#f for seteth

[risingsunfish]

he really does drop the information in this order like FE players haven't been conditioned against our will to assume something hinky's going on.

(I had grand ambitions of doing the Setleth comics in some semblance of chronological order but that's almost certainly not how people on this website would encounter them anyway, so whatever. We're gonna hop around.)

Twitter • Reddit (please appreciate the very good title for the reddit post)

[femuirdris]

boobie

meme template

[fe-fictions]

f!Byleth getting sick and Seteth taking care of her ? (If you didn't write anything similar already)

(This is perfect because I've actually been sick the last five days...I manifested it with all the sick fics!!! ;;;; A ;;;; )

The doors to the Archbishop’s private chambers were tightly sealed. None were allowed in or out without express permission from her prime minister, i.e. the head of her security, top advisor, vice director of the monastery’s medical wing, and perhaps most importantly-

Anxious husband.

After five years of nothing but good health and busy schedules, perhaps it was only a matter of time before one of you finally worked yourselves hard enough to get sick.

That was Mercedes’ deduction from your examination (after Flayn convinced Seteth to allow her in). As a result of your horrific diagnosis, your right hand man in all aspects of your life now found himself playing another key role; personal physician.

“Your fever does not seem to be improving.” Seteth’s comforting hand withdrew form your forehead, finding the heat far stronger than was healthy. His expression was tight and fixed in a grimace, which you were sure wouldn’t go away any time soon. “How is your breathing? You still sound congested…”

“Can’t really breathe out of my nose.” You confirmed with a huff, pressing your head back into the pillows in order to alleviate the tension in your skull.

Seteth nodded, darting to the washroom to procure the hot water still steaming in the basin. “Just a moment, dear.”

It was only a few moments before he was back at your side, a cloth dipped in hot water ready and waiting to be placed on your forehead.

You hummed in relief when he settled it just above your eyes, the soothing warmth working wonders to ease the discomfort. 

“There is some salve Cethleann brought that should help with the congestion in your chest. May I untie your nightdress?”

You cracked an eye open at him, the slightest twinkle of amusement within. “We have been married for two years, Seteth. You do not need to ask permission to take care of me.”

“Being married is not an excuse to cross boundaries.”

“What if I am stabbed in the chest and you must dress the wound? Would you ask permission then?”

“That is a ridiculous and terrible question, Byleth. I refuse to answer it.” He scoffed, shooting you quite an annoyed glare. “If you are well enough to tease me, then perhaps you do not need my help, after all.”

“I am terribly sorry.” 

“That doesn’t sound very convincing.” He huffed, making you smile.

“I truly am. Thank you for asking permission to take care of me. You are ever the gentleman.” 

“Indeed I am.” His indignance settled just slightly, and he returned to his task, carefully untying the laces of your nightdress, just enough that he could apply the topical in soothing circles.

You inhaled deeply, your body relaxing as the salve worked its magic. Seteth’s fingers hesitated for half a second, and you fought the urge to smile.

“...Having second thoughts about being a gentleman, my love?”

“Tch!” He clicked his tongue, finishing his work and hastily withdrawing in a huff. “Of course not! I was simply worried I had hurt you by pressing too hard.”

“Darling, I’ve told you many times that you should press harder. You’re always far too gentle.”

“Byleth.”

The tips of his ears burned red as you snickered, your poor husband incapable of escaping your teasing even when you were bedridden. Your eyes remained closed, listening as he quickly screwed the lid back on and clacked the salve back in the medicinal cabinet in the bathroom. 

When he returned, his breathing had steadied, and you assumed he had calmed down some from your prodding. 

“Sorry, Seteth. I shouldn’t tease you when there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t. It is hardly fair.” you could hear the frown on his lips, giving you the slightest twinge of guilt.

You peeked up at him, finding Seteth’s expression far from annoyed. Rather, he looked very focused, as he did when checking on a patient in the medical wing.

For just a moment you were lost in his image; he looked so handsome like this, especially when he was focusing on you. He looked like a statue, sometimes; he was far more perfect than he realized.

His hand touched your forehead again, testing your temperature.

“How is your breathing?” A gentle question pulled you from your reverie.

You nodded, “It’s better. Thank you for tending to me.”

“Of course.” He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. A smile curved the edges of his lips, “There is nowhere else I would rather be than by your side.”

“Even when I’m like this?”

“Especially when you are ‘like this’. Now, you should rest while you are able to breathe easy. I will prepare something for you to eat once you wake.”

“If you insist. I wouldn’t dare disobey the doctor’s orders…certainly not after he’s been so kind in spite of my bullying.”

Seteth chuckled softly...a dangerous sound that was rare in itself. You looked up at his retreating form.

“It is only because I know I will be able to repay you for your bullying once you’re better. I need only bide my time.”

You weren’t sure if the shiver that ran down your spine was the fever or the heat in your husband’s words.. But your heart skipped a beat nonetheless.

“Of course, if you will allow me, my love.”

You beamed, finding a hopeful glimmer in his eyes when he turned to look at you from the door.

“Of course, Seteth. I look forward to it.”

A delightful pink warmed his face before he shut the doors behind him, off to procure whatever broth you’d have as your next meal.

You settled back into your bed with a giggle. Dreams of Seteth’s sweet touches and ridiculously adorable smiles only made your healing sleep all the better.

[platonic-qpr-selfshipping]

HI yet another request for when you can get to it. Familial headcanons for Rhea and Seteth (separate) please and thank you!! It’s like for the other 2 I get so sad about the lack of family content out there ~sunlight-ships

whoaaah thank you for sending these in! I'm guessing you refer as parental figures so I'll write about them like that, I'm happy to write some Seteth content!

Rhea and Seteth as your parental figure f/os

¡! s/i is a student at the monastery

Rhea

Rhea likes to know at least a bit of everyone who is staying at Garreg Mach and how they are doing, so don't be surprised if you someday receive some medicinal herbs or oils while you are going through a hard time either physically or emotionally with your studies.

If you decided to write her a letter to thank her for the unexpected help, she would surprise you once again by answering to you. She appreciates your effort to reach out to her and receives your words with an accepting warmth that you can feel through the letters.

Rhea is a busy figure most of the time due to her responsibilities as the archbishop, so it can get a bit tricky to find a moment to meet her in person. However, if something is troubling you and you happen to run into her, she will try to make some time in the day for you. No matter how many things could be in her hands at the moment, knowing you are relying on her will bring her a sense of relief that can make days feel a bit less stressing.

Because of these duties and the protection she has on a daily basis, you find out that the best moments to casually meet happen to be at night. You were surprised by this when it happened for the first time, as you were on kitchen duty and finished cleaning late at night only to run into her when going back to your room. However, it seemed almost as if she had been waiting for you.

It will be hard for her to admit her worries to you, although she tries to tell you some more personal stories from time to time. If you are developing a bond based on support and sharing thoughts, she eventually feels like she should let you know at least a bit more about herself, about that woman that appreciates your presence and wants to protect you as if you were her own child.

