#Sylvain x Byleth

[fe-fictions]

hi! do you still have that prompt where during dinner, sylvain tells his children that he once joked about killing byleth, and they’re horrified and run to protect their mother? it was so funny 😄

(The ginger army returns!!!)

Neither of you were sure how the conversation reached this particular point. But you were sitting at the dinner table, telling your children stories about your younger days at the monastery. You were talking with a calm reverence, regailing them with tales of your duties as a professor and Sylvain as your impossible student.

But then it shifted, and Sylvain mentioned made an off-hand comment about how suspicious of you he used to be. Thinking it all quite humorous now, he made the mistake of mentioning how he considered killing you once, because of how suspicious he was.

The second the words left his mouth, the entire gaggle of children that had been sitting with quiet enthusiasm erupted, rallying around their mother and barricading him from reaching you.

You were surrounded by a wall of ginger, all of them shouting at Sylvain to stay away from their Mama. He had never looked so confused and heartbroken, before.

“W-what? I don’t-”

“Papa’s bad!! Stay away from Mama!”

“Yeah, don’t you touch her!”

“We’ll beat you up real bad if you even think about it!!”

“Children, I don’t even feel that way any-”

“No excuses! You touch my Mama, you die!!” They were quite serious. You managed to peek over the protective barrier of babies, shrugging at your husband’s bewilderment.

“But I didn’t hurt her! It was just when I didn’t know her. I love her very much now, children. Why do you think all of you are here at all?”

“That’s a good point.” You agreed, biting back your smile. The twins turned and looked at you, appalled.

“But he wanted to hurt you!!”

“That’s also a good point.” You nodded solemnly. Sylvain stared at you.

“What?? C’mon, don’t encourage them!!” 

“They make a very convincing argument, Sylvain. Maybe I shouldn’t let you get too close. What if you try to stab me?”

Your oldest and the twins gasped in horror, glaring accusingly at their father. Sylvain’s hands went up in surrender, but they weren’t having it.

“No stabbing Mama!” “I-I won’t, I swear! I’ll never ever hurt her, not even when we’re sparring. Okay?”

“No weapons for Papa at all!” The eldest son charged forward, snatching his fork and knife. Sylvain was working really hard to suppress his laughter, seeing how serious the children were. 

The troublesome twins each took a confiscated utensil, pointing them at Sylvain from across the table. A serious threat.

“All right, all right. You’ve all turned against me. But I’ve still got you, baby girl. Right?” He looked to his youngest little daughter, who hadn’t moved from her seat (quite focused on her mashed potatoes). 

But as the antics continued (and when she heard of her father’s plans to stab you), her gaze drifted from her food and towards her Papa.

He was smiling so very sweetly at her, as she was his sweet little angel who could do absolutely no wrong.

So his shock was immense when she quietly climbed out of her chair and waddled over to you, hugging your leg. 

She looked at him so very sadly, tears in her eyes as if this was the hardest decision she ever had to make. 

To turn against her Papa, who she loved with all her heart...but no one could hurt her Mama. 

“No hurt mama.”

Sylvain clutched his heart. “N-no, not you, too!! My only daughter…”

“Hey! I’m here too, Papa!”The other twin protested, her braids whipping behind her in defiance of her father’s words.

Sylvain shook his head. “Any child who would turn against me is no child of mine! At least, that was the plan, until your little sister decided she loves Mama more than me.”

“‘Cos you wanted to hurt her!!”

“Yeah, Papa! That’s really bad! I’m gonna tell Uncle Seteth and he’ll beat you up!”

“Yeah!! Uncle Seteth!!”

“Now, now, little ones. No need to get anyone else involved.” You chided them gently, taking the fork and knife from the twins and ushering them back to their seats.

“But Mama-”

“No but’s. Yes, your father did want to hurt me once, a long time ago. And yes, it was very wrong. In fact he  was so wrong I think he should go to jail for a while to think about his actions.”

“Thanks for the help, babe…”

“But, that was a very long time ago, and he doesn’t want to hurt me anymore. In fact, he wants to protect me, and all of you. Do you know why all four of you are here?” Your littlest daughter looked up at you hopefully. 

“Why, Mama?”

“Because he loves me very much.”

“Ew.” The twins’ noses crinkled, staring at their father with an all new form of disgust. And while he was plenty glad that you were saying such sweet things now, he wasn’t sure if this was any better.

“So you should know that I love him, too. We don’t have to worry about him hurting me anymore. He would never do it...at least, not on purpose.”

“Papa...okay?” Your littlest girl asked, and you nodded, unable to keep your smile from broadening.

“Yes, my darling. Papa is okay, now.”

“...Okay.” She whispered, nodding  as if she had received some sort of divine revelation. That her father wasn’t a horrible evil person that they would have to defeat.

It was just about the worst thing her little mind could conjure up.

“Well, all right.” The eldest huffed, narrowing his eyes at his father. “But if we hear that you try and hurt Mama even once, we’re gonna get you!”

“Being threatened by my own children.” Sylvain’s head thunked onto the table, “My family’s betrayed me even when they’re okay with me…”

Distressed, the toddler wiggled from your grasp, quickly waddling over to the far end of the table. She tugged on Sylvain’s pants leg, drawing his attention to his precious kitten. 

“Papa…” Sylvain scooped her up without hesitation, especially when he saw the tears bubbling over. 

“What is it, sweetheart?”

“Sorry.” She mumbled, burying her face in his chest with pudgy little fingers gripping his vest tightly. You were both positive she couldn’t have gotten cuter.

“Aww, don’t cry! It’s okay! Papa forgives you, okay? I forgive you. The others, though...they’re still in trouble. But not you.” He snuggled her close, peppering those chubby, rosy cheeks with plenty of kisses.

“What do you mean, we’re in trouble?!”

“You haven’t apologized to me for threatening me with forks and knives! So as far as I’m concerned there won’t be any dessert for any of you.” “What?!”

“Mama, help!!”

“Maybe we should apologize for hurting his feelings.” You suggested with a hint of amusement, “We do have some shortcake for dessert, after all.”

They gasped.

“Shortcake?!”

“Cake!!”

“We’re sorry, Papa!! We know you’re not an evil demon monster who wants to kill Mama!”

“Yeah! We just wanted to protect her in case you were! We love you lots and lots!”

“Not as much as shortcake, though.”

“That’s fair.” Sylvain laughed, the other three children barreling up to him and smushing him into apologetic hugs.

Despite the mess they’d accidentally made, Sylvain was still happy that his children were so protective of their mother. It was pretty clear where they’d gotten it from, seeing how defensive he’d been of you in his time before the children.

All the concern was forgotten and erased with strawberry shortcake, as all concerns should be.

[measuringbliss]

I am now the happy owner of 3 doujinshi.

The first one is a FE3H Sylvain/Byleth fanfic (entirely text!), and the two others are Tenet Protag/Neil mangas (with very different styles).

[icyplumpirate]

Sylvain and Byleth just chilling.

Silvain is actually my personal favourite fe3h character. I think he's even my favourite overall. What do you guys think about him? Who is your fav? I'm curious.

> Sharing is much appreciated!🩵

Don't repost/edit/use without my permission!

[rorah]

FE warriors 3 hopes is undervalued, It gave us DANCER BYLETH 💃 (and I think it gets a pass solely for it, lol ok kidding but still undervalued, but that's another post)

The king won't admit he has a crush on the skillful mercenary, of course he doesn't know he's capable of such things. Fortunately, he has someone like Sylvain on his team 😊...

Love illustrated stories where you don't need words to know what's happening and it's free to interpretation 🫶

[treeato]

SHSJSJAKHSSI LOOK AT THIS AMAZING COMMISSION ART RECEIVED! MY FAVORITE COUPLE!!!

Y’all need to go commission them!! @veroniikus

[fiction-box]

Blood From A Stone

Blue Lions Boys X Fem!Reader

Hello, my lovelies! I wrote this in an attempt to psyche myself up for these next few days as I will be traveling for a job interview. I hope you all have been staying warm these past few weeks (the temperature has been consistently negative where I am now). I will attempt to start working on my inbox once I return. This work was not originally going to go this far in-depth, but this is where the story wanted to go. Nonetheless, please enjoy!

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

After what might have been a ten minute walk, Professor Byleth halted her Blue Lions in the middle of the woods surrounding the monastery. You felt the warmth of the late spring sun shining through the trees; an experience made more pleasant by the soft breeze rifling through your hair.

You and Ingrid had been speculating what exercise you might be coming outside to do, taking an opportunity to make conversation during the walk. Each Friday, the professor enforced some group activity - shopping relays in town, competitive hunting, blindfolded sparring matches - to let everyone better learn the strengths of their classmates.

Sure enough, you watched the former mercenary pull the infamous blindfolds out of the satchel sitting on her waist. A hefty exhale resounded next to you.

“Aw, come on! Not this again…” Annette whined.

No one could blame her; Dedue had hit her uncharacteristically hard in the confusion of his blindness during their match. She might even still be sore from last weekend.

“Now, now - repeating the same exercise two weeks in a row wouldn’t be much help to us. This is meant to build our sense of camaraderie, not our dread for the end of the week,” Byleth corrected. “Line up, please.”

You did so, shuffling into a spot between Annette and Ingrid as your teacher scrutinized the class.

Dimitri caught a green bandana in the same second Dedue was handed a brown one. Green for Ashe and Mercedes, brown for you and Annette.

“Teams,” Dedue noted.

“Please tie them around your foreheads. I’ll explain in a moment.”

A brown scrap of fabric landed in Felix’s palm, the bluenette bringing it to his forehead before Ingrid and Sylvain received their green cloths. Silently cheering, you watched Professor Byleth fix the final brown textile to her own head.

“Today’s activity focuses on both stealth and strategy. Everyone received a color responding to their team. Your objective is to steal all of your opponents’ headbands - the first team to lose all of which will lose.”

Immediately, Sylvain reached over Ashe’s head to pull Felix’s bandana off his head, dangling it in the air.

“One down, everyone!”

“You know damn well we haven’t started yet!” the swordsman snapped.

Dimitri grinned, “I must say Felix, I never saw you as someone to be so easily caught off your guard.”

Ingrid hardly held back a snicker, Ashe’s body practically trembling with a similar sentiment as he reflexively moved out of the way of the two nobles.

Felix clenched his hands into fists, “I’ll tear that cloth into tatters while it’s still wrapped around your insolent-”

“That’s quite enough.”

Professor Byleth eyed Sylvain, prompting him to quickly return Felix’s band. Not without receiving a moderate punch to the arm in retaliation, of course.

“The forest will be split down the middle in regards to starting positions. Those with green bands will begin on the east while brown will start on the west. Each team will be given one minute to conceal themselves, come up with a plan, and do anything else they see fit before I sound the whistle.”

