#sylvain finally gets a hug

[sylvanfreckles]

Thicker Than Water (5 of 5)

For no. 18/alt 7: Protective

Fandom: Fire Emblem: Three Hopes Rating: T General Warning: Canonical child abuse, violence, nyctophobia

Summary: Three weeks ago, Margrave Gautier ordered Sylvain to find Miklan and recruit him for the war effort. He hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Now, Felix and Shez race to find him before Miklan finally does away with his brother for good…or worse. (Read on AO3)

...

Felix dodged to the right, his sword a gleaming silver arc in the air as he brought it down across Miklan’s outstretched arm. The other man pulled back at the last second and pulled his lance around, but his movements were easy to follow, and Felix rolled under the blow to come up on Miklan’s other side.

“I should have dealt with you when I had the chance,” Miklan growled. He feinted, but Felix had retreated far enough back that he could clearly see through the movement. “You know what we did when a runt was born back at House Gautier?”

“You talk too much,” Felix replied coldly. He parried the lance with his sword and swung around to catch Miklan in the side with a powerful kick. “Guess you two have that much in common.”

Miklan managed to catch his leg, but Felix was too close for him to strike effectively with his lance. He tried to grab the front of Felix’s armor instead, but the smaller man easily twisted away and danced back a few steps.

He’d spent years training with Dimitri and Sylvain. Miklan’s skills with the lance paled in comparison to theirs.

“That the best you’ve got, runt?” Miklan beckoned with his fingers, his grin feral across his face. “I could take you with one hand tied behind my back.”

Felix snorted. He held his ground as Miklan charged, deflecting the lance up and away with his shield and stepping in to draw a couple of quick slashes across Miklan’s face. “You couldn’t take me on my worst day,” he taunted.

Miklan reared back, temporarily blinded, and Felix took advantage of his movements to aim a strike at the underside of his arm, across the lacing of his braces.

“And this isn’t even close to my worst day.”

…

“All right,” Shez hoisted herself out of the well. “Ready?”

Miranda had threaded the other end of the rope through the pulley above the well’s mouth and stood waiting, rope wrapped around her forearm. “Ready.”

Shez took up position behind her, twisting her own arms into the rope. “On three.”

They pulled. Shez wound up the slack as Miranda passed it on, always keeping the rope taut. Slowly, little by little, a limp form was pulled out of the well. Shez dropped the rope, leaving Miranda to anchor it, and hurried over to haul Sylvain free of the inky depths.

“You with me?” she patted his face and chafed his wrists. “Come on, Sylvain. I need you to wake up.”

Miranda was beside them, cutting the rope free from around Sylvain’s chest. “He’s cold.” She pulled off her outer robe and draped it over his shoulders, then braced an arm behind him to help sit him up against the side of the well. “Those bruises.”

“I know.” In the strong morning light, Sylvain’s condition was even worse than she’d thought. His face was swollen, and dark, finger-shaped bruises circled his throat. Peeking into the torn neckline of his tunic, she could see even more bruises on his chest, along with some discoloration over his ribs on one side. “We need you, friend. Come on.”

Miranda cursed and rose to her feet. “I left my staff with the horses, give me five minutes.”

Shez raised her eyebrows. “You know healing magic.”

“Not much,” Miranda hesitated. “I think Simeon had some vulneraries.”

“Anything would help,” Shez said as she shook her head. “Thank you.”

“Add it to my bill.” Miranda winked, then was off across the field.

Shez turned her attention back to Sylvain relieved to see his eyelids flutter. “Are you with me?”

He sucked in a ragged breath, eyes barely flickering open before closing again. “In-Ingrid?”

“Sorry,” Shez winced. “She wanted to come, but…it’s just me.”

This time, he managed to open his eyes enough to focus on her. “Oh. Hi.”

Shez laughed weakly. “Hi, yourself. Don’t worry, we’re gonna get you home.”

“We?” He stared at her. His eyes were sunken, his face pale beneath the bruises and bristly scruff on his chin. Her heart ached at the sight of the flamboyant, exuberant man she knew made pale and weak by his captivity.

“Felix is here,” Shez explained. She made the mistake of turning around to look for him, and Sylvain followed her movements in time to see Felix duck a blow from Miklan’s lance.

“No!” Sylvain surged forward, though Shez held him in place with a hand on his shoulder. “No, he…he can’t fight him. You can’t…don’t do this.”

“Hey, hey,” Shez put both hands on his face to turn him away, shifting until she was directly in his line of sight. “You don’t need to watch that. Just look at me.”

Sylvain’s fist curled uselessly in her sleeve as he weakly pushed at her. “You can’t…don’t kill him.”

“Look at me,” Shez repeated. She stared into his eyes, willing his focus to stay on her. “You have to trust Felix on this, all right? He’s doing what he has to in order to protect you.”

He stared at her, eyes wretched, then Sylvain’s face crumpled, and he tipped forward until he was resting his forehead on her shoulder. “You can’t kill him,” he said, voice cracking with a sob. “He’s my brother.”

“Oh, Sylvain.” Shez wrapped an arm around his shoulders to hold him close, bringing up her other hand to card her fingers through his hair. His hair was matted with sweat and dirt and blood, and he shuddered in her arms at the touch. She rested her cheek on the top of his head and held him, barely looking up when Miranda returned with her healing staff.

That was how Felix found them a few minutes later, striding up to their little group as he slid his sword back into its sheath. “How is he?” he asked, coming to a halt next to Shez.

She looked up at him, her own eyes damp with unshed tears. “Did you kill him?”

Felix snorted. “Does it matter?”

Sylvain was quieter now, but it seemed more from exhaustion than any lessening of emotion. “I think it does,” Shez murmured.

Rolling his eyes, Felix dropped to one knee next to Shez and put a hand on Sylvain’s shoulder. “We’ll contact Margrave Gautier. His can take responsibility for his oldest son.”

That wasn’t really an answer, but Sylvain stirred a little at his friend’s words. He twisted in Shez’s arms to look at Felix, then he was reaching for the other man, struggling out of Shez’s grip. Felix, for his part, let Sylvain fall against him and wrapped his arms around him to hold him close.

Something seemed to loosen in Felix’s expression then, some softening emotion or fading fear. He tipped his head back, eyes closed, and rested his chin on the top of Sylvain’s head for a long moment.

“Come on,” he finally said, pushing Sylvain back enough to cup both hands around his face. “Let’s go home.”

[abbacchiosbelt]

Okay hopefully I'm not late but love letters and jealousy for Dimitri 👀

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Dimitri would be remiss to ever admit to it (other than perhaps Sylvain cajoling it out of him at some point—), but he gets extremely jealous - the kind of jealous that forces him to go to the training grounds and work out his anger before he does something terrible. It’s the little things that get to him, like watching his darling laugh at someone else’s joke or someone greeting them with a hug. Both things - making his darling laugh and casual affection with them - are things he struggles with. It makes his jealousy even more dangerous.

[ Continued under the cut. . .]

Dimitri is never angry at his darling, though. No, he reserves his rage for the unfortunate person who doesn’t understand that his darling belongs to him. Dimitri knows that on some level, his behavior is wrong. He makes up for it by putting his darling on a pedestal, and any anger that may spark from their (which is hard to do, since Dimitri adores them an unhealthy amount) interaction with others is always redirected at the other party. 

Dimitri struggles to walk the line between the benevolent king and the ‘boar king.’ A yandere Dimitri has to fight the part of him that thirsts for stomping out anything that stands in his way. He can’t give in to that primal side of him any longer, but it’s impossible to ignore the build-up of it over time.

When that time comes - when his jealousy has reached its breaking point - the king always leaves for a ‘hunt' with his most trusted friends, his darling left behind. It’d be too dangerous, Dimitri will tell them. They can stay at the castle, and enjoy a few days to do as they please. In reality, he doesn’t want them to witness the violence he’s about to enact on the first group of bandits he runs into. 

His friends, of course, won’t go against the king’s wishes. As long as it keeps Dimitri happy, they’ll indulge him by joining him on his hunts, ignoring the fact that they’re hunting humans instead of game.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Dimitri struggles immensely in this department. He’s just… awkward. No matter how many lessons he gets from Sylvain, or how much advice he gets from Ingrid, or how many times Felix tells him to stop being an idiot and just ‘tell them…’ He keeps his feelings to himself. It’s not until Dedue, always looking out for Dimtri’s well-being, says he could tell his future darling in his place does Dimitri realize he needs to do something before someone else does.

(Although if someone were to start courting his darling before he did… He would have no problem disposing of them.)

Eventually, he decides to let his feelings be known by way of writing a letter. It takes him several tries because he breaks multiple quills and knocks ink onto the paper out of nerves. The final product is… messy. The writing is hard to read, and the paper is crumpled, but the words Dimitri wrote are straight from his heart. 

If his darling responds in the same way, Dimitri will barely be able to contain himself. He rushes into a courtship, as he fears something will happen to them if he doesn’t wed them as soon as he can. Dimitri is still quite awkward around them but does his best to show that he very much enjoys being with him. 

What his darling doesn’t know is that he’s loved them from afar for such a long time. Dimitri kept tabs on them and watched them nearly nightly. He just… couldn’t bare to be without them, even if they didn’t know he was there. Dimitri had to make sure they were safe, until he could take care of them himself.

If his darling responds to the letter with a rejection… Sylvain will intervene before they approach Dimitri. He’s not subtle with his threats, telling them that it’d be in their best interest to rethink their answer… Dimitri’s the savior king, and they’re trying to reject him? No, they must just be shy. Well, Dimitri approached them directly - no need to be shy. It’s an honor to be chosen by a king, let alone one with the reputation that Dimitri has. So they’ll say yes, right? They just were nervous? If they don’t, well… Who knows what may happen to their family’s status, or their family themselves…

Even if, later on, they tell Dimitri that they ‘never wanted this,’ he’ll ignore them. They’re just trying to upset him. Dimitri loves them, and that’s all there is to it. Even if they don’t love him yet… they will. He knows it.

[baronaliswritingcorner]

Fódlan Freewrite #3: Squish

The door to the Blue Lions’ classroom kicked down, the students whipping around to face a despondent Dimitri, tears falling down his face as he cradled a comatose Ingrid.

“It’s heartburn,” croaked Dimitri as he laid her down, “too much Taco Ball. They say she doesn’t have long to live.”

Murmurs rippled through the concerned crowd of students as they circled their fallen classmate -- George Wilson’s Beautiful Moonlit Night from SpongeBob SquarePants played in the background, plucking the proverbial heartstrings of each and every Blue Lion.

“It can’t be!” yelled Ashe.

“Ingrid, this isn’t a joke!”, sobbed Sylvain, knowing full well she was never one for pranks.

“May the Goddess have mercy,” whispered Mercedes – motions for the Ten Commandments made across her chest.

Professor Byleth could only look down, her face grave and crestfallen with the knowledge that her Divine Pulse was simply no match for the Bacon Club Chalupa Combo: addictive, reverent, and spicy in how it bound the universal fabric together, much like the self-nude portraits Ignatz drew for Garreg Mach’s silent auctions.

“Is there a way?” pleaded Dimitri to the heavens. “Please, Goddess, IS THERE A WAY?!”

Helpless sobs accompanied the omnipresent strings, the somber knowledge that their favorite Pegasus Knight fell prey to processed meat marinating in them all. But just as they say: it’s only the darkest before dawn, for there was one student who bravely rose to the challenge.

“I’ll do it,” declared Felix, the triumphant trumpets of the Rocky theme playing as he made his way towards one Annette Fantine Dominic.

“Huh? Felix, what are yo-MEEP!”

“Clear.”

And, just like that, Felix’s fingers dug right into those rosy, malleable cheeks – his firm fingers sinking into the pillowy flesh like a toddler steadily molding Play-Doh into incoherence. The more he dug in, the more did Ingrid’s body twitch to life – a miraculous phenomenon summoning a chorus of gasps. 

“My god,” whispered Dimitri, “he’s using those bulbous cheeks as a conduit to massage Ingrid’s heart. Keep at it, man!”

Trying hard now It's so hard now Trying hard now

As Felix pinched and Annette squeaked, Ingrid shook and convulsed like an exorcist victim – the litany of Eldritch speech escaping her lips pulsing with the very same cadence and tempo as the Communist Manifesto. Mercedes, an outspoken socialist, felt tears rolling down her cheeks as the ruling class evaporated before her very eyes.

“Yes,” muttered Dedue in awe, “it’s working.”

Getting strong now Won't be long now Getting strong now

“Fewix,” squeaked Annette, “I dwont undastand-”

“Annette, I love you,” spoke Felix with all the reverence in the world, “but this is the only way. It’s what Glenn would’ve wanted. Believe in him, Annette – him and Fred Savage.”

Tears spilled from Annette’s eyes. “I know, babe.”

Gonna fly now Flying high now Gonna fly, fly

Channeling all the love and adoration every time our hearts fluttered upon seeing Annette’s munchkin portrait on our television and Nintendo Switch screens, Felix kept on squeezing – his fingers intent on unlocking the secret sauce to reviving his childhood friend.

Gonna fly now

“Clear!”

“Nyuu!”

Flying high now

“Clear!”

“Unngh!”

Gonna flyyyyyyyyy

“CLEAR!”

FLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

“MyuuuUUUUUUuUuUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”

Upon that last squeeze did Ingrid’s emerald eyes finally flash open, a “pah!” escaping her lips as she gasped for air. A chorus of cheers erupted throughout the room, Professor Byleth silently tossing out confetti in celebration.

“Thank the goddesses, Ingrid,” choked Dimitri as he held back his sobs, hugging Ingrid close.

She delicately raised a hand to Dimitri’s face – eyes full of hunger.

“Thank the goddesses for prime rib, indeed,” said Ingrid as she leaned down towards his neck, her Chupacabra teeth ready for another meal.

[onyxedskies]

 “i know we don’t know eachother well, but i can give you my number and you can talk to me whenever you need..”  Duo of your choice. Make me cry.

oo ok. alright i can work with this.

i am not super good with modern aus but i shall try my best lmfao

pairing: mercedes & sylvain

word count: 767

warnings: suicide attempt

His heartbeat thrummed in his ears.

Miklan had been right about him. He was always right about him.

Just a stupid coward who took everything away from everyone else. Who hurt people with his existence, with his stupidly self-destructive actions.

It was better this way.

Felix, Dimitri, and Ingrid were still at college, and Glenn was on a business trip for the week. He had no other friends - the fact that those four had stuck around so long was a miracle in and of itself. His father would send the notes when he found out. He could be a douche, but he wouldn't go that far.

Sylvain stood on the edge of the bridge, looking down at the roaring waters. He wasn't wearing a coat, a poor choice for anyone to make in a Faerghan March, but he deserved the cold that nipped at his fingers and stung his cheeks.

There were idle footsteps somewhere around him. He didn't care.

He took a deep breath, steadying his resolve. He'd always been afraid of heights; this was the perfect way for him to go. The perfect final punishment.

He bowed his head.

"Wait!"

The footsteps he heard earlier were getting faster, louder, and all of a sudden there was a hand on his shoulder, on his arm, and they were pulling him off of the ledge and into a hug.

"What-"

"No," the voice said. Sylvain tried to lift his head, getting only a glimpse of ash blonde hair before his head was being gently pushed into the person's shoulder. "I won't let you do this."

"Mercedes?" Sylvain asked, hesitant. It was a long shot, but it was possible; she had moved away her senior year, but it was possible she was back to visit.

They didn't know each other well in high school, and they hadn't spoken since then. All they had were fragile memories of shared activities from a time long past.

"You can't do this to yourself," she said. Her voice sounded thick. "I know we don’t know each other well, but I can give you my number and you can talk to me whenever you need."

"I'm not worth that," Sylvain laughed. It was hollow sounding, even to him.

"Yes you are." Her voice was firm, and yet soothing all the same. Inexplicably, tears sprang into his eyes. "You are worth that and so much more. You're not- you're loved, Sylvain."

"All I do is hurt the people around me," he replied, more aggressive than he wanted it to be. "It's better for everyone this way."

"No, it isn't," Mercedes said.

"Yes, it is!" Sylvain cried. "All I do is hurt people. My existence hurts people! God knows my actions don't do anything to fucking help me in that regard, but I can't stop. I want to stop, but I can't, I just can't, so it's better for everyone if I'm gone. If I'm gone, there's only so much damage I can do."

"That's not true," Mercedes said. She hesitated for a second before tightening her grip. "Whatever your brother told you, your father - they were wrong. About all of it. You are worth so much more than you think you are. You deserve support, not to be pushed aside because you resorted to unhealthy coping mechanisms because you had nothing else to do."

Sylvain tried to swallow down a sob. "But I-" his voice broke- "hurt everyone I've ever loved."

"Have you apologized?" Mercedes asked, so painfully gently.

"Of course I have," Sylvain said. He was crying now, tears running down his face as he tried to keep himself from sobbing.

"Have they hurt you?" she asked.

"Yes, but that's different!" His voice was trembling.

"How?"

"Because they're them and I'm just me," Sylvain sobbed. "Because they have good futures ahead of them, with happy and fulfilled lives, but all I have is a silver tongue and a track record of hurting people."

Mercedes clutched him tighter, and he buried his face into the crook of her neck and wailed. She rubbed his back, waited for him to calm down. She might have said something, but he couldn't hear anything else over the sounds of his anguish. Of fifteen years of pain exploding out of him.

"You are worth the help I'm going to get you," Mercedes said as his sobs turned to hiccups. "You are worth all of the money, time, and energy it will require. You're worth it, Sylvain."

He didn't agree, but he didn't have the energy to argue.

And maybe, just maybe, she was telling the truth.

[sheikahwarriork]

- Outside of Dimitri, who's your favorite characters from each house? ( Counting the Church as a house! ) And what's your favorite support too?

- What's your favorite moment in all the game? And your favorite line?

- If you could give three supports to Dimitri with ANY characters of the game ( counting everyone, even those normally impossible to talk too like Sothis or dead character ) who would that be?

- Do you have any headcanons you'd like to share?

- Also I've seen you like Mother Mother from your fic ( good taste by the way :] ), so are there any songs you associate with three houses?

Those are a bit more specific, but I love seeing other creative take on that game, so:

- If the characters weren't nobles, what do you think they would be doing in life?

- Do you have any fe3h alternate universe?

