#felix x mercedes

[asperrusual]

3H x Tumblr

[sothisblessmysoul]

Can I ask for a bouquet of flowers for the blue lions? That sounds so adorable. 🥰

(I never knew if you wanted all of them or selected few so I did all of them)

༓ʚ A Flower's Meaning ɞ༓

Summary: The Blue Lions react to you catching a bouquet at a friend’s wedding

༓Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd He watched you catch it without blinking or flinching, mainly just confused as the realization slowly took over your face as you finally met Dimitri’s gaze. There was something about how the flowers looked in your hands and the look that you gave him that made Dimitri feel so flustered. So pretty, is his single thought as Dimitri’s made his way to you, feet on autopilot.

༓Dedue Molinaro Dedue’s eyes were completely on you, holding the colorful flowers that all mean a term of love in language as everyone else is looking between you and him. He doesn’t flare up in a blush or appear startled but you can see Dedue is feeling embarrassedly flustered by the awkward stiffness of his movement as the tall man makes his way to you.

༓Felix Hugo Fraldarius Felix does not want to be here with unimportant people, if anything he wants to be comfortably at home with you. But he will admit that the other wedding is pretty. Felix wonders if you’ve ever thought about marriage, but any further thought of the subject changes when you catch the flowers that nearly smacked you in the face. The image of what you would look like holding yours flashed quickly in his thoughts as for once Felix quietly watched you.

༓Ashe Ubert A blush marked his freckled face with a happy smile but a shy expression at the teasing that Ashe knows his friends and siblings will give him as you walked over to him. Subconsciously Ashe reached out his hand for you to take, gently pulling you closer to his side as Ashe studied the flowers. The bouquet was pretty but it wasn’t your favorite, he thought to himself. The following thought is how beautiful you would look, holding your favorite flowers while neither Ashe nor you let go of each other’s hands because it felt like two missing puzzle pieces found a place to fit perfectly together.

༓Sylvain Jose Gautier Immediately starts to sweat nervously as the flowers are perfectly in your hand while his hand subconsciously touches his pocket where the ring is that he’s planning to ask your hand for later. He had been carrying it, not having a day or place in mind until right now. This is a sign, he thinks as you lock eyes with him and smile which he returns.

༓Mercedes von Martritz She was standing right beside you when you had caught the flowers, she leaned over to sniffle the flowers with a smile growing on her face as she looked up at you, pulling away from you but not before kissing your cheek. She giggled quietly at your reaction to the flowers and the kisses. She is going to tease you but this will bring up the thought of marriage and the future with her.

༓Annette Fantine Dominic Instantly a crimson blush blooms on her face as endless giggles of excited bundles of nerves, reaching how to touch one of the flowers’ petals. Annette went quiet, wondering what flowers she would pick for her wedding, she subconsciously looked at you. She isn’t going to say anything immediately today or tomorrow but there will be hints of marriage, hoping that you’ll catch on and talk about it with her.

༓Ingrid Brandl Galatea She never really thought deeply about marriage, it was just something that her father wanted for her. But when Ingrid saw your reaction to catching the bouquet to look for her and finally smiling when you found Ingrid, she wondered for a fleeting thought if you would smile like that at the altar. She can’t explain why it made her face blush although Ingrid didn’t hate that idea at all because without question she knows that Ingrid would say yes if you asked her.

[azurindavo]

Manifesting one of my Ashelix ideas where Felix and Ashe switched souls. I really want to mess around with them ^^ what a precious rare pair

[legend-of-dorte]

What do the Blue Lions do if you are a target of bullying at the academy?

Note: Reader is Gender Neutral

Dimitri

He observes for a moment, taking stock of the situation. Then he calmly intervenes. Your aggressors look up and freeze the moment they notice Dimitri standing there. How long has he been watching?

"Forgive my intrusion. It looks to me as though there is some sort of quarrel going on here," he remarks with usual politeness. Then he crosses his arms, narrowing his gaze on your tormentors. "I would be happy to mediate, if needed."

For all his courtesy and friendly demeanor, there is a sudden intensity in his stare. A power in his presence that commands all the attention and respect befitting of a future king. One who would someday be tasked to deliver judgment on all wrongdoing.

But there is something else in those eyes. Something unyielding. Something that promises much worse than simple punishment should these misdeeds continue.

The grip on your collar loosens. Your bullies waste no time with apologies or excuses as they flee to escape Dimitri's wrath.

Dimitri helps you onto your feet and offers assistance as you straighten out your uniform. Your belongings are scattered on the floor in the midst of the commotion. He gathers them up for you in spite of your protests.

"I'm so sorry that you have to endure this," he says remorsefully. "If it would help, I could accompany you between classes. Only if you allowed it, of course."

Dedue

He interposes without uttering a word, planting himself between you and those who would do you harm. Like a shield, he endures their insults, their jeers - all the things that he is used to hearing - but does not entertain their demands for him to move aside.

Facing the sheer iron in his stance and on his face, your tormentors are reluctant to retaliate by physical means. Only once are they out of sight does Dedue turn to face you.

"Are you hurt?" he asks, looking you over. When you shake your head, his shoulders sink with relief. "I'm glad."

The conversation tapers off into an awkward sort of quiet. Your nerves are still frayed, and you have trouble calming down. Of course, he notices.

"...Have you eaten yet? The dining hall is not far from here. Allow me to prepare you something."

The meal he serves you is delicious, of course. Grateful for the distraction, you fretfully stuff your face as Dedue takes a seat across the table. The two of you sit in silence as he attends you with an expression that is unreadable, but not unfriendly. There are no words - only unspoken empathy and understanding.

Sylvain

The moment it seems like there is nowhere for you to run, you feel a firm hand on your shoulder.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you!" Sylvain is at your side, wearing his most infectious smile.  "Don't tell me you've forgotten our plans to visit town today."

You stammer in response, unable to recall any such plan.

His eyes drift towards your aggressors. "By the way, who are these friends of yours? It sounded like you were having a juicy conversation." The air plunges to sub-zero temperature as his voice suddenly turns hostile. "...Any room for me to join in?"

With his arm slung firmly around your shoulder, you have no idea what kind of face he is making at your bullies. But it is enough to make them slink back with terror in their eyes.

"Was it something I said? Ah, well." Sylvain claps your shoulder cheerfully as he leads you away. "Remember that place I've been bothering you about all week? Let's grab a bite to eat and you can tell me how your day has been."

After everything he had suffered at the hands of his older brother, the least he can do is let you know in his own little way - you will never have to face your tormentors alone.

Felix

At first he does nothing, merely watching from a distance to see if you're capable of growing a spine. As the confrontation escalates, so does his dissatisfaction, until he can stand idle no longer.

Just as your aggressors are about to turn violent, Felix finally announces his presence - by loudly kicking over some nearby piece of furniture.

"What a pathetic bunch, ganging up on someone weaker than you," he sneers. He points with his practice blade, issuing a challenge. "Why don't we settle this by finding out just how strong you clowns are in a fair fight?"

The resulting scuffle is no contest. The vandals are sent fleeing, covered in fresh cuts and bruises. You are left with the task of having to physically restrain Felix before he outright runs them down.

"Don't think for a second that I'm going to make a habit of this," Felix chastises you once the dust settles. "Next time they corner you like that, you need to stand up and fight for yourself."

In fact, he drags you to the training grounds and finds you a practice sword to call your own. By the time he is done drilling you on the basics of armed and unarmed self-defense, you are more than ready should your aggressors return.

Ashe

On impulse, he steps out into the open and calls out your name. When all eyes are on him, his face goes red with panic. Even so, he musters courage and acts on the first idea that pops into his head.

"The Professor wanted to see you! They said it was an urgent matter and asked me take you to them. Hurry!" Grabbing your hand, he pulls you into a run. Your tormentors are slow to react as the two of you make your frantic escape.

Out of breath, you both take refuge within the greenhouse where plenty of school staff are present. It's uncomfortably warm and muggy, but there is no shortage of tall plants to hide behind.

"That was close! Are you alright?" he pants. "Oh... The Professor? That was something I made up." He laughs weakly. "Sorry that I couldn't be of any more help..."

Though your bullies are nowhere to be seen, you elect to hide in the greenhouse for a while. Ashe is determined to stay by your side for as long as is needed.

"...Do you want to tell someone?" he offers quietly. "Surely the Professor will understand. I can come with you to help explain what happened."

It's clear that he wishes he could do more instead of just running, but even true justice comes in small steps.

Mercedes

Though she is aghast at your plight, her solution is both simple and effective. The moment she sees you being menaced, she drops everything she is holding to cup her hands around her mouth and shout at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, Professor! Someone! Please come help, quick! There's a student in trouble!"

