Tags: Rune Factory, Felicity / Raguna, pining, dancing, Rune Factory Secret Santa 2022
Ever since Raguna helped lift the curse that had been afflicting her, Felicity has been trying to think of a way to thank him. After much deliberation and a little encouragement from Lara, she’s finally ready to give him his gift.
My secret santa gift to runefactorynonsense on Tumblr. It was so nice to see another fan of the early games. They said RagunaXFelicity was their OTP, so I wanted to do something super cute with them.
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Around that time the following week, Felicity found herself standing in that exact same spot by the benches as the excitement of the Harvest Festival whirled around her. The past week had vanished in a blink as she waited for the perfect moment to give Raguna his gift, so much so that it felt as though she had never left the plaza.
’There’s no need to be nervous.’ She repeated Lara’s words over and over again in her head, trying to convince herself to believe them. ’He’s going to love it.’
“Hi Felicity.”
“Eek!” Startling at the sound of her own name, Felicity whirled around to see exactly the man she had been waiting for. “Oh! Hi Raguna! Lovely to see you here!” Every nervous word came out louder than intended, but Raguna took it in stride.
“Here you go.” From his pack, the farmer pulled the glossiest, plumpest eggplant Felicity had ever seen. For the briefest moment, she even forgot her nervousness as she accepted the fruit and marveled at its dark purple sheen. “I bet it’ll taste great as eggplant curd.”
“Oh, thank you, Raguna! I absolutely love it. I’ll be sure to cook it with the utmost care.” Sipping the gift into her bag, it finally hit Felicity that it was now time to give Raguna his own present. Her cheeks burned as her shyness crept back in. “I, um… I have something to give you too. Only, it isn’t a crop.”
“Oh?”
“Ha ha. Are you disappointed? I’m sorry. I know it isn’t in the spirit of the festival.”
“No, that’s all right. I’m happy to get any present from you.”
Felicity felt as though she were about to pass out. The only thing keeping her on her feet was the thought of yet another of Lara’s lectures. The nurse had given her blessing to Felicity’s plan; the last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself and betray her friend’s trust.
“You see, ever since you helped me with my illness, I’ve wanted to thank you in some way. But it’s taken me a while to come up with something. At first, I was still too weak to do much. And then, once I was feeling better, I realized I wanted it to be something special, considering all you had done for me.“ With perfectly fortuitous timing, the music coming through the plaza’s humble radio speakers faded out, and a new song began in its place. It was a waltz. “So, if it’s all right with you, would you do me the honor of letting me give you this dance?”
With a wide, joyful smile, Raguna took her offered hand, and the two stepped out into the middle of the plaza. After exchanging a bow and a curtsy, the pair began to turn and sway to the rhythm. As they danced, Felicity felt like she was walking on air.
When she had been allowed to move to the second stage of physical therapy, Lara had not only suggested they start taking walks together to build up her stamina; she had also taught Felicity a few simple dance moves that she could practice at home to keep her therapy fun and lighthearted. Of course, being the go-getter she was, Felicity had thrown herself wholeheartedly into it. She had waltzed around her room countless times since then, imagining Raguna’s hand in hers, the other resting gently upon her hip as he would guide her. Her father had joked that she had suddenly developed a taste for fine music, as she had begun playing the single record Ivan had managed to procure for her on short notice over and over again to accompany her practice.
Now, she didn’t have to imagine what dancing together with her crush would be like; somehow, that dream had become a reality.
“I’m so glad you’re feeling better.” Raguna beamed at her, a light pink flush spreading across his cheeks. “It’s good to see you smile. You look like you’re having the time of your life.”
“It’s all thanks to you.” Felicity wasn’t sure whether she wanted to burrow into her cardigan and disappear out of embarrassment or gaze at Raguna’s smiling face forever. But the one thing she was certain of was that she didn’t want this moment to end. “And um, maybe we can dance like this again if you like, now that I have my energy back. At the next festival maybe?”
“I’d love to. Though, we don’t need to wait for a reason.”
“Huh?”
“Whenever you want to dance again, just let me know.”
Felicity’s heart skipped a beat. Anytime in the past year, the feeling that her heart might stop would have sent her rushing into the clinic for a check-up, but at that moment, she knew it was nothing to fear but rather something wonderful. It was nice to be able to take life’s small moments in stride again. That, perhaps more than anything - more than being able to enjoy her walks with Lara, more than being able to dance with Raguna, more than having the energy and strength to devote to the town again - was proof that she was well on her way.