- If you could had any element to the game, what would it be? ( It can be anything! And oc, a new class, a new type of magic, etc )

If you don't like a question or don't have the energy feel free to skip them or respond later! Also take any time you need :) Also I tend to be a bit overexcited when talking about the game so sorry about the length ^^"

thank you so much for these questions!! <3

1) for the black eagles, bernadetta 100%. i dont talk about her often, but i loved her since i first played the game (and i recruit her everytime!!), i wish she could s supports f!byleth because i totally was going to romance her in my first CF run if i could! we have a lot of things in common, and i love how in post time skip CF she is outside her room! also when she's near jeralt's grave when he dies çwç babygirl. i love her so much. i even bought the pop parade figure (alongside with the dimitri one of course xD). for the golden deers, i like marianne a lot!! she's so precious and sad and i just want to hug her grrrr. her supports with sylvain are super cute ("cheeeese?"), i love her smile. for the blue lions, aside for dimitri... man i love them all so much! but i'm gonna say mercedes. she's sweet but also clumsy and also funny and she loves ghost stories!!! best girl :3 for the church staff, know that i love flayn soso much but i count her alongside the blue lions, so i'll say seteth. bc daddy. sad daddy. best daddy. 👀 oh, i was forgetting about the ashen wolves! i really like yuri: chaotic bisexual thief lord. what more can i say?

1.5) about my fav support... i love many of them! ugh i cant choose just one! dedue/mercedes supports are so soft, the part where mercedes says "duscur may be gone, but you're still here" and then dedue whispers to himself the same thing... it's so precious and angsty but also cute, and that was the moment i fell in love with mercedue xD i also enjoy a lot the felix/annette supports bc theyre so funny and i love grumpy felix falling for cheerful annette!! grrrr netteflix i love it grrr. i have others but i should get to the other questions lmao

2) my fav moment in the game? "your hands are so warm... have they always been?". what more can i say? angst/fluff dimileth + dimitri starting to heal, just in a one line!! perfect moment. my TOP FAV line tho is "KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM" bc chris hackney didnt need to go so hard but he did and i love him for that. powerful. love feralmitri

3) before three hopes, i'd say bernadetta for sure, but i'm pretty happy how their supports went xD so i'll say: dorothea (she'll explain to him what bisexuality is and dimitri will finally have his bi-awakening), petra (with dedue being his best friend, i think dimitri would be willing to help petra with brigid indipendency), and yes sothis too. imagine dimitri (who doesnt fully believe in the goddess) talking to a little green gremlin who teases him over his crush for the professor *chef kiss*

4) i have TOO MANY headcanons dear anon it's an endless list 😭 i'll say the one about dimitri's sense of taste: he recovers it back after a lot of love from byleth :3

5) yoo another mother mother fan hello!! i actually have a playlist, it's dimileth-core basically lmao.

6) if characters werent nobles... i never thought about that! i like to think ferdinand would be an actor at mittlefrank opera company, and annette a songstress; bernadetta would be a farmer, maybe with marianne (bernie takes cares of the plants, marianne of the animals); ingrid a mercenary... these are my first thoughts!

7) alternate universe? mh... i have an intricate modern au in mind (actually a wip fic currently on my laptop), but im not sure if it's what you mean. i like the aus where sitri doesnt die and byleth grows up at the monastery tho!

8) a new element in the game... please let my non-magic classes cast magic if the unit did learn magic!! 😭 also i'd like if the weather in the monastery changed, at least based on seasons

thank you so much this was so fun!! and dont apologise for the lenght, really, theres no need i appreciated this ask a lot <3<3 if you have any headcanons or other thoughts about the game i'd love to read them! my inbox is always open uwu <3

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

Because of your fantasia escapades I had to ask this. How did Agni's kids and Estinien react to Elezen Agni?

"MUMMY'S GOT BIG EARS LIKE BAPA!" Hami shouted running towards his mother, who just returned home after a few days in the First. Going undercover on the First means becoming an elezen...erm, elf because being a lalafell...FUCK DWARF...makes one stand out more. "LOOK AT MUMMY!"

"MUMMY!"

"MUMMY!"

Agnes giggled and picked up her first son to give him a kiss. "Yes, yes Mummy's got big ears like Bapa! Were you all very good for Bapa while I was gone?"

Esme nodded. "Yes Mummy! I was Bapa's special helper with Celestine and Sylvaine."

Marcelin shook his head as he barreled into Agnes's legs. "I helped too, Esme! We all helped with the Sylv and Celestine!"

Oh dear! "Now, now my little loves, I'm just so happy you all helped Bapa with the littlest ones." She put Hami down and hugged each of the older children before going into the nursery to find Estinien changing Sylvaine with Celestine hugging his leg. "Never fear---the Warrior of Darkness is here!" She joked, crossing her arms over her chest. I'm essentially flat chested like this. Whoever made the temporary fantasia should be fucking shot. I don't feel like me at all. I'm rail thin with no tits like an awkward gazelle.

Estinien chuckled and then his eyes widened as he saw his wife. "O-oh, you're back."

Agnes's heart sank. Not "Hello my love" or anything. Just...that. Fuck. I need this to get out of my system. NOW. "I am indeed." She tried to sound cheerful but I'm failing miserably. "I heard you had quite a bit of help."

"Aye, all our little ones worked together and helped with some things. Hami is very good at getting Sylvaine to settle down for naps. Not like this one." He gestured with his head to Celestine. "You're a little menace, little miss."

Celestine giggled and then looked up at her mother. "Mummy?"

Shit. Agnes forced a smile and tousled her hair. "Yes, it's Mummy. I had to take a fantasia for work on the First, but I'll be looking like myself tomorrow."

The youngest Varlineau daughter's eyes narrowed. "Where's your tummy, Mummy?"

GREAT QUESTION.

Estinien, now finished with changing Sylvaine, shook his head. "Mummy took a special potion to change her appearance for a little while, but she'll have a tummy again soon." I'll be back to myself soon. Just keep telling myself that. "I bet Mummy could use a hug, Celestine."

Grinning, Celestine finally get go of her father's leg and toddled to Agnes, who lifted her. Gods, I missed you so much. My little grumpy girl. I love you. "Love you Mummy."

"I love you too, my little love. Do you think Mummy looks silly?" I feel ugly. So ugly. I'm don't feel like me at all.

Celestine thought for a moment and then grinned like her father. "Pretty Mummy!"

And that's a pinch on my ass! I NEED MORE BOOTY! "Heh, Mummy is always very pretty, no matter what." When his gaze met hers, Agnes blinked back tears.

I may feel ugly, but at least he loves me. Our children love me. And soon...I WILL BE MY USUAL THICK WIFE SELF AGAIN!

[asterisque-arch]

🎉 Felix @ Sylvain :0

Send ’ 🎉 ’ to kiss my muse at midnight on New Years Eve.  

As midnight strikes, Sylvain looks down at the man in his arms, a serene smile on his lips. They’ve spent the last few hours like this, celebrating the arrival of the new year with their friends, but never leaving each other as soon as Feli found his place in Sylvain’s arms. And Sylvain loves it, loves how Felix finally is comfortable enough with him for some PDA with their friends around. He chuckles to himself thinking about it, which in turn, catches Felix’s attention, making him look up to the redhead.

Another smiles graces Sylvain’s lips, this time, directed at Felix, hoping it shows him all the love and the affection he bears for the man. He can’t help the need to kiss him now and he will do so. “Happy New Year, Felix.”

Is said as Sylvain leans down to kiss the other, slowly and gently, with all his love poured into it. If Felix really doesn’t get it after that, he doesn’t know what else to do! Another chuckle to himself as he deepens the kiss, hugging the shorter man closer to him, determined to never let him go. Ever.

Starting another year by his side, Sylvain swears to spend many more years right there.

[glowingbadger]

Okay, I LOVE the Spiky sword boy and his sheer inability to handle most emotions. May I ask how would Felix handle being teased throughout the day by his S/O? Like maybe she wears a little more revealing article of clothing than normal or other small things to really get at him?

Full disclosure, when I first started playing FE3H, a friend of mine asked which route I had chosen first, and I told her I'd joined the Blue Lions. And she had the audacity to look me in the eyes and say, "Because of Felix?" And like, yes because of Felix, but also fuck you.

Anyway, more content from me about teasing an uptight, emotionally congested man with a heart of gold (y'know, for something different xD)

Felix (FE3H) x Fem/AFAB Reader - teasing

NSFW 18+

If you'd known that Felix would be so easy and so fun to tease, you would have tried something like this far sooner. You'd watched him gape openly when he'd first seen you at the dining hall that morning with your blouse opened deep at the front ("It's so warm today!") and a skirt that hugged a little too tight and far too short. Later, you had made sure to sit across from him at the day's strategy debriefing so you could watch him struggle to keep his gaze above the neckline. By the time you'd insisted on joining him to spar in the afternoon, he was so off-kilter that even his swordsmanship began to suffer. Even in less-than-optimal attire for combat, you were able to keep up with him- for a while, anyway.

At last, he rallies his focus and blocks your strike just above the hilt. The impact so close to your grip manages to disarm you, and Felix takes a firm step forward and levels his practice sword at your throat. You're both panting, both red in the face- but you wear a grin while he scowls in reply.

"You had the upper hand a minute ago," he says, not lowering his blade, "If you were actually dressed properly for a fight, this may have been a real match."

"If I were dressed properly for a fight, I would never have had the upper hand at all." You retort, your wicked grin widening. It's the first time you've called attention to his reaction to your ploy- and his expression shows how your acknowledgement only flusters him further. Dark, narrowed eyes scan your body down, then back up.

"You're trying to get under my skin."

"I'd say I'm succeeding." you quip back. You see his chest rise and fall heavily in the moment of tense silence that follows. Finally, he lowers his weapon with an irritable exhale. Every muscle in his body is wound tight, his posture stiff, as though consciously holding himself in place. You bite at your bottom lip, just imagining that restraint snapping and coming undone.

"We're on the night patrol together tonight, right?" you say as you come to stand beside him.

"Uh- yeah, I guess so." Felix mutters. You smile and kiss him lightly on the cheek- a deceptively innocent gesture.

"I'll see you later, then."

Evidently, Felix had managed to collect himself by the time you joined him at the Monastery Gates that evening- at least outwardly. Eyes that had wandered your body all day are now kept strictly in check as you walk side by side around the perimeter walls. He even manages to chat with you more or less as usual as you make your rounds. In a way, you're impressed. But that doesn't keep you from wondering how you could push him just a little more.

"Soo..." you trail off for a moment, walking a bit ahead of Felix with your hands innocently behind your back, "I was chatting with Sylvain earlier today, and-"

"Sylvain?" he says sharply- and you know your bait worked. Too easy.

"Yup! We had a nice long chat, it was really sweet of him to take so much time out of his day for me."

Felix seizes your wrist in hand and tugs you back to him.

"He saw you like this? Did he try anything? If he did, I'll slit his-"

"Felix, come on," you cut in with a laugh. You face him and gently brush his bangs aside, admiring the way his sharp features are accented by cool moonlight. He gives an irritable sigh and steps forward, and you subconsciously step back in unison.

"You have no idea how people have been looking at you today." he says with a dangerous edge in his voice. You feel your back hit the wall, trapping you between cool stone and Felix's harsh glare.

"I've only been watching how you've been looking at me," you say, closer to a whisper than you'd intended. And in an instant, Felix's lips are on yours. He grabs onto your wrists and pins them above your head, and as he secures them in place with one strong hand, the other tugs up at the hem of your skirt. You whimper into his kiss like a mewing kitten as his tongue thrusts past your lips. He's harsh and unforgiving, and it's all you can do not to lose your breath as his touch runs unabashedly up your inner thigh.

"Felix...!" you gasp as two fingers press against the thin fabric of your panties, rubbing firmly along your wet heat.

"Quiet," he hisses, "Do you want the knights to hear you?"

Frankly, when you see that intense look in his eyes and feel his rough fingers slide into your clothing and between your lower lips, you couldn't care whether the archbishop herself heard you. Still, you manage to bite your lip and stifle a moan as two digits surround your stiffened clit, rhythmically stroking the sensitive nerves and sending sparks of pleasure through your core. Your thighs twitch inward, squeezing around him as he runs his fingers slick across the aching bud, setting your legs trembling. Felix must be able to feel your body going weak- or perhaps, he's every bit as impatient for satisfaction as you are. His touch leaves your needy body before long, and he releases your wrists. But before you can question him, he hikes your skirt up your hips without a word, then fumbles open the front of his pants to free his member, already throbbing hard and flushed a dark crimson.

Then, muscled arms wrap under you and lift you up against the wall. He hooks your knees over his elbows, spreading your legs wide for him as he aligns with your eager pussy. Sighing out his name, you wrap your arms around his strong shoulders for support. Then, you feel his warm cockhead parting your slickened folds. With a low groan rumbling in his chest, Felix pushes into the tight heat of your cunt, stretching you around him as he plunges inch after inch into you. Somehow, he feels bigger than usual. Perhaps a day of teasing has had a more tangible affect on him than you'd anticipated.

Felix brings his lips to your jaw, kissing and biting his way back to your ear, where the heat of his breath sends a shiver down your spine. His hips begin thrusting into you, pumping his cock into you until your overflowing arousal coats his full length. Thick veins drag along your inner walls, stimulating a range of wonderfully tender spots, and your nails dig along his upper back in desperation. You've known that Felix isn't much of a dirty talker- and given the circumstances, that's probably for the best- but the way he softly pants and groans into your ear floods your body with a new, more urgent need. The thought that this is what he's wanted with you, that all day Felix has been one taunt away from fucking you against the nearest surface, is such an intense rush that you can already feel yourself clenching and gripping around him.

"I'm- I'm gonna-"

"Do it," he whispers harshly along your neck, "cum for me- now."

He bucks his hips upward, sheathing himself deep inside of you until you can feel the pressure up through your center. His lower body is partially supporting you, so your weight pushes you down onto his throbbing length. Felix kisses you, not even bothering with skill or finesse- only raw need. And you cum, hard. Your body shudders, your pussy squeezes around him, and the knot of pleasure built inside of you comes undone at once. His kiss muffles your helpless, blissful whimpers, and before you've even ridden the full wave of your climax, his own begins to take hold. He holds you almost painfully firm against the rough stone wall as you feel him shoot his cum into you in powerful volleys, one after another. Felix breaks away from your lips, his head coming to rest at the crook of your neck. He utters a tortured groan as his manhood swells and flexes from base to tip, pouring out the last of his release into your over-used and over-full body.

You're reminded of your sparring match earlier that day. The two of you are both thoroughly spent, panting heavily and struggling to steady your breathing. Felix tries to be gentle when he sets you back on your feet, but neither of you realize how unprepared you are to use your legs again, so you stumble forward into him. You expect a disgruntled comment, but instead, he wraps his arms around you and holds you steady while you regain your bearings.

"Wow..." you murmur, clinging to the front of his shirt, "I should try teasing you more often."

[beyondthetower]

My favorite thing about Felannie fics where they reunite after the time skip is the fact that Sylvain and Ingrid always wait until Felix talks to her until they come say hi

[Waiting off to the side as Felix has his grand moment with Annette]

Sylvain: Do we...do we go over now?

Ingrid: No hang on, I think he's only just starting to get his bearings. Her hug really stunned him.

Sylvain:...

Ingrid:...

Sylvain: Op! He said something, that's good. His brain is catching up.

Ingrid: Okay it looks like he's finally realizing how much he missed her.

Sylvain: Ugh, thank god, he's so slow it's infuriating...Oh, he's doing that twitchy thing with his hands.

Ingrid: Yeah, it's gonna take him a while to process this.

Sylvain:...

Ingrid:...

Sylvain:...

Ingrid: Aaaaaaaaaaaaand now. Now we can go say hi.

Sylvain [loudly]: Annette! It's good to see you!

[mommymooze]

A Cleric and a Prince

Dimitri x Reader

Cannon typical violence, deep splinters, personal threats

Being a healer at Garreg Mach is a challenging job. Working with Manuela in the infirmary is a mixture of emotions. Happy to help others, sad that she has so many personal issues, anxious when someone arrives with serious wounds, hilarious when the students tell you exactly how they become (not seriously) hurt before arriving in the infirmary.

You have not yet been instructed regarding the fine points of battle. If the students need healing battalions, you are part of the Seiros Sacred Monks, helping Mercedes. Your group frequently accompanies the Blue Lions in battles as well as working with them in the monastery, being available to heal them after rough sparring sessions and general needs.

Eventually, a few members of your battalion are assigned to specific members of the class. You are assigned to Dimitri and Dedue. You cannot handle Felix’s antagonistic personality. Sylvain, well, he was given a male healer so that he will focus on what is hurt versus being Sylvain.

After a few battles Dimitri and Dedue realize that you are their assigned healer. It is not announced to the troops, however they notice the same healers heading to assist the same team members. Dimitri asks you to sit with him and Dedue during meals quite often. Dedue speaks with you frequently during your time together in the greenhouse. Healing herbs don’t plant themselves.

You’ve become good friends with both of them. Cheering them both on when they enter the lance tournaments. Joining them in the training grounds, healing their injuries, or the injuries of their opponents more likely, after a long sparring session.

Things fall apart after the battle that occurs in the Holy Tomb. Dimitri is acting strange and distant. Dedue shields you from him at times. Dimitri’s health is suffering, you can tell that he’s not eating and sleeping properly. You help Dedue mix other herbs into the prince’s tea, hoping to get him to sleep occasionally. You find out about Dimitri’s ageusia and load up on the sleeping herbs. Dimitri is a big guy and there are enough herbs in this batch to knock out a horse. He finally sleeps for a night, Dedue cannot force the tea on him every day, he gives it to him as often as he can.

The battle when they lose the Professor is devastating. Dimitri is seriously injured, you keep him from the brink of death. As soon as he is mobile, Dimitri disappears with Dedue following him.

Remaining with the Knights of Seiros you are trained to fight like everyone else. Nearly five years are spent searching for Rhea, fighting Imperial troops, and thieves. Returning to the monastery after the anniversary of the millennium festival, the place is a mess, in worse condition than when you marched away with the rest of the Knights. The Blue Lions return. Dimitri is with them, at least the shell of him is here.

You attempt many times to speak with him while he keeps his vigil at the base of the shattered statue of the goddess.

“The Dimitri you once knew is dead, only this repulsive blood-covered monster remains!” he screeches at you as you enter with a tray of food from the kitchens.

You have learned to bring things that can survive his rage. Any food or drink you bring near him is immediately upended or thrown against the wall. In times of true hunger, the Boar forages, grabbing the chunk of sausage or meat skewers, now stale bread and raw vegetables from the floor.

The times that he is lucid are few. Infrequently, the Professor can have a partial conversation with him. If you catch him while he sleeps or as soon as he wakes, he may let you approach to clean a few wounds and heal him.

Felix scoffs at you, telling you that you are wasting your time and effort on a beast, a worthless animal. Yet Felix is there, every day, just like you, watching over him.

The army heads for Ailell, obtaining additional troops and Rodrigue joins them. Rodrigue can have a few conversations with Dimitri, however Dimitri’s anger still controls him. It is only when they take over the Great Bridge at Myrddin that a change is sparked in him, when Dedue rejoins the Blue Lions.

Now, when food is brought, it is handed to Dedue, who will not allow his highness to throw the trays. Dedue directs the prince not to use his rage upon those that come to aid him. He even convinces Dimitri to remove his armor, a few pieces at a time, to be cleaned and repaired. Dimitri allows the Professor or you to approach, assisting with cleansing his wounds, healing, and clearing his infections.