If you ever have trouble sleeping in one of those nights, she will sing a lullaby to you while you watch the starry sky from one of Garreg Mach's balconies. The place seems so huge from up there that you can only let the lullaby guide you into calmness as your worries fade away.

After those occasions, you will wake up in your room even if you don't have any memories of coming back. It's kind of obvious that the only possibility is that Rhea brought you to your room somehow, but if you are too shy to try confirm it with her she will not mention it. Accepting your decisions and helping however she can is the least a mother figure like her could do, right?

As time goes by, maybe even some other students will start mentioning that you are like her child and how she acts like a mother towards you. Well, it's not like you can really deny it when she starts to personally wish you good luck for every mission you go out to.

Seteth

Gaining Seteth's trust can be a kind of long process, and you weren't aware of how you had gotten in it just as he did not know when he started caring this much about you. But there you were, worrying him when chaos appeared in the monastery and making him smile whenever he saw you studying in the library.

He's happy to get you any books you need or that you are curious about. Sometimes, if he knows about your classes or is somehow involved with them, will prepare what you need to lend it all to you next time you go to his office or the library. He'll let you know he has something for you if he sees you walking around Garreg Mach.

However, the chosen family privilege doesn't mean he will let you go through forbidden books. I'm sorry, he acts and makes decisions to protect you and wants the best for you and your life at the monastery, even if that means saying no to your search for knowledge sometimes.

I hope you like fish because you start to pop up in his mind when he's fishing something for Flayn, and will end up bringing more fishes that he was supposed to at first. You know, you are always invited to their family dinners, Flayn will also love to have you around.

Flayn will probably be one of the first people to notice Seteth's fatherly attitude towards you. She also likes the idea of getting to know you better, so she will point it out to Seteth, who doesn't pay much attention to it until he realizes that the protectiveness he feels towards you is just as the one he feels for Flayn. Oh, did he just accidentally adopt you?

Will continue acting naturally with you, but if you mention that you see him as a familial figure, he will open up and reassure you that you are not the only one who views your bond that way. He'll also remind you to go have lunch afterwards. He's just like that sometimes; and don't mind him if he sounds too serious some days, he's just showing he cares.

May not be big on physical affection in the middle of the monastery, but if you ever need to talk about something that has been worrying you, he'll gladly give you a reassuring hug to comfort you. His days are full of work most of the time, but he knows family comes first after all.

[anime-ships-all-good]

Seteth x F! Byleth

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

[sluteth]

I costested(?) Byleth!!! Feat. Seteth from thestarfishface on etsy, my prized possession (that and my signed Seteth print from Mark Whitten teehee)

I do plan in making her armor look more like... armor. Idk how because it wouldn't be my first time doing something like this but uhhhh worth a shot. Also wanna remake her pendant thing too.

also took my signature selfie look (I have to do that everytime I take a selfie) at the end, but we can pretend that’s the CF route.

[varley-of-torment]

is it a bad thing that after I saw your answer to my most recent ask my mind *immediately* jumped to thinking of which goth swordsman jeritza could possibly get shipped with since Mercedes is being shipped with Byleth and Dimitri is probably being shipped with Felix?

Not at all! And give her a sword, Shamir technically counts as a goth swordfighter.

[wall-maria-around-ba-sing-se]

I don’t wanna be getting peoples hopes up unnecessarily, but I will point out that Sothis and Rhea both have Halloween alts, and now Flayn… who’s the most likely next related character in line….?

MY

BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[enullarts]

The dawn of a whole new world

Wrote a trans!m!byleth x Cl/aude from f/e/3/h birth fic bc i thought about them for too long and developed emotions again

cw// tmpreg, descriptions of birth, mostly neutral wording, Byleth is the one who got pregnant

"I love you. With everything I am. And the next time we see each other... it will be at the dawn of a whole new world. A peaceful, happy world."

If Byleth had known how serious Claude was about this he would have held onto him longer, kissed him harder, done everything within his power to memorise his beloved Golden Deer's features, smell, taste. But it was not meant to be, time did not stop for anyone and there was a religion to build back up in Fódlan and a war to quell in Almyra. He also understood this, and the sooner he and Claude began this journey, the sooner they would be reunited.

And it wasn't like they never saw each other, the international relations meetings between the nations still occured regularly, except for the fact that they were now on opposing sides, trying to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement for both countries. Byleth lived for those weeks where either he would come on a peacekeeping mission to Almyra or Claude, now going by his true name Khalid, would visit his old Fódlan home. Quick stolen glances, kisses on the hand, nightly sneak outs as they tore into each other like animals starving.

They managed to keep their relationship downlow for a while. That is, until one day, Byleth felt a flutter in his lower abdomen which had slowly been growing over the course of the months. At first, he had thought he was just becoming a bit plump from regular hearty meals around the monastry. But a quick visit to the healer quickly dispelled any guesses on what it was. He was pregnant.

A pang of fear sank into his heart, he had no idea when he would next see Claude, sometimes he would not see him for years. Sending a private message that could be intercepted some way would spell chaos for the fragile relations the countries were embroiled in as it was. They were not wed, the baby, although desired and loved, would be deemed a bastard and a liability for Claude's claim to the throne. No, he had to keep it a secret.

He swore the healer to secrecy and informed only his closest advisors within the monastry. His robes would cover his changing form well enough and in the last few months he would temporarily withdraw from public view with the excuse of needing it for internal affairs. (Not technically a lie).

Time went on and his belly only grew, his back ached from all the standing and moving he had to do, he was by no means fragile, but the extra weight, the nausea, the anxiety, sometimes it would all become too much and he would take ill, needing Seteth or Rhea to take over while he rested. Despite his illness he loved the days he could lie in bed and feel his and Claude's baby. He spoke quietly to them, hoping the baby could hear his voice and know how much his other papa loved them even though he didn't know when their child would get to meet him.

Finally, his belly grew big enough it was no longer able to be concealed, and he took to solitude, remaining in his room and only seeing selected people who knew about his condition and the child's father. Marianne came by often when she wasn't busy with Hilda and they would sit and read books together.

--

The sun had just risen when Byleth awoke to a painful cramp in his abdomen making him grunt and curl in on himself, both hands encircling his now full term belly which was rock hard and clenching angrily. He breathed deeply, gently rubbing circles around his sides as he smiled down, tracing a stretchmark. "Hello, love... are you practicing again?"

He waited a moment and soon his belly relaxed once again, allowing him to sit up slowly, one hand continuously on his lower abdomen, supporting his lower belly. He had noticed it had dropped significantly in the last few days and the contractions had gone from every few days to every day now, they were beginning to hurt for longer too. Not to mention all that weight in between his hips. Some days he felt so full and low he thought the baby was about to fall out of him. But he had reached full term now, and a few days really. And still no sign of the baby arriving.

He had a feeling today would be different though.

He dressed himself lightly, it was a light summer morning, the heat of the day had not yet taken hold and a cool breeze blew in from his opened window.