“Your opponents’ accessories can be taken by any means necessary. While use of stealth is encouraged, feel free to use weapons and other advantages as you see fit. The goal is to win, first and foremost. Once you are eliminated, you are to return here until we finish.”

“Prepare to sit on your ass for fifteen minutes, boar.”

You couldn’t help the sound that came out of you at that. Dimitri’s eyes flashed over to discern your reaction before his face promptly flushed a light hue of pink.

“Wh- Sylvain took your headband, not me!”

The redhead frowned, lightly ghosting his hand over his new injury, “Throwing me to the wolves so quickly, your Highness? Maybe-”

“Oh, enough already,” Byleth huffed. “Off to the woods with you all. Right now. Sixty seconds!”

Newly motivated by the time constraint, everyone shifted to group up before rushing to their respective sides.

You weaved between the trees, Professor Byleth following close behind as you trailed Dedue and Annette. Not long after you reached a central-western location, Felix instantly pulled the two in front of you aside.

“...-ce at the northern end of the forest where the dirt is…”

A bit confused, you shifted your eyes to meet those of your professor. Apparently, neither of you were invited to this strategy meeting.

That meant you weren’t needed then, right?

It was all the same to you. Better than the same, actually; an archer flying solo on a stealth mission in the woods didn’t sound like a terrible assignment in the least.

To top it all off, Professor Byleth on her own elsewhere in the forest at the same time? The anticipation would surely kill you. Maybe you would even see her skills more personally than you had on the few traditional battlefields your class fought on so far.

You were brought back to the present as your professor turned to you in real life, nodding at you before slipping into the shadow of a thick tree.

Sticking around just a little longer, you gathered enough snippets of Felix’s conversation to understand his plan. He wanted to make a hole in the ground on the northern side large enough to hold as many members of the opposing side as possible. It sounded a bit ambitious, but you supposed that was nothing new concerning the second son.

In any case, your team seemed to masquerade as the better part of a mess. You wondered how things were with Ingrid…

…45, 46, 47…

After a moment, you strengthened your resolve. The best way to see what the other team was up to would be to go see for yourself, right?

Swiftly working your way counterclockwise around the forest, you snuck over to the eastern side, crossing over only upon hearing a shrill note knocking against the trees. It was now imperative to stay hidden in whatever darkness would conceal you. Having a bow certainly made this easier in terms of mobility since you could just sling it across your body.

Even the animals seemed quiet. Accordingly, you were on high alert. Your movements became more careful, more deliberate as your heart began to race in anticipation. No stepping on branches or leaves; just grass and dirt. No bumping against the trees or sudden movements; just liquid flow and shady cover. Soft, swift, and silent.

Once you believed yourself to have rounded the terrain far enough, you stopped, climbing the tree with the best vantage point in the area and scanning the shady path where your opponents must have started. That is, if the ruined leaves on the ground served as any clue. Prepared for action, you took your bow off your back and pulled an arrow out of the slim training quiver you had been given. Patience was a game you were sure to win, especially in such a good position.

Nothing happened, though. You detected no movement, no flash of colors, and you eventually concluded that the other group must have had a similar idea. After all, most people are right handed, so they might have felt more comfortable countering on the northern side than from the south.

You were somewhat discouraged at your failure to help, but it was no big deal. Especially not when you heard the sound of branches snapping back the way you came. Felix’s strategy must have worked - there was nothing else you could imagine that might make that kind of sound. It must have been effective, too; you recalled an offhanded comment he made about Leonie teaching him something about traps.

Resigning yourself to picking off any stragglers that might have strayed from the group near Felix, you lowered yourself from your tree. Perhaps enough time remained for you to return to your side and assess the damages to see who was left.

Progressing back the way you came would be simple enough. Although you were intent on remaining undetected, you heard several branches snapping and some shouting up ahead.

Felix must have really gotten to them.

You grew close enough to the commotion to recognize Dimitri and Ashe’s voices as the ones yelling, but it made no sense. You had hardly moved a few paces past the tree you were in, and you were still circling the southern side of the forest.

Why were they being so loud? Did they lose, or did they forget this was meant to be a stealth exercise?

But that didn’t make sense, either. They were the best listeners in Professor Byleth’s class, barring Annette; there’s no way they would slack off now of all times.

Silently, you crept toward their shouts until you were brought to a wall of greenery. If you went through…

You didn’t have enough time to hide before they came barreling through the bush.

“Woah!” an ambush? And you fell for it, no less?

Ashe’s eyes widened, his natural agility allowing him to dodge you just in time. Dimitri, with no such skill, slammed into you. The two of you crashed into the ground, the prince scrambling to the weapon you knocked out of his hands as Ashe pulled you onto your feet.

“Come on, get up!” the archer begged you.

 Dimitri frantically shot off the dirt while Ashe started to guide you in the direction they were running. You didn’t have a moment to collect your thoughts or ask questions.

The crown prince’s longer legs carried him past you before he grabbed your left arm with his free hand. Your right hand still connected to Ashe, the three of you formed a chain for a moment as Dimitri lent you his momentum.

A terrible roar emanated from the bush where the boys appeared, prompting you all to detach and pick up the pace. The sounds of three sets of feet slamming against the dirt bounced off the trees in the forest. 

Two crest beasts barrelled through the shrubs, snapping branches in their pursuit of you and your friends.

“How?” you pleaded, your legs moving impossibly faster with the new adrenaline rush.

“No clue,” Dimitri weaved between the trees, his breath heavy, “where they came from.”

A wave of terror pulsed through you. All you felt were eyes on your back, on your friends, and there was nothing you could do about it. They approached, so much larger and covering so much more ground.

Naturally, your smaller size and unfamiliarity with the area caught up with your group. The demons pursuing you could simply demolish the forest in their path, but Dimitri could only get so far before his height forced him to fumble through a group of low-hanging branches.

Unable to slow down, you crashed into him, sprawling to the forest floor. Ashe had once again been attentive and agile enough to change course, but you and the prince lied prone on the ground.

A sound of anticipation came in the form of an unearthly squeal from one of the monsters trailing seconds behind you. If you did nothing here, you would surely die. 

Upon noticing Dimitri had again dropped his lance in his fall, you snatched it and flipped over to face one of the beasts, contesting a well-timed snap of its jaw by holding the weapon up and angling it to act as a pike. It worked just well enough to force the creature’s mouth open…

…until the beast’s maw clamped down on the training weapon, struggling over it with you before it splintered and snapped.

Knocked backwards, your shoulders never got the chance to hit the ground. Dimitri had been given enough time to stand, placing his hands under your arms and dragging you back while Ashe shouted from another direction.

The archer’s cries were enough to split the horrific hunting party, though the only thing you and Dimitri did was continue running.

This is hopeless. All our weapons are meant for training, Ashe is on his own, there are no other fighters with us…

“We can’t keep running,”  you breathed, looping around a tree to throw the monster off your trail, “something has to change.”

…Felix…

You curved around the forest, switching to head back to your group, “Follow me.”

The two of you determined that zig-zagging was the best way to outrun the monster, though if you slowed down, you would no doubt be back on the ground again.

Intuitively, you followed the path you were fairly certain Dimitri’s teammates must have taken to get to the western part of the forest. All the while, you silently prayed that your legs would continue to carry you at a pace fast enough that the beast wouldn’t gain too much ground.

Not that it could be helped; you took two strides for every one of the beast’s.

“Felix! Felix, where are you?”

“Felix!” Dimitri followed your lead.

A figure appeared in the distance, his fair skin and blue hair giving him away, “Why the hell are you two-?”

The shriek from the beast trailing you and the prince drowned out the rest of his sentence.

“Felix, where’s the trap?!”

“Shit,” he cursed, though you couldn’t hear. “This way!”

Pushing yourself just a bit further, you forced your mind to ignore the screams of protest from your body. Felix sprinted just ahead of you, his lack of fatigue allowing him to match pace with your adrenaline spike before he rounded a bush.

“Get the professor!” your teammate ordered someone you couldn’t see.

Dimitri rushed past you to follow the bluenette. Upon leaving the beast’s line of sight, however, he was yanked into the large shrub. You recognized Felix’s hand wrapping around your arm before you stumbled into him, entering the branches as well.

“Thank you, Dedue,” you heard Dimitri’s voice next to you, the phrase uttered out between gasps for air.

It was in the split second before the beast rounded the shrub that you turned your head and recognized the trick. The covering on the pit was placed in the path next to the bush you four were in. If someone hadn’t known to stop and take a route through the hedge, they would have fallen through the dirt.

And upon seeing Professor Byleth appear at the other end of the pit, creator sword drawn to lure the crest beast toward her, you recognized how smart your teammates really were.

The pit wasn’t big enough to hold a crest beast by any means, but it certainly did the trick to immobilize it as the monster lost its footing. A well placed strike to the crest stone on the back of its neck shattered the source of its power. You could only stare at the crumbling animal, its bony limbs reduced to dust. The only thing lying in the crater at the end was…

“A person?” Dedue balked.

You moved to get a closer look before realizing Felix still had his arm around you.

“Um…”

Absentmindedly, he released you, throwing an apology over his shoulder before going to examine the woman lying dead in what very much could have been her grave.

Unbeknownst to you, your body was beginning to shut down. Running all that way left you exhausted, and having done so at a sprint certainly didn’t make matters any better. Yet the second you sank to the ground to truly catch your breath, you remembered.

Ashe.

“P-Professor,” you coughed, “...Ashe-”

“...What?”

“Damn, we left Ashe in the forest!” Dimitri agonized.

Byleth’s eyes sharpened, “Understood. I’ll go find him.”

“I’m coming, too.”

“What?” Felix questioned. “No, there’s no way - you’re way too tired.”

“Dimitri and I are the only ones who know where he is!”

At this, the prince attempted to rise from his position bracing on his knees “Then I’ll go.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re a worse candidate than I am - you’re still bleeding from the trees!”

“Bleeding? I’m not-”

“Your highness,” Dedue cut him off, “your chest.”

Certainly, his uniform was ripped in places, blood pooling out from the cuts he received when he scraped himself on the branches, earlier.

“You must not have felt it due to the adrenaline. We should get you to Mercedes.”

Sure of yourself, you began to walk backwards in the direction you came from, “Professor, there’s no time! You have your sword, so if push comes to shove, I’ll be fine. Ashe doesn’t have a proper weapon, though, and he must have been running for a long time!”

Professor Byleth wasted no words, “Fine then. Lead the way.”

As the two of you picked up the pace, she turned to call out, “Be sure to clear that girl out of the pit! Get her to Mercedes!”

The dull ache in your legs became impossible to ignore once you ran back into the forest. Still, through a mix of retracing your steps and following the sounds of roaring and trees snapping, you managed to get close to where you and Ashe had parted ways.