Mercedes is well-loved in Garreg Mach for her benevolent nature. As such, heads turn at the sound of her voice. Knights, the school staff, and even the clergy emerge from the woodwork to investigate the commotion.

Your tormentors immediately panic and turn tail, fleeing the scene.

Your savior rushes to your side and immediately sets to work mending your scrapes and bruises.

"You needn't worry. Everything is going to be alright now." She gives you a reassuring smile. "You should always yell out for help if you're in trouble. That's what I always do!"

Annette

Her face nearly as red as her hair as she rushes to your defense, confronting your tormentors with clenched fists.

"Jerks! You leave my friend alone right now!" she snaps at them with a ferocity that shocks even you. "You think I won't fight you? Is that it? Why don't you try me!"

Her hands suddenly flare with magical energy as the winds pick up, threatening a storm. Her face, ordinarily cheerful and sunny, suddenly goes dark. "Ooooh, you're all gonna be in big trouble if you keep this up!"

Your aggressors stammer excuses. This isn't worth it, they mutter in agreement, before quickly vacating the scene.

The winds settle, and Annette takes a deep breath to calm herself down. You've seen her get all worked up before, but never like this.

"Whew! That was a little too exciting, even for me! They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Her face brightens when you reassure her that you're fine. "Don't worry about those creeps from now on. The next time they show up, I'll handle it myself!"

Ingrid

The moment she clues into what is going on, she is filled with righteous fury. Oh, hell no. This is not happening. No way, absolutely not on her watch.

Your bullies know that they are in deep trouble the moment Ingrid marches over, crossing her arms with a look of reproach.

"Excuse me, but what gives you the right to take part in such shameful behavior?" she chides them. "You won't cut it as knights if you keep wasting everyone's time like this. If you would call yourselves students of the honored Officers' Academy, then start acting like it or pack your things!"

By the time she is done verbally tearing into your aggressors, they are begging her to relent, profuse with apologies. She continues to stare them down coldly as they make themselves scarce.

As you murmur your thanks, she gives you an encouraging smile.

"Think nothing of it - I can't stand bullies either. Lucky for us, they're all cowards. So, don't hesitate to call on me if you help, alright?"

[mikia87]

I finished FE3H (Claude’s story). It was great!😁 I love Claude.🥰 And I got the ships I wanted.👌

[mostrandomgallery]

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

A modern rendition of the Blue Lions.

Art © Stephanie M. DO NOT REPOST!!!

Also on deviantART

[frickingnerd]

Blue Lions Masterlist

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

dancing the night away - oneshot

clinging to a promise - oneshot

am i the one you want? - oneshot

with(out) you by my side - oneshot

the words i most regret are the ones i never meant to leave unsaid - oneshot

casting a love spell on dimitri - headcanons

dimitri's s/o being experimented on by those who slither in the dark - headcanons

Dedue Molinaro

reunion at dawn - oneshot

eloping with dedue - headcanons

all the lies we told them - oneshot

bridal carrying on the battle field - oneshot

Sylvain Jose Gautier

don't call her what you used to call me - oneshot

sylvain with a girlfriend who keeps getting flirted with - headcanons

being in a love triangle with sylvain and felix - headcanons

Ashe Ubert

dating ashe ubert - headcanons

arranged marriage with ashe - headcanons

ashe with a shy s/o - headcanons

Felix Hugo Fraldarius

the night of the ball - oneshot

arranged marriage with felix - headcanons

felix with a sibling who's a sweet heart - headcanons

being in a love triangle with sylvain and felix - headcanons

Mercedes von Martritz

if it all ends today - drabble

being seperated from mercedes during the war - headcanons

poly relationship with mercedes & annette - headcanons

Annette Fantine Dominic

annette crushing on you - headcanons

poly relationship with mercedes & annette - headcanons

Ingrid Brandl Galatea

fake dating ingrid - headcanons

[storm-of-roses]

“Why paintball?” asked Mercedes.

“Ah…because I’m uh…” said Ashe, a bit timid from all the attention he was suddenly getting. “I’m pretty good at it and uh…well I wanted to invite my crush to impress them.”

At that, Mercedes couldn’t help herself. She loved setting up other people together. Some would say she liked playing matchmaker a little too much, but they were all jealous that so many of her friends would come to her for relationship help. She had after all gotten the two biggest hopeless romantics on campus, Byleth Eisner and Dimitri Blaiddyd, together despite years of an established pattern of mutual pining and chickening out. Why not help Ashe?

“Sure, I’ll help organize it,” she agreed. “But tell me Ashe, who do you have a crush on?”

Step 1: Avoid Shooting You Crush

In which: Annette Dominic reluctantly agrees to go play paintball with Ashe Ubert, his gym buddies, and other fiends to help him out with impressing and asking out his crush. She finds herself unwillingly in the middle of things when she's paired up with Ashe himself, but finds she's on the same team as a familiar looking villainous stranger she may or may not be currently feuding with.

[the-angel-ashe]

*Mouth directly on mic* Hello, I've just finished a fanfic

I haven't posted about it here yet, (I've been waiting until it's done) so here you go if you're interested :)

(It's Dimileth, of course. Enemies to lovers. You get it.)

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1035: Taking the Challenge Head On (Fire Emblem Three Houses)

10:45 a.m. at the Blue Lion's Dining Halls......

Ashe: You want me to take part in the.....(Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) "No Nut November Challenge"?

Sylvain: (Smiles Brightly) Yep! It's one of the few challenges to test your endurance, patience, vulnerability, and worth of being a true man.

Ashe: Ah I see. (Frowns a Bit in Uncertainty) But....do you really think I have what it takes to complete the challenge?

Sylvain: (Happily Nodded) Definitely. You're practically one of the most devoted and hard working guys I've ever known, besides yours truly of course.

Ashe: (Smiles Brightly) Why, thank you Sylvain. I know I don't say this as much, but I really wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for yours and everyone else's support and guidelines.

Sylvain: And we couldn't be anymore prouder of you, bud. (Wraps his Arm Around Ashe's Shoulder) Now listen, the challenge itself is gonna be a long road ahead and you'll might have a 80% chance of going crazy along the way, but I'm sure you'll have no problems making it through as long as you keep your urges in check and have a clear, neutral mindset. Just like our friendly neighborhood giant, Dedue-

?????: I failed.

Sylvain eyes starts to widens as he slowly turns his head towards to Deude sitting next to Ashe, drinking a cup of tea in a casual like Manner.

Sylvain: .............I'm sorry, you what?

Dedue: The challenge. I've already failed it-

Sylvain: Yeah, you already told me the first time. What I wanna know is how in the hell were you failed so easily? You're a Dedue Molinaro! The right hand man of King Dimitri himself! I figured if anyone in our unit would have a chance of completing the challenge, it would be you, what happened?

Dedue: (Shrugs) The temptations had gotten the better of me last night. (Starts Blushing a Little) I suppose that's.... the price I have to pay for being in love.....

Mercedes: (Happily Makes Her Way to the Boys' Table) Why, hello there, boys!~ I hope we're all having a wonderful morning today. (Uses her Two Fingers to Rub Under Dedue's Chin With a Bit of a Flirtatious Smirk on her Face) Especially you, my sweet gentle giant~

Dedue: (Chuckles Lightly By the Chin Rubs) I'm having a fine enough morning for the most part. As well as a nice and memorable last night, many thanks to you, of course, m'lady. (Gently Brings her Hand Down Before Kissing the Top of It)

Mercedes: (Giggles Softly and a Bit Ticklishly by the Kiss) Oho you!~ There's no need to thank me for that. (Lovingly Hugs her Lover) If anything, I should be thanking you for keeping me company all night~

Dedue: No thanks is needed. I'll always be there for you.

Mercedes: As will I, my dear~

The couple begins to romantically rub on each other's noses while the boys watches.

Ashe: Awwww~ (Suddenly Felt a Hand Covering his Eyes Before Turning to the Culprit) Sylvain!

Sylvain: This is part of the challenge, Ashe. Don't let it blind you.

Mercedes: (Giggles Some More) Alright. I believe it's time for me to get started on breakfast before I embarrass the boys some more. (Kiss Dedue on the Lips Before Placing her Forehead onto His) Try not to miss me too much, you hear?~

Dedue: I'm sure I'll manage to pull through for the time being. Try not to get yourself hurt while you're in the kitchen cooking, okay?

Mercedes: I'll be extra cautious. Promise. (Gives One Last Kiss on the Forehead Before Walking Away to the Kitchen and Waving Goodbye at the Trio) Wish me luck!~

Dedue: (Wave Back at his Lady) Well do. ('Sigh') One of these days, I will marry that woman.

Sylvain: Well, ain't that sweet. Still doesn't change the fact that you disappoint me. (Went Back to Grinning) But no worries though. Cause the next person I have to set an example is none other than my main man, Feli-

Felix: (Takes his Seat on the Trio's Table) I failed the challenge.