Byleth closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting himself calm and take in the day. His mind wandered back to the night more than nine months ago now that had apparently conceived this miracle child. Whispers of "I love you" and desperate and quick touches, they only had a few hours of privacy before Claude would be off again. Definitely not as romantic as the both of them would have liked.A cloud blocked the sun for a moment and a chill ran down Byleth's spine now, a flash of fear entering during this moment of vulnerability.

Due to Byleth's creation he had doubted he could bear children, or that he would become sick like his mother when the time came to bear the child. But he felt good today, calm.. he could only pray this was a good sign. He wanted this baby more than anything, and he wanted to live to see them grow and meet their father.

--

"Oh!" Byleth gasped, clutching his abdomen as he dropped the book he had been reading in his private library with Marianne. It was midday and the pains were definitely worse now, coming regularly. The lady quickly hurrying over to help her former teacher stay standing.

"Is it the baby, Byleth?" Marianne asked quietly and rubbed his back as he softly panted through the latest pain.

He could only nod, an emotion of grief welling up inside him. Was Claude going to miss the birth of their child? He had been adamant about keeping it from him to not interfer with his work, but now that the time had come for the baby to arrive- that he was going to give birth without Claude with him, that he wouldn't be the first to hold their baby? Oh.. it hurt.

"Byleth... you're crying..." Marianne's voice drew him back as she made him sit and produced a little hankerchief to gently pat away his tears. Her eyes gentle with concern. "Does it hurt a lot? Is there anything I can do?"

Byleth dried his eyes further with the meat of his palm. "Help me to my room... We should prepare."

--

It was well into the night until Byleth's labor had progressed into the active phase, he had stripped into wearing just a night gown and had shed his undergarments as his water kept leaking slowly over the stone tile floor as he waddled around, clinging to the bedposts or walls when he needed to breathe through a contraction. He didn't allow anyone near him, no one to touch him. Every touch just reminded him of the fact that the person he wanted the most wasn't here. Didn't even know he had to be here.

"Ohh... nghhh..... a-ahh..." Byleth huffed through his latest contraction, sinking into a squat by the end if the bed. "Ch...check.." he ordered softly and allowed a healer to come over and he spread his legs.

"8 centimetres, your grace... Nearly ready for pushing.." Byleth sobbed, his knees buckling so he now sat on the ground, arms supporting him against the bed. He was exhausted, having born the labor so long now. "Help me.."

More healers came over now to help him onto the bed, they wiped his forehead, neck and face down with a cool cloth and massaged his angry contracting midsection in an attempt to help him open up more. Byleth's face was grief stricken, all the hands on him nauseating. They were not who he wanted.

--

"A-Ah..!! A-Aah!!" Byleth moaned loudly, his back arching forward and hands gripping the back of the headboard as his belly clenched tight once again, barely any time for rest between pains now.

This time, the pain came with a new signal. Push!! It said and Byleth gave in easily, beginning to feel the baby finally move lower within him. His breath came quick and shallow as he adjusted to the new feeling of the baby moving and wiggling itself downwards while he pushed. He sobbed again, head lolling to the side as he rested, his hands coming to hug his abdomen.

"G-get out..." He trembled as the healers once again tried to assist."But, your grace! You're about to give birth, we need to-"

"Get out!!" Byleth cried again, curling in on himself and away from them. "Guards!"

"Byleth!" Marianne whimpered as the guards entered in a panic. "Wait!"

"Get them out!" Byleth ordered, tears escaping his eyes now as he grit his teeth and felt the next pain beginning to build. He needed to be alone, he could not stand the idea of these people seeing their baby before Claude could.

"Now!!"

As the healers and Marianne were ushered out Byleth got himself onto his hands and knees and cried out as his body bore down instinctively. His entire body shook with the effort, all his calm overtaken by this desperate need to birth this baby yet also his heart screamed out for his love, that somehow, somehow he knew the pain Byleth was in, what was happening right now, and he was on his way to his side.

But there was simply no way... Claude was in Almyra, a month's trip away at least.. He would have to do this alone.

--

Time passed in a blur, Byleth's pushing alternating between him sobbing from pain and effectively bringing the baby closer.

Another hour went by and only a sliver of the baby's head was visible between the man's lips. Byleth kept his hand there as an anchor to keep himself focused. His sheets were drenched in blood and sweat from all his moving and pushing.

He was anxious, feverish and feeling delirious from pain, his breathing still shallow despite trying to calm himself, he was thinking about his mother. She died to give birth to him, what if... what if he...No.. he couldn't think that way. He was going to see his baby and raise them properly until Claude could see him too.

"Khalid..." he murmured as he tensed for another push, his head falling back against the mattess, eyes squeezed shut as his body squeezed against the burden within. "Khalid....!"

A soft breeze of cool air flittered through the open window, followed by a thump of something heavy dropping onto the ground. Byleth's eyes flung open anxiously, if they were being attacked he would have no way to defend himself in his current state. But instead his eyes met those warm green ones he had come to know so well. Before he could even utter the name he was at his side, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"I'm here, Byleth..." Claude murmured, his lips pressed to the top of Byleth's head, inhaling his scent as he held his lover tightly.

"Khalid..." Byleth sobbed, his hands beginning to cling to the other man, desperate for support as his body clenched harder and more of the baby appeared between his legs even without his efforts. "I-it's coming.. Oh, Gods, its coming out. It hurts."

Claude pulled Byleth close, keeping him as upright as possible while the man pushed and pulled his legs back as much as possible to give room to the emerging baby. "You've done so well Byleth... I'm so sorry, I came as fast as I could..."

"How?" Byleth managed after releasing the push and relaxing against Claude's chest, nuzzling into him for comfort, his scent comforting.

"Lysithea... She performed a portal spell at Marianne's insistence... I understand why you kept it from me By.. but Gods... I should have been here.." Claude's voice shook with pain and concern that Byleth had been in pain for so long all alone. "Where are the others?"

"I sent them away..." Byleth mumbled. "I couldn't bear the thought the baby would be held by anyone but you..." A tired sob ripped from his throat as he felt another contraction build yet again. " I'm so tired Claude... Oh Gods, help me..!!"

He wailed as another contraction built up, stronger and stronger until he was pushing even without conscious effort yet again, the baby's once again making progress, little by little. Inch by painful inch. Even with Claude there comforting him it felt torturous. He thought of his mother again, had she endured this agony for him too?

"a-ahh... mhhh ohhh..." His breaths became sharp and pointed, the widest point of the head finally beginning to crown just as the contraction let up again and the baby receded just slightly. "N-no, please, ah.. ah please..!"

His head turned towards Claude's, catching his lips desperately. The other moaned into it with surprise.

"Please.." Byleth panted anxiously, his hips rolling gently. "I need you..."