Sure enough, several trees had been reduced to splinters and fallen trunks. The damage created a small clearing, through which you could see your friend. He looked really out of it, the forest around him a mess from the beast’s rage. 

“Ashe! Over here!”

The professor hit the creature a few times with her sword, extending its reach to divert its attention to herself. Recognizing her attempts to hurt it, the beast reared its head and focused its efforts on Byleth.

She had provided enough of a distraction that Ashe could make it to you. Allowing himself a moment’s respite, he braced himself on his knees similar to how Dimitri had earlier. Breathless, the two of you watched your mentor’s skills at work.

The creator sword would wrap around the wild creature’s neck; Byleth’s obvious attempt at trying to break the stone. Each time, the tether was countered by a snap of the beast’s teeth, or her attack missed entirely. The angle was impossible from where she was standing.

“Fall back, you two - I’ll be right behind you!”

Ashe began to protest, “But-”

“You’re both tired, you’ll need whatever headstart I can give y-ngh!”

Her opponent had grown impatient, swiping its claws at the chain of her sword before her next attack could connect. The weapon was yanked to the side, knocking the professor off balance for a moment and sending the weapon flying out of her hand.

“Just go! I promise I’ll be right there!”

Willing your legs to move, you grabbed Ashe’s wrist and pulled him up, guiding him the first few steps of the way. Once he managed to find his footing, you took a position to lead him back to the group in the west.

You didn’t think you would be able to do much of anything tomorrow, after this. The taste of blood stained your every breath, your throat felt dry to the point it hurt, and you were surprised you could even lift your legs anymore. The adrenaline had worn off by the time you left Dimitri with Dedue.

The noise increasing behind you cut off your train of thought. The pounding of paws much heavier than your own feet thundered against the forest floor. Leaves crushed so loudly you could have sworn they were snapping logs, and the veil of the safety you thought you still had was quickly torn away.

What about Professor Byleth? She should have been on her feet, should have caught up to you and Ashe by now if-

“Keep moving!”

The voice next to you startled you almost enough to make you lose your footing, but a steady hand at your back and the sight of a flash of green hair at your side kept you upright.

“Over here, Professor! This way!”

Annette waved her arms over her head, signaling a new location nearby. They must have created a separate trap in the time you had been away.

But why…?

A snap at your backs inspired the three of you to round this new shrub at record speed. This time, you were ready when Dedue pulled you into the bushes.

“Woah!”

You supposed you had forgotten to warn Ashe.

Sure enough, everything else was the same story, just with different people. The Professor pivoted out of Sylvain’s hold in time to pull the sword she retrieved from her hip. The beast fell in the trap upon rounding the hedge, giving her a more advantageous angle to properly fracture the stone, reverting the creature to the body of a young man.

“I don’t understand,” Felix’s brow furrowed, Ashe ducking out of his hold and falling to the ground to finally breathe.

You were beginning to feel similarly. Were it not for Dedue, you doubted you would be standing. Your classmate seemed privy to this knowledge, as well.

“I will bring you to Mercedes.”

A nod was all you could muster while Dedue bent to put an arm beneath your legs, lifting you off the ground. The air you were practically drinking filled your lungs with more oxygen than you thought they could hold, and your resulting breaths sounded almost raspy. Respectfully, you ensured that your head was turned away from Dedue (though it was also to ensure you could get as much air as possible).

Even still, you managed to catch the final words of those behind you.

“Why didn’t you just take that girl to Mercedes and reuse the last trap?” Professor Byleth wondered.

“Well…” Sylvain, “there wasn’t really a point...she was already dead.”

“...then…this boy…?”

You tried not to focus on the silence that followed her final question.

A few paces later and Dedue had made it to the outskirts of the woods. It was where you all met at the beginning of the exercise.

Mercedes approached the two of you before you cleared the trees, guiding Dedue to set you down on a patch of soft grass in the shade next to three green scraps of fabric. She must have anticipated your arrival.

“Will she be alright?”

“Oh, yes,” Mercedes assured him, though her light tone didn’t match the furrow of her brows. “She’s mostly dealing with fatigue, but the strain on her lungs should be soothed before she tries to go anywhere.”

A moment of silence.

“Where is his Highness?”

The glow of soft magic hovered over you before you felt inclined to close your eyes. You tried not to focus on the strange feeling coursing through you - you still weren’t used to healing spells, yet.

“He and Ingrid went back to the monastery to consult Lady Rhea about all this.” She sighed, and you felt a pause in the flow of her enchantment, “I don’t really understand everything that happened today. It all feels so wrong.”

“I agree. There should not have been any crest beasts this close to the academy. The knights should have noticed.”

Another pause led to a stronger wave of magic passing through your lungs; it was all you could do to focus on breathing next to this weird feeling, but you opened your eyes just to make sure you were still okay.

 “I will head back to the monastery as well.”

The healer nodded, “I’ll let the professor know.”

“Let me know what?”

It seemed the rest of your class made it out of the forest. Professor Byleth approached at the lead, followed close behind by Annette, and finally by Felix and Sylvain supporting a pale and winded Ashe.

As Dedue filled your teacher in on everything, Mercedes abandoned you to go help Ashe. Annette replaced her, kneeling where her friend sat just a moment ago to continue her work. Fortunately, you didn’t feel like there was much left to do.

“Right. You can head back. Take some of the training weapons with you, please - I have a feeling everyone else will have their hands full by the time we head back.”

Dedue removed the brown band wrapped around his forehead, adding it to the pile lying about a meter away from your feet. Picking up the discarded wooden lance, bow, and sword lying in a pile closer to the woods, he turned and wordlessly took the path leading back to Garreg Mach.

“My bow…” you remembered, testing out your voice from your position on the ground, “I think…I dropped it somewhere in the forest?”

Felix scoffed, “With the amount of trees those beasts managed to fell, I don’t think a bit more wood lying around would hurt anyone. The Church can just buy a new one. They replace training weapons all the time.”

“Take it from Felix, they’re used to broken weapons,” Sylvain grinned. “Repairing a broken bow can’t be much different than replacing a missing one.”

A small huff of air came from the swordsman’s nose at his classmate’s remark. Rather than respond, however, he just turned back to you.

“How the hell are you still awake after all that? I expected you to have passed out by now.”

“Me? Shouldn’t you be more worried about Ashe? Whatever running I did, he ran and then some.”

“He did pass out.”

Turning your head to where Mercedes knelt, you found your friend sleeping on the grass, uneven breaths heaving from his chest.

After everything he went through by himself, you could only think that he deserved to rest.

“Professor? What is it?”

Annette’s inquisition immediately led your mind to drop the subject, turning instead to see Professor Byleth lost in thought.

“I’m just…trying to understand something. Those people that came from those monsters - did I kill them, or were they already dead? How did this happen so close to the monastery without anyone coming to help us? And…”

No one knew what to say. You hadn’t recognized the people that died, not their clothing or their faces.

“Nevermind. We need to head back in case anything else unexpected is looking to find us.”

“That should be just fine, Professor,” Mercedes agreed. “I’ve made sure these two are stable. The best thing for everyone now would be to rest.”

“Very well,” your teacher began circling around to everyone, collecting their headbands to place in the bag she had left here earlier.

Annette extended her hand out before Professor Byleth made her way over to the two of you. Taking it, you attempted to get up only to be frustrated by the fatigue of your legs. A sharp inhale followed by a hiss of pain accompanied the feeling of Annette lowering you back to the ground.

“Yeah…might not be ready for that yet…” you gritted your teeth.

Byleth walked over, tugging the brown textile off your head in a fluid motion, “Sylvain, please help her get back to the monastery. Felix, you can carry Ashe.”

“What?!”

Sylvain barely contained his laughter, approaching you with easy footsteps and lifting you off the ground bridal-style.

“You’re sure you want Sylvain of all people carrying the woman that can’t walk? Or fend for herself right now, for that matter?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of experience with this sort of thing.”

“...with carrying people?” you raised a brow.

Sylvain winked, “...with carrying women that can’t walk.”

Professor Byleth hit him on the back of the head so hard that Sylvain dropped you on the ground.

You landed, reeling with a small squeak and a light curse. Your breath came labored through your teeth from the incidental blow to your legs. Not that it could have hurt as much as whatever she just did to Sylvain.

“Agh- What the hell, Professor?!”

“You and Felix have done an excellent job of changing my mind. I think we would all feel better if you volunteered to carry Ashe back with us, instead.”

Now it was Felix’s turn to fight a smirk, though he was hardly trying. After making sure you were okay from your slight fall, he picked you up in much the same way Sylvain had mere moments ago.

Meanwhile, Sylvain seemed to be making a point to carry Ashe over his shoulders.

The seven of you headed back to the monastery together, Professor Byleth calling off her lessons for the beginning of next week just to make sure everyone was well rested. Annette tried to reason that taking the weekend off would be plenty of time for most of the Blue Lions. After all, you, Dimitri, and Ashe were the only ones that really suffered any fatigue. Your teacher countered that if she were holding class, you three were the most likely suspects to insist on attending regardless, no matter how badly you were injured.

Perhaps you left too good of an impression on the professor today for her to think such things of you. Regardless, you agreed with her, if only to save Annette from the pointed glares of Felix and Sylvain at the idea of rejecting a day out of class.

[justrandomselfships]

SECOND PART OF MY SCUFFLE SILLIES!!!

Commission status is in my pinned post!

taglist utc!

@lovehollyberry

@resident-cake-anon

@maynope00

@princesheepish

@n1rolankisser

@lapinbunwrites

[creativesplat]

My three favourite fire emblem couples, made with this picrew: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/399481

[paigeropoopoloo]

I will always jump on the bandwagon to tell friends/mutuals/strangers how much I support their self indulgent fan fiction and how they should write it no matter what and that I know I’ll enjoy it regardless of the level of indulgence… (I scream for joy every time my bff writes a crazy wuthering heights-esque love triangle even though I personally would be terrified of being in a love triangle)

But that being said- I can never take my own advice!!! I feel like the second I post a fanfic anyone who reads will come away thinking “holy shit they’re a megalomaniac”

Also I’m embarrassed to use my modern ass name in them lol. It breaks the immersion

[fe-fictions]

I need more of the gaggle Gautiers. Do you happen to have any more reposts for them?

(I only have one more repost for the Gautier fam... their first introduction!!! Please send in more prompts for them if you want to see more, I'd love to keep writing them ;; U ;; )

Sylvain had certainly slowed down a little bit since the end of the war.

This was due to a few different reasons; the first was living in peace time meant there wasn’t as much need for training.

The other was that he married the Archbishop. Naturally, that came with a lot of new responsibilities, and actual romance he’d never been able to experience.

But the third reason was the one taking his focus; a hoard of red-headed, wild children bursting out the front gates of the monastery and charging straight for him.