Sylvain: (Immediately Gives his Childhood Friend a Deadpinned Look) Seriously?

Felix: Yes, seriously. Last night, in her tent, Annette wanted to try and take the next skip I'm our relationship. So we....(Starts Blushing a Little) did it. And it was nice.

Felix turns to see Annette making her way to the kitchen door in the distance. As she opens it, she sees her boyfriend staring at her before shyly waving at him with a smile on her face and walk inside.

Felix: (Slowly Waves at the Closing Door Before Sighing) Anyways....(Turns Back to Sylvain) Mind telling me why you're bringing up that dumb challenge for in the middle of the morning?

Dedue: He wants Ashe to take part of it for the first time.

Felix: (Groans While Pinching his Nose) ('Ugh') Are you kidding me? Ashe is way too soft and naive to be taking that challenge, let alone know what it really is! (Turns to Ashe) No offense.

Ashe: (Smiles Sheepishly) None taken, I guess......

Sylvain: Hey, I just figured Ashe is now in an age where he could test his might as a man. But now that you and Mr. Gentle Giant over there failed the challenge already, I might as well ask Dimitri to come over here and set an example.

Dedue: About that......

Sylvain: (Starta Pinching his Nose in Annoyance) Oh my fucking-You mean to tell me Dimitri failed too? Really!?

Felix: I always figured the boar would have a better chance at completing it out of all of us here.

Dedue: (Takes a Bit of a Deep Breath Before Explaining) Okay, this is completely speculation and haven't heard anyone of this from, but.....the other morning, when I walked down the halls, writing down the daily routine for the day, I saw the professor sneaking a tray of breakfast into the majesty's chambers, whole only wearing a robe that resembles that of the majesty's.

Sylvain: A robe.....(Eyes Suddenly Begins to Widened at the Realization) Wait. Was the color of his robe blue and silky?

Dedue: (Simply Nodded) It was, yes.

Sylvain: Ahaa....See? I knew it would look familiar every time I see Dimitri wear it. (Starts Smirking Teasingly) So the king and teach are already getting busy these pass few nights, huh?~

Felix: (Shrugs) Can't say I'm surprised. Those two has gotten a lot more closer since the day they got see each other again for however long.

Ashe: (Smiles Brightly) Well, I'm happy for the both of them. They've been through a lot these past few years. So I think it's nice to see their bond gradually grow into something more each time passes. (Eyes Suddenly Widens at the Realization) Oh! That reminds me.....(Turns to the Gang) There's something I've been meaning to ask you guys.

Sylvain: What's up?

Ashe: What exactly is a....."Snu-Snu"?

Felix: (Immediately Gets Up From his Seat) And that's my cue to leave.

Ashe: (Watch Felix Casually Walks Away) Oh.... o-okay.....(Waves Goodbye to Felix) See you later, Felix!

Dedue: Uh...Ashe? What..... (Raises an Eyebrow in Uncertainty and Confusion) exactly made you want to know what that word is?.

Ashe: Well, you see, yesterday after we returned home from one of our....(Starts Blushing a Little) many date night sessions, Petra asked if we could ever try doing this "Snu-Snu" session this evening but I'm afraid I have no clue what it is.

Sylvain: (Starts Shaking his Head) Oh sweet, sweet, naive, Little Ashe. Let me tell you a little thing about those two simple syllabl-

?????: MESSAGE F0R SIR SYLVAIN JOSE GAUTIER!

Sylvain: (Immediately Gets Startled) Oh God! (Turns to see the Local Gatekeeper Presenting Him a Envelope) Uhhh....(Receives the Envelope) thanks....

As The Gatekeeper salutes to him before marching off, Sylvain opens the envelope and reads the letter from inside. The longer he reads it however, the more he begins to blush and let out abnormal, goofy like laugh, causing Ashe and Dedue to stare at him weirdly.

Dedue: Uhh....Sylvain? (Raises an Eyebrow) What exactly did that letter sent to you say?

Sylvain: (Immediately Comes Back to Reality) Oh! (Turns Back to the Fup as He Quickly Hides the Letter Behind his Back) N-Nothing! Just some boring.... request letter for a side mission or whatever. (Chuckles Awkwardly) Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna have to head out to see Ingrid at my bed- I mean chambers- I MEAN TRAINING GROUNDS! (Claps his Hand Together) YES! Training grounds! So uh.....

Without any second thought or reason, Sylvain hurriedly runs away towards the door leaving his two fellow Blue Lions behind in the Table.

Ashe: He....seems to be in a hurry.

Dedue: ('Sigh') That he has....We'll just head to the library to find out what this....."Snu-Snu" really is after we finish our breakfast.

Ashe: (Nodded in Agreement) Okay.

The hours has passed since Ashe and Dedue has discovered and learned more about the meaning of the word "Snu-Snu", so the up and coming knight has decided to man up and test this new discovered with his beloved princess of Brigid later that evening. Needless to say, as wild and unexpected as the experience was....He still had a very good time at the end

Blue Lions: FAILED AS A UNIT!

@keyenuta

@ma-lemons

@cyber-wildcat

@caleb13frede

@albion-93

[asperrusual]

3h x The Onion

[millicent-dagworth]

Some chats from an rp with a friend

I may fully draw these later but for now

Enjoy

[legend-of-dorte]

What do the Blue Lions do if they receive an anonymous love letter from you?

Note: Reader is Gender-Neutral

Dimitri Well, whoever wrote this letter certainly had a way with words! He cannot help but admire your eloquence while wondering what he could have possibly done to receive such praise. Had he missed a special occasion? Or did someone send him this nice letter for the sake of niceness? Baffling to be sure, which is why he starts asking around in search of the original sender.

His more astute classmates are quick to point out that it is not just an ordinary greeting card, but in fact - a love letter. The moment he realizes, his face goes red.

Oh. Well now he absolutely has to know who you are, if only to convince you that he is in no way worthy of such admiration. Surely there is someone more deserving of your affection, that such words should not be wasted on him. ...Or so he tries to convince himself as he re-reads the letter every quiet moment he has alone.

Dedue There must be some kind of mistake, he thinks to himself as he quietly folds up the letter. Or a joke. Who in their right mind at Garreg Mach would hold such admiration for him, let alone emotion? He elicits no reaction and tells no one, not even Dimitri. Life seemingly goes on as normal.

What no one knows is that on some days of the week, he sits down at his desk with a quill and parchment, mulling over how to reply and struggling to choose the right words.

Eventually he gives up, deciding that silence is preferable to a clumsy response. Instead, he visits the greenhouse to select some freshly bloomed potted flowers. He arranges your letter amongst the blossoms and together they decorate his window sill where the sun lands gently every morning.

Sylvain By the time he is finished reading it, there is a big goofy grin on his face. He is no stranger to receiving such letters, having written a few of his own. In fact, he keeps a small stack of them in his room. The noteworthy ones, at least. Eventually, such letters all end up in the fireplace in a matter of days.

Yours though? It just makes him really happy for some reason. There's no way he'll let it get lost in the paperwork or toss it in the hearth. Instead, he keeps it on his person like a lucky charm.

In fact, he really wants to show it off and brag about it to everyone until they get absolutely sick of him. They do, but this is the first time he has ever truly not cared about how other people think about him (...well, maybe except for you, O mysterious admirer) and it is the best feeling ever.

Felix At first he scoffs and crumples it up after reading, tossing it into the paper bin by his desk. What a ridiculous letter, and a waste of time. So, why couldn't he get it out of his head?

Against his better judgment, he digs through his own trash to rescue it, even taking the time to smooth it out and clean it up a little. Someone clearly put far too much work into writing this silly note for it to be tossed aside.

He considers interrogating his classmates to find out who sent it, and if it was some sort of prank. But he also knows that certain friends would never let him hear the end of it if they found out. So he keeps it to himself and doesn't tell a soul. If you were brave enough to write him something so frivolous, then he hopes believes that you'll probably approach him in person on your own accord one day.

Ashe He leaps to the conclusion that the letter is meant for someone else, delivered to him by mistake. Naturally, when he goes looking for the intended recipient, people are quick to point out that his name is in fact written on the letter. That can't be right, he thinks as he rereads the heart-pounding letter for the hundredth time. And yet there it was, plain as day.

Thanks to his inquiries, word gets around campus such that people are congratulating him for having a secret admirer. The sudden attention leaves him incredibly flustered, but not terribly embarrassed. Maybe in a handful of days, he thinks with a red-faced grin, he'll write a response of his own. The only problem is whether he could write half as eloquently as you did, and how to figure out who you really are.

Mercedes She has received letters of gratitude for her service at the church before, but this is quite different. Your flowery words have captivated her, and with each re-read, she notices all the small details you included in the letter. Your elegant handwriting, the various anecdotes of all her deeds and merits, the pressed flowers, and even the faint perfume of lavender - her favorite.