The army marches for Gronder Field. You stand amongst the troops in his battalion, waiting for the order to proceed. Suddenly it is time to advance. Dimitri and Dedue sprint far ahead of their battalions, they are immediately surrounded by enemies. The battalions fight their best, you alongside them. Perhaps nobody will notice if you cast physic on Dimitri. Dedue is a brick wall, or at least is made of stone, he does not get injured often. The Blue Lions fiercely move forward, Dimitri is determined to reach Edelgard and end her life.

Dedue assists by clearing the last armored Imperial fighter in Dimitri’s way as the leaders of the opposing troops battle. You are fighting Edelgard’s battalion members, preventing them from attacking Dimitri and Dedue. A sudden roar comes from Dimitri as Edelgard is warped away by Hubert. His prize taken from him, Dimitri lashes out at her remaining battalion members, crushing heads and ripping off arms, rending flesh.

The sounds of battle dissipate. You are called to the medical tents to assist with healing. Suddenly the word spreads around camp that Rodrigue has fallen. You cry, not just for Rodrigue, but for Dimitri, whose rage was calming due to Rodrigue and Dedue’s work, and for Felix, who is now alone.

Dimitri solemnly returns to Garreg Mach, Dedue at his side as they escort the body of his dear departed friend.

After the funeral, you march to the Cathedral, arms full of bandages and cleansing cloths. Dimitri would not let you treat his wounds after the battle, during the march or the service. Dedue convinced Dimitri to bathe for the wake. You approach them both as Dedue helps you undress Dimitri from the waist up. As you clean his wounds to avoid further infection, heal him, apply salves, and bandage him, Dimitri looks at you for the first time in forever.

“I am sorry for your loss. I know Rodrigue was like a father to you.” You tell him softly as you wrap a bandage around his left arm.

“He told me I should live for my ideals.” Dimitri swallows, his voice trembles, “Rather than stay shackled by the ghosts of the past.”

“Learn from the past, live for the future.” You smile at him, smoothing some salve to his left ribs. “I know you can do it. Rodrigue believed in you. I do too.”

“My apologies for any problems I have caused you.” He says then hangs his head.

Tying off the bandage on his chest you hug him. “All is forgiven. Rest easy.” You whisper.

He’s not sure what to do, he lifts you into his lap and surrounds you with his arms lightly touching your back, fearful of his great strength. He sobs into your shoulder as you softly whisper comforting words to him patting his back and rubbing his shoulders.

When his tears end, you ask Dedue to get a small towel wet. You place it on Dimitri’s face to cool his forehead eyes and nose. While pressing it to his face, you cast a faith spell to reduce the pain and swelling from crying. After a few minutes you peek underneath the cloth over his good eye.

“How’s it going?” You softly ask.

His blue eye looks at yours. “Better.”

You climb from his lap and he stands, taking a deep breath. “I should probably speak with Byleth.” He coughs into his hand. “Thank you.” He says bowing.

“I’m always at your service.” You smile.

The battle in Fhirdiad is awful. You had not been to the capital of Faerghus too frequently, it is painful to see so many lives ruined, buildings and homes demolished. The citizens are rebelling against the Imperial army, doing their best to help. Although the commoners are brave, you cannot help but feel grief-stricken when they are killed. The people are not trained fighters, however they feel so heart strong for their land and kingdom.

The battle against Cornelia is harrowing, under the tactical eye of Byleth and strong will of Dimitri, the Blue Lions are triumphant. Bells ring throughout the city proclaiming the victory. Citizens are jubilant, dancing in the streets. A celebratory feast is held in the castle.

You are in the infirmary, healing and patching up anyone that comes for treatment. Working long hours into the night, you collapse into an empty infirmary bed for a well-deserved rest. The morning comes quickly. Dedue arrives asking for assistance with Dimitri’s wounds. The serious injuries for soldiers have been addressed, ensuring that the soon to be King is healthy is the next item on the priority list.

“Thank you for coming to my aid.” Dimitri humbly addresses you as you enter his room. “I did not see you at the feast. I was told you were working with the other clerics, healing those that could be helped. I feel guilty asking for your assistance.”

“We need you to lead us.” You smile. “It makes no sense to let you become ill from infection.”

As you treat his wounds and bandage him, you tell him stories of his brave people. How they worked together to aid in the fighting, putting out fires to save buildings, pulling other citizens away from the battles, and how all of them support him.

Dimitri again lets his thoughts go back to when he was lost and out of control. You reassure him that the people have forgiven him. They cannot lead themselves, not yet anyway. Everyone can heal together. Rebuild the city, rebuild the people. Put people into place that are good rulers, good people to look up to and respect.

The conversation goes on, you did not realize that the two of you are talking for hours. It is quite late, he should probably be asleep.

“Come Dimitri, it is time for you to go to bed. Get dressed and I will tuck you in and tell you a story.” You grin at him. He holds you to your word. He calls to you after he is dressed in his nightclothes and under his covers.

You gently tuck him in and blow out all the candles but one. You tell him a fairy tale about a boy, magic beans, an evil goose, and a giant. Your hand is on the bed next to him. Gently he places his on top of yours before the story is done. You take his hand in both of yours, rubbing it warmly between yours as you tell him another story about silly animals that think they can sing and their adventures. When you know he is asleep, you take the candle with you as you leave.

The rest and recovery time in the capital is short lived as the army heads out to Derdriu to assist Claude, the city is under siege. Byleth leads the troops just in time to rescue them. The army turns south to head to Enbarr. One last attempt in negotiating for peace is held with Edelgard, however neither side would give in. Battle is the only way to finish the war.

The battle goes through the streets and heart of the city. So many dead, so much blood everywhere. Everyone gave their all. Edelgard refuses to stand down and her life ends. Dimitri, Byleth, and the rest of the army claim the final victory in the war.

You hound Dimitri for thirty minutes before Dedue steps in, helping remind him that he is injured from the battle and needs treatment. Taking him to a quiet and safe room inside the castle you cleanse his wounds, stitching what he would let you and healing him. You then force him to drink water.

“May I finally return to my duties?” He grumbles.

“Yes, now that I feel like you will not fall over in the middle of them.” You answer. Turning to Dedue you instruct him, “Do not let him stay up all night. He needs to try to eat and sleep.”

“As you wish.” Dedue nods as he follows his liege.

“Wait, you have not been healed as well. Sit and show me your wounds.” You direct him to a chair. Soon Dedue is allowed to follow Dimitri to the multiple destinations on the agenda for the evening.

You head to the temporary infirmary, healing and tending to all the injured, be they from your army or citizens of Enbarr.

Finally, the army leaves for Fhirdiad at the beginning of the Verdant Rain Moon. Everyone is happy to be in the cooler temperatures in the northern part of the continent. You settle in the castle, working in the infirmary, staying in the residence for the healers. In your spare time you volunteer healing the hurt and ailing citizens, working alongside them to help rebuild and recover.

Dimitri’s coronation is a grand affair and a healing event for the city. It is a celebration that proves things are well and that prosperity is just around the corner. You sneak out of the infirmary to watch Dimitri be crowned as King. The cheering of everyone brings tears to your eyes. Their hopes and dreams are now resting on his shoulders.

Finishing work, you arrive at the celebration long after the food has been served, someone had been kind enough to send trays of food to the infirmary and it was shared with the patients that remain there as well. Even the spirits of those still suffering injuries are high and in a celebratory mood.

You clean up, wearing clothing proper enough for a meeting with the king, not really fancy enough for a royal party, it is enough you think as you arrive at the festivities that are ongoing. Dancing, singing, drinking and toasts will most likely continue for the entire night. You look over the crowd, finding Dedue is not difficult, he towers over everyone. You wind your way through the other happy celebrants to stand by his side.

“Good evening, Dedue. Is everything going well?” You ask him.

Dedue leans toward you, whispering. “I am well. His Highness has been quite swept up in the events of the day and should move to retire soon.”

“I agree. It looks like he is being cornered by quite the crowd of potential dance partners, let me see if I can intervene.” You answer with the slightest bit of a grin.

Walking up to the King with an air of authority, you bow and wait for the opportunity to address him. Dimitri appears happily surprised at your presence.

“I am pleased to see you are able to join us. Is there anything I can do for you?” Dimitri smiles, but it appears to be a bit weary.

“My King, as your personal physician, I must remind you that your health is quite important and request that you retire. Your schedule is full of meetings tomorrow and will need your complete attention.” Your attitude and stance are such that nobody wishes to question your authority.

“My apologies, ladies. But I must leave the festivities for now, healers orders.” Dimitri smiles sincerely as the women surround him groan in disappointment and disburse, looking for another noble to taunt.

Escorting the King to Dedue, the three of you leave the venue, proceeding toward the King’s residential area of the castle. Once the three of you are far enough away, he stops.

“Thank you so much for rescuing me.” Dimitri gasps. “I felt like the last piece of meat at a butcher shop.”

“Living up to your name, Di-meat-tri.” You succumb to the terrible pun.

He laughs as you head to his quarters. You excuse yourself as you reach his door.

“No, please, come in.” Dimitri opens the door for both of you. He heads straight for a chair and holds his leg up for Dedue to pull his boots off.

“Ahhh!” Dimitri gasps. “My feet are killing me! I have been on them all day.”

Pain? He has pain?! We can’t have that. You procure a stool and sit at his feet. Grabbing a leg you place the king’s foot on your lap and massage it, noticing the slight swelling at his ankle from being on his feet all day. Using a bit of faith magic and expert fingers, Dimitri is content. You turn and take his other foot in hand for some healing and muscle manipulation. When you are finished, you look up to see one very asleep Dimitri.

Dedue smiles and you let yourself out the door as he takes Dimitri to his bedroom.

The castle calms down over the next few days, a comforting routine takes over. Dedue unexpectedly calls you to the King’s quarters, there was an accident in the training grounds when Dimitri was sparring with Felix. Dedue advises you of the situation and you bring the necessary tools to come to the King’s aid.

Entering his room, you find Dimitri seated by the window at his desk, looking over paperwork.

“My apologies for having to summon you. It is a trivial matter, however Dedue is concerned about infection.” Dimitri looks embarrassed. He is in his undershirt, his left shoulder and upper arm covered in dark streaks, debris, and blood. Imbedded under his skin are many long and deep splinters.

“This doesn’t look like it came from a weapon.” You observe.

“No, Felix knocked me over and I fell into the wall. I did not know the wood had weathered and well, here I am.” Dimitri says sheepishly.

“A steady hand and some antibiotics will take care of this.” You nod, unrolling the pack of sharp tools and tweezers.

Beginning with a bit of faith magic to numb the area, you take into hand a sharp scalpel, cutting along the length of some of the deeper splinters to make it easier to remove them. A tool in hand with a needle like point lifts the imbedded wood while the other hand manipulates the tweezers pulling at a large piece of wood. The easier pieces to remove are no problem as you place splinter after splinter on a piece of cloth on the table. Next it is time to work on some that are deeper in his flesh.

“Come on, nice and easy. You can do it. Mmmmmm” You softly say, coaxing the splinter from his shoulder. “Yessssss.” You mutter with satisfaction as it comes out in a single piece.

Laying the bloody wooden spike on the cloth you look up at the King, rubbing his forearm. Dimitri listens raptly to your chatter as you work. You are talking to splinters, but some of the words and how you say them are…sultry.

“How are you doing Dimitri? Need me to take a break?” You look into his blue eye that is staring at you, not paying any attention to his papers.

“I’m…I’m fine.” Dimitri stutters as he grabs a paper, holding it up to read, hiding his blush from the enticing words you are using to help coax out the splinters.

You nod, getting back to work. “You naughty thing, stabbing our King. Right there, yes, come out.” You beckon the splinters out as you dig them from his shoulder. Giving a happy sigh you place another large piece of wood onto the cloth.

“I’m going to tear apart the training grounds and find every splintery piece of wood and give them a piece of my mind.” You grumble as you go after a smaller splinter. Moving Dimitri’s shoulder and arm, you place his hand on your knee, giving the right flex to his arm to get to the next splinter.

Dimitri turns his head and coughs a few times. “Ahem.” He is quite embarrassed. He tries very hard not to think about his hand and where it is. Papers…supposed to be reading papers, right.

“Are you feeling okay?” You lean forward to rub circles on his back. “You’re not coming down with a cold, are you?” Your voice is terribly concerned.

“No.” Dimitri shakes his head trying to clear his thoughts. It’s hard to think while his back is being rubbed. “You can continue.” He holds the paper closer to his face so you cannot see the pink tint return to his cheeks.

You continue to verbally coax the splinters from his arm, occasionally giving a squeal when you successfully remove a piece without it breaking. Applying an antiseptic salve, you rub it into the wound.

“I don’t want to heal it quite yet. I’d like to check later and see if anything is left in there. I’ll bandage it for now and check before you change for bed.” You announce as you pick up his arm and place his hand on your shoulder.

“Hold it right there so I can bandage you.” You demand as you begin rolling the bandage around his arm several times to keep the salve on his wounds and prevent it from soiling his clothes. You sit down and slowly move your hands down the rest of his arm, lightly massaging it as you go. Massaging the center of his palm you are satisfied that you have removed them all.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Dimitri?” You stand and slightly bow to him.

He clears his throat, “No, that is all.” He says in his normal deep voice. Then adds a soft, “Thank you.”

Later that evening you knock on Dimitri’s door, beckoned in you see both Dimitri and Dedue looking at the King’s already unwrapped arm.

Dedue stands behind his arm as you approach. Dimitri is seated in a chair pulled close to a large candelabra providing sufficient light. Dedue points out two areas that are redder than the rest, some deep hidden splinters as you had feared. Dimitri’s shoulder is a bit warm to the touch, another sign of an infection brewing. You hand Dedue your tools, there is no table nearby. Casting numbing faith magic, you take your scalpel and cut a small slit into one area that is bright red. Holding the flesh apart with the scalpel and edge of the tweezers you see a black bit that must be another splinter. Quickly you grasp the end with the tweezer and pull out an inch long piece of wood.

“That would have festered into a terrible mess. Let me flush it with some antiseptic.” You pour some liquid from the bottle onto the wound, wiping the excess with a cloth to not cause a mess.

The second irritated spot is more difficult to see. Changing the angle of Dimitri’s arm helps, you take his hand and place it around your right hip.

“Keep your arm there, Dimitri. Don’t move while I have this knife in hand.” You warn as you cut into another deep area where you’ve already removed some splinters.

Dimitri doesn’t move, he’s frozen to the spot. So close, his arm is wrapped partly around you and your hip.

You hand the scalpel to Dedue as you carefully pull with the tweezers. This splinter is not as long, but already showing signs of infection, a pocket of pus surrounding the bloody wood. Pouring antiseptic in again to flush it clean you dab the spot.

“I hope you don’t mind a couple stitches.” You announce to Dimitri as everything happens at once.

Felix slams the door open to the King’s chambers, asking the boar if he ever got the splinters out.

Dimitri panics as his arm is around a woman when Felix enters the room, thus he stands up, pulling his arm into you knocking you backwards. Dimitri and Dedue both lean forward to reach for your falling form at the same time, smacking their heads together, hard. Dedue stays on his feet. You fall onto your back onto the carpet, followed by Dimitri who falls crosswise across your chest grabbing his head and preventing it from hitting the ground.

Felix stands with his mouth agape as you ask him, “Did you get any splinters, Felix?” looking up at him from underneath Dimitri’s prone form.

“Tch. No. But you may want to check to see that he didn’t hit his head as well.” Felix grumbles as he backs out of the room, closing the door behind him.

After a moment you heartily laugh at the whole situation. Dimitri and Dedue join in as everyone scrambles to their feet. You make them take a seat as you feel the bumps on their heads. Healing their heads first then stitching and healing Dimitri’s arm you ask if there is anything else needed this evening.

“No, that will be all.” Dimitri says with a soft smile.

You smile widely back at him. “Thank you for letting me serve you, my King.” You bow and leave the room.

The next day you are up early in the training grounds with two carpenters and their wood planes, smoothing every visible piece of wood in the grounds. Returning to the infirmary you continue healing those injured in mishaps around the castle. A young page knocks on the door and hands you a note and a bouquet of flowers. You are invited to tea with Dimitri this afternoon. You advise the page you accept the invitation.

The infirmary workload is light today. Things are slowly settling down after the coronation. Visitors have left and reconstruction is not as desperate as before, thus less injuries. Leaving the infirmary you head to your room, changing into a nice dress and fixing your hair a bit. You are eager to find out what business the King wishes to speak with you about. Heading to his personal wing of the castle, you knock at his door.

Dedue answers, inviting you in. As you enter, Dedue exits, closing the door behind him. Dimitri is dressed casually, no coat or jacket, simply in his shirtsleeves. As you enter the room, he stands to greet you.

“Please, join me.” Dimitri smiles, holding out his hand as he sits at one end of the settee, a large table with a tea service and sweet treats piled high on a tray. You take a seat on the other end, Dimitri pours tea for you.

“I believe Bergamot is a tea you favor, is that correct?” He smiles as he gently and carefully hands you your cup and saucer.

“Yes. It’s my favorite.” You return the smile as you reach for the honey, letting some drip into your cup, leaving the tea on the table as the contents are still too warm to drink.

Dimitri clears his throat. “I suppose I should get straight to the point. I am sure you are wondering why, out of the blue, I have suddenly invited you to tea. Things have been quite busy with ending the war and then plans for the coronation and the coronation itself. Of course, things are always busy as one is trying to set up the government again after so many years of chaos. It seems like there is a never ending list of meetings and consultations and conferences. And I’m rambling, aren’t I?” He coughs into his hand and swallows, taking a deep breath.

You reach out and touch his hand that is sitting on the settee between you. “Dimitri, we have known each other for years. We have fought together in a war. I have seen you at your worst. I am so happy now seeing you at your best. You can tell me what is on your mind.” You smile at him warmly.

Dimitri relaxes a little and takes a deep breath. “Yes. We have known each other quite some time. You have been by my side, helping me and supporting our efforts. You were there when I was so terribly lost. I thank you for that very much. You believed in me when I needed it the most. Now…” He takes your hand, softly as he can between both of his, staring at you intently, his hands begin to tremble.

Time stops as you look at each other in silence. His voice is soft and low as he speaks, “Would you…would you allowmecourtyou?” He sighs heavily, searching your face desperately for your answer.

First you smile, then you nod, he still looks at you. Figuring he wants to hear your answer you lean forward a bit.

“Yes.” You gasp, bringing your other hand over his hands that still hold yours.

“Yes? Oh yes! Thank you.” He grins happily. If he were a puppy his tail would be wagging hard enough to knock everything off the table. He had been expecting a no, so the yes took a few seconds to register. His cheeks are red, his eye sparkles and he laughs a bit with glee. “I’m just so happy. I don’t know what to do with myself. I had been worried and fretting over your answer, I had no idea what to think if you actually said yes.”