“PAPA’S BACK!!” Several loud, young voices exclaimed, and he barely had enough time to dismount his horse and crouch down in front of them before he was charged by the swarm. The very cute, very happy, very much so his children, swarm.

“A-all right, all right. I missed you, too.” He laughed, fighting to keep his balance as more of them ran into him. There weren’t really that many; it was only about four of them, but each one was precious and filled with energy, just like he used to be as a child.

The oldest, hardly over the age of seven, was currently wrapping his arms around his father’s neck and squeezing him tightly (if he wasn’t in armor he was sure he’d be fighting to breathe).

The youngest, who was two and a half, was still waddling behind her siblings and trying to keep up so she could hug her Papa, too.

The middle pair, his twins, were currently climbing over his back and onto his shoulders, fighting for his attention. 

It was all he could do to keep from crumbling under their energy.

“We missed you, Papa!!”

“Did you have lots of fun?!”

“Did you bring us anything back?”

“Snacks?”

“Presents?!”

“A horse?!”

“A new necklace for Mama??”

“A quill for Uncle Seteth?!”

“He was really mad when you left, y’know.”

“He doesn’t like it when you chase us down the halls!!”

“He found the bust of Saint Cichol that we broke by accident-”

“W-we didn’t break it!! It was the creepy guys who live under the church!!”

“Yeah!!”

“Papa…” Sylvain was able to hear the soft, shy voice of his littlest one, his precious girl who was barely able to make her way through the crowd of kids and reach her father. Those chubby cheeks were begging to be kissed.

“Okay, everyone, settle down-” Sylvain plucked his son off, kissing his forehead and setting him down. He peeled off the first twin, kissed her cheek, and managed to flip her brother over and kiss his nose. “I missed you all very much. Now go let Mama know that I’ve come home.”

“Yes sir!!” They burst away from him and stumbled back up to the monastery gates, a very unimpressed Seteth already chiding them for running off so recklessly.

In their haste they bumped their little sister, sending her tumbling backwards- but with expert Dad Reflexes, Sylvain caught her, scooping her up and away from the painful ground.

“Easy there, little girl.” He beamed at her, “Did you miss me, too?”

“Yeah.” She huffed, teeny, tiny hands coming around his neck and hugging her as best she could. Oh, he could just melt on the spot.

“I missed you, too, sweetheart. Did you behave for Mama while I was gone?”

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded, spreading her arms wide. “This good.”

“Ohh, wow. That’s very good.” He kissed her nose, earning a shy little giggle. “Almost good enough for, say...a present?”

“Present.” She confirmed, eyes widening. It was his favorite thing about his littlest girl. She had dark blue hair just like you used to, but there was no mistaking her father’s eyes. 

They lit up with joy when he revealed a small package just for her, which jingled happily when she started to tear the paper away.

Sure enough, there was a small stuffed bunny in her hands, that looked up at her with handsome button eyes.

“You like it?” He asked as he bounced her gently, earning a vigorous nod and a happy blush on her rosy cheeks. Absolutely made the week away from his family worth it.

“Thank you, Papa.”

“You’re welcome. Just make sure you keep it a secret for now, okay? The others will get their presents soon, but for now, you’re the only one. It’s between us.” He said with a wink. She snuggled into her new bunny, but nodded all the same.

“Secret.” She whispered. Goddess, he was blessed.

He carried her up to the monastery, letting her hold the horse’s reins and “guide” the beast along with them. It didn’t take long for you to appear, though, coming down the steps of the main building and smiling at the sight of your husband.

“I take it the talks went well?” You said, spotting the toy in your daughter’s hands. He smirked, handing the horse to one of the stable hands and setting his girl down on the ground.

“As always. It’s not hard to get things done when you’re the Archbishop’s closest advisor.”

“I’m sure the ring on your finger had something to do with it, too.” You added, welcoming his arms around your waist with a smile and a kiss. “...Welcome home.”

“Good to be home.” He murmured against you, kissing you once more. “I hope the kids weren’t too rough on you, this time. Seteth looked like he was about to rake them over the coals when they were running back.”

“They were a little more excited than usual, though that might be my fault.” You explained, breaking apart long enough to take his hand in yours, and your daughter’s in the other. “There’s something I told them that...I need to tell you.”

“Oh?”

“Mama secret.” The toddler chimed in, looking at her jingling bunny. “No tell Papa.”

“Mama secret?” He echoed, eyebrows raised. He looked at you for an explanation, but you just shrugged, giving his hand a little squeeze.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” You assured him, “Let’s get you settled into something more comfortable.”

“Please and thank you.” He grinned, “Hey sweetheart, why don’t you go and play with Flayn? I think she’s looking for you.”

“Okay.”

She scampered off as quick as her legs could carry her (not very), both her parents proudly watching her go off on her next adventure, jingling the entire way.

“I don’t think we could ever top that, honestly.”

“Hmm?”

“I love all my children equally, and you know this. But Goddess, we were unbelievably blessed with the cutest human being on the face of the earth. Probably of all time.”

“You’re just saying that because she’s the baby, and she has different hair from your ginger brood.”

“You have to admit it gives her an advantage. She’s going to have all the boys after her.”

“That’s what her brothers and sister are for.”

“The twins are gonna be all over that.” He agreed, escorting you up to the bedroom. “Though I’ve gotta admit, I’m impressed you can still keep secrets from me, even with all my little informants.”

“I know you think you’re the favorite parent, but...there’s a reason we have Mama secrets.” 

“Care to tell me what it is?”

“Not yet. But I will admit, it’s not going to be as easy for a little while.”

“Why’s that?” 

“Well,” You released his hand, undoing the latch and letting yourself into the bedroom. You paused in the doorway, peeking back at him, “There’s going to be another informant that has to keep the secrets, too.”

“Oh, I see.” He nodded, it made sense. Then he gasped.

And choked on air.

And proceeded to tumble into the bedroom behind you. 

“W-wait, another informant-!?”

Your reunion home proceeded to wash away all of Sylvain’s exhaustion with your special little announcement, as if he couldn’t be over the moon enough with the big, beautiful family he already had. 

There was no reason for him to be as fast paced and stressed out as he used to be; he was allowed to slow down.

After all, he easily had the greatest family in the world. And it was about to get a little bit bigger (and a little more ginger).

[honey-katsu]

Garden Secrets - ao3

Summary:

After being dragged out of his apartment by Sylvain, Felix wanders to a local garden where he meets Annette for the first time. (Modern AU retelling of their C Support conversation.) Now with a podfic! Right here!

note before we begin: i am chickenKatsu on ao3. I do not give anyone the right to repost my work to another platform unless I’m asked then properly credited. Please support me on ao3 and ko-fi if you like it!

“Hey Felix, which flowers should I get Mercedes?” asked Sylvain, peering at some pink delilahs in the store window of Knightly Flowers.

“Like I’d know,” Felix scoffed. Sylvain didn't stay to hear, rushing inside to ask the employees before Felix could say anything.

Felix sighed and followed him in. He would never admit it to Sylvain, but he knew the answer to his question. Flowers were one of Felix’s favorite things; he even had a small, hidden garden at home. His roommate, Ashe, who thankfully kept his secret, helped Felix tend to the flowers and taught him everything he knew. If Sylvain knew, the torment would never end.

“Excuse me,” Sylvain tittered. “Could I get some help with picking out flowers for my girlfriend?”

The shop owner, Ingrid, rounded the corner. “Welcome to Knightly Flowers,” she said cheerily. Then she spotted the customer and her face dropped. “Again,” she added dully. “Sylvain, this is the fifth time this week.”

“I know, I know.” Sylvain leaned on the counter, resting his chin in his hands. “But she’s too perfect. I just have to give her flowers every day, you know?”

“No, I don’t.” Ingrid said unenthusiastically. She waved over to Felix, who had been meandering around the shop. “Hey, Felix. Did Sylvain drag you in here to listen to him blabber about Mercedes?”

Felix nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but Sylvain cut him off. “Yes, but that’s not the point, Ingrid. What flowers should I give her today? Last time I gave her tulips.”

“Yeah, I remember. Leonie,” Ingrid yelled to the backroom. “Grab some red and pink roses for Lover Boy over here.”

“Sure, but it will be a minute,” called Leonie. “I’m still working on Byleth’s order. I’ve got two more bouquets to go!”

Spotting a familiar name and an opportunity to be annoying, Sylvain asked, “Oh, Professor Byleth from Garegg Mach University? What did he order?”

“Too much,” sighed Ingrid. “Three flower arrangements, five bouquets, and two flower crowns. All to be packaged as a gift.”

Felix snorted, unnoticed by the two up front. Although he was close to the age of his students, Professor Byleth had managed to graduate highschool and college early. Principal Rhea of Garegg Mach University had taken a liking to him, and offered him a job at her school. The class president, Dimitri, had immediately and obviously fallen for their young teacher. And so had Byleth. Felix wasn't surprised that Byleth had bought so many flowers as a gift to Dimitri.

“Anyway, Ingridddd,” Felix heard Sylvain whine. “Let me tell you how perfect Mercedes is. Her hair is so soft and silky like sand sifting through your fingers at the beach. And her puppy eyes…”

Felix shot Ingrid a sorry look before quietly slipping out of the shop before he was forced to listen to more of Sylvain’s lovestruck babbling. He was happy that his best friend was in love, but his constant rambling could get overwhelming and tiresome. Felix didn't know how Mercedes dealt with all of it. However, she must love that part about Sylvain, too. How nice it must be, thought Felix, to be so happy every day just because you love someone. To be so overjoyed by her mere existence and to think of her all the time, never getting bored of her.

Lost in thought, Felix found himself wandering over to the local botanical garden. It was one of his favorite places to go. He didn't visit often because it reminded him of everything he lost. Lately, however, Felix discovered that surrounding himself in flowers and memories wasn’t so bad. If he did that, Glenn wouldn’t be forgotten.

Brushing his hands gingerly over the tops of bushes and across the bark of trees, Felix allowed himself to be engulfed in the past and the plants. He reminisced about when he and Glenn had caught six butterflies in one afternoon. His parents had laughed and praised the both of them for their nimble and gentle touch. 

A far-off song, so contrary to the memories that flooded his mind, snapped Felix out of his little trance.

“ Today's dinner is steak and then cake that's yummy yum… ” sang the voice, gentle as butterflies and as lighthearted as a child. “ Now it's time to fill my tummy tummy tum! ”

Enthralled, Felix followed the voice, weaving through a maze of flower patches and looming exotic trees. He found himself in front of the greenhouse. Peeking around a magnolia tree, Felix spotted the singer. In the midday sunlight, her orange hair gleamed like the warmth of fire, strung up in two little loops. She stood under a blossoming orange tree, watering the flowers beneath. Felix took a step forward. “Excuse me,” he called softly.