Claude didn't need to think twice after hearing that, his mouth caught Byleth's in a firm and deep kiss, his hands wandering down his lover's body, refamiliarizing himself with it. He cupped one of Byleth's supple and plush breasts and gave it a gentle squeeze, earning a soft moan from the other. He noted some milk began to pearl out of it as well; gingerly he used the tip of his finger to catch the drops and licked it, it tasted somewhat salty.

Continuing his groping downward, a quick slide over Byleth's taut frame, over stretchmarks and new love handles, he took the time to admire how full and different Byleth had become since he last saw him.

Byleth's pants and moans as he still struggled to push the child into crowning went on but Claude was almost enraptured by the sight of that belly, clenching with strength down, bringing the baby closer.

Finally he reached down, gently over Byleth's thigh, inner thigh, and then...

"Oh Byleth... you're doing it, love... they're right there ..." His hand cupped the full crown of the head now as he peppered Byleth's face and neck with kisses. The other having dropped his head down against Claude's shoulder, eyes closed and mouth open and panting as he strained to keep the baby's head out. This time the crown stayed.

Claude moved his hand upwards, finding that sensitive little nub and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Oh!" Byleth gasped, his hips bucking towards Claude's hand then relaxing more, nuzzling into the crook of Claude's neck as Claude's hands began to stroke the nub gently. "... y-yes... Oh..."

Claude continued his gentle strokings, letting Byleth adjust and lean into the pleasure between the pain of the stretch. He tried to time the heavier stroking with the contractions, building more and more momentum until finally Byleth spasmed, mouth open in a silent O as he came and the baby's head slipped free.

"That's it! The head's out, Byleth! Gods you're beautiful..."The baby's head was full of little brown curls, and Claude brought Byleth's hand to the head and watched as his love felt around, laughing softly.

"Hello my little love..." Byleth whispered before turning to Claude with a smile. "They... they look like you.""Well, I suppose that's okay. I just hope they'll be more like you in personality" Claude laughed, kissing Byleth's forehead. "One more push, babe.."

A final tense moment and then another shudder as the rest of the body slid out and the baby began to wail as Byleth brought them up to his chest, tears falling from his eyes as he regarded the squaling bloody little baby. He was smiling from ear to ear.Claude's hand joined Byleth's on the baby's back, he kissed Byleth's temple and then used his shoulder to wipe some tears from his eyes. "Oh my gods, Byleth... you did it..."

--

By the time the healers were let in again, Claude had gone, but on Byleth's finger, a green ring with a flower motif decorating around it. A promise for a wedding not too far from now.

[risingsunfish]

Here's the long-overdue continuation of my Salty Merc!Byleth comic series, which I'm probably just gonna start referring to as Setleth comics because who am I even fooling at this point 🙃

If the arm-wrestling reference doesn’t ring a bell, read this one first!

Twitter

[femuirdris]

drew some otps with the Hot Yaoi Base

[fe-fictions]

Oooh no Seteth ma boi... ANYWAYS DO YOU RECALL THAT STORY WHERE HE FOUND BYLETH STABBED ? If you do, and remember it quite well, would you mind rewriting it maybe..? Thanks and have a nice day !!

(I still have this story and it is easily one of my favorites of all time,,, let's torment Seteth!! ; 7 ; // )

Seteth dragged his feet along, trying his very best to make it all the way to bed without collapsing on the way. It had been a terribly long day.

He longed for a respite, but not only for himself; he missed spending more than a few hours at a time with you, alone. How often you would be asleep before he came, or he would sleep the moment he touched the bed.

It was all so demoralizing, only having those long, dull moments in meetings or going over tasks and papers. He would make it up to you. As soon as  he coild force a few days into the schedule without any work, he would have the two of you.

That was his plan, he thought, pushing open the door to your quarters. Then he found a trail of blood in front of him. The horror that followed was indescribable.

The Archbishop collapsed to the floor with a knife in her stomach.

The air flew from his lungs when the scream ripped out of him. His eyes were wide and un-blinking, staring in shock at the sight before him.

The noise alone was enough to alert the guards stationed too far away. 

When someone frantically appeared in the doorway, you were in his arms, crushed to his chest. He was sobbing hysterically, echoing your name over and over, begging you to open your eyes.

Why wouldn’t you respond? Could’t you hear him?

The staves stored in his personal chest were worthless- the wound was too deep and too far for his weak Mends. Where was his Caduceus- or Flayn’s- surely she could help-

Seteth’s entire reality was crumbling into worthless pieces. You were so very cold. Your face white as a sheet. The blood having warmed you leaking onto the unforgiving stone.

When Flayn broke into the room with a slew of clerics, she was worried. When she But the sight of her father sobbing over you was enough for her own tears to spill over.

He was speaking a frantic confusion of Nabatean and modern language. Seteth was engulfed by an irreconcilable fear.

His wife was dead.

No...close to death.

Not quite gone.

Seteth remembered Flayn pleading with him to let you go, that they needed to take you so they could save you. He did not recall being brought to the medical wing.

But he was there, pacing, wildly afraid that the last he had seen of his wife was another arbitrary, pointless meeting among apathetic, stubborn old fools.

But worst of all was the realization that you were failed. By himself, and the church, and everyone who had sworn to protect you.

Somehow someone had found a way past his defenses, his painstaking, anxiety-filled nights of installing every possible barrier between you and a potential enemy.

They had to have known you would be alone. Out of his sight for just a few moments.

Long enough to drive the blade into your flesh and end your life.

But who could possibly have enough knowledge or skill to achieve such a thing? It had to be someone who knew. Who had been studying. Watching...waiting. Someone who wanted you dead. 

And anyone who posed a threat to his family needed to be taken care of. But if they weren’t found in time, he risked losing everything, once more.

No. There was only one solution that had ever n  in protecting his loved ones, before.

He wasn’t going to wait for you to be harmed, again. Certainly not after seeing how close to the brink you were when he wasn’t able to protect you. Or even for you to be able to protect yourself.

Both of his girls had to be safe. He needed them to be.

Flynn knew this, all too well. She could see it in his eyes with every turn of his feet. 

It was time to go.

-------------------------

“This isn’t the right solution, Father. You know it’s true, deep down.”

“There is no other way. You have both been in life-threatening situations here, and it’s only a matter of time before it happens, again.”

“But both times we survived! Byleth will wake up soon. And she’s the one who rescued me when I was kidnapped. Bad things happened here, yes, but-”

“They never should have happened.” Behind the static that filled your ears, you could hear the distinct sound of your husband snapping at Flayn.

You were awakening, slowly, and you were disoriented by the waves of blurriness that washed over your vision. There was a spot of dark green that fidgeted back and forth at your feet. A blossom of mint by your side, pleading with him.

You were not in your bedroom.

But you were with your family.

“We have stayed here far too long- it was a matter of time before someone figured out who we really were. It’s high time we left, now more than ever.”

“Please-”

“Enough.” Seteth cut her off, his tone violent and impatient. “I have watched my family fall prey to danger again and again. My decision is final!”

The fuzzy flower on your left suddenly disappeared from view. The door across the room swung open and slammed with an angry bang.