It leaves her quite giggly and rosy-cheeked for the rest of the day, to the point where she has trouble concentrating in class. Even as her peers call her name and try to get her attention, she simply stares off into space with a giddy sigh and a dreamy smile. Her classmates are quick to suspect that she is lovestruck, and they might not be far from the truth.

Annette How curious, she thinks to herself cheekily as she opens the note. Could it be a love letter? Haha, no way. Unless...?

To her surprise, it is - in fact - a love letter. The moment it hits her, she panics. Freaks out, even. Burning red from cheek-to-cheek, her first impulse is to squeal out loud. Naturally, her outburst sends passers-by running over to investigate, and the cat is out of the bag before she can keep it a secret.

For the rest of the week, she is even clumsier than usual, causing a surfeit of accidents in both the kitchen and in magic class. By the end of each day, she is flustered and mortified. If only she could find out who you are, just to give you a piece of her mind for getting her riled up like this! But if she did end up meeting you face-to-face, she'd probably blush even harder then.

Ingrid She sighs, and tears it up. Except she doesn't, and the letter remains whole in her hands as she reads it again. Maybe a few more times for good measure. By the time she comes to her senses, it is too late. She has memorized your words from start to finish and still can't bring herself to get rid of the letter.

But what is the point in keeping it? She wonders. Between her dreams of knighthood and her father's designs at arranging a suitable marriage for her, there is no room in her life for a secret admirer.

And yet, whenever she feels down, your letter is a source of solace - even hope. She feels a little guilty that she would tear up her own father's letters yet keep yours. But reading your letter is like listening to a dear friend who knows the real her, even if she has no idea who you are.

[honey-katsu]

Garden Secrets - ao3

Summary:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Uh, Felix. And yours?”

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

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

“And you’re shouting,”  Felix retorted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[mickyschumacher]

Hi!!! I just wanna say that I really love your writings!!! Their so good hehehe!! Can you do one a mick x wolff!reader?? Maybe one where toto sets them up cause he is tired of seeing them make heart eyes at each other and not making a move HHHH. Thank you lovie!!🤍

𝐒𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏  .ೃ࿐

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: love at times is shy and oblivious. like you and mick. but sometimes all you need is a father and a plan (with some backups!).

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: 16+? (suggestive), fluff, poor humour as guaranteed, (loosely) based on the movie 'set it up', no sense of a motorhome ♡︎, mention of christian horner :(, possibly cringe, basically childhood friends to lovers trope, reader is lowkey a menace, confessions are made, toto in line for best dad award?, google translated german :0, a mess in general!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: mick schumacher x wolff!fem!reader, joão felix x reader

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 3k+

𝐀/𝐍: okay so i've been waiting for a good mick plot but nothing was coming to mind but this! this screams mick! thank you so much for your praise. hope i do them justice with this although the plot holes are there!!

𝐏.𝐒: i'm curious on how people envision themselves as wolff, horner, vettle readers, etc. if you're coloured like me, do you pretend to be adopted or from a previous relationship if it isn't specified? 😭 i mean the explanation has to be viable lmao. maybe you just don't imagine?

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

⋆  •°.  。  .°•  ⋆

There were certain values a Wolff had. Those that were just innate.

A Wolff, more often than not, was a leader, intelligent, charismatic, good-looking, and embedded with dad jokes. Additionally, when a Wolff wanted something, they would do whatever to get it. They didn't leave any leaf unturned, they made the rounds and the effort.

It didn't make sense. You had all of those values. Yet, every time you joined the Mercedes garage, your father, Toto, found himself questioning everything.

Take now for example. He was in the beloved Mercedes garage, sat next to the best reserve driver he had ever chosen, Mick.

Parents tend to be protective of their children before they're even born. And it only amplifies after they're born. From which strangers you meet, the roads you cross, the seatbelt you have to wear to the clothes you wear, the suspiciously high phone bill and your romantic endeavours. A father's protection for his little girl was a tad bit stronger than this, special in it's own way.

Toto would do anything to protect his children, especially his little girls. And if any guy was making moves on you, right in front of him, the 'dad' side of him was just waiting to come out.

But he could only do that if someone actually made a move on you. Sure there were other guys but the one sat right next to him did nothing but shyly follow you with his blue eyes and blush in your presence.

Mick was seriously frustrating Toto and his wife. The both of them had watched the German boy watch you with heart eyes ever since the both of you had first met at the Schumacher's house for dinner. You were young back then but hell, within five minutes everyone knew that Mick was a lovesick puppy.

Years had gone by with your friendship becoming stronger. Those same years involved Mick and you being stuck to each other as if you were hip-to-hip. You attended all his races and he supported you in all your academic achievements. And oblivious to you, somewhere along the road you had also become as lovesick as he was.

Toto didn't really realise how fed up he was. He didn't want to interfere. In fact, he wanted things between the both of you to happen naturally. But he just had happen to watch the entire hour and forty-five minutes of 'Set It Up' over your shoulder instead of doing his work and he just had to do something... hell, anything.

━━━━━━━━━━━

First things first... Toto couldn't put the both of you in an elevator. At least not yet. You knew each other while the two bosses in 'Set It Up' didn't, so it didn't make much sense. You probably would never even get to the topic of your feelings. Not without a physical icebreaker of sorts.

Toto needed someone and George Russell just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"George, my boy!" Toto chorused, beckoning the British driver towards him. He slung his arm over George's shoulder, bringing him closer to him. "Do you mind doing me a favour?"

George nodded without too much thought. "Yeah sure. What is it?"

"If you see Mick and Y/N go towards an elevator, stop them and tell Y/N that a guy asked for her number, uh, who was that footballer... ah yes, João Félix, him... he did ask her yesterday right?" Toto looked over at George.

"Uh, yeah. Before you dragged her away... listen, Toto, I'm not sure I can do what you asking me to. I thought none of us were going to mess with whatever's going on between them?"

"You're young, George. One day you'll realise what 'desperate times calls for desperate measures' means. So..." Toto trailed off, eagerly looking for an answer before spotting the hesitant expression on the British driver's face. "Can I pay you do the favour?"

George blankly looked at his boss. "I'm on your payroll, Toto. You already pay me. That also sounds like extortion and bribery."

Toto's eye twitched as an exasperated sigh fell from his lips. He stared at George heavily before giving in. "Fine. You'll be out before Lewis for this week's quali."

The corner of George's mouth teetered up, working to a small grin. "Extortion and bribery... it sounds cool," He said with a nonchalant shrug.

Toto shook his head to himself. "You can try and be less British, George. Just because your ancestors colonised doesn't mean you need to take the same behaviour," He patted his shoulder before leaving, feeling George's confused expression bore into the back of his head.

━━━━━━━━━━━

Toto was a great man. But today was one of those days where George really did question him. Part of him was praying that he didn't see you and Mick head to an elevator. The scenario was so specific that well... the probability was low.

There was no way he was going to see it happen. Not even 30 minutes after he had this conversation and he had just grabbed a coffee and was now heading to Alex...

But the peak of that blonde hair and the familiar shine of your signature glasses caught George's eye. Christ.

"How is that possible?" He muttered to himself, eyeing the both of you as you waited for the elevator to go up the Mercedes' motorhome.

First in quali. Come on, George. You got this!

"Hey guys," George greeted the both of you.

You and Mick turned to him and smiled. "Hey George. How's it going? Ready for practice?"

George nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, yeah. Good, thanks. Uh, I was just wondering about yesterday... João? Since Toto dragged you away before you could do anything but he was just wondering if you would still consider giving him your number."

George pressed his lips, seeing Mick's eyes narrow from his peripheral vision. God how had the both of you not gotten together yet?

"I didn't know João asked you that?" Mick looked at you with questioning eyes.

You blinked, feeling your heart skip a beat slightly. You weren't sure why Mick's interest was to intriguing to you all of a sudden. You pursed your lips, looking to George. "Oh? I didn't know you knew João like that."

"I... don't. It's... Kika! Kika knows him... you know... Portugal things," He laughed awkwardly, giving a helpless shrug.

"Right..." You nodded slowly. "Uh, I don't know. I mean was considering it, I guess."

"You were?" George and Mick spluttered out in unison.

Your eyes widened at their reaction. "I mean, yeah... kinda?" You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly.

George could see the German driver's head racing a hundred miles per hour. It was time to get out of this mess.

"Okay, well, if you consider it, you could probably DM him on Instagram. Don't ask Kika!" George quickly said. "I mean... you know, she gets very excited to play cupid... anyways, I have to get back to Dudley, but let me know how it goes!"

You and Mick waved goodbye, heading onto the elevator after what felt like forever.