“ Oh, this mountain of sweets, and treats I long to eats… ” she continued, swinging her hips in one direction and watering flowers in another. She flitted around primroses like a hummingbird, gentle yet purposeful. “O h, snacks of steaks and cakes and crumbs and yums… ”

She didn't seem to hear him. Her tender voice, warm like sheep's wool and bright as the glowing sun, beckoned Felix. He had to know her name. Before he recognized what he was doing. Felix stepped out, speaking a little harsher, “I hope I'm not interrupting.”

She flinched and spun around, hiding her watering can behind her back. “Ah, um, hi. You weren’t listening, were you?”

Her rosy cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she spoke. Her eyes were as blue as hydrangeas and as wide as the cloudless sky. It took Felix a little too long to register that she was talking to him. “I, uh,” he stuttered, “heard enough to know that you're hungry.”

“No! I mean… Well, yes.” She fidgeted with her watering can. “At least tell me you didn't see the dance?”

“You have nice footwork,” Felix commented matter-of-factly. He saw this mystery girl’s face flush a shade brighter. “Get something to eat,” he continued hurriedly. “I can take over watering the plants.”

She didn't look up at Felix, mumbling, “What’s your name?”

“Uh, Felix. And yours?”

An awkwardly long silence passed between them. Felix could see her brain working and turning. Suddenly, Felix realized what he had said. Great job, Felix, he belatedly chidded himself. You don't even know this girl and you're offering to take over her job. Wait, is that her job? Does she even work here?

She was the first to break the silence. “YOU'RE EVIL, FELIX!”

“And you’re shouting,”  Felix retorted.

“You can't just.. spy on people while they're singing without even saying anything!  It’s not right!” she yelled, obviously flustered.

“I actually did call out when I was coming in,” Felix admitted. Still a little irritated at her uncalled-for insult, he added, “It's not my fault you didn't hear.”

“Well.. you need to speak louder, then!” She put her hands on her hips, pulling herself up a little taller and puffing up her cheeks a bit. Immediately, she deflated. “Ugh, this is so embarrassing…” she mumbled to herself. “And of course I was just singing some silly song I made up. Oh, come on, Annette! I should have been singing about… bears! Or swamp beasties!”

Ah, so her name is Annette , mused Felix. Fitting. Wait, what's a swamp beastie? “I didn't realize there were songs about bears and swamp beasties. But that food song seemed really close to your heart. Your stomach isn't far from your heart, after all.”

“Ugh, you are the worst !” Annette sped out of the greenhouse before Felix even had the chance to defend himself.

Huh. What was that about? Felix wondered. He picked up the watering can Annette had dropped . I guess I should give this back to her next time. He studied the colorful assortment of primroses, alstroemerias, and chrysanthemums Annette had been watering. Well, I’d better water these plants. Wouldn’t want them to get thirsty, or they might start singing, too.

[sotiredmostnights]

since it's lon'qu's birthday, i want to share something i found by complete chance when i visited japan a few months ago: a lon'qu x maribelle doujinshi

the plot seems to be that maribelle asks tharja to cure lon'qu's lady problem

tharja succeeds, but a little too well -- he's now a total lady's man:

anyway the best part of this doujin is lon'qu being a bit bloodied up imo

the pixiv id is 3871980 🥰 this was definitely my favorite doujin i found during my trip

[treeato]

"To be held, to be loved, to be cherished not by your status, crest, not by your family name- but because you are wholly yourself" I WILL SLOWLY BRING BACK THE SYLVETH FANDOM IF I HAVE TO GORGEOUS ART I COMMISSIONED BY THE ONE AND ONLY @nadiaaisyah please please throw them some love and support!

[fiction-box]

Would you write for Sylvain x Cursed!Fem!Reader? I don’t really mind what the curse is or how you’d solve it, so you can get creative with this one! :D

Hey, lovely! This was actually really interesting and super fun. It was nice to work with establishing subtlety and growing that into a nice crescendo for the story's climax. I really got to work out my brain on how certain characters would handle certain scenarios, and of course there was the matter of coming up with how the curse would be applied.

I hope this is what you were looking for!

Requests are open. The story will be continued under the cut.

“Good morning. We have a lot to cover today, so I’ll need everyone to sit down as soon as you walk in,” Professor Byleth commented over her shoulder, drawing up the battle strategy your class had been discussing for the past week.

You entered the Blue Lions’ classroom, a small black notebook in your hand as you moved to get to your seat.

“Oh,” your professor noted, “Seteth told me this was sent to you.”

She was gesturing toward a slim box on the edge of her desk. Maybe it would fit a pen? But then why would anyone go through the trouble?

“Would you mind if I opened it now?”

“The way I see it, it’s yours. You can do whatever you’d like.”

Curious, you took the box back to your seat. It seemed you were not the only one intrigued; Mercedes and Ashe turned to watch from their chairs in front of you.

“What do you think it is?” she asked, “I’ve never received a package before.”

Ashe gave a sad smile, “Neither have I. It makes me wonder.”

More eyes came to fall on you as the tape was removed from the edges and the lid was lifted lightly.

Upon seeing what it was, you gave a small gasp. Resting inside on a soft cushion was a deep blue pendant looped through a small silver chain. The necklace was understated, and undoubtedly to your taste. You would have picked such a piece out for yourself had you seen one in the market.

“Ooh!” Annette cooed behind you, bracing her hands on her table as she stood at her seat behind you, “It’s so pretty!”

“Someone…knows me very well,” you chose your words carefully.

Sylvain leaned in next to you, scanning over the necklace with a look on his face you couldn’t quite read, “Do you know who sent it?”

Good question. You would have to meet with this person and have a little chat. No one gifted something like this purely out of kindness. Not to you, anyway. But when you lifted the cushion, there was only a slip of parchment about as long as your index finger underneath.

You set the cushion aside, reaching in to turn over the paper.

Eternity

That wasn’t helpful at all. If anything, knowing that paper came with the box only made you more confused.

The phrase was iterated to your friends as you placed the necklace back in its place.

“Maybe it’s some new jewelry line looking to get its name out there,” Annette beamed, “Ooh, you’re so lucky!”

If that was the case, why pick an understated piece? On top of that, why you? Sure, you were the daughter of a Kingdom noble, but someone had to have gone out of their way for this. To learn that you were at Garreg Mach, and then to ensure you would actually receive the package?

Even Ingrid was interested, it seemed, “You should try it on. It would be a shame for it to sit away waiting for some special occasion. Besides, the jeweler would probably want you to show it off.”

You weren’t the showy type, but you could admit you were just as interested in it as she was.

“I suppose…” the attention from your classmates was beginning to make you shy.

They weren’t interested in you, though! It was the necklace they wanted to see, you reminded yourself.

Easily, the silver chain was lifted from the cushion and wrapped around your neck. Clasping it in the back, you found that it fell just below your collarbone.

Mercedes gave a soft giggle, “It looks wonderful on you! Ingrid is right, it would be a shame for it to collect dust somewhere in your room.”

She’s right.

“Okay, then. I…guess I’ll wear it often.”

Professor Byleth gave a small scowl from the front of the room, “Sylvain, I hope you studied your notes from my last lecture as closely as you’re studying that necklace.”

“What? Of course I did! I studied during the lecture.”

You noticed he didn’t even have a notebook.

“Very well, then. Why don’t we start by having you tell us more about the…”

~~~~~~

Thankfully, you had eaten a good breakfast this morning. The professor didn’t release anyone until long after lunch had passed. It didn’t help that you had spent every second writing down as much as possible to be looked over later.

You elected to bring your lunch with you to your dorm, mind focused solely on reviewing what the Professor had spouted during the lecture for the group examination tomorrow. It seemed she was more adamant about the topic of battalion management than the other subjects the monastery advocated.

An hour or two passed, and you had successfully copied the important bits of the lecture onto your spare pages. This way, your studies for the rest of the night were more efficient. 

By the time the sky turned to a dark midnight, you were still sitting at your desk in your room.

That’s enough for today.

Wanting to prepare for bed, you reached back to remove the clasp of the necklace you received. As though something was triggered by the action, it was set aglow with light.

Not right now.

“…”

Nevermind that it glows! You don’t want to take the necklace off. A new desire has overcome you.

You were in the mood for a stroll. Specifically, one to the woods outside of Garreg Mach.

The hallway was too dark for you to see properly, but you didn’t care. You shut the door behind you as you left, maneuvering about the monastery confidently until you came near the gates.

You stifled the glow of your necklace with one of your hands, sneaking around the guards as you let your feet lead the way. Somehow, these were the surest steps you had ever taken. Your destination was somewhere you had never been, yet one you were always meant to visit.

That very sense of determinism kept you mindlessly moving. Trees, leaves, grass, and several shadows drooping over everything stood as the only landmarks on your path. You treaded forth until you came to a gradual halt.

Calmly, you turned to your left. A woman in robes you could not clearly make out in the darkness made her presence known.

She approached you with a laidback ease; you were no threat to her.

And why would you be? You are safe with her. She only has your best interests in mind.

“Good to see you have accepted my gift, my muse,” the woman drew nearer, her hand brushing over your collarbone to touch the pendant, “You wear it well.”

You knew nothing of your current situation, but there was a settled feeling within you. There would be no need for questions. All the knowledge you needed would be provided, and what you weren’t told, you didn’t need to worry about.

A lovely way of saving your mind the trouble, is it not? Truly, she cares for you.

“Now, you must have seen enough of her at Garreg Mach to give me a proper report,” she gleaned, removing her hand from your neck.

Tell her all about your professor.

“Wh…why?” you managed. Your head was beginning to feel foggy, and you could no longer remember how you got here.

Hush. Do not ask questions. Only listen.

This voice in your mind was beginning to make your head spin.

“Perhaps you are too tired from your day to continue. You should not be able to resist.”

There were so many questions you wished to ask, but the blanket of exhaustion weighed heavier upon your mind than the cloud of curiosity.

“A major fault of my own design, no doubt. There is no reason to fret, though. I promise you and I will work through the problems together until we get this right.”

A rustle in the bushes caught your attention, though you didn’t get to point it out before the woman’s hand found your collar once more.

“Now, erase this encounter from your memory. Forget.”

~~~~~~

Byleth found herself working tediously at her desk an hour before classes were slated to start.

She saw you late last night, soundlessly following the gleam of your jewel until you covered it. By then, tracking you through the woods was child’s play. You did not seem yourself, so she played it safe and waited to learn where you were headed before revealing herself.

Only, she never did confront you in those woods. No, the problem ran much deeper than a student sneaking out after hours. It only took her noticing your strange gait and how the mage that appeared treated you to determine as much.

The professor needed information, though she would not have hesitated to attack if she believed you were in true danger.