Just in time for your hearing to come back.

“That child…” Seteth muttered to himself, continuing his work at the foot of the bed.

You watched him in silence, seeing him methodically moving his arms over and over, folding fabrics and pressing them into a satchel.

You assumed this was what Flayn had been referring to.

“Seteth.”

He startled at your voice. His long ears perked like a puppy, swiveling around to find you awake and staring at him.

Seteth all but leapt onto the bed, darting to your side and taking hold of your face with a fragile touch.

“Byleth…!” Your  name trembled on his tongue, gaze misty as the fear spilled over and out of his system. At last, he could rest easy. At last, you were awake.

His  eyes swept over you in search of any discomfort or injury that had somehow been missed. You were still frail and on the cusp of recovery, that much was clear.

But you weren’t in immense pain. For that, he was immeasurably grateful.

“My love, how do you feel?”

“Alive.”

“Indeed.” A humorless laugh. “Is there any discomfort? Anything I can take care of?”

“My head is swimming.” You spoke honestly. Seteth ran his thumb across your forehead gently, before he shifted away to retrieve something.

Soft warmth radiated on your skin when he returned, a hot towel placed where your hair was brushed away.

“This should help.”

“Seteth...why was Flayn upset?”

“For reasons outside of your concern, right now. More importantly,” He sat back, finding your hand on the bed, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. I was going to bed, and I heard a noise...I was listening for more, I sensed someone there, but...next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain. And now I’m here.”

“You didn’t see them? You didn’t hear their voice, or smell anything, or-?” With each shake of your head, he became more and more deflated. “I see.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You mustn’t apologize.” He shook his head, and squeezed your hand. “You were the victim of  an attack, one which almost cost you your life. You have no need to feel anything other than relieved.”

You turned your hand over so you could hold his, interlacing your fingers with your husband’s.

He softened some at the gesture, though he was still clearly troubled. 

“Besides, Catherine and the Knights of Seiros are already deep into the investigation. The former leader of the Ashen Wolves...Yuri Leclerc. That one has found several promising clues. We’ll have a lead and a perpetrator in our hands in no time.”

“Then we have nothing to worry about.” You replied in kind, though Seteth did not reciprocate those feelings.

Instead he looked away, prompting you to question him once again.

“They’ll be apprehended, won’t they? So we can rest easy.”

“I am sorry to say that we cannot.” There was a sigh which followed his words, as his hand pulled out of yours. “Not until we are far from this place.”

“What do you mean?”

Silence. 

Seteth wordlessly left the bedside, returning to the project he was working on before you had reuturned to him.

With your vision slowly clearing, you could make out what exactly he was packing away. A mixture of your clothes, his and Flayn’s.

The knapsack was much larger than for a camping trip or extended vacation.

“Seteth, we can’t.”

“We must.”

“We have duties. Lives, here. We can’t just...leave.”

“And I cannot stand idly by while my family is threatened over and over!” Seteth’s glare was as cold and sharp as his words.

The hurt that your eyes reflected made him recoil some, though his resolve remained.

“Please, my love. I already had this debate with Flayn. I haven’t the patience to do it again.”

“I'm afraid you'll have to.” You argued.

His brow furrowed. “What?”

“You cannot dismiss us, Seteth. We do not want to go.”

“What you want does not matter if your lives are at stake.” He argued with you, pulling the strings so tight it closed with a snap. “I do not care what you want if it means someone is after your life!”

“I am the Archbishop of an entire continent. I have duties, to my family and to the countless people who live here. I cannot abandon them out of the blue. Certainly not when everything is still so fragile.”

“But it is because everything is so fragile that we must!” He persisted, returning to your side.

His hands fell on your shoulders, practically begging you to hear him.

“I have no doubt the reason they came after your life is because there are many who do not want another Archbishop. Who seek to tear apart our peace.”

“Then we have to stay. To keep it in place.”

“We have to go. It is too dangerous. This was not the first attempt, and it will not be the last! And I cannot protect you if I am in a position that forces me to spend so much time away from you and Flayn. Perhaps if I had been there...if I hadn’t been locked up in that Goddess-forsaken office- I could’ve protected you- I could’ve been harmed in your stead! But because of this work, because I keep being pulled away from you- can’t you see how vulnerable you are?”

“Well...it wouldn’t have been any better if you were hurt.” You told him softly, “I wouldn’t want to live if you died in my stead.”

“Surely then you can understand why I feel the way that I do?” He pointed out, “Our feelings are the same. You must see better than Flayn that we cannot stay here any longer.”

“I understand you, Seteth. But I...I still do not think we should leave.”

“Byleth-”

“We have a duty to stay here, and to make sure that this country moves in the right direction. We took this responsibility on ourselves. We can’t leave, no matter how dangerous it is.”

“You would willingly lay down your life rather than spend it with your family?” 

“I want to be with my family, here. For however long together we have left. And so long as you’re by my side, it will be centuries.” You murmured, but Seteth was very quickly reaching his wit’s end.

“Did you not hear me? If I have this position, I cannot be beside you! I am your right hand, and yet I am so rarely near you! It’s asking for trouble. I could surround you with security and it still wouldn’t be enough, because I’m not there to protect you!”

“You don’t trust anyone else with me, do you?”

“Of course I don’t! There are sentries posted everywhere in this damnable monastery and you still found yourself close to death.” He snapped, “And I refuse to continue this way.”

“Then don’t.”

Seteth found pause in your last two words, analyzing you.

“...You would have me leave?”

“No. I want you to resign as my advisor.” You corrected him. He was even more perplexed. “You aren’t just my right hand anymore. You’re my husband. And our duty to stay close to each other is more important than any assignments you  might have been given.” 

He found himself unable to argue your point. His hand was taken and held to your chest, your fingers lazily fidgeting around his. 

“You can protect me, and be by my side at all times. Then you can ensure that your wife and child are safe.”

“But Flayn would never agree to being with us all the time. She would sooner run off on her own than give up what little freedom she has...”

“I don’t mean to have Flayn become our shadow. But with the freedom that resigning gives you, you’re able to check in on her more often than you can now.”

“I...suppose so.”

“I’ll even give you an offer you cannot refuse.” You said with a gentle tug on his wrist, drawing him closer to you.

Seteth’s nose nearly touched yours, your husband’s worry still glimmering in his eyes.

“If you do not feel you can protect us well enough, even after your change...if something happens again...I will leave with you, no questions asked. But we should at least try and make sure that our home is stable before we leave it in the hands of others.”

Of course he knew you were right; it was atypical for you not to be.

And as begrudgingly he felt otherwise, that he wanted to shoot you down, he knew that you had a very good point. 

Without the distractions of his office, he could tend to his girls  much easier. If he was by your side during meetings and the like, he’d still be able to give input in that regard, as well.

He wouldn’t be completely removed; it was a brilliant plan. Of course you’d come up with it.

“I am reluctant to admit...that your plan is...feasible.” He said carefully, though you didn’t bother to hide your victorious smile. “You truly think this is the best idea? You would rather this than escaping away? Just the three of us?”

