she looked up and beamed.

Everyone had someone who loved them and whom they loved with all their heart. This, Kihel realized over time, was what family meant. There were many kinds of families out there, and this was hers, where she was home and she was loved.

(+1)

By the time their guests left, Kihel had already fallen asleep, curled up on the couch. It had been a long, busy day, from the graduation ceremony in the morning to their small dinner party that lasted until shortly before midnight. No wonder the lady of the hour was beyond exhausted at the end of it all.

Dion spread a blanket over his daughter, remembering the many times he’d done so over the years: first as her babysitter when Ethel was still alive, then later as her father. At the same time, he was probably the stricter parent between him and Terence, who was overall gentler and indulged her more as she grew up.

He felt a pair of arms snake around his waist, pulling him back to rest on a broad chest. Dion relaxed into Terence’s embrace, turning his head slightly to meet his lover’s lips in a slow kiss. Moments like these were always precious to them even after all these years, when they could just enjoy the peace and quiet and each other.

The past twenty years since Kihel came into their lives have been a whirlwind in more ways than one. Suddenly becoming parents at a young age certainly wasn’t in their plans when they were first building their lives together, but Dion could not be more grateful that it all ended up the way it did, and he was sure Terence felt the same way. “It all went by so fast, didn’t it?”

“I wish it didn’t, actually. It feels like such a waste when you say it that way.” Terence rested his head into the crook of Dion’s neck, the arms around his waist tightening as they gently swayed to the chirping of cicadas outside. “So many things happened. I want to cherish them all, savor each moment to the fullest.

“We’ve changed so much since then. When I look back, I’m surprised at how far we’ve come. But we’ve done it, haven’t we?”

Even as Terence voiced his question, he carried himself with so much more conviction now. It wasn’t to say that they had no moments of weakness or doubt, but time and experience have made them into who they’ve become today—hopefully better people than before, and better fathers to Kihel.

“We have, indeed.” They looked upon their sleeping daughter once more with so much love, more than their hearts combined could ever contain. “And I love the people we’ve become, more than anything.”

Dion knelt beside the couch, Terence beside him. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind Kihel’s ear, tears filling his eyes. “With each passing day, I could only love more and more. How lucky I am to have been born in this life. To have a family. A daughter to cherish.” He turned to face Terence. “A husband to spend forever with.”

Terence chuckled at that, gently bumping his forehead against Dion’s while threading their fingers together. “You’ve been saying that for twenty years now, love. I bet Aunt Ethel’s already rolling in her grave in frustration because of how slow you are.”

“Oh, she’d understand. Would you rather she haunted us instead if something had happened to Kihel?”

“Point taken.” Terence relaxed once more before catching Dion’s lips in another kiss. “When do we start planning our wedding?”

“Tomorrow.” Dion answered, certain. “After we tell Kihel.”

#final fantasy xvi #kihel #dion lesage #sir terence #modern AU #family feels #flareknight #tedi #teredio #dion x terence

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