As the doors closed, you looked over at your thought-consumed best friend. "Penny for your thoughts, Mr Schumacher?" You humoured.

Mick briefly smiled before returning to his brooding state. He folded his arms, leaned on the wall of the elevator and stared at you.

Your mouth felt dry and yet you were drowning in your own saliva. There were certain things that weren't healthy for humans: too much sugar, high cholesterol foods, and apparently air-drying your hair. And then there was too much Mick.

The folded arms and his stupid shirt brought your eyes to the muscles you had so desperately been avoiding after Mick had started to work out even more in the past year.

You cleared your throat, trying to think of another topic of discussion.

In your pondering, Mick opened his mouth. "I don't think you should give João your number," He said, bringing his hands to his side, discreetly allowing the fabric of his shorts to soak up his clammy hands.

Your eyes flickered towards his face. You raised brow. "What? Why?" You asked, feeling an uneasy ache gnaw at your chest.

"I..." Mick started, "I mean what if he's a bad guy? You know... I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Your heart dropped. You felt like an deflating balloon: all blown up, only to be taken down. You mustered a soft smile. "I mean, you can't protect me forever Mick. What are you going to do? Vet the guy on the day of my wedding," You joked.

Mick frowned at your response. The image of you marrying someone that wasn't him was disheartening.

"I won't need to if you get married to someone you know," He shrugged. "You don't know João. You know me."

Oh?

Oh.

You almost did a double-take on your best friend. Did he know what words were falling from his lips. "So what? He's kinda cute. And a five-star FIFA player. I could take the risk. And eventually, I would know him... since that's how relationships work... communication and all," You defended the footballer.

Mick stared at you for a few seconds before blinking out of his short trance. "Right..." He said sharply, pushing himself off of the wall as the elevator opened. He struck out his arm, holding back the door. "You go on. I just remembered I need to talk to Toto."

You flickered your eyes to Mick, trying to read his face. "That's fine, we can go togeth–"

"No," Mick interjected, "it's... it's okay."

Upon the slight widening of your eyes and the startled expression lingering on your face, Mick's innate action was to internally wince. "I'll join you soon. Don't worry. I bring your favourite pastry on the way back, hmm?"

You nodded silently, taking a step out of the elevator and headed towards the lounge with a troubled feeling nagging at your head.

Had you struck a nerve?

━━━━━━━━━━━

Toto couldn't tell what he had done wrong. You and Mick were fine this morning. But after he had told George to push things along between the both of you, a sense of distance radiated off of you.

And George still got out before Lewis for the first quali. Goddamn it.

When Toto raised an eyebrow at you after Mick had slightly brushed you off to talk to Bono, you simply shrugged helplessly.

That night Toto did not get a wink of sleep. Instead, he stared at this hotel ceiling with a twitching eye.

There was nothing he couldn't fix. Whatever was going on between you and Mick right now was just a small bump in the road.

The solution?

A baseball game.

Unfortunately for Toto, baseball wasn't that popular in Brazil. But that didn't mean they didn't do them.

The plan was going perfectly. Toto had offered a 'family day' and gotten you and Mick to join him and Susie to attend a local baseball match between some of university teams. Toto made sure you and Mick were sitting behind him so you had all the privacy you needed. As a dad, he shouldn't be that happy about kiss-cam, let alone bribing the camera operators with the help of Pierre and Kika. But he wanted peace and he was going to get it.

But nothing was easy in life. And Toto could not have predicted this in a million years.

As everyone waited for the game to start, Toto timidly turned his head. He caught the brown eyes of the five-star FIFA player. Giving him a hesitant smile, he averted his own eyes back to the field, cursing himself under his breath. "Scheiße," He muttered through his clenched teeth. Shit.

The tension in the air was thick, to say the least. You sat between João and Mick with blank expression.

João, who was in town for the F1 race, decided to stay back to support a friend in the match. Obviously.

When the footballer on your right extended his hand to Mick, you sucked in a sharp breath. You heavily eyed the firmest handshake you had seen in your life. Letting out a nervous laugh, you sat down before the gesture turned into hardcore glaring.

Still, there was the hope of this kiss-cam.

Toto waited with little patience, hearing João crack jokes in Portuguese that actually made you laugh while Mick took deeper breaths.

It felt like life itself had been poured into Toto once the kiss-cam started on the public. This mattered to him more than whoever was going to win this match.

Toto's face dropped as the camera fell on you.

Your mother pointed at the camera with a gleeful exclamation. Your eyes moved to the screen, widening when you saw yourself and the man next to you.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Toto exasperated quietly.

You turned your head to the right, meeting the equally shocked brown eyes.

"In what way does he look like 'a blonde boy with the face of the greatest racer in F1 history'?" Toto said into his hands, shaking his head slowly.

Mick looked blankly at you and João on the screen before turning to you. He watched you shake your head softly, smiling awkwardly at the camera as the crowd urged you to kiss.

"Oh mein Gott," You murmured to yourself, eyes darting around in panic. Oh my God.

Suddenly, you felt Mick lean in, his fingers sliding under your chin and resting on your cheek. He turned your head slightly towards him.

Your eyes widened upon meeting his baby blues, feeling unnerving giddiness swarm you. You hoped your face screamed, "What are you doing?!"

All Mick did give a small smile, bringing his lips towards you.

Instinctively, your eyes closed, bracing yourself whatever was about to happen. All you could hope for was that this was all a dream of some sort. Maybe you fell asleep in the car?

You skin flushed at the feel of Mick's soft lips on your cheek. Your eyes fluttered open, feeling him linger for a second longer before pulling back.

What on earth?

You weren't sure if you were breathing as you felt his hand move to your leg, covering your hand and giving it a small squeeze. You moved your eyes to the screen. Mick looked unbothered while the crowd erupted in cheers and boos. You, on the other hand, looked flushed.

And Toto?

The urge to run around with his hands flailing in the air was strong.

This was a home run, for crying out loud!

Whoever said jealousy was a disease... thank you!

━━━━━━━━━━━

"Liebling, du solltest jetzt rauskommen," Your mother said to you through the bathroom stall you had been hiding in for the past five minutes. Darling, you should come out now.

You winced as you banged your head against the wall of the stall. You sighed. "I don't think I can. Do you think you can convince the staff the bring a bed? Maybe some food?"

Your mother snorted. "What are you going to do? Live here?"

"Ja. War das nicht offensichtlich?" You retorted, eyes screwing themselves shut after replaying the kiss in your head for the umpteenth time. Yes. Was that not obvious?

Susie sighed, awkwardly smiling at a woman leaving the bathroom. "Y/N... it's Mick. You can't ignore him forever. How long do you think it will truly take for Mick and your father to storm in here after not seeing you for so long?"

You sighed at your mother's response. She was. As always.

The last thing you needed was a headline on ESPN: Toto Wolff and Mick Schumacher caught barging into a women's bathroom.

Christian would have a field day!

You shuddered at the thought.

Susie's ears perked up at your grumble as you fumbled with the lock of the stall. She sported an amused smile at the blank look you gave her.

Slinging an arm around you, she rubbed your shoulder. "Come on, liebling. You got this."

━━━━━━━━━━━

"Oh thank God!" Toto exclaimed after seeing you and your mother come out of the bathroom. "You took forever!"

You narrowed your eyes at your father, avoiding the lingering eyes of a certain German boy. "Maybe next time you shouldn't feed me a hotdog at a baseball game, right?" You pressed with a raised brow.

"Hmm?" Toto mended his brows before nodding profusely. "Right! Right! Yes... that was my bad. Poor thing... you know, Mick, with Y/N being sick and all, I think you should drop her to the hotel. Me and Susie still have a date to go on!"

You and your mother looked at Toto increduolously.

"We do?"

"You do?"

Toto nodded, grabbing your mother's hand. "Yes! Okay, see you two! Tschüss!" Bye!

With a jaw-dropping expression, you watched your parents leave with a twitching eye.

You heard Mick clear his throat.

Slowly, you turned around with a small smile. Fiddling with your fingers, "So..."

Mick rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a small tinge of pink dancing across his cheeks. "The hotel?" He asked, swinging his keys around the his index finger.

Silently, you both walked out of the stadium and towards the car park.

You furrowed your brows upon seeing the orange and pink laden sky. "What the heck? How is the sun already setting?"

"I mean... you were in there for a long time," Mick shrugged.

The crisp summer evening breeze glided past your flushed skin. Your body winced at the paining silence ensuing between the both of you. You let out a small exhale. "Uh, with the thing before–"

"Yeah?" Mick eagerly turned his body towards you, on edge.

You cleared your throat at the anxious expression Mick sported. "You sighed. "Uh, that was to like... save me, right? Aus Verlegenheit? Danke für das." From embarrassment? Thank you for that.

Mick mended his eyebrows. "Verlegenheit? No. I... that was so you didn't kiss João."