“It is a very tempting offer, dearest. But we have centuries of time to do that.” You murmured, “And it will be even better once it’s just the two of us.”

“You don’t want Flayn to be there with us?”

“I do. But I also want you to myself...just for a little while.” You brushed your hand against his cheek. He blushed.

“You’re still recovering. Clearly delirious from the pain.” He huffed, kissing your forehead. “Rest. We can discuss our plans more once you’ve healed more.”

“So we’ll stay, then?” You asked as he pulled away once again. His sigh was deep, but not without concession.

“We will. Until I determine it is no longer safe to do so.”

“If you’re with me, I doubt it will be.” Your amusement only ruffled his feathers more, but he smiled all the same. He allowed himself to relax some, running his fingers through your hair.

“Rest, woman. You’re saying ridiculous things.”

“Hm.” 

Though Seteth would never outright admit it, he found it was much easier to protect you once his resignation went through. Yuri Leclerc took over as your head advisor, and he as well-versed in the politics of it, as any one man should be.

There would still be attempts on your life, at least until Those Who Slither were finally eradicated; but not a single one broke through his defenses.

Eventually, when the winds of change blew through the monastery grounds the last time, you decided it was time you and your husband made your graceful exit.

Flayn wouldn’t tag along with you, when Seteth told her that he was leaving Garreg Mach together with you. 

She would visit frequently, though...especially when her darling little sister was born shortly after you disappeared together.

Seteth was simply happy to have his family safe, together and at peace. And it would stay that way for centuries to come.

[randomnameless]

Why do the FEH devs insist on ignoring Nabatean lore so much?

I recently had a surprisingly cordial discussion on redshit with someone about the "nabateans = colonisers" take, and one of the main points raised was that the game was purposedly foggy around Nabateans/Sothis/their story because it would obviously favor a certain narrative (and thus make another narrative look, uh, not that marketable anymore).

To be honest, we still ended up with a product that had a lead go "this race and its blood* is the reason why the world sucks" and yet that lead is still marketable enough to have raunchy cipher cards and 5 FEH alts, so I actually wonder if, while pissing on that lore had that purpose, it was ultimately pointless since Supreme Leader can still sell goodies despite her incarnation in FE16.

And not only Supreme Leader - but the entirety of WC where we basically have 70% of the cast crying/complaining about their "mixed blood" or lack of and basically adding their 10 cents to the "this race and its blood is the reason why the world sucks".

I mean, can you imagine Sylvain selling any goodies and alts if Flayn replied to his "wah wah people only are kind to me and want to fuck me because I have Nabatean blood :(" by some uncharacteristic "good for you, I have to hide my ears, had to dye my hair, have to lie about my family because if the truth is found out about my identity, I will be hunted and vivisected like an animal and harvested for parts by people who call my kin abominations - just like what happens in the game where the same people who call my kin "abominations" ally with a classmate who calls me a creature and pretends I am incapable of human feelings based on my race".

FE Fodlan's main selling point is its cast of students, for various reasons, but even if I tried to kid myself, Nopes and FEH made it clears : students are the main selling point.

If you spare more time and attention to the Nabatean plot/lore, the students either grow from "likeable" to "despicable" or worse, you won't gaf about them because yeah sure, Hilda might be upset because people expect things from her due to her crust, but it would feel like a "peanut" compared to Seteth's irrational (granted, it's not so irrational since GW exists) fear that Flayn's newest friends would dissect her if they learnt she was a Nabatean, and being conflicted by finally letting her have human friends and form bonds she crave, or protect her due to the trauma from the genocide of their species.

Don't get me wrong, I love peanuts, I mean, not everyone can have a tragik of loaded backstory!

And yet, given how this verse's DNA is "can you fight against the red emperor who uwus about you", they had to add copious amounts of Earl Grey to their games so there's no clear-cut factions :

The "Your alien blood and its influence on the world corrupted it, so I want to reform it under my command" vs "I don't want to die and you oppose me due to my race and side with the people who genocided my kin"

is turned to :

"Your alien blood Crests and its your church's influence on the world corrupted it, so I want to reform it under my command"

"I don't want to die and you oppose me due to my race and side with the people who genocided my kin"

Sprinkle with the cast's hammering here and there that the "reforms" might be needed - but never develop on what they are - and add a few baseless and groundless takes as a toping (basically everything Claude says about tolerance and the general "isolationism/foreign policy" stuff) and you get FE Fodlan where the Red Emperor's war isn't seen as the catastrophe it is in the other entries from the series!

Now, for FEH...

FWIW, the F!F!Billy's trailer had them try to explain that Sothis was a bit pissed about her slaughtered/massacred children when Nopes never gave any reason about why she was pissed - maybe on Billy's behalf bcs Jerry's dead, but come on, she would indeed deserve the medal of the worst parent in the franchise if that was the case, since Billy can murder her daughter without Sothis taking over ! - but given that they cannot write/go against the source game those characters are from.

They tried a bit, with B!Supreme Leader and Hegemongard's FB, but then it stopped (because she had no "new unit" released since then lol) and I can understand why : Hegemongard came out before the Supreme Emblem, and Hegemongard hates dragons who are seen/perceived as gods by some of their human followers. Come FE17, and now Supreme Emblem accepts Alear because they are "one of the good ones". We can come up with HCs and details and talk about what are emblems or if Hegemongard's views were only hers at the end of AM all day long... But imo, Doylist wise, it still feels it's a retcon because the devs from the main games tried to scrap and remove the most "controversial" traits she had.

For the other characters... Well, you see what Marianne is in FEH (but even in her base games), she's one of the few characters who reacts - in a way - to the partial history about relics and demonic beasts and all... only to give sad uwus to Maurice.

FE16 (and Nopes) refused to have any "student" character react to the Nabatean lore/reveal, about what are relics and all. There are no lines, Claude shared some knowledge in the explore section of VW's last chapter, but we don't have anyone muse or think or even talk about what are relics, what are crests, and what kind of fuckery their ancestors or the ancient humans of Fodlan did.

With that in mind, FEH can't do much : either they write Marianne in a retcon-y way like what happened for Hegemongard (and they're not afraid to piss on characterisation, look at Lyon!), or they flanderise her "character" and develop her around 3 lines she had in the game in her paralogue, and continue to give sad uwus about Momo when he was at best a guy who slaughtered and murdered so much that he abused the Nabatean turned into a relic to the point where he turned in a demonic beast even if he had a matching crest, or at worst, had been part of Nemesis's piñata party in Zanado and was something of a genocider.

Tldr :

Why FE Fodlan never gaf about Nabateans : earl grey + the marketable cast has to stay marketable and you can't sell peanuts at the same price you'd sell swordfish

Why FEH dgaf about Nabatean lore : they can't afford to retcon characters + they have to sell peanut alts with the same seasoning they had in their base game.