“Well, right now we can sit and chat and have some tea. Perhaps you can tell me of some things that you would like me to do to help you. Your day is filled with doing everything for the country. Perhaps some time can be carved out for doing things for you.” You reach for your teacup, taking a sip.

“Going outside sounds amazing. I’ve been cooped up inside the castle every day. I want to get on a horse and ride. To no place in particular, just feel the wind on my face and sun on my back.” His look is far away with a relaxed smile.

“If it is a nice day, we can take tea together in the gardens. The King should have the ability to make time for a ride at least once a week, if it is a nice day. If they give you too much trouble, I’ll ask your clerics to write a note prescribing a required amount of sunshine for your health.” You smile then take another sip of tea.

The next few days both of you take tea in the gardens together. You are happily surprised when he identifies several different plants.

“My interest in plants came from Dedue. He is always gardening in his free time. I insisted that we include some flowering plants from Duscur in the gardens. I would love to see plants from all over Fodlan here, growing together, just like the country.” He holds out his hand so that you can take his. He is still too cautious of his strength to touch you on his own.

The Harvest Festival calls for the city to be decorated in oranges, reds, yellows, and gold. Many displays and booths line the streets to celebrate the great harvest now that the land is at peace. Dimitri invites you to the event and you arrive alongside him in the royal coach. The path before you is cleared by soldiers surrounding the king for his protection.

Dimitri graciously offers compliments and accolades to all that have worked so hard providing food for everyone. His eye goes wide at the size of some of the pumpkins entered in a competition to see who could grow the largest. Often the two of you stop to admire a street performer entertaining the crowd. One of the rear soldiers drops multiple gold coins into each of the receptacles of the performers.

Suddenly you hear a shriek followed by a wailing cry. You dash off into the crowd, your medical instincts taking over. At the base of a tree, you find a woman crying over her son. The rambunctious six year old had climbed the tree, much to his mother’s dismay, to have a look at the King as he walked past. Unfortunately, the boy did not know the branch he was standing on was weak, it broke sending the child tumbling to the ground. Mother and child are crying as you kneel next to him.

“What is your name, young sir?” You ask him calmly.

He stifles a few tears enough to answer. “Jakob.”

“May I see where you are hurt?” You smile a bit, holding out your hands.

He points to his arm, his wrist is already swelling. He tries to lift it and lets out a wail.

“Shhhh. Hold still.” You hold the arm and wrist in yours as faith magic works into his injury. You hold his arm straight and begin ordering anyone nearby to provide splints and bandages. Immobilizing and wrapping Jakob’s arm, you give instructions to his mother. As you stand, you notice Dimitri is at your side.

“King Dimitri, may I introduce you to my newest friend, Jakob. Jakob, this is King Dimitri.” You smile.

Jakob has the biggest smile across his face as he stands and bows before the king. “It is my pleasant honor to meet you King Dimitri.”

The King bows to Jakob, “It is my pleasure to meet you as well. I suggest you heed your mother’s warning when it comes to climbing trees.” He smiles as he ruffles the boy’s hair.

“Yes sir, King Dimitri sir!” Jacob stammers.

“Please bring him to the castle tomorrow morning so I can check his arm.” You tell his mother. She thanks you several times.

You return to walking along the street with the King, admiring the displays and visiting with the people. A street vendor hawking his booth loudly calls out your direction.

“Oi! Your Kingship! Have a try at me booth! Just one throw is all I ask!” The man’s voice calls out over the crowd as he stands juggling coconuts.

You bump your shoulder into his and giggle as Dimitri shakes his head and concedes. “What is it that you ask of me?”

The man bows so deeply his head nearly touches the ground. “Ahh, Your Kingship! So wonderful to be graced by your presence. I only ask that you throw one of these coconuts at the stack of milk bottles at the rear of my booth. Should you knock them all down, you win!” The showman raises his hand to the target with a practiced flourish then both hands in the air as a sign of victory.

“Go on.” You nudge him again. He looks so cute when he’s put on the spot.

“Very well.” King Dimitri takes one of the offered orbs, staring at it for a moment, then hurls it at the stack. Milk bottles fly in six different directions, most of them landing far from the booth as the target is destroyed, the coconut breaks open on the rear wall of the booth and falls to the ground, shattered.

“What an arm! Your Majesty! Congratulations!” The showman scampers over to a special box and removes a beautiful hand crafted stuffed blue lion in all its majesty. A collar around its neck proudly displays the shield of Blaiddyd. “Me wife crafted it herself, she did. She said if you see the King, you must gift it to him, she said.” He bows as he offers the regal stuffed beast.

King Dimitri bows and thanks him for the beautiful gift, handing it to a nearby soldier to monitor while he continues his stroll. At the end of the lane where the festival ends, the King gives one final wave, thanking his people for their faith and hard work.

Returning to the castle, Dimitri must attend meetings, leaving you to your own business. Taking the stuffed lion in hand you dash to the servant’s quarters, asking for a few specific items. You then head to the infirmary to notify them to find you when Jakob arrives tomorrow so that you may personally check on his wellbeing. You trust your replacements in the infirmary, you had chosen them yourself, however Jakob is a special patient.

Returning to your quarters, which now are close to the King’s own rooms, you find the requested items. With a bit of assistance, you complete the project and request it be delivered to Dimitri’s chambers.

Joining the King and the current guests in a large meeting room, representatives of the former Alliance region are here to discuss their budgets and new laws for the expanded Kingdom. There is a break for dinner followed by discussions continuing until late in the evening. The conversations finally wind down and you know that Dimitri is quite exhausted.

“I believe everyone has made great progress today. Let us all sleep on this and take this up again in the morning.” You announce.

Everyone in the room nods as you escort Dimitri to the exit. Walking down the hallway, your hand in his, Dimitri yawns not once, but twice from exhaustion. Dedue opens the door for the both of you. Following you inside the three of you sit and enjoy a cup of chamomile tea, a lovely habit you have incorporated to get him to wind down before bed. You must leave soon, his eyelids are getting heavy, you hope he sleeps well this night.

“Come with me.” You smile as you take his hand and lead him to his bedroom. Dimitri blushes and looks quite confused as you lead him inside the doorway. You point at his bed and then he notices the stuffed blue lion. It is adorned with a small crown, eyepatch and a cape that resembles his.

“It’s adorable!” he exclaims as he puts his hands on your cheeks and plants a sudden kiss on your lips.

“Come again?” you gasp, your eyes wide.

Dimitri stops and blushes in his sleepy stupor as you pull on his collar and place a brief sweet kiss to his lips. Dimitri’s cheeks are a bright red as you step back and bow.

“Good night, my sweet.” You tell him before leaving the room.

“The tea was lovely, thank you Dedue.” You announce as you leave the king’s quarters, walking normally. This is a normal pace? Right? Sure it is. You see yourself out the door. Running into your room you fall on your bed and scream into your pillow. He finally kissed me!

The next morning you stop Felix on his way to bang on the King’s door wishing to drag him out for a morning spar. You require his assistance in accompanying you on a trip to the harvest festival area. He complains the entire trip switching between arguing that he is wasting his time doing this and you must stay closer to him, any madman with a blade could try to attack you. Once your mission is complete you purchase three heavily spiced meat sticks for him to enjoy while you head back to the castle.

Upon your return you are delighted to meet with Jakob and his mother in the infirmary. Jakob chatters the entire time that he is bragging to all his friends that the King had messed up his hair and he is going to grow up to be a knight to protect King Dimitri. Changing his bandages, you are pleased with his healing progress, he can take the bandages off in two weeks as long as he behaves. Before they leave, you had a large basket to his mother, filled with fruits, smoked meats, bread, and cookies.

“Share the cookies with all of your friends and neighbors.” You remind him as you wave goodbye.

The visitors with the king leave after a final meeting, heading back to warmer territory as quickly as possible before the snows cover the land. Certainly, it is not today as the sun is warm and the weather is beautiful. You work on a few projects when there is a familiar knock at the door. Dedue has arrived to fetch you for lunch.

“It is so nice out, I thought Dimitri would want lunch in the gardens today.” You mention.

“His Highness said he prefers to have it in his chambers today.” Dedue answers. He opens the door so that you may enter, then closes it behind you as he remains outside of the room.

Dimitri is immediately on the other side, looking a bit flustered.

He reaches for you, ever so lightly placing his hands on your shoulders, his eye searching yours. “Tell me, I cannot remember if it was real or a dream. Did we k-kiss last night?” His face flushes red.

You nod as pink dusts your own cheeks. “Yes.”

“May I kiss you again?” He asks as he pulls you close. His voice is so deep, with your chest pressed against his, you’re not sure if it is the vibration of his words or the shudder of a thrill racing up your spine.

“Please.” You beg him, your hands sliding up his chest around his shoulders pulling him down to meet your lips. It is a bit awkward, slightly messy, and the best kiss you’ve had since the night before. You hold him tight to your chest as he slowly wraps his arms around you as lightly as possible, resting his cheek on your forehead after the kiss. You sigh happily into his chest.

You try to step back, however he has no intention of letting you go.

“We should eat a bit.” You suggest.

“I am hungry for your lips.” He mumbles into your hair.

“They are not very nutritious.” You tap him on his back.

“You would deny a starving man who has just had a small taste of the most delicious thing he has ever had in his life?” He chuckles.

“You are always negotiating. Would you agree to lunch then perhaps kisses for dessert?” You look up at him and grin.

“One now, then lunch.” Dimitri brings his lips to meet yours once again.

After the most hurried lunch you have ever eaten, you find yourself on Dimitri’s lap exchanging kisses.

A knock on the door alerts the both of you to Dedue’s presence. “Your highness, you have a meeting to attend.” He announces.

Dimitri sighs heavily, “The duties of a King are never done.” He bemoans.

You giggle as you clamber from his comfy lap. “Let me get a comb to make you more presentable.” You offer. After combing his hair and straightening his clothes, you send him off to be bored for the remainder of the afternoon.

Things are busy rebuilding the kingdom. There is always another emergency, an urgent need or any excuse for a meeting. He has been in meetings from early dawn, only returning now very late in the evening. He eats little, his head is pounding from the stress of the day. He hesitates to call you, however he has another meeting filled day tomorrow and must try to get some rest.

You ask Dedue to please prepare tea for the three of you this evening. Directing Dimitri to sit on the couch, you stand behind it and apply gentle faith magic to relieve some of the pain in his head and jaw from being so tense. You then place the footrest at the far end of the couch, coaxing him to lie back and place his head in your lap.

You ask for his right hand and massage the point just above the thumb where the index finger would be carried down. Applying pressure first, then rubbing circles with your thumb in each direction. Placing his hand on his chest you do the same with his left hand.

Next you squeeze the spot on each side where the bridge of his nose meets the bridge of his eyebrows. Applying steady pressure there, then releasing and repeating. Finally reaching around to the base of his skull in the parallel hollow areas between the two vertical neck muscles, you press upward to the top of his head briefly release and repeat.

Removing the hair tie from his hair you run your fingers through it, gently scratching his scalp. You watch his face visibly relax and a soft smile is on his lips as you continue to card through his hair.

“Better, sweetheart?” You softly coo.

“Mmmm, yes. Thank you.” He relaxes.

Dedue brings in the tea service, placing the cups and saucers for three at the table.

You tap Dimitri on the nose. “Diiiimmaaaa. Tea time!”

He sighs then sits up. “Whatever you did was amazing. My headache is gone and I think I should be able to sleep some tonight. Thank you.”

Dedue pours tea for everyone.

“Thank you again Dedue, for a wonderful tea.” Dimitri smiles.

“You’re welcome, your Highness.” Dedue answers.

You take a cookie, taking a bite. “Oh, did you make these Dedue?”

“Yes, I had the time this afternoon.” Dedue nods.

“They are delicious. Hmm, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, ginger, clove, molasses. An amazing group of flavors mixed in with love. Thank you so much, Dedue.” Your appreciation shows in your smile and warmth toward the man.

Teatime is very much enjoyed. Dimitri looks like he is relaxed enough to go to sleep peacefully and without a headache. Dedue looks away so you can give Dimitri a sweet good night kiss.

Sunday is the lightest day of work for Dimitri. No meetings if there are no visitors in the castle. The weather is beginning to cool a little more every night. It won’t be long before snow covers everything. Dimitri wishes to take a long horseback ride and invites you to join him. You’ve never really learned the skills of being on a horse, Dimitri is more than excited to educate you. Lifting you up straight into the saddle, he climbs up behind you. Accompanied by a few knights on horseback everyone rides out past the city and into the countryside. His destination is a small area of woods that has a cliff overlooking some of the lands of Fhirdiad. Dimitri discussed the location with Dedue, this spot would provide some privacy, enemies could only approach from one side and the guards could stay far enough away, yet still protect their King.

Dimitri dismounts, lifting you from the saddle. He then unties a picnic basket from the back of the horse and tethers the steed to a tree. Spreading out the blanket you unload the basket to find a delicious lunch, complete with sweet tea.

“This is beautiful, sweetheart.” You smile at him as you place food on your plate. “A gorgeous view and beautiful scenery too.”

Dimitri blushes once he realizes the compliment. His mind then heads straight to places it should not go at such a lovely scene. “I am a beast. I have done horrible things. How can you trust yourself to be alone with me?”

Placing your food on your plate you reach out to cup his cheek. “I have seen you at your worst. I have seen you at your best. You are not a beast. You have come so far making amends for what was done and you will continue to improve. I will be here for you as long as you wish, to help you become the best you can be.”

“Why? Why would anyone want to help me? Some days I feel so useless, that I can’t be the King everyone expects me to be.” He is trembling under your touch.

“I help you because I love you. I know you are a great King, Dimitri. We all know.” You smile, using the thumb that is close by you wipe a tear from his eye.

“You…love me?” Dimitri is shocked.

You fold your hands into your lap and look at them. “I must not be doing a very good job of showing you that I do.”

“Wait! Please, take my hands.” Dimitri begs you. You reach out to hold his hands in yours.

You look into his eye, confused.

“I never thought I could be loved. You have always been there since we met, haven’t you? I have been a monster to you, yet you still came to feed me and heal me. When I had asked permission to court you, I thought you would decline. Every day I wake up and think you would reject me this day. I can’t believe you are still here, with me.”

Dimitri bends forward and pulls you close. Placing a sweet kiss on your lips. Your lips are barely touching his as he whispers. “I love you.”

The next few kisses are not as chaste as the previous one. Plates and food are scattered about the blanket as you hold each other close.

Dimitri’s stomach growls loudly, causing you both to laugh.

“I think we should finish our picnic before you begin digesting your internal organs.” You laugh.

“Can that happen?” Dimitri innocently asks with a look of surprise.

“No. Just joking!” You laugh.

“You are a cleric and an expert on those things. I suppose my sense of humor needs a bit of work.” He smiles sheepishly as he helps you straighten out the food. Finishing the picnic lunch, he packs the basket onto his mount.

“Wait. I need to get on this thing without your help.” You announce.

Placing your foot on the stirrup you attempt to hike yourself up onto the horse. Mentally you remind yourself you need to do a lot more squats. The third hopping jump you manage to jump/haul yourself up and stand with your left foot in the stirrup, you haul your right leg carefully over the horse and sit crookedly on the saddle, gently moving and wiggling yourself to center while trying not to upset the steed. Dimitri’s long legs are great for having the stirrup low, but then you had to overcome the length of your legs versus his. Maybe if you had a horse of your own it could be shorter. Maybe a pony? You suddenly notice a snickering man next to you.

“What?” You snap at Dimitri.

“Nothing.” He smiles at you, easily getting up and into the saddle as if he flew on wings.

You turn around to look at him again, he still has that silly grin on his face. “You look like the cat that ate the canary.” You frown.

“It is just that when you have your mind set on something, you can be very stubborn.” Dimitri whispers in your ear. “It is very endearing, my beloved.”

Those two words at the end send a shiver down your spine, followed by a second when he kisses the top of your ear peeking through your hair.

Winter in Fhirdiad is cold, nobody can deny that. Early winter the snow falls, then melts and this repeats as the weather has not quite made up its mind. By the end of Red Wolf Moon, the snow is here to stay for a while. Wagon wheels get stuck, so sleighs are used to cart things around in the northern parts of the kingdom until the snow is too high to move anything.

Although it is cold outside, with enough warm blankets, perhaps a warming box under the seat filled with live coals to keep your feet, legs, and posterior warm, you agree to go on a sleigh ride with Dimitri. Wearing your fluffiest warmest winter hat and coat, you are surrounded by blankets and your boyfriend as Dedue drives the horse drawn sleigh through the city and countryside. Dimitri entertains you with stories of snowball fights and building forts and snow houses with his friends.

Dedue even joins in, sharing his experiences growing up. With the water surrounding Duscur, the snow would be so deep that they had doors on the roof of the house so people could get outside and carry on business or shop or just leave the house to play. Winter is also a time for handcrafts, baking, soups and savory stews. Before the end of the ride, he promises to make a Roasted Root Stew for dinner in the next day or two.

The sun sets quickly in winter, the moonlight giving a bluish tint to the snow as it sparkles all around. The trees look like they have their own coats of white covering every branch. A rabbit scampers across your path, its fur turned snow white to help with camouflage. The most amazing thing about snow is the quiet. Not many birds stay around in the winter. Once it is night everyone goes inside as the little bit of warmth from the sun is gone. The only sound is the horse tromping through the snow and the swwishhhh sound of the sleds sliding across the snow. The quiet is peaceful, beautiful and filled with the air of calm.

The snow piles higher and higher around the castle. Time marches along as the citizens and lands rest, healing from the war. The King is healing as well. His nightmares are not nearly as frequent, he does not seem on edge and full of angst by the end of the day.

Dimitri’s birthday is tomorrow and a small celebration is planned. Several of the other Blue Lions will be attending, easily able to traverse the snow. Dedue is pouring chamomile tea as you review what has happened today.

“I was called to the kitchens again this morning,” You dribble some honey into your tea. “The cook’s new apprentice burnt her fingers again. That is the third time this week.” You frown.

“Perhaps you can provide her some training?” Dedue offers.

“I would like to sew gloves permanently on her hands!” You chuckle. “Perhaps we can set up something to develop her awareness.”

“The meetings were light today. Not too many complaints when people have difficulty making it through the snow.” Dimitri muses.

“Tomorrow is the big day, not everyone will have problems getting here tomorrow, I hope.” You smile taking a sip.

“Felix and Sylvain will have no trouble whatsoever. Mercedes and Annette will arrive with them.” Dimitri’s eye shines brightly as he goes through the list. “Ingrid will be on Pegasus, so no issues there. Of course, Ashe is a knight here, so the only concern would be Byleth’s arrival in time.”

“Am I spoiling you if I want to be the first to give you a birthday present?” you ask him just before he must go to bed.

“Sometimes, my beloved, I have noticed that you are not the most patient of women.” Dimitri grins. “I will allow this, only for you.”

You happily pull him to his bedroom door and open it so he can see it.