It seemed the woman still needed you; however, Byleth could only hope to guess how long your usefulness would last. No matter. The witch had given her a day, and that was all she needed to form a decent plan.

The former mercenary silently debated whether to confront you directly about it or not. While it was true she left the scene early, Byleth still managed to learn that you weren’t in on the act, so to speak. Your mind was likely being surveyed, which meant asking any suspicious questions could ruin any element of surprise she might have. You couldn’t know she had a plan.

In truth, she wondered if you knew you were in danger, at all. Fortunately, there were some things she could ask.

Byleth noticed you enter the classroom a few minutes early. You had a few questions on her lecture from yesterday, it seemed.

“I would say good morning, but you look like you hardly slept last night. Were you up late?” she greeted.

Your brows furrowed slightly as you brought a hand to your cheek, “Do I? That’s strange…I actually remember falling asleep much earlier than usual.”

That was surprising. Did you not remember your encounter?

Beginning to cover the areas of confusion you wanted to discuss, the professor noted your strange clothing choice. A shawl was draped over your shoulders and covered your collarbone. You had never worn such an item before, so you must have chosen it for a reason.

Her guess? It was likely to shield the pendant from the notice of others.

Eventually, all of the Blue Lions found their way into the room and classes began. What the class didn’t know was that things would go a little differently today.

“Now, I know some of you may be upset or confused about this new arrangement, but there has been a schedule change,” she opened, standing at her desk, “Rather than doing our group work this weekend, our class will be completing its tasks today. Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules.”

Oh, she very much did make the rules, but nobody in this class would be so aggravated about the alteration that they would march up to Seteth just to verify the new schedule. Nobody in their right mind would contest her if it meant they’d be taking that exam instead.

“Partners and jobs will change, and as such will be decided by myself.”

There were a few murmurs at this.

You spoke out, “How long will this new arrangement last, Professor?”

“Only for this week, don’t worry.” Byleth looked to the list she had created before class, “Now, you and Mercedes will be on stable duty today. Dedue and Ashe will handle the cooking, Ingrid will go on sky-watch with Ferdinand from the Black Eagle house, and Dimitri and Felix will be working on weeding the grass.”

“What?” Felix complained, “Out of the eight other people in this room, why would you choose to pair me with him?.”

“Because it would bring me no end of lectures from Seteth to have you embarrass this House by falling out of the sky or burning a fish. Annette, Sylvain, please come see me,” she looked to her students, “but everyone else is dismissed and may begin. Your day ends when your task concludes.”

Students filed out of the classroom one at a time, Annette and Sylvain making their way to the front. Once the last student shut the door behind them, Byleth pulled the small paper she had been forming a plan upon out from her drawer.

“You two are going to have some very important tasks, but I’ll need you to keep this information private unless I exclusively tell you to share it.”

Sylvain scoffed, “What? Are others going to be jealous of our chores, Professor?”

“Do you remember the necklace your classmate received yesterday, Sylvain?”

“How could I forget after the commotion it caused?” he muttered.

“Well, I have reason to believe that piece of jewelry inflicted a curse upon her. The only time I know for certain we have is today, and we can’t waste a single second.”

Annette let out a noise of shock, “But Professor, why didn’t you confront her about it? Surely, if you had just taken her necklace off…”

“I couldn’t take that risk. There’s no way to know if that necklace can come off.” She glanced over her writing, “Just because I’m aware something is going on…just because I can get her alone…even then, I know so little that I can’t even be sure we have any advantage except surprise. We’re only going to get one shot at this, and we can’t give away that we know anything. Especially not to _______.”

She set the paper aside, “Annette, I’ll need you to do some research on curses and get back to me. Anything in the ranges of cursed objects, methods of cursing, and mind control should be good places to start. The sooner we know what we’re dealing with, the sooner we’ll know where to look for a solution.”

“Got it!” she exclaimed, rushing out of the room to the library.

“I’ll be joining you in just a moment!” Byleth called after her.

Sylvain leaned forward, “What about me?”

“You have a more…practical role to play…”

~~~~~~

Hours went by, Annette finally reporting her progress. The only way to break the spell was either by getting the mage to remove it herself, or by killing her altogether.

Best to prepare for the latter, Byleth thought. That woman didn’t look the type to go down without a fight. Or to play fair, for that matter.

Well then, she’d need to take away as much leverage as possible. The former mercenary seemed to recall that your natural exhaustion dampened your necklace’s control, the other night.

“Alright, listen up Annette. Here’s what I need you to do…”

~~~~~~

“Hey, Mercie!” you heard Annette call.

Currently, Mercedes was helping you brush out and dry off the last few horses. Today’s stallions were rather well-behaved, though it took no small amount of energy to care for the horses on a good day.

Things were also slowed down by the leisurely pace you two had been going at thus far, taking a break for lunch at one point and having a bit of fun with each other between tasks.

“What is it, Annie?”

The smaller girl gave a glance toward you before focusing on her friend again, “I, um…the professor wanted me to speak with you.”

“I see,” Mercedes nodded, setting her brush down. She turned back to you, “Please, just give me a moment. I’ll get right back to working with you once this is settled.”

“Take your time!” you smiled.

As the girls walked away, the voice that had been so present in your thoughts today grew louder.

What are they saying? They are keeping secrets from you.

No, you rationalized. They always did that sort of thing. The two were incredibly close far before you came along. Besides, this was something the professor needed. If it had anything to do with her more personal affairs, it was none of your business anyway.

Could it be that your professor is wary of you? Did you reveal the pendant? One can never be too certain, in these times…

The more you tried to reassure yourself, the more wary you became. Though you knew you were surrounded by those that would never hurt you, a feeling of dread had rooted itself within your mind.

A similar feeling came whenever your mind had its more…forceful thoughts…yet never was it stronger than when you dreamt last night.

With each swipe of your comb along horse hair, images would flood your mind. You, covering your pendant with a shawl. You, falling asleep early last night.

You, heading back into the woods tonight.

…back?

“I’m so sorry!” a voice snapped you out of your thoughts. It was Mercedes. Apparently, her conversation had concluded, but she remained standing next to Annette, “It seems the professor needs me to help her reassign vulneraries. You’ll be okay finishing the rest of this by yourself, won’t you?”

A reasonable excuse?

Of course it was. As the Blue Lions’ best cleric, Mercedes was always called to meet with the professor over vulnerary assignments.

…very well.

“No problem! Come back when you’re done, okay?”

Annette and Mercedes exchanged glances you didn’t quite like. Something told you she wouldn’t be coming back.

“Sure!” Annette cut in, “I’ll even help you out after I finish in the greenhouse!”

“Really? Thanks so much, Annette!”

But she must have never gotten her task done. Once the horses were locked up in their stables and the sky was painted orange, you were just as alone as when they left you.

Liars.

You didn’t want to hate them for it.

Some true friends you have. For them to abandon you after making promises like that…

They would never hurt you on purpose. Their chores were important, so it simply must have taken them longer than usual.

After a quick stop at the dining hall, you returned to your room. It had been such a long day, you were almost excited to get some rest.

Ah, ah. Not yet. You are meant to be going to the woods, remember?

Of course. How could you forget? You had only been thinking of that trip for what, a whole day?

Be not seen. Make haste.

Leaving your shawl behind, you changed into clean clothes before heading off.

The lovely glow of your favorite necklace shone down the hall as you went. Unfortunately, you needed to stifle the shine with your hand a few times to sneak off the grounds past the guards.

Why was this so familiar?

Just a little farther…

Greenery, darkness, moonlight, left.

A dark-robed woman revealed herself, “Fascinating. Tell me, do you know who I am?”

Who is she to you? Be honest.

“You-”

An arrow suddenly lodged itself in the woman’s shoulder.

“Augh-!”

HelpHelpHelpHelpHelpHelpHelp

The amulet you wore shone brighter than ever as all your instincts commanded that you protect her.

Surveying your surroundings, you spotted someone you knew holding the bow. It was your professor, and by the way she shifted her arms in the dark, she was going to nock another arrow.

Without thinking, you advanced. At least, you tried to. Your lunge was interrupted by a strong arm catching your waist, but it was clumsy and rushed. The counterweight caused both your own momentum and that of your supposed assailant to switch, bringing you both to the ground as you collided.

HelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMe

This mantra kept interrupting your focus until your back was against their chest. The two of you were in an awkward, semi-upright position as you struggled against the arms restraining you.

“You sure about this, Professor?” strained a man’s voice. A lock of red hair came into your field of view.

“Do it. It’s for her own good.”

Who you now knew to be Sylvain removed one of his arms’ grasp on you, reaching for something you couldn’t see. His hand returned just as quickly, though he held a small vial of herbs and pollen between his fingers.

Suddenly, you were flipped so that you were on your back on the ground and he was above you. He clamped one of his hands over your mouth, forcing you to breathe through your nose.

“Sorry about this,” he frowned as he popped the vial open and held it underneath your nostrils.

HelpMeHelpMeHelpMeHelpMe

But you couldn’t. After five quick inhales from your aggressive, breathless state, the floral mixture muddled all your senses together.

“Protect her until…” Professor Byleth’s voice faded out, though you watched her finally rush out of the bush, sword in hand, to confront the stranger.

…cold…it was so cold.