For what it's worth though, I think FEH is more daring than the base game(s) given how they gave more lines and screentime to Rhea - through her different alts - than GW. And they even designed her Halloween!alt's lines to piss on some of Claude's assertions, while the various FB involving members of the church also - indirectly - reply to some accusations thrown their way in FE16 when, FE16, never gave them an opportunity or lines to explain that those takes were full of dung.

*"but random, maybe she doesn't know that the crests she often decries is "dragon blood"!"

It's highly debatable, especially given what she and Hubert throw to Billy in CF - but even if she doesn't, Doylist wise we still have a character who, knowingly or not, says "this race and its blood* is the reason why the world sucks" and who is never called out on her prejudice. That's more of an issue regarding the general writing though, she has to be a red emperor and took pages from Ashnard's book, and yet, the player must still feel bad and want to romance her, so her mindest/goal cannot be looked at too closely, because, I guess, even the devs thought it would be difficult to romance her (thus sell goodies!) if more light was shed on the "blood from this race corrupts our people" schtick -> which in turn would also make characters whose backstory and gimmick rely on "crying about crests" be way less likeable, thus marketable and able to sell goodies.

[dvrtrblhr]

help me choose which ships to draw for my valentines challenge! dimileth was omitted because it will most likely win the dimitri poll ;)

special thanks to @broilmage who helped me come up with this list!

(this is the last one, at least for now. i'll see the end results of all the polls then decide if i wanna do another one. thanks a lot for participating! sorry if your fav ship isn't included! there are just too many of them)

[kimikaami]

hi. fic below the cut :3

AO3 link

f!byleth/seteth || teen+ rating || angst || regency au || period appropriate ignorance irt gender and sexuality

this is a regency AU in which f!Byleth disguises herself as a man to join the army, who then meets Seteth and Flayn when she retires in her late 20s. It's an idea I've had for a long time, but one that I don't love enough to do a longfic for, so I thought I might try and do little scenes here and there whenever I feel like it. This is the first of them :)

“Walk with me?”

Seteth lifts his hands from the pianoforte’s keys, the last notes plink-plonking into the air as Flayn finishes the measure. “Now?” he asks, looking up.

From the couch, Mr. Eisner — Byleth — eyes him over the top of his book, the smallest hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “The afternoon is drawing long,” he says, “and I could use some fresh air. What do you say?”

Seteth stares. Byleth holds his gaze, daring him. This is a ritual that he knows by heart, and yet he finds himself stumbling through the first steps every time — wiping his sweaty palms on his trousers is not part of the dance. 

His eyes drop, forfeiting the staring contest to glance at Flayn who now shuffles her sheet music to the next song.

“Go on,” she encourages, flashing him a smile, and Seteth imagines that she can read his mind at this point. He has certainly done enough worrying over her since her kidnapping scare for the both of them. “I will be fine here for a few moments.”

“Are you quite sure? I am happy to play with you a little longer.”

“There is always later, Father.” Her voice is almost gentle. “The sun and exercise will do you good. It is good to be out of the house, as you well know.”

“Quite right, Flayn,” Byleth says, now smiling in earnest. He closes the book and sets it aside. “I expect to be treated to your latest solo when we return. In the meantime however…” he says, standing, “Get your things. I will wait outside.” And without another word, he takes his leave.

“Well?” says Flayn, nudging his shoulder when he does not move. “You heard the gentleman. I have a piece to prepare.”

The jostling knocks something loose in him, leaving his heart in anticipation of something. “Quite right,” he mumbles to Flayn as he rises to follow his friend. “I imagine we will return shortly.” 

Flayn just hums an acknowledgment and pushes him away when he bends to press his face to the crown of her hair, drinking in the warm scent. It’s equal parts a goodbye and an apology. He falls into lies of omission all too quickly these days, and the regret is gone even quicker.

Seteth follows in Byleth’s footsteps.

—

He waits until they are out of sight of the house to move closer to Byleth, their knuckles brushing together as they walk. Looking down at the shorter man, Seteth admires the way his eyelashes settle against his cheek and resists the urge to trace his jaw with his fingertips. 

“The way she cares for you is sweet,” he says.

Seteth blinks, drawn out of his admiration. “Flayn?”

“Mmhm.”

He sighs and frowns. “She took on too much responsibility when her mother died — responsibility that I should have been the one to shoulder.”

“But she is kind and clever, and selfless.”

“All that and more,” he says. “And yet, were it not for you, I would have lost her. I was neglectful for so many years…” Seteth shakes his head. “No child should have to care for their parent the way she cared for me.”

At the gnarled oak that overhangs the path — a familiar landmark —, Byleth takes Seteth’s elbow and pulls him off the road and towards their spot. “Maybe so,” he says, leading, “but you are that much closer for it.” Holding the branches back, Byleth ushes Seteth through a line of bushes into their little grove lying just beyond. “In many ways, I envy you.”

Seteth pauses, waiting for him to make his way through. “The grass is always greener on the other side, I suppose. Your parents…?”

“I never knew my mother. My father died when I was young.”

“I am… sorry,” he replies, not quite knowing what to say. “I cannot imagine.”

“No, I should not have brought it up. I let my jealousy get the better of me,” he says, and in this moment, Byleth looks so profoundly lonely that his heart nearly breaks for the young man. 

Even after months spent escaping into gardens and secret groves to be with one another in peace, he still knows so little about his friend’s background. Seteth takes a step, trailing his fingers along Byleth’s sleeve. “Do not apologize.”

“Sometimes I think that no one knows me at all.”

Furrowing his brow in thought, Seteth looks down at him. Tipping his chin up so he has nowhere to look but at him, he ghosts his lips across Byleth’s, just as he had done to him for the first time months ago. It’s the kind of kiss that asks permission — feather-light, a sign that he cares. “I have ears to listen, my friend,” he says.

Byleth’s eyes shine, watery. “There are things about me, about my past,” he says, hands braced on Seteth’s chest to keep him upright, “that I have deliberately kept from you.”

The seriousness in his gaze is enough to make his breath catch, enraptured. “Please,” he almost pleads, heart in his throat with anticipation. Seteth had followed Byleth here with the promise of time spent enjoying one another’s company, but the prospect of getting to know his companion’s heart more intimately is an alternative that he treasures for its rarity.

On this day, however, it seems he is lucky enough to have his cake and eat it too. Grasping him by the shoulders, Byleth pulls him down and kisses him firmly, and Seteth’s arms reflexively wind around his waist, angling his head to make their position more comfortable.

“Say you trust me,” Byleth says when they part.

“I do. Of course I do,” he promises. Only a year ago, he had been a shadow of himself. To think, one man’s presence could provide him with all this — a desire to see tomorrow. Trust is the least of what he owes him.

Almost hesitantly, Byleth shrugs off his coat and drops it on the grass. The loose white shirt he’s left in compliments his figure, slender shoulders narrowing to a cinched waist that makes Seteth swallow as his heart races, especially as Byleth takes his hand and lays it over his own racing heart. So many times his hands have accidentally wandered here only to be firmly guided away. He relishes the warmth bleeding into his palm, closing his eyes and committing it to memory.