Normally the proud kingly lion sits in the center of his bed, awaiting his return. Tonight, he sits opposite a beautiful female lion. She is adorned with a circlet of flowers around the top of her head and ears, long ribbons down her back and a clerical cape like yours. The lions face each other, touching noses.

“They are adorable.” Dimitri smiles.

You bend down to the bed patting the lioness on the head. “Oh, what is this? I think she has a present for you.” You softly say as you get down on a knee to reach and obtain a box that is sitting between her front paws.

Dimitri comes closer to join you, only for you to stay on one knee and turn to face him with the box in your hands.

“Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, will you marry me and make me the happiest woman ever?” You ask, your eyes welling up with tears.

Dimitri gasps and falls to his knees in front of you. “What? Oh yes! Of course, yes!” He declares as he takes you in your arms and kisses your lips and face urgently. Eventually, the two of you have to break apart to breathe.

“You definitely have an impatient side to you.” He laughs, placing his forehead against yours.

“What? I have the patience of a saint.” You giggle. “Saint Cethleann was very impatient.”

“I suppose you are entitled to this.” Dimitri walks to his desk and opens a drawer. He brings a small box to you. “Just to be certain, will you marry me?”

“Let me think.” You chuckle. “Yes. Without hesitation.” Pulling him close you kiss him again.

The day of Dimitri’s birthday is a joyous event for everyone in the castle. Guests arrive and are settled in their rooms. Felix, Sylvain, Annette and Mercedes make it without incident.

“Come on Boar, spar with me. We have time before dinner.” Felix grunts as he shoves Dimitri in the shoulder

You have a cup of tea and cakes with Annette and Mercedes in your parlor, catching up on the latest gossip. You are relieved that they are wearing gloves, you have not had much experience in the high circles of society. It is cold in the hallways, and they certainly help.

“Teaching at the School of Sorcery full time really keeps me busy.” Annette says as she places her teacup down. “It is fun to see the wide eyed new faces get excited about casting their first spells.

“Annie, that is so sweet.” Mercedes laughs softly. “Things are going very well at the new orphanage we started in Fraldarius. We have a huge building and a room for each individual child. We really appreciate the help from Dimitri and Felix. The children are going to write thank you letters soon. I hope you get to see them.”

“That is wonderful to hear. I am sure Dimitri will be well pleased with the news.” You thank them. “Getting the country back on its feet and prospering is his main goal, of course. I hope to see some of these places myself when it warms up in the spring.”

“That would be awesome if you can come visit!” Annette gasps excitedly. “We could have the students show off their talents. Many are working hard to take existing spells and making them useful in every day life.”

“Can someone look into a spell to cast on ordinary items that resist breaking?” You giggle. “I know someone that would appreciate that spell for sure.”

The table erupts in laughter. Girl talk continues as Ingrid joins you. Byleth’s arrival is announced, and everyone heads to one of the comfortable dining rooms that is prepared for the lavish feast the cooks have prepared.

Dinner consumed, the reunited Blue Lions retire to the King’s wing of the castle in a parlor fitted with plenty of furniture to accommodate everyone comfortably. Chairs, lounges and couches are scattered about the room as well as bowls of fruit, trays of cheese and sausage for snacks. A well-stocked cupboard carries glasses, wines, ciders and hard alcohol.

Sylvain makes himself right at home pulling out a large bottle of brandy and filling a few glasses. Annette picks out a fruity wine made with blackberries and between the two everyone has a glass.

“May I propose a toast?” Byleth spoke up and everyone shushed. “Happy Birthday to Dimitri, King of United Faerghus. May he have many happy and peaceful birthdays to come.”

Sylvain let out a whoop, most others give a respectable cheers! Everyone settles into little groups chatting amongst themselves. You lean on the arm of a comfy sofa, talking with Byleth about what is going on in the monastery.

“The rebuilding and repairing is going well.” Byleth shares. “The classrooms are functional, and all of the dormitories are repaired. We are rewriting the curriculum to teach mathematics, reading, writing and other necessary classes for the public. We want it to be a school for the children to learn, leading into better careers than just becoming knights or fighters.”

“That is wonderful to hear!” You excitedly clap your hands together. “A well educated people is a boon for everyone.”

Dedue is on the left side of the room with Ashe and Mercedes discussing recipes. Ingrid, Felix, Dimitri and Sylvain are discussing some recent merchants that arrived in Fhirdiad offering impressive and finely made weapons from Dagda and Brigid, the styles of weapons being the main topic of conversation.

Mercedes sits next to you for a while, speaking with you and Byleth about a recent idea you are testing. Setting up healing clinics in the city in several areas to assist in keeping the people healthy. Byleth approves of the idea and may test some clinics in areas around Garreg Mach.

Sylvain has been keeping everyone’s glasses full. He notices that he really hasn’t had to fill your glass much, however the glass of water next to your wineglass is nearly empty. Leaning over the back of the couch he starts massaging your shoulders.

“Hey.” Sylvain bends over and speaks softly close to your ear. “If you don’t like the wine we have other drinks. Loosen up and have a good time, beautiful. Get relaxed. “He grins at you and then winks.

Before you can turn your head to tell him no, Dimitri marches over and sits next to you on the couch removing Sylvain’s hands.

“Refrain from manhandling my fiancée.” Dimitri growls at him. He then gently places his hand on top of yours that is sitting on the couch cushion between the both of you.

You blush at him as several gasps utter in the room.

“Fian- you’re getting married Dimitri? Congratulations!” Sylvain nearly shouts, slapping him on the shoulder. “Didn’t know you had it in you! When did this happen? Tell us all about it!” He runs around to the front of the couch to take a seat in the chair directly opposite Dimitri so he can watch his friend’s every move.

“I-well. It just happened. We aren’t quite ready to announce it, but then Sylvain…” Dimitri hangs his head down, shaking it while blushing profusely.

You decide to swoop in to save him. “You see Sylvain, when two people like each other and get to know each other well, spending time together, sometimes something special happens. We have been courting for quite a while you know.”

“I know, yeah. But he’s Dimitri! He has no idea how to flirt or capture ladies’ hearts. Has he even kissed you?” Sylvain looks quite shocked.

Dimitri’s face is red all the way to his neck. You take his hand in yours and squeeze it tightly.

“We have kissed. He kissed me first and everything else is our business. Change the subject.” You give him your evil eye look.

“Wow.” Sylvain laughs. “Wah-hah-how.” He stands up and walks to the alcohol cabinet. Felix gives him a punch in the shoulder.

“Shut the fuck up, idiot.” Felix mumbles.

“Felix, do me a favor.” You smile slyly. “Take Sylvain to the training grounds with you early tomorrow morning and give him a good workout. I’ll even tell them to lock you two in there so he can’t escape.”

“It would be my pleasure.” Felix gives a courteous bow and Sylvain a side eye.

“Speaking of sparring,” Byleth says loudly. “I have a few new swords I’ve brought if you want to have a look at them Dimitri. Fantastic workmanship. I hear this weapon maker has some amazing materials that are being shipped in from Dagda.”

You get up to move about the room, talking with Ingrid about improving farming techniques in their territory.

“We always thought Galatea had poor soil because certain fruits and vegetables would not grow well there.” Ingrid sips her wine. “We kept fighting with the land, trying to make it grow what we wanted. Finally, we’re growing what the land wants, what grows in our type of soil in the first place. This is the third year for cranberries and the bushes are loaded. Rethinking our ways has improved things a hundred fold.”

“I love cranberries.” Annette croons. “They make a really tart sauce that is great with bird meat.”

“I like the juice for breakfast, it certainly is an eye opener!” You add.

The conversation quietly moves to anything and everything except for the engagement. Annette heads over to speak with Felix, Ingrid heads to Ashe to discuss something.

Sylvain stands close, but not too close to you. His grin is full of mischief. You dread what is going to come out of his mouth.

“So, when you planning on having kids?” Sylvain not so innocently inquires. “The council has been dogging him about heirs since the day after his coronation.”

“One more word from you and I will have Felix take you to the training grounds now, followed by Byleth, Dedue, Ingrid, Ashe and myself. Am I making myself perfectly clear?” You give a smile through gritted teeth that makes him cringe down to his toes.

“Yes Ma’am.” Sylvain whines as he backs up and heads to the farthest side of the room, only to find Dimitri there, so he splits the difference and heads to a corner furthest away from the both of you.

Sylvain stays in his corner. Ashe approaches him, asking a question. As he opens his mouth you stare at him. Sylvain dutifully closes his mouth and only answers by nodding yes or no. His voice is not heard throughout the rest of the evening. It is a fine party indeed for Dimitri’s birthday.

[miss-1ng]

Dimiclaude kiss prompt no. 55?

this turned out... longer than i intended lmao

also hope you're okay with a soulmate au, because this is the only idea i had for this lol! thanks for requesting <3 <3

(also a warning for spoilers about claude's backstory and maybe dimitri's a little bit but otherwise i'm pretty sure everything is spoiler-free!!)

--

His name is Khalid, is what Dimitri’s mind - wide awake from the searing sting of finally gaining his soulmark - says, barely a whisper while when Ingrid got hers, she screamed with joy the moment she found out her soulmate was Glenn.

That was a year ago, on the fourth of the Guardian Moon, precisely the day of her birth, which was celebrated with her family and friends.

It’s legend that you become of age to receive a soulmark from the day you turn twelve to the day you turn sixteen. Sylvain, two years older, had, unsurprisingly received his two years prior to Ingrid and Felix who both received theirs when they officially became of age.

Dimitri however, while not exactly a rare case, though not a complete normality, had received his a year later than which his childhood friends did, at age 13.

Her mark glistens a glittering gold on the inside of her left wrist, corresponding with Glenn’s which is on the inside of his right one. Dimitri remembers her gushing how when the first time they held hands, their marks shone when they touched.

He also remembers Felix gagging and glaring at the two lovebirds for the rest of the day, completely enraptured with one another and nothing else.

As of that day, their betrothal was made official, now that Ingrid had her mark to confirm the one Glenn owned.

That was a while back now, and today, an exact year later, is Dimitri’s birthday. The mark on his arm stings, but as his eyes really take in the word in beautiful script on his wrist, he begins to ignore the pain.

Exactly three hours later, he’s at the Felix and Glenn’s home, sitting outside on the grass with the two of them, having recently abandoned the wooden training swords. Glenn is a full four years older than all of them, except Sylvain, who is only two years older. Yet despite his age Glenn still treats them the same.

When Dimitri finally shows the two his soulmark after lots of nagging, he notices the way Felix bites his lip and averts his gaze.

But before he can question it, Felix teases “You’re going to have a boyfriend!” before bursting out into laughter.

Dimitri hadn’t even thought of that, fully focused on the fact that he has a soulmark and not on the fact that his soulmate has the name of a boy.

He… isn’t too sure what to feel about that.

“And you are too,” Glenn calls in a sing-song voice to his younger brother, only to get fiercely elbowed in the stomach. A scowl has found its way onto the bright-eyed boy’s face.

Dimitri doesn’t say a word. Felix has been oddly secretive about his soulmark ever since he got it a month after Ingrid’s, while she had been flouncing it around whenever she got the chance and wasn’t with Glenn. Though at the same time, even at thirteen, Felix has been secretive, spending more time by himself than with the group unless he was absolutely forced too.

“Shut up!” he snaps, folding his arms and pouting. “I hate you.”

“So kind, Fe,” Glenn teases with a grin, ruffling his younger brother’s hair.

Silently Dimitri wonders what it would be like if he was in Glenn’s shoes, and he had a little brother of his own.

The silence Dimitri’s indulged in gets broken with a familiar call, and Dimitri turns to see Sylvain, even taller than the last time he saw his friend, standing alongside Ingrid who immediately rushes to greet Dimitri with a hug before running over to Glenn.

“Happy birthday, Dimitri!” Sylvain hollers the second he closes the door, separating the kids from the adults indoors. He joins the group. “How does it feel to no longer be the only soulmate-less one?” He adds a wink as if the very phrase itself wasn’t terrible enough.

A collective group of groans reverberate around the circle they’ve formed.

“You’re an idiot,” Felix grumbles to the older teen, averting all eye contact and instead vouching for a heated glare at the grass. Oh, if looks could kill.

“Aww, I love you too, Fe,” Sylvain teases, still grinning merrily as if he nothing is wrong with the world.

Felix’s face flushes. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

Ingrid laughs. “I can say it too, if you’d like.” She clears her throat, as if beginning some long and important speech. “Aww, I love you too, Felix.”

“Now that’s left is Dimitri,” Glenn notes, looking at him.

The younger Fraldarius looks just about ready to bolt as Dimitri says “Aww, I love you too, Felix.”

Instead, he just mutters “It’s your birthday so I’ll take it. Just this once though.”

Sylvain leans close to Dimitri and whispers in a not-so-quiet voice “A little birdy told me you received your soulmark!” Bold black cursive writing stares up at him with non-existent eyes and he feels his heart start to thud.

Thump. Thump-thump. Thump. Thump-thump.

He doesn’t reply, instead peeling his sleeve a little higher above and shows Ingrid and Sylvain his soulmark.

The taller of the two squints at it, as if it’s hard to see. Ingrid’s reaction is more surprised, by the way her eyes widen, and her jaw goes a little slack. She fixes it when she sees his eyes on her with a small smile. “That’s great, Dimitri! It’s so pretty,” she gushes in a very un-Ingrid manner, but the twinkle in her eyes is all the same. “I wonder when you’ll meet your soulmate…”

“Khalid’s not a Fódlan name,” Sylvain offhandedly comments. Dimitri frowns at him, and he hastily continues. “I mean it’s not a Fódlan name I’ve heard. Who knows? You could get some hottie from Duscur or Brigid.”

“Of course, someone from Duscur or Brigid would come all the way over for our Prince,” Glenn drily says, pecking Ingrid on the cheek at her wide-eyed smile. “We’re not getting rid of him that easily.”

--

His soulmark was something Dimitri was very focused on for a while.

Then Duscur happened and everything seemed to fall apart.

His family, his friends… everything changed. The mark on Ingrid’s wrist faded to a black splotch, and the golden writing had completely disappeared.

Felix had shut himself off completely, not leaving his room unless he was training and not talking to anyone unless he was yelling at them.

Sylvain… seemed more closed off – more subdued. Dimitri saw him less and less as the months ebbed on.

And Dimitri… Dimitri couldn’t sleep, couldn’t focus, couldn’t even think. His dreams being haunted by the dead, his father begging for revenge, Glenn hissing in his ear, taunting him, his mother, crying at his feet.

“You should’ve saved us,” they hiss. “Kill them for us. Kill them all!”

It’s not the first time he wakes to a cold sweat, a scream hanging on the edge of his lips.

He’s sent to live, along with the Duscur boy he met, Dedue, at Rodrigue’s place, and there Dimitri finds it frequent where he gets the full brunt of Felix’s verbal abuse. He wants to talk back, to say it wasn’t his fault, but he can’t find the words, can’t even find the motivation to speak. Instead, he just nods, silent, and Dedue finds him, concern lingering in his gaze.

It’s like that for a while.

Then the rebellion happens, and Felix seems to hate him even more.

--

It’s almost a relief when he arrives to the Officers Academy.

There he meets Edelgard von Hresvelg (or reunites, perhaps, if his hunch is in fact correct), heir to the Empire, and Claude von Riegan, heir to House Riegan.

Claude is… well… Claude is a lot of things.

In their audience with Rhea, he is stiff and stoic-faced, though the second they’re released from the chamber, he introduces himself properly to Dimitri. “So, you’re the prince,” he says with a wink. “Nice to meet you.”

“It is good to meet you too,” says Dimitri in return, dipping his head. He offers a small smile.

It’s not the only time they talk. As the year ebbs on, Dimitri gets to know Claude, should it be through sparring together, or even tea times Claude has insisted on. Claude is… well, first of all he’s nice and he’s kind, and he’s also very funny. He seems to bring a smile to Dimitri’s face whenever he’s around, and not only that but he’s…

…he’s beautiful.

Maybe it’s his smile, Dimitri supposes, his genuine one, or maybe those piercing green eyes. He’s also been good looking.

Sometimes when they train, Dimitri catches himself staring, and Claude’s caught him too, offering a wink and a teasing comment without any heat.

Not only that but Dimitri’s heart flutters whenever he’s around Claude, and he has to remind himself constantly that this isn’t okay because Claude is not his soulmate. The mark on his wrist proves just that much.

“You’re staring, your Highness.”

Dimitri flinches, almost forgetting that Sylvain is opposite him, lazily twirling his lance. He smirks at his childhood friend. “Got your eyes on someone?”

It would be great if he was immune to Sylvain’s teasing, but he is only human, and heat rises to his cheeks. “No!” His voice sounds a few pitches higher than it usually is. He clears his throat, averting his gaze from Claude who turns away from Hilda who he’s sparring with (how he got her to do so remains a mystery to the school) to offer a questioning brow. “I mean, uh, no. Of course not.”

“Sure, sure.”

Sylvain doesn’t sound at all convinced. He leans closer, whispering in Dimitri’s ear, “I mean Riegan is pretty hot. I don’t think even your soulmate would blame you for checking him out.”

Dimitri splutters, “W-what?”

“I have to go,” Sylvain says. “Pick up some of the ladies- oh, hey, Fe!” He runs off towards the direction of Felix who enters the training ground, and Dimitri doesn’t stop him, staring into the distance as his cheeks turn redder and redder as the seconds pass.

--

Nevertheless, Dimitri still goes out of his way to spend his time with Claude, pointedly ignoring his soulmark whenever he does.

“Your princliness!” Claude calls, waving in greeting as he runs over to him. Dimitri tries not to blush when he yet again winks.

“Claude!” He tries his hardest not to sound too surprised. “What-what are you doing here?”

He looks amazing. Dressed in a sharp suit he’s seen many of the other students wearing, his hair tousled and falling in front of his eyes. “I think the proper question is what are you doing here? Dedue’s worried about you. Says you haven’t even showed up to the ball and-”

Dimitri’s brain seems to shut off, his mind not listening as he surges forwards, closing the distance between them with a kiss.

It lasts two seconds. Maybe three.

Because immediately after their lips touch Dimitri lets go, eyes wide. “I- that was out of line,” he rushes. “I’m sorry, Claude, I shouldn’t have done that-”

But Claude pulls him back in, and Dimitri feels the mark on his wrist burn and-

He stares down at it, watching the white handwriting shimmer to gold. “What…?”

“I have been waiting so long to do that,” Claude breathes, oblivious to Dimitri’s confusion. He raises an eyebrow, clutching his hands. “Hey, what’s wrong…?”

“Khalid,” Dimitri breathes. Claude’s eyes widen. “That’s your name?”

“I-” Claude pauses, before nodding. “Yes. It is.”

Dimitri pulls him close, arms wrapping around him. He kisses Claude – or is it Khalid? – again, and again, and again. “It’s a beautiful name.”