“...onastery…”

The sweetened scent haunted you.

~~~~~~

When you woke up, Manuela was with you in the infirmary.

According to the physician, you had been asleep for three days.

“Poor dear, you looked so pale. But you’re well rested now, and I think I’ve managed to flush your system of that awful pollen.”

The pollen…

“I remember that!” you sat up in a panic. “It was Professor Byleth…and Sylvain…”

“Yes,” Manuela laughed. “They filled me in once they came back with you. I swear, that boy worried himself out of an appetite the day they brought you back. He must have held the narcotic powder to your nose for too long.”

Subconsciously, your hand migrated to the lower half of your face.

“He blames himself, of course, but in all honesty I think it was more than that. Curses take a toll on your body as they are. Combine that with natural exhaustion, and that’s a nasty little recipe that’ll keep anyone out for a long time. Not that my telling him that kept him from checking in on you every few hours.”

After a few final checks, the songstress assured you that you were just fine before sending you off to the dining hall to get something to eat.

Needless to say, you couldn’t get there without talking with everyone you bumped into on the way.

Mercedes and Annette were the first to call out your name.

“Oh my goodness! I’m really sorry about lying to you,” Annette wailed. “I was really scared, but I knew the professor had a plan to keep you safe. I felt bad every second of it, though I know that’s probably not worth anything.”

You wrapped them both in a hug, “Please, don’t worry about it! I completely understand.”

“If there’s anything we can do for you, just let us know,” Mercedes offered.

“Of course.”

You smiled and waved at each other, parting ways as you continued on your trip to the dining hall.

More members of your house stopped you as you went. Dimitri wanted to apologize, promising he would attempt to prevent such occurrences in the future. Professor Byleth approached from behind him as the prince explained he was upset with himself for not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

Quickly, you assured him that no one did; you weren’t even aware you were cursed. Your teacher chimed in at that, saying she only found out by sheer luck. She threw a rare smile your way though, glad to have you back and happy to fill you in.

The necklace was given to Professor Hanneman and the woman was brought in for questioning, according to your professor. The woman had chosen to value her life over her secrets, it seemed.

“Thank you for everything,” you worried. “I don’t…that could have gone downhill way too quickly.”

“Don’t even think about it. You are my student; it is my responsibility to keep you safe.”

Her eyes slid past yours, as though she saw something behind you.

“In any case, Dimitri and I were just headed to the training grounds to spar with Felix and Dedue. Feel free to join us later, if you’re feeling better. We wouldn’t want to keep them waiting, though.”

“Oh, good luck,” you waved as they turned and left.

You heard your name from behind you.

Sylvain looked somewhat breathless, slowing up a few paces away by the time you shifted to face him.

“Sylvain,” was about as far as you got before he cut you off.

“I am so sorry,” he started. “Goddess, when we got you back…you were bruised, you were knocked out…I messed up.”

You were taken off guard. Such blunt sincerity wasn’t something you expected from him of all people.

…Manuela really wasn’t kidding when she said he was beating himself up over this.

“Hey…you saved me- you might have saved the professor too, since I know she’s who that woman was after. I have no clue what was in store for me, though I probably would have just kept living life trapped in limbo.”

“...maybe, but…” he struggled to find an argument.

“I know. Look, I-I’d rather have a few bruises than a chain binding me. You and Professor Byleth, you’re the reason I’m free. That’s more important to me than anything.”

“Right. Okay, then,” he nodded, taking a breath.

“So there. I forgive you.” You began to laugh, “Now look at us; I’m the one who’s worried. I don’t even think there’s a way I can repay you for helping me.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” he waved it off. “Although…you could come for a meal in the dining hall with me.”

“You’re in luck. I just happen to be on my way there right now,” you grinned. “Best not to leave a debt unsettled, right?”

He laughed, “I told you, you don’t need to think that way.”

Though the two of you went back and forth verbally, you went to the dining hall together.

And this time, the only voice telling you, this is right, was the one in your heart.

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Blades in Hand zine! I wanted some post canon fluff, at least as much as Felix and Byleth allow themselves fluff. XD Last time I had written them in the endings where they go around wandering, so I wanted a more domestic route this time. And all based off the one line in their ending where they end up having duels every time they go home.

…

…

…

…

Byleth wasn’t home. It was late at night, Byleth’s carriage should have arrived hours ago, and she still wasn’t home. Felix stood in front of his big bay windows, scowling at the slowly rising moon as though it had personally insulted him. No one would call him a patient man—Ingrid had bemoaned how little it took to set him off—but there was little else to do in the face of delays but wait.

He paced his dimly lit manor, the candles casting just enough light to see. Somewhere, a clock chimed, the hour late. Their children had already been tucked into bed, disappointed and sulking when their mother hadn’t returned. Felix hadn’t the words to comfort them; they had even less patience than he did. It was a Fraldarius thing, this desire to move, this need to get things done immediately and without delay. Byleth had always been good at the waiting game, whether it was teaching in their youth or handling important affairs as she cleaned up a war that she hadn’t started.

Aside from his soft footfalls echoing through the vaulted ceiling and the quiet tickticktick of the clock, the house was silent. The servants had long since finished their duties for the day. Only the stableboy stood outside, waiting to tend to Byleth’s horse. Felix watched the moon rise even higher, its silver rays lighting up the path to their front door. His sword dangled uselessly at his waist.

The clock chimed once, twice—at the eleventh gong, Felix stood stock-still. A familiar figure trotted down the path, her cloak pulled back. In the moonlight, her green hair glowed. Something in him uncoiled at the sight.

There were very few that could touch her, especially now that the war was over. Somehow, that fact never stopped the knots that grew in him whenever she returned late.

He was getting soft. A minor affliction he had feared as an ignorant child, and one that he now embraced as a father.

Her horse stopped at the front door. He listened to the soft murmurs as she talked to the stable boy, as she slipped off her steed and walked to the door. Felix stood in front of the staircase, expression impassive, as she walked in through the doors.

Byleth’s eyes lit up as she spotted him, her lips curving into a rare, soft smile. “I’m back.”

“Late,” he replied evenly, noting the slight limp as she closed the door. Her green cloak looked frayed and torn, and the dark splatters could only be blood.

“There was trouble.” Byleth unfastened her clasp and turned when he approached. “The children?”

“Asleep.” Felix gently pulled off her cloak. Their conversations were always quick, pointed things, like the strikes in fencing. Only the bare bones were needed, only the bullet point summaries had to be uttered. “The blood?”

Looking over her shoulder, Byleth smirked. “Not mine.”

Felix chuckled. He shouldn’t have asked. Stripped down of her travelling gear, he could see that she was perfectly fine. His gaze flickered to her right leg. Almost perfectly fine. Felix touched her hip lightly.  Her skin was warm beneath her stockings. “Should we do this tomorrow?”

Byleth rested a cold hand on his, squeezing it lightly. Her other hand cupped his cheek, guiding him down into a firm kiss. He could taste her long, dusty journey on her lips. As she pulled back, she shook her head. “Today. I have not felt your sword in a month.”

Felix didn’t fight his smile. With every year that passed, he realized how lucky he had been to find her. There was no need for words between them, they only got in the way. There was no desire for pleasantries or any of the trappings of society, the social norms that only served to restrain and hinder them.

No, the only thing they needed was the swords attached to their belts and an open space to fight. Sparring was their religion, their weapons their gods, and there was no need for any tradition in their household aside from their clashes. Felix had long learned how to read Byleth’s body, with the reverence that Mercedes put into her prayers, and any questions he had would be answered as they fought.

Felix deposited her cloak in a corner. They could put it away later. The candlebras were fully lit, leaving two bright pools of light on the ground. Felix stepped into one, drawing his one-handed arming sword. The servants had cleared the room of any fragile items. No one had mopped. The area was clear for their fight. “With the clock?”

Byleth rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck as she entered the second pool of light. She drew her sword, a solid two-handed longsword. It didn’t have the same reach as her Sword of the Creator, but in her hands it didn’t need to. “Okay.”

The second hand ticked. He kept his grip relaxed. Her strength versus his speed. They fought so many times, they’d stopped keeping track of the score and focused instead on who was winning. Felix breathed in. Byleth breathed out.

The minute hand moved, a soft tick, and they both sprang forward. He struck first, as always: a sharp thrust to her chest. Byleth parried, a strong stroke that sharply cleaved through the air. Without a pause, she kicked him with her good leg, sending him flying back.

He didn’t miss her wince as she did so. Her leg hurt more than she had admitted. Her stoicism matched his, and it was hypocritical of him to say otherwise. Sliding to a stop on their marbled floor, he ducked at her follow up attack and elbowed her in the chest. Byleth grunted and hit his shoulder with her hilt.

Felix clenched his jaw and jumped back. Her eyes narrowed and he knew that she’d recognized his reaction for what it was: his old shoulder injury acting up again. It liked to do that, some spring nights, when winter’s chill still lingered long after the snow had melted.

Every movement revealed more and more of their time apart: the exhaustion in her arms from her long ride, the boredom of his paperwork dulling his blade, her nose ruddy from the drizzle she’d travelled through. It was better than any letter, more explicit than any conversation. What the memory forgot, the body remembered.

The dance continued: thrust, parry, duck, jab. Muddy footprints recorded their midnight duel. Moonlight streamed through the windows, and Felix was reminded of another starlit dance on a marbled floor, years ago when she had been a mysterious teacher and he hadn’t cared for her beyond her blade. Somehow, Sylvain had convinced her to dance with the entire class.

Felix had spent the entire song stiff, his hands wooden on her shoulder and waist as he impatiently waited for the night to be over. And when they had bumped into each other later, in front of the tower, he had mocked the entire affair.

Settle for being a lover, he had said. If you want passion, look elsewhere.

He had been a fool then. There was no better partner than Byleth, no better dance than that of their blades. There was no settling with Byleth, only rising to each other’s challenges.

And passion could be found everywhere, from their swords to their beds.

They clashed, steel meeting steel, speed opposing strength. Byleth’s eyes were alive in a way he rarely saw otherwise, burning with a fire as she instantly decided her next move. Felix was certain he had the same wild look, his hair flying out of its tie, his lips drawn into a smile that was all teeth and grit.

Since he was a child, he had known there was no place for him in peace. Even with his duties, his friends, his children, it was a feeling that stayed bone deep.

Yet.

Yet.

Here, in the middle of a fight with his wife, her sword nicking his cheek, his blade grazing her arm, he knew had found the one place he’d belonged. They were two extinct animals, but they were together, and perhaps that was all he had needed: a companion.

Byleth slashed at him.  He dodged, but her hilt hit his wrist and he gasped. Before his sword could fall out of his hand, he grabbed it with his other. Sensing weakness, Byleth lunged forward. Felix ducked her thrust and kicked her leg. Her eyes widened and she groaned softly as she fell backward. Before she could hit the ground, he wrapped an arm around her waist, his blade pointed at her neck. “Yield?”

Byleth’s gazed flickered from her sword to his blade to his face. Sighing, she nodded, her weapon falling out of her hands with a sharp clatter. “You win.”

He smirked, pulling her up before he sheathed his own weapon. He kept his hand on her waist, feeling her shudder with every heavy breath. “We’re tied again.”