You laughed nervously. "Right! So I didn't have to kiss João."

"No. So you didn't kiss João. There's a difference," Mick pointed out, eyeing your expression carefully.

Your eyes widened at his suddenly soft gaze. You looked up at the sky, hoping the breeze would cool the wave of warmth swirling around you. "That's... that's what I said," You shrugged.

Mick stepped in front of you, forcing you to look at him instead of the sky. "Why do you do that?" Mick asked.

"Do what?" You responded.

"I mean... I–just why do you have such a hard time admitting that I like you?"

You wish you had something to say. Anything. But it was as if the ability to speak had been seized from your throat entirely.

"I mean I know I don't make it obvious. I just thought we had some sort of understanding... you know... the one without words?"

You looked up into his hopeful eyes. Entranced, you leaned in towards him. Your fingers danced across his cheek just the way he had done not so long ago. You watched his eyes close at the feel of your touch, making your heart thud against your chest.

Inching closer, your thumb gently swiped over his lips, feeling his faltering exhale warm the pad of your thumb. "So pretty," You whispered to yourself, eyeing his face.

Mick wasn't sure whether you were talking about him or his lips but he didn't care.

You shuddered, feeling Mick's hand slide around your waist, bringing you closer to him.

Without waiting a second longer, you pressed your lips to his.

Mick's lips were softer than you had imagined, warm to the touch. Your stomach churned upon feeling his fingers skate under the hem of your shirt, rubbing tingling circles on your hot skin.

You hear an unrecognisable breathy gasp fall from your lips. The hair on your body stood straight as goosebumps littered your skin. All because of Mick.

Mick took advantage of the moment, darting his tongue to explore your mouth. He groaned against your lips, pushing your hips even closer to him, feeling the hard outline of his bulge rub against your pelvis.

Fuck.

You were going to combust at this rate.

Mick trembled in your grasp as your hands wandered his taut torso, lingering closely to his v-line.

He pulled away with an indescribable urgency, staring at you with small pants falling from his lips. He held your face with his hand, thumb gliding across your swollen lips. "We can't–" He sighed out, voice hoarse, "No more. Please."

Your thighs clenched at his plea, eyes falling down to his prominent bulge. You were sure he was in a lot of pain right now. The sexual tension between you to had been pent up for years now.

Your tongue darted out, swiping over his thumb briefly before faintly sucking on it. You looked up at Mick. "You're right, we shouldn't," You nonchalantly told him.

Mick's blue eyes danced with a tortured pain, following your tongue carefully. "We... fuck, Y/N," He complained, feeling impossibly tight in his pants.

"We fuck? Direct much?" You teased, removing your lips from his thumb.

Mick stared at you, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. "I was saying... we should do this properly. Not in some parking lot."

"Why not? Car sex is hot. Just imagine!" You urged, amused by the conflict in Mick's eyes.

Imagine he did.

You and him in his God forbidden Mercedes... him making sure every inch of his car was stained with you...

Mick sucked in a sharp breath. "Nope. Come on. Hotel."

You gasped humorously. "In a hotel? Mick Schumacher! Well I never!"

Before you knew it, Mick had whisked you into his arms and into his car, hoping he was not breaking Brazil's speed limits tonight.

© 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐘𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑

[fiction-box]

Hello! I would like to request F!Reader x Felix

It is the Winter Ball. One of them is weary of the dancing, the crowds and the merriment and decides to take refuge in the Training Grounds - only to find that the other had the exact same idea. They decide to do something that's more fun than dancing - a sparring match. Bonus points if reader is wearing a fancy gown the whole time.

Whenever your time allows - thank you in advance!

You are very welcome, and I would like to thank you for being respectful of my time.

I seem to be on a roll with these longer stories. I don't know why - more ideas just keep pouring into my head, and of course I want to do every conflict justice.

Thank you for giving me freedom with perspective! I wanted to write something from the view of Felix since I had yet to truly write for him.

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

You stood by yourself on the sidelines of the great hall, your purple dress sparkling against the downward lighting of the chandeliers. There was nothing particularly interesting about you right now; you simply surveyed the dancers on the checkered floor. Dimitri led Mercedes through an elegant twirl, Ingrid talked Ashe through the steps of the waltz, Annette and Sylvain engaged in a heated discussion over something that probably wouldn’t matter in about fifteen minutes…

…and Felix was staring at you.

The swordsman had refused to do any more than the bare minimum for the ball. That meant that despite his suit - one required by the Archbishop’s insipid dress code - his hair remained up off his neck, and his back pressed against the wall.

Dorothea had been making eyes at him from across the room for the past three minutes now. Felix told himself that was the reason he kept staring at you. If he and the songstress never made eye contact, she wouldn’t do anything stupid. Besides, she didn’t seem interested in asking anyone to dance; the brunette would only be accepting such invitations tonight.

Why the hell did he even care?

He didn’t, but he followed your line of sight to Dimitri. The boar switched partners to lead Hilda around the floor, an exchange initiated by the up-tempo of the cello and Mercedes’ apparent request for a break.

Why the hell did you even care?

…did you-?

“Jeez Felix, you’re so obvious.”

Sylvain.

“Trying to find the courage to ask her to dance?” the redhead teased. “I could help you out, you know. I’ve heard I’m an excellent wingman.”

“Do I look like I’m interested in moving right now? And since when have you ever helped anyone but yourself?”

“Ouch. I mean, you’re certainly not helping yourself- your suit coat will get wrinkled if you keep leaning against the wall like that.”

“As if I care!” Felix pushed off the wall to contest Sylvain at his full height. He did care. “There’s no point in this - we shouldn’t even be having a ball right now.”

“No- No- No- Hey look, no sweat, okay?” Sylvain verbally backpedaled, putting an arm around his friend’s shoulder to guide him toward the refreshments. Subtly, he ran his hand along the wrinkles of his coat to smooth them out as they walked, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but soirées like these don’t happen very often.”

“So?”

“So, you have just as good a reason to be here as everyone else in this room. You can wait however long you want before asking anyone you want to dance, but it’s pretty frowned upon to return to a party once you leave, you know?”

The heir of Gautier knew him too well. Nonetheless, he did make a good point. There was no need to rush to be flustered - he probably had an hour before the final dance of the night.

A drink found his hand, and the two nobles took up a space several paces away from the table. Felix couldn’t stop his eyes from searching for your shimmering gown.

You were still standing alone, still watching the dancers.

At least your eyes weren’t fixed on the boar this time. The son of Count Gloucester glided a blue-haired lady across the floor, her dress trumpeting as he gracefully led her back and forth. Your attention followed their sweeping motions.

Maybe you really did just want to dance.

His classmate’s hand came to rest on his shoulder again, “I’m just saying, you hate to see it, Felix. A beautiful girl like that, standing all by herself. You better make a move before someone else does - or before I take too much pity on her and ask her myself.”

He had called you a girl, “Stay away from her.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you, kay?”

But he headed the opposite direction. The bluenette watched him connect with a pouting Dorothea, immediately starting some banter he was sure he couldn’t care less about.

Felix found himself growing impatient, despite everything his friend said moments ago. If he was going to do this, he might as well get it over with now. That way the two of you would either get as much time as possible to spend together, or he could end his attendance at this event because the one reason for which he cared to stay wanted nothing to do with him.

Only, there was no place to put his drink.

Since you were standing by the southern entrance, and he loitered near the drinks at the western wall, you could see him out of your peripheral. That meant you could catch him too easily if he were to look at you again. Not that it wasn’t already considered rude to stare.

Taking a sip of the cool, vanilla drink, his mind began to think it through a bit. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to make eye contact. It would give him an excuse to approach you.

And another thing - although you hadn’t been alone the whole ball, you hadn’t been approached by any men, either. Even working to put his bias out of the way, you were objectively attractive. It didn’t-

Goddess, and you belonged to a house in the kingdom, too. A young, available, attractive noblewoman standing by herself at - judging the crowd - the largest social event of the season.

A mumbled ‘What the hell…?’ parted his lips as he surveyed the room again. He might actually understand Sylvain, for once. Logically, this whole scenario didn’t connect.

Finally finishing his drink and handing off the glass, he found it in himself to turn to face you.

You were not there.

His heart skipped a beat before his gaze scanned the dance floor for your dress, your hair, anything. Upon coming up empty, his mind shoved one thought to the front of his mind.

You left the ball.

Again, why? There were too many important people here for you to just up and leave. You hadn’t tried to mingle this whole time, content with simply watching everyone else twirl about the floor. Then, the moment he became too preoccupied with his drink and with Sylvain to pay attention, you vanished.

In light of recent events, it looked like Felix was about to copy you.

With no further reason to stay, he tried not to make a show of striding to the southern entrance. The last thing he wanted was for someone to chase him out or call him back in, especially if that person had red hair or…or connections to the Mittelfrank Opera Company.

