#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.

[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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[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.

[femuirdris]

drew some otps with the Hot Yaoi Base

[risingsunfish]

Again, this one didn't really need a reformatting, but the alt text wouldn't fit otherwise. Plus I took the opportunity to tweak wording that bugged me the first time around, and also settle on dialogue fonts for Ignatz, Leonie, and Lysithea.

I am visiting my grandfather for the very first time. My mother ran away from home to live in another country so we never met. Also my great uncle (grandfather's brother) is trying to assassinate us. What should we expect? - Lyn

A Reddit user asked a question from Lyn's POV as well, so I took the liberty of combining them, hope that's okay! (also apologies for this being 3 months late) ><

Bluesky • Reddit

(Edited with reformatted comic, alt text, and Bsky link 2/25).

[if-fe3h-was-good]

FE3H supports that are actually hilarious in our opinion

(part of a series ranking all FE3H supports) Some paired endings were initially gross and then we thought, wait actually, this could be funny--

Ferdinand x Manuela

Ferdinand: i love my MILF wife

Linhardt x Catherine

Catherine introduces Linhardt as “boytoy” at every function

Bernadetta x Seteth

Please imagine Bernadetta writing erotic saint cichol fanfiction

And imagine Seteth’s response was not negative

Dorothea x Sylvain

THE most divorced energy

Sylvain x M!Byleth

Sylvain casually flirting with Byleth over and over again and Byleth starts responding but Sylvain continues assuming they’re good buddies up to and past the wedding night

Ingrid x Yuri

Imagine Ingrid marrying a mafia boss who she doesn’t know is a mafia boss. She never finds out

Lorenz x Leonie

Leonie does stand up comedy all about “i hate my husband” and earns millions and becomes tiktok famous

Lorenz x Catherine

Catherine gives him a concussion and Lorenz got turned on by it

Ignatz x F! and M! Byleth

Ignatz takes “fuck the goddess” literally

Byleth would run away at first but they’re too polite to turn him down forever

Lysithea and Balthus

Just imagine them as Yzma and Kronk it makes sense I promise–

Seteth x Catherine

Please imagine one night as they’re searching for Rhea during the five year time skip in Blue Lions route and they are so depressed and wound up they have a one night stand 

but let’s be honest it’s not good they both regret it heavily and can’t look each other in the eye ever again

Sothis x F! and M! Byleth

It’s basically canon that this is how their A+ support went:

Sothis: “I want a human relationship so I guess we’re married now!!!” 

Byleth: “oh well you’re the goddess so that’s legally binding”

[feshippingpolls]

F!Byleth x Seteth, if it wasn't done before <3

FE: Should they kiss?

Byleth x Seteth

[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)

[the-reader-insert-gazette]

Fragile Control - F!Reader x Seteth

Featured Column - Fire Emblem Three Houses (Time Skip)

Seteth, always cautious and in control, finds himself unraveled by Readers's defiance—until their heated exchange shifts into something far less predictable.

✒️ Word Count: 844 🏷️ Relevant Tags: Passionate Arguments/Kiss | Tension

The wind had carried a storm across the plains of Garreg Mach, and with it, the air inside the monastery halls crackled with the same tension. Rain drummed steadily against the stained-glass windows, the flickering candlelight barely holding back the darkness creeping into the corners of the once-holy corridors. [Name] stood her ground in the war room, arms crossed tightly against her chest, her breath coming short from the argument that had escalated far too quickly.

Seteth loomed across from her, his green eyes sharp as the edge of his lance, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He had always been disciplined, unwavering in his convictions, but now—standing beneath the high ceilings of this sanctuary turned war camp, [Name] had finally pushed him past his breaking point.

"This is reckless," Seteth snapped, his voice low but weighted with frustration. "You act as if your life is disposable, as if—" He exhaled sharply, as if the words burned his tongue before he could say them. "As if you do not matter."

[Name]’s jaw clenched. "You think I don’t know the risks?" she shot back. "I didn’t make it this far by being careless. I made it here because I fought for something worth dying for."

"You should not be dying for anything," Seteth countered, stepping closer. "That is precisely the problem, [Name]. You act as though martyrdom is the only path forward."

She let out a bitter laugh, tilting her chin up defiantly. "You say that like it isn’t true. We’re at war, Seteth. If I don’t do what needs to be done, someone else will die in my place."