“Mmhm.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Their night ends not in the ballroom, but outside under the moonlight, the memory of soft kisses and warm embraces never to leave Dimitri’s mind.

[dumbass-extraordinaire]

Duck, Duck, Grief

The newly reopened wound on Aubrey’s thigh throbs dully as she limps away from the base of the ruined Mt. Kepler and back towards the gate.  She hears a voice in the back of her mind, the sensible one that sounds a lot like Duck, telling her that walking on an injured leg is a bad idea and that she’s only gonna make it worse.  A louder, more vicious voice tells her she deserves it.  This one doesn’t sound like Duck.  She ignores them both and keeps walking.  The night air is cold, numbing her exposed arms and face.  Aubrey is grateful for it.  Having a body feels like an impossible task right now.  Thinking is out of the question, because thinking means acknowledging everything that just happened- 

(gone all gone all gone he’s gone he’s gone it’s all your fault why couldn’t you heal him useless you didn’t even try you told him to leave he was supposed to leave now he’s gone it’s your fault)

-and she wasn’t ready.  Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and her ears were buzzing and it was too cold and she couldn’t breathe-

(he’s on the ground his eyes are open he doesn’t see you he isn’t breathing why isn’t he breathing his hands are cold he is never cold he is always warm warm warm warm smile warm laugh cold)

“Miss, are you okay?  Can you hear me?”

There is a voice above her-

(it is not his voice you will never hear his voice again your fault all your fault dead dead dead)

-the voice continues, but it is not talking to her anymore.

“I think she’s in shock-- Oh god, she’s bleeding, oh that’s real bad, aw jeez,” warm hands grip her arms and lift her to her feet.  She doesn’t remember falling to her knees.  That explains why her leg feels like it’s on fire-

(burning burning the house is on fire there is a man in a mask her dad is on the ground burning)

  She is vaguely aware of being half-carried over to an ambulance.  They sit her down, telling her to put pressure on the wound, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.  She does this without comment, cannot open her mouth for fear that the words will come tumbling out and never ever stop.  She does not move.

…

Duck and Minerva had just finished taking down the abomination and were making their way over to Leo Tarkesian and Dr. Sarah Drake when they saw the top of Mt. Kepler lift into the air, then came crashing back down, shaking the earth and causing the telescope to creak and sway a little, which in all honesty was really terrifying.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ!” Duck yelped as the ground shook with the aftershocks of the mountain’s collapse.  He lost his balance but Minerva grabbed his arm to steady him before he could fall over. 

“Duck Newton You Should Be Careful!  Core Strength Is An Integral Part Of Any Hero’s Skill Set!” She exclaimed cheerfully, clapping a hand onto his shoulder with almost as much force as the mountain’s collapse.

“Thanks Minnie,” he wheezed, rubbing his sore shoulder.  Sarah ran up to them, her eyes wide with shock.

“What the hell just happened to the mountain?” she asked, her face pale with fear.

Duck scratched his head.  “Honestly, Sarah?  I got no earthly idea, but we should probably go find out,” he sighed.  “C’mon, we got a ways to go.”

The group of four made their way across the field towards the parking lot, Minerva still giving Leo a piggyback ride on account of his injuries.  When they reached the front gate, Sarah paused and turned to Duck.  She looked as exhausted as he felt.

Running a hand through her hair, she sighed, “As fun as this has been, I think I’ve just about maxed out my daily limit for weird.  If it’s all the same to y’all, I think I’m gonna head on home.”  She points to him, “Don’t think this means I’m gonna let you off the hook about this, mister.  I expect an explanation.”

He salutes her playfully, “Yes, Ma’am.  I’ll have that report on your desk by Monday.”

She smiles and says, “See ya around, Newton,” before turning and walking into the night.

Duck, Minerva, and Leo do the same, making their way to Duck’s government-issued truck.  He chucks the extra broadsword into the truck bed, slings Beacon back around his waist, and slides behind the wheel exhaustedly.  A part of him waits for Aubrey to call shotgun before remembering with a start that she isn’t with them.  He’s so used to having her and Ned as back up in life threatening situations that their absence right now is disconcerting.  He’s more than a little anxious to see them again; they’d all been so busy with their own situations the past few days that they hadn’t had much of a chance to hang out.

“What A Fine Chariot This Is, Duck Newton,” Minerva booms jovially, slapping the roof of his truck.  There is the distinct sound of crumpling metal.

Duck squints blearily at her as she squeezes into the passenger seat, mentally cycling through the five stages of grief as Minerva buckles her seatbelt.  He turns the key in the ignition and drives out of the parking lot.

… 

The closer they get to Amnesty Lodge, the more nervous Duck gets.  Not for the first time since the whole Sylvain mess started, he resents Kepler’s location in the Radio Quiet Zone.  Usually he didn’t mind not having a cellphone, but right now he would give just about anything to call Aubrey and Ned and make sure they’re okay.  The herd of ambulances and police cars heading towards the Lodge do nothing to quell Duck’s mounting anxiety levels.

His anxiety turns to dread as he turns onto the dirt road leading to the lodge and sees the crowd of townsfolk gathered in front of the gate, an ambulance parked off to the side.  He jerks the truck to a stop and jumps out, not even bothering to take the keys out of the ignition as he scans wildly for his friends.  Minerva moves to follow him, but he stops her, telling her to watch out for Leo.  Things are complicated enough without throwing an honest-to-fucking-god alien warrior into the mix.

When he finally does see Aubrey’s colorful shock of dyed hair, it is both a relief and an extra source of stress.  A relief because she’s alive, and a source of stress because she’s sitting in the ambulance.

Duck rushes over to her, his heart dropping into his stomach as a list of every worst case scenario runs through his head.  Someone found out about the lodge, someone went through the gate who wasn’t supposed to and went on a rampage, Agent Stern arrested someone, someone got hurt, someone got killed.  At least Aubrey is okay.  And while he doesn’t see Ned anywhere, Duck isn’t too worried about the old guy.  He’d survived ramming into a Pizza Hut sign with a jetpack, as well as the explosion of said jetpack immediately afterwards.  The man was damn near unkillable.  He skids to a stop in front of Aubrey, his momentum almost causing him to crash into the side of the ambulance.  He takes her in, noting the bandage on her leg and the shock blanket around her shoulders.

“Y’okay, kid?”  He asks, “Aubrey?”  She doesn’t respond, doesn’t look at him or even seem to register his presence.  

That’s his first clue that something’s wrong, because he’s seen her like this before, after the whole ordeal with the Pizza Hut sign.  The hollow, haunted expression on her face is nearly identical to the one she’d worn that day.  It scared him then and it scares him now.

“Aubrey,” he repeats her name.  “C’mon kid, ya gotta talk to me.  I just got here, I’m way outta the loop.”  Nothing.  She just keeps staring blankly ahead.  He crouches down in front of her, waving a hand in front of her face to get her attention.  Again, nothing.  Shit.

He stands back up and starts pacing, raking his hands through his hair, “Aubrey!”  He snaps.  The longer she stays unresponsive, the more nervous he gets, “I need you to say something, kid, you’re fuckin’ scaring me!”  Try as he might, he can’t quite keep the panic from bleeding into his voice.

Finally, finally, she looks up at him, and his heart breaks.

Aubrey looks absolutely wrecked.  Her eyes are bloodshot and ringed black with smeared mascara and eyeliner, her face blotchy and tearstained.  Disconcertingly, both her irises are a bright, piercing orange.  Duck figures this is something important, something he should ask her about right away.  He doesn’t, though, because he couldn’t care less about whatever earth-shattering event made Aubrey’s eyes change color.  He doesn’t care about all that world-saving, chosen one stuff, and he never has.  He cares about people, his people, and right now that’s Aubrey and Ned.  They’re the Pineguard, his family, and he would rather die than see them hurt.

“D-Duck,” Aubrey whimpers, her voice fragile like his ma’s best china.  “Duck, I couldn’t…h-he…”  She shatters, then, curling in on herself as she sobs.

“Hey now, uh,” Duck has never been good at comforting people, especially when they’re crying.  But this is Aubrey and she needs him, social anxiety be damned.

He sits down next to her on the tailgate of the ambulance, shifting so that he’s almost facing her, and puts his arms out, “Do you-- Ooph!”  Before he can finish his question, Aubrey collapses against him, sobbing into his shoulder.  Duck freezes for a moment, unsure, before wrapping his arms around her.

“I-It’s all,” she hiccups, “it’s all m-my fault, Duck, I-I couldn’t…”  She dissolves into sobs again, too distressed to continue.  Her shoulders shake with the force of it.

Duck pats her back awkwardly.  “Aw, Aubrey, I don’t know ‘bout that,” he says, “I don’t think-- don’t blame yourself, kid.  I’m sure you did everything you could.”  Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because she starts crying even harder.

He doesn’t know what to say, so he just hugs her tighter instead.  He hates himself a little for that, wishes to god that the words didn't stick in the back of his throat like old gum on the underside of a picnic bench.  Aubrey hiccups, and Duck rubs her shoulders soothingly.  He’s never seen her like this before, never seen her this broken.  Sure he’s seen her cry, seen her upset, but never like this.  Something is very, very wrong, and Aubrey’s clearly in no shape to tell him what, so he scans the crowd for someone who can.

Finally, he makes eye contact with Jake Coolice.  Which, okay, not exactly ideal, except for the fact that he’s standing next to Mama, who’s engaged in conversation with Detective Maygen.  Duck jerks his head towards the matriarch of Amnesty Lodge, hoping Jake picks up what he’s putting down.  The neon-cloaked Sylph looks confused, and he points at Mama and mouths her name in a silent question.  Duck nods emphatically.  Jake smiles and gives him two thumbs up before tugging on the sleeve of Mama’s duster to get her attention.  The older woman turns to Jake, who points in Duck’s direction.  She squares her shoulders, like she’s preparing for battle, and makes her over to the ambulance.  

The first thing Duck notices is how tired she looks.  The second is the blood on her shirt and hands.  

His blood turns to ice in his veins, “What the fuck happened?” he demands, “Are y’okay?”

Mama sighs, her whole body moving with it, “It’s not mine,” is all she says, and her shoulders slump in something a bit too much like defeat for Duck’s taste.

“Whaddya mean, whose is it then?” he asks, panic setting in.

She exhales softly through her nose.  “Duck, honey, I’m real sorry,” she begins, “now I don’t want you blaming yourself for this, ‘cause it ain’t no one’s fault.”  Mama pauses, looking up at the night sky before running a hand down her face.  There is dried blood under her fingernails.

“Whaddya mean, Mama, what happened?  What don’t ya want me blaming myself for?”

She looks pained, “Duck, sweetheart--.”

“No!  Don’t baby me, I aint a fuckin’ kid,” he snaps.  “What. The. Hell. Happened.”

“I-it was Ned.”  The response comes not from Mama, but Aubrey.  She pulls aways from Duck, exhaling shakily and wiping her eyes.

Duck stares at her.  “Whaddya mean, did he get hurt or somethin’?” he asks, pretty sure he already knows the answer to that question and hoping to god that he’s wrong, “Aubrey?”

She shakes her head.  “No, uh,” she takes a shaky breath, “Shit, I can’t do this.  Mama, uh, can you explain, please?”  Her voice trembles as she gives the older woman a pleading look.

Mama gives her a sad smile, “Sure, baby.”

“Thanks,” Aubrey sniffles.  Duck puts an arm around her and she buries her face in his shoulder.

Mama takes a deep breath, “Duck, ya said ya didn’t wanna be babied, so I guess I better just say it outright.  Ned ain't hurt, honey.  I’m so, so sorry, Duck, but he’s dead.  Ned’s dead.”

The words hit him like a punch in the gut, leaving him breathless and gasping.  

That can’t be right, Ned can’t be dead.  Ned ‘Cowardly’ Chicane, the only one of them with any sort of self-preservation instinct, the guy who just the other day had assured Duck that he didn’t need to worry about him getting hurt because he quote-unquote, “knew when to get the hell outta Dodge” was dead?  No way.  This had to be to work of the shapeshifter, or some sick practical joke.  It couldn’t be true, because if it was, it would mean Duck had failed.  It would mean that something happened and he hadn’t been there to take the big hit.  It would mean that Ned had taken the hit instead.  And he can’t handle that.  What’s the point of being the “Chosen One”, the so-called savior of the planet if he can’t keep the people he cares about safe?  

“Duck?”  Mama’s voice cuts through the haze of grief and shock clouding his brain.  He doesn’t respond, “You with us?”

He wants to argue, wants to break down and scream at the injustice of it all.  But he doesn’t, because he’s not the only one grieving Ned’s-- he’s not the only one affected.  Aubrey’s here too, huddled against his side like a barnacle on the hull of a ship.  God, she’s so young, still just a kid, really.  She shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.  She shouldn’t have to deal with this at all, truth be told, but that’s not in the cards.  The least Duck can do is be strong for her.  He’s good at being strong.  So he pushes aside all his grief and anger and self-recrimination, packing them away in a cardboard box in some dusty corner of his mind to deal with later.  Aubrey comes first.

He takes a deep breath, “Yeah, Mama, I’m with ya.”  He runs a tired hand down his face, “What, uh, what happened?”  His voice trembles right at the end.  He clenches his jaw.  

Mama glances ever so slightly at Aubrey.  “I’m fine,” is all the young woman says.  Mama looks to the night sky, as if hoping the stars can tell her how to make this easier.  Whatever she was looking for, it isn’t there and she faces Duck once more.

She does that thing again, squaring her shoulders like she’s getting ready for a fight, “The Abomination, it took Ned’s shape an’ then spilled the beans about everything on television.  The lodge, the gate, Sylvain, all of it.  That’s why all these folks are here,” she gestures to the crowd of townspeople.  

“Ned, he killed it and came down here to try and divert ‘em, send ‘em on a wild goose chase.  It sorta worked, actually, he got rid of about half of ‘em.  He starts talkin’ folks down, tryin’ to get the rest of them to see sense,” she laughs bitterly, “And it mighta even worked, too, ‘cept then the glowing coffin shows up and out pops Dani.  And she’s all feral, completely outta her mind after being separated from the hot springs for so long.”  

Her mouth presses into a thin line.  “And then she, well… She charged these here folks, and Ned, he tackles her.  Thing is, you get a buncha scared folks with guns in one place, well, someone’s bound to get hurt.  And tonight, that was Ned.  He got shot, and by the time the ambulance got here it was too late.  There wasn’t nothing any of us could do,” she looks over at Aubrey when she says that.  “And that’s… that’s the whole story.  I’m sorry,” she gives him a sympathetic look, “Y’alright, Duck?”

Duck says nothing, just nods sharply.  Because how do you respond to something like that?  What do you say when someone’s been ripped from your life and you can’t remember the last thing you said to them?  What do you say?  What can you say that would be enough to encompass the raw, gaping wound that takes the place of your heart, the way your stomach drops, when you think of all the things left unsaid?  What do you say?

As it turns out, “Let’s go home,” is a pretty good start.

[thiswasinevitableid]

By My Side (Sternclay)

Prompt for the 14th is: Abandoned

Joseph Stern is eight years old when he develops his first cover story. 

He’s on the path topside from Kepler elementary; his parents let him go to and from school on his own because Kepler--unlike Milwaukee--radiates the energy of a small town where nothing bad happens. Plus, lots of topside parents let their kids do the same. 

There are no other kids from his class on the path. Which is why the sounds from the bushes catch his attention; someone is crying. Someone small. Maybe one of his classmates is hurt. He should investigate. 

Brush catches his sweatshirt as he crawls and pushes his way into the undergrowth. As sticks crunch, the sound stops, but Joseph can see another kid huddled up through the curtain of leaves and twigs. 

When he scoots into the next gap of space, both he and the other child freeze, one with surprise and the other with fear. Joseph is trying to work out why this other person is covered in reddish brown fur, ears a little pointy but face still very human in it’s expressions. He’s seen this kind of creature before, in the books he checks out every time he goes to the library. 

“Bigfoot?”

Wide, brown eyes grow even wider as the creature shakes their head, “No. Barclay. My, my name is Barclay.”

“Are you lost?”

“Yes.” Barclay wipes his nose on his arm.  Joseph sighs, relieved; his mom taught him what to do if he ever gets lost.

“We need to find your mom and dad.”

Barclay’s face crumples, “I, I, can’t, they, they just, just left me here. S-someone brought us to a gate but they, they only made me go through. They left me!” The last few words are a wail, turning to a high, lonely howl that makes Joseph’s chest ache. He can’t leave Barclay here, he won’t.

He needs a grown-up, but he knows his parents don’t always react well to things that are weird. All the teachers will be gone if they go back to school this late…

Ah ha, he’s got it.

“Come on” he holds out his hand, “I know someone who can help.”

“Really?”

“I’m pretty sure. She helped me when some bullies picked on me on my way home.”

Barclay takes his hand, grips it so tight his fingers hurt as Joseph leads him uphill and then down a side path. He jumps at any noise. Joseph identifies them one by one so he won’t be so scared. 

When Amnesty Lodge comes into view, Joseph takes them to the back and knocks on the door of the workshop. It swings open and Ms. Cobb (she tells him to call her Mama, but Joseph feels strange calling an adult a nickname) steps out, brushing sawdust from her sleeves. Her gaze falls instantly on Barclay, who tries to hide behind Joseph. This would work better if he weren’t a foot taller than him. 

“Well howdy there, Joseph. Who’s your friend here?”

“His name is Barclay.”

Mama crouches so she’s eye to eye with them, “Nice to meet you Barclay. You from Sylvain?”

Joseph’s never heard of such a place, but at the word Barclay’s head snaps up and he nods. 

“Then Joseph was mighty smart to bring you here. How about you two boys come sit in my office for a few minutes while I go find Thacker.”

They follow her into the Lodge, Barclay never letting go of his hand. Once they’re on the brown couch in her office, his new friend slumps sideways so his head is on Joseph’s shoulder. His friends at school don’t tend to hug or sit close, but he doesn’t want to be rude. He rests his head atop Barclay’s, runs his hand up and down his back the way his dad does for him when he’s sad. 

A soft, low rumbling noise spreads through the room.

“I thought only cats purred.”

“M’not purring. Just a noise I make when I feel good.”

“That’s purring.”

“...Okay then I guess I purr.”

Mama returns with Mr. Thacker, tells Barclay he’ll help him get some dinner and pick out a place to sleep while she takes Joseph home. It takes multiple promises that he’ll get to see Joseph again for Barclay to finally let go of his hand. 

As her pick-up truck winds up towards his neighborhood, Mama glances at him and says, “Joseph, I’m gonna ask you to do somethin for me; I need you to promise me you ain’t gonna mention what Barclay looks like to your folks. We’re gonna tell ‘em you met my nephew who’d gotten lost on his way back to the Lodge and that’s why you’re a little late.”

“Why can’t they know he’s a...whatever he is?”

She sighs, “Because if word gets out that Barclay ain’t human, someone might decide to hurt him. Not everyone is as understanding about the unfamiliar as you seem to be.”