“No, I’m still one ahead—” Byleth let out a sharp breath and grimaced as she stepped with her hurt foot.

Felix didn’t hesitate before sweeping her off her feet and into his arms. His wrist ached at the added weight. When she shot him a disgruntled look, he pressed a gentle finger on her leg. “A sprain?”

Byleth stared at him for a moment before sighing. “A bruise that hasn’t healed.”

She relaxed, leaning into his chest. Her hair tickled his chin as he tightened his grip and headed up the stairs. Byleth wasn’t one for indulgence, neither was he, but he couldn’t deny the desire sometimes. It had been a month since he’d last held her.

“I missed this,” he murmured. I missed you.

Byleth smiled, hearing the unspoken words. “Me too.”

Their bedroom was considerably brighter than the foyer, the candles scattered on the desks, drawers, and other flat surfaces until the room had a warm, almost cozy feel. It would be annoying to put them out later. Despite that, they were oddly appealing in this late hour.

Years ago, he had told her that he wasn’t a romantic. It was funny how things changed.

Slowly, Felix deposited his wife on their bed, her bright green hair splaying on the dark blue comforter.  She rolled over slightly, eyes closed and smiling contentedly as she buried her nose in the fabric. “They still smell of pine. I didn’t think we’d still need them.”

Felix chuckled, immediately guessing what her real question was. “It’ll be another month before we should remove them.”

Byleth was tough, but not Faerghus winter tough. Felix had long suspected the main reason she kept hosting Dimitri’s peace talks at the monastery was not because of its central location, as she claimed, but rather to escape the deep chill of winter. He leaned down, brushing the hair out of her face. Her eyes were emerald bright in the gloom. “The cold will leave soon enough.”

She leaned into his touch. Her cheek was as rough as her hands. “You said that before I left.”

“It is warmer now,” he rebutted, brushing her skin with a thumb. Part him wanted to linger here, to just stay like this. After spending years running, these days Felix found he wanted to stand still. He was getting soft. It had to be old age.

There was a first aid kit in their drawers. Early on in their marriage, they’d discovered it was an essential bedroom item. Between his lies and her deflections, it was a miracle they hadn’t lost a limb from delaying healing. Felix knelt next to the bed, setting the cloth bandages, a water-filled basin, and a washcloth around him.

Byleth moved up to her elbows, regarding him as he gently pried off her mud-encrusted boots. Her tights fared little better, flecked with the dirt. “Rough ride?”

“There was rain.” She exhaled sharply as he slid her tights off her right ankle.

His fingers skimmed her thighs and he fought the urge to investigate higher. Bruised skin greeted him as he examined her bare ankles, small black and purple flowers that ran up her leg. Carefully, Felix held her leg, his lithe fingers gingerly pressing as he assessed the damage. “A bruise?”

“Many bruises,” she admitted reluctantly. When he looked up, brow furrowed and lips a straight line, she sighed. “It looks worse than it feels.”

He pressed on a bruise and she hissed between clenched teeth. Clicking his tongue, Felix dipped the washcloth in the cold water. “How did you ride with this?”

Byleth shivered as the cold water hit her skin. Lightly, he removed the dirt and grime of her journey, the cloth only just touching her leg. “I wanted to see you.”

His hand froze at the comment. “It could have waited.”

“It couldn’t,” she disagreed, bending forward to run a hand through his hair. When he looked up, she cupped his cheek. “It really couldn’t.”

That tiny action, those small words left him as breathless as their fight had. He turned slightly, pressing a kiss with the corner of his mouth before returning to her leg. “What happened?”

Byleth leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “We had found some remnants of the Agarthans. They were stronger than we’d expected.”

It had been years, and they still hadn’t fully wiped out those conniving bastards. Part of Felix thought they never would. “You beat them?”

Byleth snorted derisively. “Of course.” 

It was an insulting question. There was no other way she’d answer, after all. Felix changed the topic. “How were the boar’s peace talks?”

Byleth huffed. “The remaining nobles are stubborn—they’ve mostly agreed, but they just want to save face by delaying matters.”

“Old fools.” Felix clicked his tongue; the world was filled with morons. He let go of her leg. Aside from cleaning it, there was little he could do. “Anywhere else?”

Byleth gingerly kicked her leg. Satisfied, she shook her head. “No, that was it.”

“Good.”  Felix gently kissed her ankle. He had never considered himself a tender romantic but then again, he had never considered himself a passionate lover either. With Byleth, he found that both suited him. He pressed his next kiss slightly higher up.

Byleth’s breath hitched, and he smirked against her slowly warming skin. It wouldn’t be long before he wiped the journey from her body. Before he could go any further than her knee, a calloused hand cupped his chin, forcing him to look up. Byleth leaned down, kissing him softly, her thumb brushing his cut. It stung. He could taste iron from her bloody lip. She pulled back and patted the space next to her. “Your turn.”

Felix nosed her shoulder, lips skimming her collar. “It’s fine.”

Byleth growled and forced him to stand. “It’s not.”

As though they were still fighting in the foyer, Byleth yanked him down, all but tackling him onto the bed. Now he was the one lying flat on his back, staring at their canopy. She leaned over him, her green hair falling over him like a waterfall. “It’s not,” she repeated firmly, her gaze never leaving his.

“It’s not,” he agreed, reaching up and burying his good hand in her soft hair. Her breath ghosted his lips as he pulled her down.

“Don’t think I’ll fall for this,” she murmured, pulling away before he closed the gap.

Felix glowered at the ceiling before forcing himself to sit up on the bed. She plucked the kit from the floor and plopped it between them. Her knees bumped into his as she adjusted for a more comfortable position. Byleth held out her hand and reluctantly, he placed his injured wrist on her palm.

Now that he was paying attention to it, it throbbed, sending dull jolts of pain up his arm.

“Didn’t think I hit you that hard,” Byleth murmured, her fingers lightly tracing the sprain.

“You got lucky,” he muttered, unable to look away as she tenderly rubbed a cold, white ointment on his skin. Despite her firm grip, her touch was tender and he could barely feel it.

This wasn’t the first time she’d tended to him. It wouldn’t be the last either. Yet, he still couldn’t get used to the sensation, to the feeling of another taking care of him. It was different to Ingrid’s aid, or even Mercedes and Annette’s healing.

Byleth’s fingers sent jolts of electricity down his spine. As she leaned forward, her hair brushed his skin. Cradling his hand as though it were made of glass, she started to wrap it with a cloth tape.  

“Any changes here?” she asked, paying no attention to his stare.

Felix shrugged. “Nothing. Just the usual.”

“I didn’t think you’d ever say that.” Byleth chuckled, and he could feel the reverberations where they touched. “I thought you hated routines.”

Felix stiffened, remembering his stupid, foolish declarations in the academy. “I do. But this one…isn’t all terrible.”

She tucked in the end of the wrap, clipping it into place. She didn’t let go of his hand, staring at his palm as though she could read the future there. Maybe she could. Felix wouldn’t be surprised.

After a few moments, she brushed back her hair and kissed his palm. “No, it isn’t.”

His breath hitched as she looked up, her eyes dark and hungry.

There were traditions, rituals they kept whenever they parted, whenever they reunited. The duel. The patching. And now, another dance, a more intimate one without the blades and armour in their way.

Felix wasn’t a patient man. He had waited a month for his wife’s return.

Yet, as his wife pushed him down, her eager fingers already unbuttoning his shirt, he realized that his wife had even less patience than he did.

[omgkalyppso]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

tagged by @recurringwriter <33

1) how many works do you have on ao3?

98! I should do something special for 100 but just finishing / posting anything is something special with my slow writing pace...

2) what's your total ao3 word count?

649,983 uwu. I wonder how many years it would take me to catch up to your million...

3) what are your top five fics by kudos?

5. As Many Problems As There Are Stars - BG3, Astarion x OC, rated M, 1.6k Fluff - 82 kudos (insane) 4. I Can't Seem To Pull Myself Away - FE3H, Claurenz, rated E, 12.3k Soulmate AU - 89 kudos (this is crazy) 3. But How Bad Of An Idea Was It Really? - FE3H, Sylvain x Felix x nb!Byleth, rated E, 1.3k Smut - 96 kudos 2. Burning Through - FE3H, Claurenz, rated E, 13.7k Spies and Secret Agents AU - 108 kudos (shocked tbh) 1. Please Don't Leave - Overwatch, M/cH/anzo, rated M, 1.2k Hurt/Comfort - 153 kudos

4) what fandoms do you write for?

Short answer: Currently it's Love and Deepspace, Fire Emblem and Baldur's Gate 3.

Long answer:

5) do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I haven't really the past few years because I feel guilty, I don't know why. I feel like I especially owed people who commented more or better quality fic than whatever I provided and I feel guilty for not having replied to the people I didn't get to. I tell myself that when I feel better I'll go back and reply to everyone but then I wonder if people want a reply from an author five years late and I just /:

6) what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The Horror of Honor . Which is mostly just a poem, but is also Rodrigue going through his late son, Glenn's things.

7) what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Two come to mind: Trust Or Something Like It is an FE3H Syldue fic which could have been 16 chapters long but I crammed the story into a thousand words so it's only 1 chapter and most of it is smut where the relationship is secure and the future is bright. Similarly, Expanded Epilogue is an FE3H Claude x My Unit OC 6 chapter fic with Some tension that ends in a wedding. Trust Or Something Like It's tension builds in a way that I feel the happy ending isn't guaranteed, whereas I feel Expanded Epilogue's ending can be seen from miles away but there's something about each of them that feel more cemented than happy-and-hopeful-but-uncertain endings that accompany a lot of my fics.

8) do you get hate on fics?

I've deleted three stupid comments that I can think of.

9) do you write smut?

I write smut. I haven't posted smut since 2022. I know this needs to be rectified.

10) do you write crossovers?

Not really. I can enjoy crossovers, and I like thinking of my oc's / blorbos interacting. The closest I might get soonish would be stealing some Fire Emblem characters to be Faedolyn's friends in the Love and Deepspace universe (Dedue, (Dedue's sister oc) Luzia, Linhardt, Caspar, Lysithea, Seteth, Flayn and Basilio are on my short list).

11) have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12) have you ever had a fic translated?

I haven't, no.

13) have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I've collaborated with oc owners while writing fic, and I've written gift fic and zine fic where I received guidance / support; but not really.

14) what's your all time favourite ship?

I guess Vegebul? In terms of longevity.

15) what's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Don't put this curse on me.

16) what are your writing strengths?

I pray it's dialogue and characterization.

17) what are your writing weaknesses?

I think they are keeping tension and atmospheric descriptions of like the setting / objects in the setting.

18) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

It's fun as a narrative device, like if the pov character reflects on what was being said or the character speaking in another language translates themself at another point in the story as a fun twist or inside joke, but otherwise that it makes more sense to keep the fic in a singular language with descriptors for which language the speakers are speaking in and is less enjoyable to only have translations in authors' notes.

Two examples from my own fics:

Nader pointed beyond to a diamond block sitting on its side. “Hadduh?” Claude brought a hand up to the base of his neck and shared a look with Hilda, though whatever had touched him had only confused her. She squinted in response before turning to watch the scene play out. “Hadha, Nader?” Fae corrected, stretching to roll the blocked closer to them with a finger. “This one?”

.

[Claude] tossed his head back, and exclaimed in Almyran, “Mama?! What the hell is this?” “It’s just your brother,” she said in Fodlani, pouting. “You love your brother.”

19) first fandom you wrote for?

Archie Comics: Betty and Veronica

20) favourite fic you've ever written?

It's probably still Sacred Dedication which is a Gen FE3H fic; 2.9k Dedue Molinaro character study.

.

I'll tag @lucius-the-sinful, @thedragonagelesbian, @the-eldritch-it-gay, @razrogue, @bladesandstars and YOU.