The words landed like a physical blow between them. Seteth’s expression darkened, his mouth pressed into a firm line, but it was his eyes that betrayed him—his careful mask of authority slipping just enough for her to catch a glimpse of something else. Worry. Fear.

She had seen that look before.

Not on the battlefield, not in the war meetings, but in the quiet moments. When he thought no one was watching. When Flayn lingered too long outside the safety of the monastery. When an ally returned late from a mission. When she, in all her stubborn recklessness, rode straight into danger without a second thought.

Seteth turned away for a brief moment, running a hand through his hair, before turning back just as quickly. “You think I do not understand what you are feeling, but you are mistaken,” he said, his voice lower now, almost measured. “I have lived long enough to see what war does to those who are too willing to throw themselves into the fire. I have lost more than you know, [Name]. I will not stand by and watch it happen again.”

There was something in the way he said it that made her stomach twist, not in anger, but in something unspoken that neither of them had dared acknowledge.

She swallowed. “Then stop acting like you can control me.”

His breath hitched just slightly, almost imperceptibly, but she caught it. His lips parted as if to respond, but he hesitated. He was always so careful, so measured in his responses, but for once, he looked like a man standing at the edge of something dangerous.

Something irreversible.

[Name] didn’t think. She moved.

The distance between them closed in a heartbeat, her hand gripping the front of his robes as she pulled him down into a kiss that stole the air from her lungs.

For a moment, he didn’t move. The weight of the moment hung precariously between them, shock, hesitation, the lingering remnants of anger still crackling like embers in the space they had once argued in.

And then, everything snapped.

Seteth responded with a fervor that sent a shiver down her spine, his hands grasping her waist, pulling her flush against him as if she might disappear if he let go. The heat of the argument hadn’t faded—it had merely shifted, transformed into something equally volatile, equally consuming. His lips pressed hard against hers, insistent, desperate, as if trying to convey all the words left unspoken between them.

[Name]’s fingers tangled into his hair, her heart pounding as she felt the barely-restrained tension in his grip. He was holding back, as he always did. Always the dutiful one, the one who bore the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

She pulled away just enough to murmur against his lips, “Don’t hold back.”

A quiet growl left him, his hand tightening at her waist before he kissed her again, harder this time, as if surrendering to something inevitable. His grip betrayed him—he had fought against this, fought against himself, and now, he was losing.

And so was she.

The storm outside raged on, but neither of them cared. Not as they stood in the dim candlelight of a war room turned battlefield of a different kind. Not as they clung to each other with the desperation of two people who had spent too long pretending this wasn’t bound to happen.

Not as they finally, finally stopped fighting.

Editor's Note: This was purely self indulgent.

[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.

[osvaldvvanstein]

gonna throw your way. lets see. ira dear emperor/osvald octopath/seteth fire emblem. your guys (for the alternate f/m/k)

The tee I heed seeing your selection.

Lab partner: I mean like obviously the only correct choice here is Osvald. Octopath magic is probably close enough to chemistry <3 he's, at the very least, somewhat familiar with labs. That's more than I'd give Ira or Seteth credit for, considering the technology their worlds have.

Trapped in an elavator: Seteth. I do love both Osvald and Ira but they would be insufferable in an elavator. In this kinda situation, I'd want to talk to the other person so I don't get scared or nervous, right? Osvald doesn't talk much and he's a physically large middle aged man with a beard and resting bitch face so I'd, realistically, feel unsafe being alone in a tiny locked room with him. Ira would be unbearable to be trapped in an elavator with because if it's Ira from the first half of the story then he's a racist and ableist asshole and would call me pathetic at the first sign of a panic attack and if it's Ira from the second half of the story then he'd also be panicking. Optimal Ira to be trapped in an elavator with would be him when he was a teenager because pre family death he was a calm and pleasant dude, but ik that's not the Ira you were referring to </3

Big part of Seteth's job is also interacting with messed up young people, we'd get along like a house on fire <3 maybe <3

Train me at Mcdonalds: oh boy I wonder who it could be!! Ira got a job as the leader of his platoon specifically because of his good management skills. Not only would he be good as an employee trainer, he'd be an excellent manager. Plus, since we're interacting with the intention that he's showing me how to do a job, he won't have spare time to say something bigoted because he'll be too busy explaining how to operate a deepfryer <3