His feet instinctively wound the path to the training grounds. He needed to blow off some steam and get out of his head so he could get some proper rest tonight. Even so, if his mind wouldn’t relent, he would work his body so hard that he’d sleep as soon as he finished bathing himself.

Music trailed him, but it couldn’t compete with the creak of the doors to the training grounds. Once the door shut behind him, Felix was well and truly alone. The notes of the orchestral violins couldn’t penetrate the thick wood and metal, and no one else had any reason to come here tonight.

Still, his actions quickly caught up with him. What was he doing here? Why did it feel like he was running away?

Get a grip.

He wasn’t running away, he just wasn’t wasting time, either. Heading to the rack, Felix grabbed a steel sword. It didn’t matter which one, so long as it was heavy.

The sand of the center pit caved beneath his feet. There was no need for a training dummy to warm up. Routinely, Felix swung the sword over his head. His arms needed to be steady even while his attacks retained momentum and strength.

…10…11…12…

Any time a thought of the ball wormed its way into his head, Felix would shove it out. No point in dwelling on his failure to act - the two of you were far too young for anything serious to happen. No need to worry about Sylvain finding you - after what he said earlier, there was no way he would leave all the other ladies in that room for the one he knew Felix was interested in. He knew Sylvain that well, at least.

…57…58…59…

Why the hell wasn’t this working? Usually he could focus on this. This one thing that belonged to him, that he had done endlessly before that insufferable ball, and that he would continue to endlessly pursue after it. His training should belong to him! This was supposed to be how he grounded himself.

Felix was having a very difficult nig-

The doors to the entrance groaned, a delicate piano solo floating in through the opening as the moonlight guided a figure into the facility.

Upon recognition of the shimmer of your gown, the swordsman lowered the weapon from above his head.

…82…?

Thoughtful of the ongoing formal, you pivoted around the door, slowly and mindfully closing it in an apparent attempt to make as little noise as possible. Finally, you exhaled and turned to the center of the grounds.

“Oh- I- Sorry! Sorry, I’ll go.”

But your eyes hadn’t adjusted to the light of the torches from the darkness outside, so your eyelashes fluttered as you reached past the door.

“No need,” Felix frowned. “You chose to come here, I don’t own the place.”

“Wait, Felix?” you marveled, turning back around only to blink against the light again. “I didn’t recognize you. I thought you were someone on maintenance.”

What. “What kind of maintenance staff wears a suit?”

“I didn’t get a good look, okay?” you defended, your eyes finally staying open and guiding you to where he currently stood.

Being this close to you now…it felt strange. Your makeup had been expertly applied, supposedly with help from Mercedes and Annette, the tailoring of your dress was much more obvious…

“But why are you here? You’re dressed for the ball, and I remember seeing you when I walked in.”

“You first,” he countered. “What did you think you were going to accomplish here in an evening gown?”

That caught you off guard. Your eyes found a spot on the ground beside you before trailing to the wall.

“I don’t know. I didn’t really have a plan. I’m not even sure why I’m here - I just feel like I’m supposed to be.”

His eyes narrowed, “What, are you trying to trick me into thinking this was fated or something?”

Your gaze drew back to him, confusion etched across your face.

“What?”

“Sylvain must have said something to you then, is that it?”

But you only looked more lost than you did before, “I’m sorry, I don’t follow. Sylvain and I haven’t spoken since…” your line of sight shifted above his head and slightly to the side, “…two days ago…? Professor Byleth puts us on stable duty every few days.”

The bluenette’s knuckles turned white as he clenched the hilt of his sword. Sylvain never said anything about this. Felix had no clue you were spending so much time together.

“Forget it,” he insisted, “you’re here, so we might as well do something productive. Spar with me.”

“In an evening gown? You practically said it yourself, I can’t do anything wearing this.”

Goddess save him, he did not know how to handle this situation. In terms of guiding the conversation, he did not think this through. There didn't seem to be a way for him to keep changing the subject or coming up with an idea for you to stay here, either.

All his defense mechanisms were failing, and he was becoming frustrated.

“Okay, your turn,” you crossed your arms, saving him for a moment. “Why did you leave the ball to come here?”

“There wasn’t a reason for me to stay, anymore.”

Some of the light in your eyes dimmed, just enough for him to catch it happening. Just enough to make him wonder why.

“Hang on,” he recovered, “you know I left to come here.”

“That’s not a question,” you affirmed.

“But you didn’t leave to come here. So why weren’t you at the ball?”

Your brows furrowed slightly, “I was at the ball-“

“No, you left before I did,” he asserted. “What were you doing in the time before you arrived here?”

Perhaps he was revealing too much. It shouldn’t matter anyway, and a normal person wouldn’t care this much. Even so, if you wanted to say you were just “called to be here”, he could reasonably contest that any information was up for grabs.

The way you stared at him had a way of making his neck warm. It was like you thought the answers were hidden in his eyes, your gaze focused as you supposedly retraced your night.

“Well, I did leave the ball for a little bit…” you recalled slowly.

After allowing you a moment, he pressed a bit, “Why?”

“Oh- Well, um…I needed to use the ladies’ room? At least, that’s the only other time I can remember leaving.”

The ladies’ room…?

Goddess, he was such a fool.

It was his turn to turn his head to the side, “I see.”

If his eyes could have burned the sand, the whole pit would be glass right now. 

His thoughts were quickly interrupted. Out of the corner of his eye, Felix noticed you slipping off your shoes.

“What are you doing?”

“Well,” you started, kicking the raised flats to the side before picking up a training lance from where someone had discarded it, “this dress doesn’t have sleeves, and I figured that if I took my shoes off, it would be easier to move. The slit up my leg should keep me mobile enough, so long as I don’t have to run.”

Damn, you were actually going to do this.

You lowered into a fighting stance upon returning to the pit opposite him. A smile lighting up your face.

“The sand feels so weird. It makes me wonder if this is what the beach feels like.”

But the two of you lived in Faerghus your whole lives, so he couldn’t tell you.

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re dressed differently.”

“Right, then let’s get started.”

You looked prepared to assume the defensive position; a smart move, considering that too much movement might mean you would slip on the long fabric of your clothing.

Felix far from opposed. He was used to being the offense, anyway.

Placing one foot in front of the other, he crossed the grounds and held his sword up to strike. Quick and easy - the point would go to him before you could even-

Your eyes widened, “Felix, wait! Don’t-!”

He hadn’t registered your words fast enough to stop himself. Intuitively, you held your lance up to defend yourself, and that’s when Felix realized what you were so worried about.

The weapon he was using wasn’t meant for sparring.

Breaking above your head, the wooden pole of your lance gave in. Felix stumbled forward, fighting for his balance as you rolled to the side in an attempt to protect your head.

He hissed, cursing himself for making such an amateur (and deadly) mistake, “Damn, my bad.”

“Goddess,” he heard you breathe, your eyes wide from your position on the ground, “I thought I was about to die.”

That was a thought. His eagerness to train and avoid an awkward encounter with you nearly...well, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

Leaving you to get yourself up, he moved to trade the steel sword for a wooden one. The noble also elected to take off his blazer and leave it behind, giving his arms better range of motion.

Turning back around, he noticed you were still struggling to rise to your feet.

“Seriously? It can’t be that hard.”

But just watching you made him want to take it back. The sand had become uneven from when you dodged toward the ground, and your dress kept finding its way under your feet whenever you tried to stand. Whenever you pooled the fabric out of the way in one area, it only gathered in another to slide under you. Not to mention that after so much struggle, the yellow grains were all over your skin and gown. It looked uncomfortable, at best.

Frowning, Felix approached, “Hang on.”

With your consent, he placed his hands at your waist and lifted you to the point you could stand again. You thanked him, a light flush on your cheeks that he tried not to think too hard about.

“I’d say that was embarrassing,” you started, “but considering I very nearly earned a trip to Manuela a moment ago, I don’t think I should care.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Nothing bad came of it, so I don’t mind. Still, you should work on your etiquette.”

The swordsman raised a brow, “Excuse me?”

“You left me to fend for myself in the sand for two minutes while you went to exchange your sword and take off your coat. It’s like I’m not even here,” you teased, approaching the training racks. “And then not only did you prioritize your sword over helping me, but you couldn’t even grab me a new lance.”

“I’m here to fight, nothing else. If you have a problem with that, no one’s forcing you to stay.”

In all fairness, you were right. He was too wrapped up in being with you to register that he was about to hurt you, and then he was too worried about how he almost hurt you to remember to help you back up again.

Why was he so bad at this?

Thankfully, you seemed to ignore the more bitter parts of his previous statement and took it for what it was - a proposition to rematch.

You found your places opposite one another, preparing for a genuine spar. Felix watched you sink into your defensive position again, nodding to confirm you were ready. 