Joseph thinks about his promise to always tell his parents the truth. About the stories he’s read where humans shoot at cryptids. About Barclay clinging to him and looking at him the way people in movies look at heroes. 

“Okay. I promise I won’t tell them.”

Mama smiles, “Thanks, kiddo.”

She drops him off, her story quickly ridding his mom of her anxiety-tinged anger at him being so late home. She adds that, since tomorrow is Saturday, would it be alright if Joseph came to the Lodge to play with Barclay? After all, he’s new in town and is trying to make friends.

The next day, his dad drops him off at the Lodge and Mama guides him to one of the rooms. Bundled up on the bed, frowning at a comic book, is a boy Joseph’s age with reddish brown hair. Joseph blinks, staring more than is polite as he tries to work out if this is some kind of joke. 

The other boy shyly smiles at him and says, in a voice that Joseph last heard coming from a fur covered face, “Hi, Joseph. I’m glad you came back.”

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

“What should we do now?” Joseph puts the lid on the Mastermind box as Barclay rolls onto his belly on his sleeping bag. A summer storm bangs on the roof, but they’re safe and cozy is in bedroom for their monthly sleepover. 

“Wanna just talk? Oh, wait, I, uh, I brought something.” He rifles into his backpack, pulling out a small, tupperware container, “Mama’s been letting me experiment in the kitchen and I made these this morning.” He pops the top, revealing gigantic chocolate cookies with butterscotch chips.

“Oh wow” Joseph takes one, “these smell amazing.”

Barclay grins, then laughs when Joseph devours two cookies in a row without pausing, “Guess they came out okay.”

“They’re so good. You’re a really good cook Barclay.”

“I mean, I guess.” His friend shrugs, smiles down at his own cookie.

“These are great, and so was the soup you made last week, and the cake you made Mama for her birthday.” Joseph sweeps crumbs into his hand and dumps them into the trash, “maybe you’ll be a famous chef when you grow up.”

“Like Julia Child.” His friend says wistfully, then scooches so he can bump their shoulders together, “or maybe I can be, like, your private chef when you’re in the FBI.”

“I’d like that. Hmm, maybe we could just be roommates?”

The window rattles like something is trying to break in and thunder crashes above them. Barclay yelps; he’s always been scared of thunderstorms, has told Joseph they remind him of something called The Quell.

“Sorry” Barclay mumbles.

“I’ve got an idea.” Joseph unzips their sleeping bags, shoos Barclay off his so he can drag them together. It takes some fiddling to the zippers to connect, but soon he has a double-wide sleeping bag. They’re already in their pajamas, so he slides down into his side and waves for Barclay to do the same. The sylph climbs under, purring as he worms his way into Joseph’s arms. 

They’ve done something like this ever since Barclay arrived in Kepler; his friend explained once that touching and cuddling was common for his kind, both as a way of comforting each other and as a way of conveying friendship. Joseph long ago lost count of how many conversations they had huddled up like this. In the beginning they were rapid fire exchanges of questions and answers, each curious to learn everything they could about the others world. The longer Barclay was on Earth, the more their talks could pass as those of two boys with no strange secrets tucked close to their chests. Even the night of their first sleepover at the Lodge, when Barclay pulled out a notebook full of newspaper clippings and photocopies from books, all to do with bigfoot sightings, no one looking in would have known it was one such creature huddled under the covers with Joseph. 

Now that they’re eleven, they have to be careful about where they do this; in Joseph’s experience, sometimes people are even less accepting of boys holding hands than they are of things like bigfoot. 

His favorite part of this is the way Barclay tries to fit in his arms. He’s already getting a growth spurt (Indrid, a boy a few years older than them, explained that he made Barclay’s disguise to age along with him), but he seems determined to tuck himself away like a stuffed animal. It makes Joseph feel like he can protect him. Makes him so sure that, even if there were something far worse than thunder outside, he could face it for the sake of his friend.

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

“Damn, you are not fucking around with this.” The thwip of laminated pages suggests Barclay is opening Joseph’s case folder, “and here I thought my bigfoot research was intense.”

“That’s one book of five; I categorize them by type of entity, but Bigfoot gets it’s own separate from ‘mammal’ because I’ve spent so much time on it.” He finishes knotting his blue tie, “It, um, it was also the first. Ever since you said you wanted to see if there were more of your kind of Sylph who’d been abandoned or gone wild, I’ve been studying the cases.”

“You’re such a nerd.”

“A nerd on your behalf.” Joseph combs his hair back as he steps from the bathroom, “well, mostly.”

“Yeah, those offers to expand your blog series for The Skeptical Inquirer don’t have…” he looks up from the binder and snaps it closed, “fuck, Joseph, you look incredible. I cannot believe no one took you up on your offer to go to prom.”

“Right back at you, big guy. And I only asked two people.”

“I, uh, technically I did get asked. Katie G was really hoping I’d go with her but, uh, but I wasn’t interested.” He tucks his hands into his pants pockets, “ready to get on the road?”

“You know my parents want to take pictures.”

“I, uh, I thought that only happened with your dates.”

“That may be the case for people whose families don’t document life moments with a borderline religious fervor.”

Luckily, mom reigns in dad after only fifteen minutes of photography, and they head towards Kepler community center with time to spare. The theme is 1950s (Joseph lobbied heavily for “out of this world” from his place as student body vice president but was out-voted), with fake records hanging from the ceiling and checkered clothes on the tables. Dinner is so bland Barclay insists some of it is cardboard.

They chat and dance with their friends, though they both retreat back to the table whenever a slow song comes on. Joseph cannot work out why Barclay isn’t asking people, and only accepts one of the dances someone else offers; he’s gorgeous in his thrift store suit, his brown eyes glittering with the same gentleness they always do, and Joseph can only imagine how nice it would feel to have his brown-sugar baritone murmur in his ear while they swayed. Barclay could have anyone he wanted. 

When the D.J announces the last slow dance of the evening, Joseph decides he’s done imagining. 

“Come on, big guy.” he holds out his hand, “we should at least get one slow dance at our senior prom. We won’t even be the only guys dancing together.”

Barclay swallows, “Okay.”

They find a spot among the swaying couples, Barclay draping his arms over Joseph's shoulders while Joseph wraps his around the Sylph’s waist. The music is loud enough he’s certain no one but him hears the purr rumbling through Barclay’s chest.

“Can I tell you something?” Barclay’s fingers move, and Joseph knows without looking that he’s fidgeting with his woven bracelet. Which means he’s nervous, “I, uh, there’s another reason I didn’t ask anyone to this. There was only one person I wanted as my date. And I, uh, I knew he’d be coming with me anyway.” He chuckles, “that’s weird, right?”

“No weirder than me not asking anyone because I only wanted to spend my prom with you.”

Barclay hesitantly tips his face down. Joseph tips his up to meet it, bringing their lips together for what must be both the shortest and sweetest kiss in the history of human civilization. He’s not about to risk his perfect moment being ruined by the chaperones. 

His friend rests their foreheads together, “You, uh, wanna be my boyfriend?”

“Yes, big guy, I do.”

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

Barclay’s going to have to break down and get some Crocs; his old sneakers are fucking murder on his feet now that he’s in the kitchen full time. 

He showers quick and drags his laptop onto the bed for his favorite night time ritual. 

“Hi everyone, welcome to part two of my investigation of Hull House. You can watch part one here. Tonight I’m going to be talking about how to take accurate EMF readings, then we’ll see if I can replicate the ones other investigators claim appear when in the master bedroom.” Joseph holds the device up to the camera; he’s in front of a ramshackle house, smiling excitedly. Enough of him is in frame that he can tell his boyfriend is wearing the “This is my ghost hunting sweatshirt” he bought him for his birthday.

He glances at the view count; 100,000 and it’s only been up twelve hours. He’s so fucked. If Joseph doesn’t take a junior year transfer from state college an hour away to one of the two prestigious schools that accepted him, he’s going to end up with some kind of Youtube or T.V deal to make more of his show. Then it won’t matter that they’ve been boyfriends for years. That they call each other almost every night, that Joseph spends nearly every minute of his breaks in Barclay’s company. Joseph’s going to leave him for bigger and better things. 

Barclay is so sure of this fact that he takes Mama up on her offer of a gap year, where he’ll travel and cook, see the country, maybe even look for lost Sylphs who might be his family. He’ll tuck his piece of the crystal into his pocket next to the shards of his heart.

When Joseph arrives back in Kepler a week later, the first thing he does is stop by the Lodge and kiss Barclay against the counter in the empty dining room until they’re gasping for air. 

“I missed you so much, big guy.” 

“Missed you too.” Barclay buries his face against his neck, inhaling the hints of shampoo and cologne that his brain recognizes as mine so he’ll have a chance of remembering them when this is all over. 

“I need to go see my parents, I promised we’d have lunch, but when you get off work tonight do you, um, want to go to IHOP?”

Oh god, that was where they had their first official date. Is Joseph going to break up with him there? He does like things to have some sense of symmetry.

“Sounds good, babe.”

It’s close to eleven p.m when he pulls into the parking lot, dimly colored lights dripping down the windshield. He steps out of the borrowed truck, scans the pavement for Joseph’s car but only finds a jeep and a VW van.

He leans back against the door, cursing the NRQZ for the millionth time, when the door of the van slides open. 

“Hi.” Joseph smiles as he steps out. 

“Hey.” Barclay hurries over to him, heart trying to burrow out of his chest and head for safer pastures, “since when do you drive a van?”

“Since I got the idea to take the show on the road. Or, you know, more on the road than just checking out paranormal stuff within a few hours of school.”

Barclay closes his eyes; he needs to be supportive, needs to not show the fact he’s tearing up. “Sounds cool.”

Fingers tenderly stroke his beard, “You know what’d make it cooler? If my boyfriend used his year off to come with me.”

His eyes fly open; Joseph beams up at him, takes his hands the same way he did all those years ago. 

“Come with me?”

Barclay tugs him into a kiss, dips him just to feel his laughter against his mouth (and because Joseph loves the reminder of how secretly strong his boyfriend is).

“Of course, babe.” He rights them, holding Joseph close enough to feel his heart beating beneath his ‘Roswell’ t-shirt, “fuck, I feel so silly I, I was sure you were gonna dump me.”

“Not a chance” a gentle kiss as Joseph murmurs, “I won’t ever abandon you, big guy. I promise.”

[raspberryranpo]

May I request Dimitri and the reader getting back together post time skip? Like, they broke up after he went crazy, but know he’s better and wants to be in a relationship with them again?

getting back together post timeskip

fire emblem three houses: dimitri alexandre blaiddyd

you guys just love to see dimitri in pain don’t you

you were probably one of the voices in dimitri’s head after you broke up

he didn’t think anything of your relationship until he heard your voice telling him how much you loved him, how much you missed him etc.

at first he thought it was stupid, and he told himself that you definitely didn’t love him

but after a while he began to think that maybe, just maybe, you did miss him

and then you started to plague his thoughts all day long, and then seeing you again became the sole reason he’d fight off all the thieves in the tower

finally, when the professor finds him & they both go down to the cathedral, he could only worry about your whereabouts, your well-being, but most importantly - whether you still cared about him

dimitri told himself that you probably didn’t, not knowing that he was on your mind from the beginning of the five years too

so when you finally arrive, you both look at each other with this awkward look

you both want to run to each other, but were worried that the other doesn’t care

so it’s quite a long time before dimitri finally picks up the courage to talk to you

it’s a long & awkward period of the two of you sitting next to each other in meetings and in the cathedral, but not saying a word

sometimes dimitri’s hand hovers over yours, but it never touches

sylvain picks up on this and is always bugging dimitri to man up and hold your hand (but felix always drags him off before anything else can happen)

dimitri finally manages to talk to you after he talks to the professor in the rain

he asks to meet you in his room after lunch, and he just prays that a) you’ll show up and b) he didn’t sound like a creep when he said that

when you actually show up he’s in shock

in fact he’s so in shock that he just straight up tells you that he misses you deeply but immediately regrets saying that

when you start laughing he feels so embarrassed

but when you gently hug him? there’s a massive weight that’s just been taken off of his shoulders

“why are you so willing to take me back?” he tells you, “why are you willing to push everything i said aside?”

the look you give him - the tenderness in your eyes, the way your hold on him tightens - makes his heart flutter (which is not something that has ever happened before)

he sheds a few tears when you tell him that it’s because you love him & that you don’t want to give up on him

hugs you back (albeit much gentler) and you both just stay like that for the rest of the night

[ao3komorii]

The Last Hope of a Fallen Prince (FEH Lif/Reader)

This is the last of the Fire Emblem oneshots I’ve written, so enjoy! :) Lif is definitely my fav FEH guy for obvious reasons so I wanted to write a nice story for him! The only other Fire Emblem thing I have right now is a semi-written Sylvain oneshot, but I’m not sure when I’ll get around to finishing it.

For clarity purposes, Reader in this story is Kiran from Lif’s world, not from the main FEH world, but still no names or name blanks are used. Also, to make things easier on everyone, Lif is always referred to as Lif and Alfonse is referred to as Alfonse even if other characters address Lif by his other name. Also, there is smut at the end! ----

You had held out hope, but you felt your heart shatter as Hel’s scythe swiped across Sharena’s back. Alfonse’s cry for his sister rang out loudly in the otherwise deathly quiet battlefield in time with your gasp as Sharena’s body hit the ground. You weren’t given a moment to process the loss of your fallen friend when Alfonse screamed your name from across the battlefield at the same time as you felt a looming presence behind you as a scythe was lowered to your neck, gleaming with sinister purple energy.

“So pitiful,” Hel remarked dispassionately. “You had no chance against death.”

Alfonse was still running towards you, his sword drawn as tears streamed down his face. But Hel was death, and death did not care to give any fighting chances. Death would take lives unfairly, and one last cry of your name from Alfonse was the last thing you heard before the scythe was brought back into your neck, ending what little fight you had left as Hel let you fall limply to the ground, her job done and this world conquered of its resistance to her nature.

“We won’t be able to defeat Hel unless we can get Líf’s help,” Anna admitted reluctantly. “I wish I could think of any other way.”

“I don’t know how to get through to him,” Alfonse lamented. “I know that we’re the same person, but I couldn’t imagine serving Hel. I fear that the other me’s heart may be out of our reach.”

The group looked around, in low spirits, but nobody volunteered any ideas. At least a few minutes passed in this deep mist of looming defeat until the princess of Askr raised her head suddenly, staring ahead at the summoner and alerting Anna’s attention.

“What is it, Sharena?” Anna asked, a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Summoner!” Sharena exclaimed. “I have a plan that may be tricky, but it could be our last hope of reaching the Alfonse of this world.”

Sharena looked over to her brother, who looked troubled, but nodded back to her. “You have been able to summon heroes from any point in their lives, right?” she asked the summoner, and received a nod in reply.

“But we’re nowhere near the summoning stones!” Alfonse protested.

“And who could we summon that can convince Líf to help us?” Anna added.

Sharena smiled confidently at the others, but kept her focus on the summoner. “Even without the summoning stones, your Breidablik connects you to other worlds, so couldn’t it connect you to your other self?”

“You’re saying that she should try to summon the summoner from Líf’s world, when she was still alive?” Anna probed, thinking about it for a few seconds before a fire ignited in her eyes. “That could work! After all, if he’s anything like our Alfonse, Líf must care for his summoner a great deal. She might be the only one to make him see reason!”

“Anna!” Alfonse protested, face red with embarrassment.

“That’s what I was thinking!” Sharena replied excitedly. “My brother would do anything for her!”

Anna and Sharena grinned at each other, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time, while the embarrassed prince and summoner stared anywhere but at each other, cheeks warm. While she looked at the ground, the summoner considered this idea. If she could reach her other self, just before she was killed by Hel… it could save everyone. Líf would not listen to her, but he was determined to save his own summoner. She would give it a try, she decided, raising Breidablik as the heroes around her all fell silent, hoping their summoner would be able to pull off a miracle.

Sharena was gone, taken cruelly by Hel’s scythe that had already taken so many lives. Before you could blink, she was upon you, blade poised to take your life. Alfonse could not stop this, you knew that much for sure. You closed your eyes, too scared to look at Alfonse as tears rolled down your cheeks. You opened your eyes again as the scythe advanced on your neck, Alfonse screaming your name, but then everything around you dulled slightly.

As Hel swung her scythe towards your flesh, you felt a hum from your Breidablik, hanging at your side. You quickly reached down to touch it, and as soon as you did, you felt a pull. In front of your eyes, you saw a light so bright that it made you close your eyes in fear of being blinded. And above all, you felt that someone needed your help, that they just needed you to reach back towards them with your Breidablik. Your only other option was certain death, and so you reached back, straining yourself to make the connection between you and the mysterious force absolute.

Your body felt light for a moment, and you had no idea what was happening. You opened your eyes only when the aggressive light surrounding you dimmed, and then you finally opened your eyes and realized that you were not in Hel’s clutches anymore. Your first thought was that you had died, that this was some heaven where you could be with your friends again. But then you caught sight of a familiar figure, one you had only seen before in mirrors or clear, reflective ponds.

It was you, surrounded by Anna, Alfonse, Sharena, Eir and all the other heroes you had come to know as friends and allies. Your eyes stuck on Sharena especially; you had just watched her die, she should be dead. You took a staggered step towards her, then another, and then just ran at her, wrapping your arms around her as she cried out in surprise. She raised her arms to hug you back, and allowed you to stay like that for a moment before you pulled apart. You were so happy to see all of them, but were met with sad, pitying gazes, which made you feel like you were missing some important piece of information.

“Summoner!” Anna addressed you. “There’s something we must tell you.”

You were feeling on edge, and stared at Anna warily, which she took as a sign to continue. “We’re from an alternate world to yours, and you’re the only one who can save our world.”

You reeled back in surprise, unintentionally meeting eyes with your other self, who removed her hood to let you see that she looked exactly like you. Sharena looked uncomfortable, but she stepped closer to you, and looked like she was forcing herself to speak up.

“Your world was destroyed by Hel. She left only my brother and Veronica alive, and she told them that for every person from our world they killed, one person from your world would be saved.”

“Alfonse…” You couldn’t believe it. “He serves Hel?”

Alfonse also stepped forward as his name was called. “I cannot imagine it myself, but the other me could not handle the loss of his world and is unwilling to help us fight Hel.”

“He goes by Líf now,” Anna added. “And while we do not have the power to bring your world back, we think that you are the only one who can convince Líf to help us defeat Hel once and for all.”

This was all so sudden that you were having a hard time processing everything. You couldn’t believe your sweet, kind Alfonse would serve Hel, but in your last moments in your world, you saw the devastation in his eyes. This did not seem like a nightmare of Hel’s creation, so you had no choice but to take them at their word. If Líf was the only thing standing in the way of Hel’s defeat, then you would do anything in your power to convince him. You would make him see that he was not alone.

“I’ll help you,” you agreed.