“Seteth, open your eyes,” Byleth says. When he does, Byleth looks into them unflinchingly. “Take it off.”

“Pardon?” he asks, surprised.

“My shirt. Please,” he reiterates. “Trust me.”

“You’re sure?”

“Do it, Seteth, before I lose my courage.”

“Okay. Okay.” Removing his hand from his chest, Seteth takes Byleth’s hands in his and kneels in the grass, pulling the other man along with him and drawing him into another kiss.

Byleth’s entire body shakes under his touch and Seteth backs off, concerned. “There is nothing to fear,” he says, trying his best to be soothing despite his own misgivings. They’re both in uncharted territory here, both fumbling along.

“I know,” Byleth answers, a bit of desperation leaching into his voice. He pulls out his ponytail with a toss of the head, and Seteth has just enough time to register how it softens his features before he is pulling him close once more, teeth clicking, tongue venturing forth. An embarrassing noise makes its way past his lips and into Byleth’s mouth as he plants his hands on his hips, encouraging him to make a move.

It’s enough to spur him onward. Fully giving into his desires, Seteth wastes no time pulling Byleth’s shirt out of his waistband, and then fumbling with the buttons. He starts at the bottom while Byleth starts at the top, and when their hands meet Byleth laughs into his mouth, worry forgotten until he finishes the last bit and pulls the shirt off for good.

What he finds surprises him. A thick layer of bandages, wrapped around his upper torso. His mind searches for some logical explanation. Byleth had told him when they first met that he had been discharged for heart problems, but surely that’s not the reason for all this…?

Reaching behind his back, Byleth fiddles with something, eventually bringing a loose end of the wrapping forth to hand to him. Seteth holds it, blinking.

“Come on,” Byleth encourages. “Finish it.” There’s an unmistakably vulnerable look in his eyes, almost scared, so he does. Back and forth, he passes the bandages around his body until they fall loose.

He leans back on his haunches. “Byleth?”

He can’t believe what he’s seeing. The wiry frame, the slender shoulders, the soft facial features —

“I — my father — he died when I was small. I couldn’t take care of myself,” Byleth says. “But he was an old soldier, and I knew I could pass if I tried —”

He’s only half listening, too shocked to comprehend. His — her? Byleth’s chest lies exposed in the springtime air, angry red marks pressed into her skin from being bound so tightly for so long.

“I never wanted… mislead… sorry���”

All at once, Seteth is confronted with two truths.

The first is that he wants her.

The second is that he has wanted her for months now. There is no real difference between what he feels now, looking at this woman half-naked, and what he has felt gazing at… him… across the room since that very first kiss.

His lungs ache. This is not — has never been proper. No. Some part of his mind must have known all along, must have recognized her as her and had been overcome. It makes too much sense — a sad, old, widower like him just looking for a replacement for what he had lost.

None of this has ever been real, has it? He’s made it all up. All of his emotions, only what he wanted to feel.

“Seteth?” His vision spins as he looks at her, speechless. “Say something, please.”

“This isn’t right,” he says, staggering to his feet before he’s even registered the action. “No — no, this isn’t — I have made a grave mistake. I have violated — I am sorry.”

“‘Violated’?” she asks, incredulous. “Is that what you think? Seteth, I wanted this from the very beginning.”

He swallows. “Put your shirt back on.”

Her face falls, hurt. “You won’t touch me now, because I’m a woman.”

His silence is confirmation enough. “I thought you cared for me.”

Seteth winces. “I did — I do. You are my dearest friend. Now, I don’t… you are a woman, Byleth, and we are unmarried.”

“Can’t you see I don’t care about that?” she protests. “I have lived as a man for nearly the past two decades. If I gave a damn about tradition —”

“I do!” he says. “I care. For the Goddess’ sake, I have warned my daughter against the evils of men who lust after women without any intent to marry, and look what you have made of me! How can I face her now, knowing the depth of my hypocrisy?”

Clamping her jaw shut, Byleth breathes heavily, willing away the tears that are beginning to spill down her cheeks. “All of this, it did not mean anything to you because I was a man.”

Closing his eyes, Seteth crosses his arms. “That is not what I said. But encounters between a man and a woman and two men — they are not the same.”

“They are!” she protests, voice wavering. “For me, they were.” Then, quietly: “I thought I meant something to you.”

“You do,” he answers, arms falling. “But you are incorrect. Things are not the same now, nor will they ever be.” Staring down at her, Seteth opens his mouth to speak, then clamps it shut again. Silently, Byleth wills him to speak. Whatever he’s struggling to articulate, he gives up on and releases a frustrated sigh instead. “I must go,” he says. “Flayn will be waiting for me.” With one final, pensive glance back towards her, he stalks back in the direction they’d come, leaving her in silence.

For a few minutes, Byleth just stares at the spot he’d been standing, mind blank.

Shortly, the shock turns to anger. It is mostly self-directed, but as she forces herself into moving and yanks her undershirt back on, it turns in his direction too. All these secret meetings, they meant nothing to him?

They had meant everything to her.

In an attempt to put him out of mind, her thoughts turn to her father. If only he had not died so young. If only she had gotten a normal childhood, maybe none of this would have happened. They could have been happy from the beginning. No need for secrets.

If there’s one thing Byleth knows, it’s that time spent wishing for a different life is of no use to anyone.

Still, in some instances, there is nothing else to do.

Pulling her knees to her chest, Byleth weeps bitterly until there are no tears left to cry.

[glowingbadger]

Thanks again to everyone who sent in prompts from the Alphabet smut prompt list!! For reference, here's a full list of all of the requests I completed, by fandom- be sure to check out anything you may have missed, cause I had a ton of fun with these! For reference, the rules and list of prompts by letter are right here~

As always, 18+ because it's all smut all the way down:

FE3H: Felix, A N W Ignatz, A O Y Hubert, I U Dimitri, F K S Claude, C D L Yuri, F P U Linhardt, B I L Lorenz, K N W Dedue, M W X Seteth, M T Y Lorenz, A C D

Fire Emblem Misc: Hrid (FEH), B I K Soren (FE 9/10), M W Y Virion (FE 11), D L W Kaze (FE 12), I J K Zelgius (FE 9/10), D I K Volke (FE 9/10), C L U Libra (FE 11), P W X

Stardew Valley: Shane, C J M Elliott, C J V Sebastian, K U Y Sam, C I W

Genshin Impact: Neuvillette, I M Y Ayato, A E S Albedo, M N Y Baizhu, F J V Thoma, C N Y Kaeya, F V W Kaeya, D H J

Other: Lucas (RF5), E I U Kurama (YYH), D N W Kurama (YYH), I L M Ryotaro Dojima (P4), F J L Vyn (ToT), C F X Rohan (JJBA), D I Y Abbacchio (JJBA), F X Y Gale (BG3), D F K W Welt Yang (HSR), D O P