This time when he charged, his sword remained in a lower position. He wanted to slice upwards, reading your potential roll to the side while still being ready to follow up swiftly.

The moment he brought the sword up into you, you pivoted and thrust the lance forward. It would have technically impaled him, but you were courteous enough (and skilled enough) to angle the weapon so it slid against his side instead.

Felix halted the momentum of his arms, bringing them down slowly and preventing the hit he would have landed on you.

“That one goes to you.”

Switching sides with you, the second son ran his hand along his side. A warmup, nothing more. You wouldn’t go down easy, and neither would he.

You were once again prepared, and Felix signaled that the second round had begun, but he did not rush forward. If you wanted to hit him, you would need to put yourself at risk.

It didn’t take long for you to catch on, though you make a point to approach at a casual walk.

“Are you serious?”

“Are you? You think I’m foolish enough to run at you after I couldn’t stand on my own? If you wanted to go fast, you should have taken up offense again.”

Once you were close enough, you suddenly lunged twice and brought your lance down and across his body. Felix lept back before charging forward, but you came in with a block.

You held strong against his resistance, but your feet couldn’t find a proper stance thanks to your limited range of motion. He probably had your fear of slipping on the fabric again to thank, as well.

Deliberately, Felix stepped on your dress.

A gasp parted your lips as the heels of your feet slid forward. You fell backward only for Felix to step forward and catch you, one arm around your back, one hand holding his sword to your throat.

“Th-that’s not fair, and you know it,” you protested, breaths quickened from the adrenaline of almost falling.

“You chose to come fight in this. You think your opponent is going to care how you’re dressed?”

After a moment, you relented, “Fine, you win this one.”

Usually, Felix would be okay with the “whatever means necessary” ideology. When it came to you, however, it only worried him. Did he really need you to have a disadvantage for him to win?

He lowered you to the ground before picking you up again, presuming you would take longer to regain your footing if he left you on the sand. You were set upright on your feet at the solid edge of the pit.

As he reached the other side of the sands, he noted that you still looked bitter - probably about the last point. Perhaps that could work in his favor.

However, even after several seconds, the emotion in your eyes didn’t go away. You appeared almost…insulted?

In the back of his mind, he retraced his steps. You yielded the point how you normally would, and you weren’t a sore loser. You appeared more baffled than anything when he had tripped you…

Shit.

Felix had completely manhandled you out of the training area.

And that would explain why you were simultaneously glaring daggers into him and scanning him up and down.

“Don’t worry, I’ll attack this time,” the bluenette managed. In fear of being wrong and coming off egotistical, that was probably the best apology he could give right now.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

No, you were decidedly not happy.

He approached, trying to build as much momentum as possible before choosing to open with a block. If you were looking to parry an attack, he would be left with an opening. If you were looking to block him too, he would likely knock you to the ground and gain the point.

Maybe then he could offer to help you up properly.

No, he needed to stay focused. He was training right now, not apologizing.

Effectively distracted, neither of his plans came to fruition as you reached out and grabbed his cravat, pulling it down and causing him to run past you.

“Wh-!”

A dull stab at his back shoved him out of bounds, taking away any chance he had at regaining his balance. He tumbled to the ground.

“You’ve been impaled, that’s mine.”

He wanted to be mad, but he was more shocked than anything. After all, he could hardly complain after doing a similar thing to you last round.

A hand in his peripheral offered to help him to his feet. Accepting it, he rose, picking his sword up off the ground.

At least that seemed to get everything out of your system, “Maybe you were right, we can’t really accomplish anything serious while we’re dressed like this.”

“It’s not like we…”

A song loud enough to be heard from within the training ground bounced against the walls. It caught him off guard, especially since he hadn’t been able to hear any music since you closed the doors earlier. Whatever they were playing now, the whole orchestra was involved.

“The last dance already?” your head turned to the entrance, as well. “There’s no way…”

“Did you promise someone a dance?” he guessed.

“Something like that,” you worried. “I told Annette and Mercedes that I would be sure to dance with at least someone tonight after all they did for me. I…kind of got carried away watching earlier, and then I got scared I would forget the moves, and then I left to come here.”

He didn’t know what to say, but there was no way you could go back now. Sand covered your slightly tousled hair, your gown, and he was sure it found its way into your shoes. Your cheeks were still somewhat red from earlier, and…

It was all his fault. He even stepped on your gown without thinking.

Goddess, he really needed to start using his head.

Tossing his sword into the sand, Felix took the lance from your hands and threw it aside too. Swiftly, he retrieved your shoes and placed them in front of you.

“Felix, there’s no way…” but you slid them on anyway, “…and the song already began. It will be over by the time I get there.”

Face unreadable, your classmate extended a hand to you. “Do you think it would count if we started now?”

“Wait, what? You…want to dance with me?”

“If you don’t want me to be your partner after everything that’s happened tonight, I’ll understand-“

You took his hand, placing your own on his shoulder and facing him completely, “You lead. I’m still not certain how this one goes.”

It was a lie. It must have been. The moment the pair of you felt the music together, you were off. The strings followed a simple waltz - an accessible dance that even most commoners could perform. An obvious choice for the last dance of the night.

He knew his frame to be stiff, but it didn’t matter. Especially not when you were so blatantly stealing the hypothetical show, swaying and leaning back as the two of you spun gracefully around an invisible point on the ground. Your arms barely ghosted his own.

In a rare moment, he wished his dance partner were less aware, less experienced. He wanted you to lean on him so he could lead you through the dance, but he knew that was not in your nature.

You were charming, assured, and independent. The dance belonged to you, so much so that he felt like a mere prop. He supposed that was how it went in the theatres Sylvain had always dragged him to in the past. The women stole the spotlight while the men were evaluated on how good they could make their partners look.

There was no doubt. You deserved a better partner.

“Hey,” his voice was unsure. It had been several measures since he last used it. “I…you shouldn’t be dancing with me.”

“What are you talking about?” you smiled, coming back to his chest and resuming your normal posture.

“I mean you should be in the great hall, dancing with someone that would actually do you justice,” he suddenly didn’t want to face you. “I feel like I took that away from you. I spend all my time here working with a sword - my last dancing lesson ended when I was twelve.”

He stopped himself, spinning you away before he could say too much. This was about you. You had missed what could have been one of the biggest days of your life. He pulled you back in and met your eyes. Felix missed an event he already planned on skipping.

“...it’s nice. I prefer it. This way it’s just us.”

“Just us?” he hoped you couldn’t hear his heartbeat.

“Oh- I only mean- I don’t have to worry about anyone staring at me because I don’t know the steps or anything.”

It was beginning to make him angry, if only because it made no sense, “Why do you keep saying that?”

You were caught off guard, slipping up for the first time tonight. Felix finally felt useful, steadying you enough to fall back into the orchestra’s rhythm.

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” you lowered your voice like you were telling him a secret. “That’s what my sister told me. She and everyone that visited the manor.”

Blinking a bit, you turned to the side, “I’m doing it wrong. My steps are too wide. My arms are too heavy. I must be repulsed by my partner if I’m leaning back that much. Those kinds of things.”

Your partner merely scoffed, “Jealous.”

He hadn’t meant for it to slip out, but he knew.

“They can’t do what you can. There are nobles all over Fodlan like that; people who don’t like being shown up. They’ll say anything to make you give up or feel bad about yourself, but they lack the ambition to do any better themselves.”

“You really think so?”

“Have you met anyone better at dancing than yourself?”

“Well, I…I’ve never seen myself dance before.”

“Then take my word for it. Show Professor Byleth if you doubt it, but just be prepared for her to demand a rematch for the Heron Cup.”

Honestly, Felix didn’t know why he was being so forward about this. It was just another unjust part of the world they were all tripping over themselves to fix, he supposed. Still, if dancers could be trained for the battlefield, he saw no reason for his house to settle on an amateur.

The piano slowed to play a few high notes and end the song on a major chord. Accordingly, the two of you came to a stop.

“Thank you,” you stepped away timidly, “for the dance…and…”

“I wasn’t trying to make you feel better. Manuela could teach you - you could do this on the battlefield much better than whoever actually won the competition.”

You hummed, probably pondering the thought.

Presuming it was time to head back before you both could be found and accused of something mindless, Felix picked up your weapons from where he had discarded them. He caught you brushing the sand off your skin and down your dress before he left to put the items away. The blazer he set aside earlier found its way to his back again, his cravat tucked in appropriately.

You waited across the hall to hold the door for him. Once you both walked through, it shut with a final thud, sealing away everything that happened in the training grounds that night.

He saw you talking to Professor Byleth after class the next day. Although he couldn’t hear what you were saying, some part of him hoped you chose to take his words to heart.

Perhaps it had been a good time to host a ball.