“Thank you!” Sharena cheered. “He may not be from my world, but he is still my brother, and I don’t want to see him do this to himself any longer.”

“Then we move out!” Alfonse announced. “If we venture further into Hel’s domain, Líf is sure to make an appearance.”

As everyone separated and prepared to move out, Anna approached you with Eir by her side.

“I just wanted to warn you, you may not recognize what your Alfonse has become,” she said sadly. “It has been years since his world perished, and he has grown, warped by Hel’s influence. But no matter what he looks like, you must remember that he is the same man he was when you last saw him.”

Eir bowed her head slightly to you, face full of sorrow. “I am deeply sorry for the pain my mother has caused you,” she apologized.

“It’s not your fault,” you replied. “But I’m just scared to see what is left of Alfonse. I don’t know if I can get through to him.”

“Hey, are you doubting an Anna-approved plan?” Anna joked, forcing a grin on her face. “If you can’t convince him, we’ll make another plan. But everyone here believes in you!”

You couldn’t help a small smile; Anna’s enthusiasm really was infectious. And she was right; if you gave up here, that meant that you were giving up on Alfonse too. You would save him, you would make him see reason. You were nervous to see for yourself exactly what had happened to him in the years that had been seconds for you. As gloomy as the situation seemed, the more you thought about it, the more you wanted to see him.

“We’re ready to march out,” Alfonse announced, startling you as you hadn’t even realized that he had approached your group.

“Right, I’m going to make sure we’re not low on any supplies!” Anna said, giving you a smile and a wave as she went on her way, Eir looking between you and Alfonse before hurrying after Anna.

You stared at their backs as they left, and Alfonse slowly approached you. When you finally looked over at him, he had pity in his eyes, but held your gaze. You felt mixed feelings as you stared at him; he looked like your Alfonse, at least the last time you had seen him only an hour ago, but he wasn’t of your world. You were the stranger here, and while everyone had been kind to you, you felt lonely.

“I’ve talked with him before… the other me,” Alfonse said as you both turned your heads to watch Anna conduct her final checks on the supplies. “He’s doing what he thinks is right. That is the only way he has to reconcile things in his own mind.”

“I can’t imagine how things have been for him,” you admitted. “For me, it’s been no time at all, but he’s gone years without anybody.”

“I’m sorry that we are asking so much of you,” Alfonse said. “But the way he is now, Líf will not listen to us. Someone from his world, someone important to him like you is the best hope we have.”

You were embarrassed to hear him speak so openly about your importance to Líf. The Alfonse you knew had a lot of trouble being open with his emotions, but maybe it was easier for him to talk about because he technically wasn’t speaking about himself. You were sure that both of you felt awkward; it was hard for you to see Alfonse, but know that he wasn’t the Alfonse that you knew, and he clearly didn’t know how to comfort you, likely blaming himself in some way for his other self’s actions.

Alfonse’s attention was drawn away from you when Anna signalled him forward as the army began to march out. He started forward, but then stopped, remembering that you were still there. They had a battle to fight, so you couldn’t take even more of his time.

“Go ahead, I’ll be fine,” you told him, and he looked reluctant, but nodded and headed to meet Anna at the front of the army.

You followed behind, staying in the middle of the pack. You noticed stares from the heroes around you, but nobody approached you. You knew that they were all uncertain of what to say to you. You looked exactly like their own summoner, but unlike her, your world and everyone you cared about here was dead, all but Alfonse. You didn’t blame them; you wouldn’t know what to say to you either.

“I really think you can do it.”

You hadn’t noticed Sharena approach you, but she matched your pace to walk by your side.

“I know that we’re not from your world, but we’re all by your side,” she added. “It doesn’t matter what world you’re from, you’re still my friend!”

“Thanks, Sharena,” you replied as you both began to walk up a desolate hill.

“I know the other me would want us keep your spirits up!” she said resolutely. “Just leave it to your best pal, Sharena!”

Her cheerfulness was helping you feel better. You needed to keep your morale up if you were to get through to Líf. But you worried about what he was like now; would he even listen to you, or recognize you? Your Breidablik had disappeared the moment you had been teleported here, and you didn’t know if he would take you at your word that you were you. A part of you also worried that he would just attack you upon seeing you. You had no idea at all what to expect.

“What does he look like?” you asked Sharena what you had been wondering for a while.

Sharena furrowed her eyebrows; not upset, but in a way that you felt she wasn’t sure exactly where to start. Her lack of an immediate answer made you assume the worst, your mind coming up with dozens of gruesome scenarios.

“Is he…” You almost didn’t want to say it. “A zombie?”

Sharena’s eyes widened. “Oh… no! Not in the rotting flesh way at least!”

She cleared her throat, looking you in the eyes as she answered. “Well, he’s older… he looks at least a few years older. I always thought he would look more like father when he got older, but…”

You nodded politely and Sharena sheepishly apologized for getting off track. “There is a lot that you will have to see for yourself, but just remember that he is still the same prince that hid in his room when he had to wear his hare outfit!” she giggled. “At least I assume he had one in your world too!”

“He did,” you confirmed, a smile lighting your face at the memory.

“He’s too awkward!” she teased. “I had to trick him into leaving his room!”

“His bunny ears were so cute,” you added.

“I know!” Sharena agreed. “Very worth the fight I had to put up to get him to wear them!”

As you walked along, the scenery changed even further. You supposed that maybe you would recognize this place if it looked like it did years ago, but the land was poisoned with death, warped away from familiarity. The grass was dead and grey, crumbling into dust under your feet. Hel had drained the soul from this place, and wouldn’t stop her conquest unless you stopped her. You would have to believe that there was a way to kill death. You didn’t want these heroes and their world to suffer the same fate as yours had.

The next hill opened up to a large valley, a river flowing down the middle that was bordered by trees on either side. You were observing the livelier than usual scenery when the silent march was interrupted by some cries from the back of the army.

“It’s an ambush!” you heard, and Sharena immediately drew her lance as she turned to face the group of dark mages that had gathered for a sneak attack from behind you.

“Get to the valley!” Alfonse shouted, rushing over to the back while Anna began leading the troops to a better position, all rushing down towards the valley.

The order’s mages launched a counterattack, which allowed Alfonse and Sharena to take the mages down cleanly. You followed behind Anna’s group; you figured that it would be safer for you to be with the majority of the army. In your haste, you stumbled on a dip in the hill and fell forward, tumbling down a few feet, which ended up being a good thing as a blast of dark energy sailed over your head and impacted the area where you had just been.

You looked up, startled by the sudden attempt on your life to see enemies emerging from the opposing hill that overlooked the valley. You realized immediately that you were all sitting ducks running into a trap. The rest of the army had gotten fully down the hill, and hadn’t noticed the threat yet. You had to warn them.

“They’re on the hills!” you screamed desperately. “Get to the trees!”

Anna looked back at you, nodding quickly before giving the order for the army to set up a vantage point in the large outcropping of trees in the valley. With a resounding cry, the enemy troops began to rush down the hills, and you realized that you had to move. You heard Sharena shout your name, and you stumbled to your feet as she and Alfonse ran down the hill towards you.

Sharena helped you down the hill as Alfonse rushed to meet the coming enemies with the rest of the army. You looked up at the charging troops of the dead as they approached, wanting to find Líf with your eyes, but you didn’t see anyone who looked anything like Alfonse.

You did however notice a woman with long flaxen hair who seemed to be staring directly at you, even from all the way across the valley. You wanted to point her out to Sharena, but when you looked back, the mysterious woman was gone. You turned back to Sharena as you both entered the trees to make your way to regroup with everyone, mind still on the woman. You saw a flash of green, and only heard Sharena’s cry before she tackled you to the ground, the spot where you had just been scorched and your cloak singed at the ends by sparks from the powerful magic.

Sharena was up in an instant. “Thrasir!”

Looking at the mage up close, her hands glowing with green energy, you were scared. Without even Breidablik to defend yourself, you were a clear burden on Sharena in this fight. Alfonse had gone ahead of you, so you and Sharena were alone here. Sharena pointed her lance at the impassive woman, who stared past her at you, her stare unnerving you. Why couldn’t you shake off a sense of familiarity as you looked at her?

Sharena blocked the first blast of magic, but it was clearly a losing battle. Thrasir targeted you with her magic, and it was all Sharena could do to block the spells before they got to you, not gaining any ground in the fight because she had to protect you. You tried to dodge her attacks, but it was as if Thrasir could predict your movements before you made them, getting closer to hitting you with each blast.

Sharena was having a hard time keeping up, and one well-placed feint from Thrasir finally caught Sharena in her chest, throwing her onto her back. You rushed to her, but found that she had been knocked unconscious. The woman didn’t seem to care to finish her off, her predatory eyes locked directly on you. You wanted to help Sharena, but you would have to believe that she would be okay. If you stayed here, you would die. This way, you could at least lure the mage away from Sharena and give her a fighting chance while you ran for your life.

You turned and fled, hoping that Sharena would forgive you. You didn’t hear footsteps behind you, but you knew that Thrasir was coming after you. She had easily herded you away from the rest of the army, so you would have no help unless you could get back there or someone found you. At this point, you weren’t sure which scenario was less likely to happen.

Trees around you fell to her magic as you desperately tried to dodge her attacks. You had evaded her so far, but it was at the cost of your stamina. Your chest heaved, throat burning from the effort. You were starting to slow down, and Thrasir used that to her advantage. You stumbled back, scrambling to get out of the way as Thrasir felled several trees which landed in your way, blocking your path entirely. You turned back, on your hands and knees, to watch as Thrasir approached you. You were caged in with no hope of escape. You wouldn’t even find Líf before you died. The other you’s attempt to save her world and defeat Hel had ended before you could say even one word to Líf.

You didn’t want to die here, but you couldn’t bring yourself to even look at her, burying your face in your hands as you sunk into despair for everyone who would suffer because of your death. You had let everyone down, and it was too much to take. You felt the intensity of her power as she charged it up to end your life, the wind whipping intensely around you and knocking your hood off of your head. Thrasir released the blast with a triumphant cry, and you apologized to everyone in your head for letting them down.

“You…!”

You were alive. You felt little sparks of pain, but nothing had hit you straight on. You hesitantly uncovered your eyes, immediately noticing the large figure in front of you, back turned to you and cape fluttering in the residual wind. You looked past him to see Thrasir, who looked angry.

“You’re weak!” she spat. “You know that you must kill her!”

The man did not reply, but her words made him glance back at you quickly, so quickly that you couldn’t get a good look at his face.

Thrasir glared fiercely at you, and then looked back to the man. “If you do not kill her, I will. Remember what is at stake here.”

She wasted no further time with you, moving her hand quickly and summoning a portal that she stepped into, disappearing in an instant. Your fear didn’t disappear, but you felt some tension release as there was one less imminent threat on your life. This man had saved you, but you didn’t know his motivations. You were expecting him to turn around and finish you off, so you were surprised when he conjured his own portal, all without turning to face you.

“Wait!” You didn’t know why you called out to him, but something in you drew you to him.

He finally turned, and his eyes were bright red, but you knew those eyes anywhere. You shakily stood up, body on autopilot as you moved towards him. Every step that you made towards him caused him to retreat further away from you. Was he just going to run away? He entered the portal without saying a word, and you sprinted after him, barely making it in before it closed, not knowing where it was sending you.

The feel of stale air hit you as you gasped for breath, the stress of going through the portal hitting you hard. While you were struggling, the man just ahead of you looked fine. He hadn’t turned back to look at you, but you weren’t going to let that stop you.

“I knew you would follow,” he said, and you weren’t sure what to think of his new deeper voice, tone gravelly from the weight of several hard years on his soul. “You were always too optimistic for your own good.”

He clearly assumed that you were the you from the other world, and it hurt to see him speaking about you in the past tense. You had been dead to him for years, and your heart broke for him. You didn’t know what to say, but you had to say something, had to let him know who you really were. You weren’t sure what to call him, so you decided to start out slow so that you wouldn’t throw him off the emotional deep end immediately.

“Líf…” you said, and he stopped walking away from you at the sound of your voice.

He stood still, and you took the opportunity to walk closer to him. As you did, you noticed that your surroundings seemed familiar. It was a dilapidated castle hallway, banners and portraits on the walls ripped but familiar. So this was what had become of the Askrian castle. It was broken and crumbling, much like the man who stood before you, bearing the burden of his lost world and dead loved ones. The burden of knowledge had been hard on you, but it hadn’t been years for you like it had for him.

“I should kill you,” he growled. “I need to kill you. It’s the only way.”

“You don’t understand, I’m not–”

He finally turned around, and you were shocked into silence as you finally saw the full extent of what Hel had done to him. Sharena had been accurate in her limited description, but hadn’t gone far enough in emphasizing the stark differences in the prince. His eyes glowed unnaturally red, his hair so long that it reached his neck. He was taller, broader than you remembered him being, the colors he now wore leaving no doubt as to who he served. And you couldn’t ignore the most startling part of his new appearance, his spine and ribs being visible, swathed in a ghastly blue light.

His hand was on his sword, but he seemed to be struggling to draw it as you stared each other down. You couldn’t let fear stand in your way, so you walked closer, even as he drew his sword, looking like a wounded animal. This was your only chance, and you weren’t about to let it slip away.

“Alfonse, I–”

“That is not my name anymore,” he snarled self-deprecatingly. “I threw Alfonse aside when I became this beast.”

You noticed a bright light begin to shine at his side as you approached. One step closer allowed you to discover that it was Breidablik… your Breidablik. He had kept it with him after you had died. He noticed your stare, looking down at himself to see what you were looking at. As soon as he saw the legendary weapon’s gleam, his head snapped up to look at you in confusion.

“Alfonse,” you tried again. “That’s mine. The summoner of this world brought me here right before Hel killed me. I’m–”

Your words were stifled by a loud clang as Líf’s sword slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor. You couldn’t wait any longer and rushed to him, wrapping your arms around him as he slumped to the floor.

“You… you died, so long ago…” he stammered, so quietly that you could barely hear him.

“I’m alive… they saved me,” you reassured him. “The last thing I remember was you calling my name, with Hel’s scythe at my neck, and then I was here.”

Líf did not reply, but by the shaking of his body, you could tell that he was crying. You patted his back, and gradually his arms came up to wrap around your waist, his armor cold against your body. You stayed like that for a while, arms around each other, until Líf stood up, brining you up with him.

He conjured another portal, and you quickly grabbed his hand, partly worried that he would leave you again. He didn’t resist, leading you through the portal and into a very familiar room. It had been yours, back when you had lived in this castle. Everything was where you had left it, but covered in a layer of dust from lack of use.

“I come here when I need to think,” Líf admitted quietly.

You tugged on his hand and pulled him to sit at the edge of your bed with you. You wanted to comfort him with your words, but you knew nothing you could say would erase the years of pain and loneliness he had endured. You leaned over to rest your head on his shoulder and felt him freeze up. It made sense; you had never been so touchy with him before this, and you doubted that he had any affectionate contact in the years since Hel’s conquering of your world. The thought made you want to spoil him with affection, and so you leaned further into him, placing a hand over his chest, your palm against the transparent plate that covered his abdomen.

He eventually relaxed into the contact, putting an arm around you and letting you snuggle into his side. You could feel him physically release some of the tension he had held onto for years; he had you back, at the very least. But you couldn’t forget why you were here.

“Their world needs you,” you said softly, and Líf sighed.

“I know…” he admitted. “But helping them would go against Hel. If I do that, we’ll never get our world back. I’ll never see Sharena again…”

The thought was too painful, and you felt the anguish radiating from him. All you could see were his eyes, and you longed to look at the rest of his face under his jagged mask. You pulled away from him to stare into his eyes, placing your hands on either side of his mask while asking for permission with your eyes.

He nodded ever so slightly, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be bared fully to you as your hands found the latches of his mask and gently pulled it from his face. The lower half of his face was the same pallor as the rest of his face, his lips pale and cheekbones a little more prominent than they had been when you had last seen him. His eyes opened once again as his mask was removed, but he wouldn’t look at you.

“I wanted to see you again… but I didn’t want you to see me like this,” he said, and you could hear the sadness in his voice. “What I let Hel do to me… it’s shameful.”

“Alfonse, I don’t care what you look like. I just want to be by your side,” you replied earnestly.

“I don’t deserve your kindness,” he said simply, staring at his lap.

“You do!” you protested. “You did this to yourself because you had no choice! You did this to save everyone Hel killed. All this proves to me is that your kind heart hasn’t changed.”

“I don’t have a heart anymore. It died the day I lost you, Sharena… everyone. The Heart’s Rite doomed us all.”

Your words weren’t reaching him. No matter what you said, it wasn’t enough to bring him out of his own thoughts. You desperately wanted to show him how much you cared, so you would have to be brave for him. With your heart beating rapidly in your chest, you grasped his chin, titling his head to face you. He stared at you finally, his sadness turning to a startled longing as you leaned in closer to him, so obvious about what you were intending to do that there was no room for misinterpretation. You gave him the time to reject you if he wanted to, but he didn’t, closing his eyes at the same time you did as your lips met with his.

He was cold, but the warmth of your skin slowly started to seep into him as you kissed. You were surprised that he was kissing you back considering how hard he was on himself, but it made you happy nonetheless. You had never worked up the courage to kiss him before, despite harboring a rather large crush on the prince pretty much since you had met him. Despite his current scary exterior, he was so gentle with you, as if he was afraid you would crumble under his touch.

You pulled back from him as your feelings for him overwhelmed you. He kept his eyes closed, chasing your lips until you placed a finger on his mouth, his ruby red eyes opening to look at you with silent questions evident in his expression.

“I love you,” you told him, giggling at his shock and embarrassment as he tried to hide his face from you.

“What are you doing?” you asked him, and he dropped his hands in his lap, but was still too shy to look at you.

“I… I never thought…” he stammered, and it was all you could do not to openly laugh at him. As intimidating as he tried to be, he could never fully discard the awkward nature he had always had.

You had already confessed, so you might as well go all the way in on the chance that it could help him further return to you. “Pretty much since I met you, Alfonse. You’re so handsome and kind, and you care so much for your people…”

“I’m not the same man I once was,” he answered gruffly.

“Is this your way of telling me that you don’t return my feelings?” you asked, hoping that you could trip him up and get him out of his haze of self-deprecation. You knew Alfonse, and you knew that he would never kiss anyone that he didn’t have feelings for. You desperately hoped that this part of him was still the same as it had been.

As usual, he fell right into your trap. “No, I… I do love you, but–”

“But nothing,” you interrupted coyly. “If we both like each other, then you should kiss me again.”

You successfully flustered the prince into speechlessness, the tiniest flush permeating his pale cheeks. He stared at you again, his eyes drawn to your lips, and this time he was the first one to lean over to kiss you. You knew how hard it was for him to be vulnerable, so you would make the most of this. A small part of your mind knew that your allies were waiting on you to bring them Líf’s help, but all you wanted in this moment was to comfort him. You would ask him again when romantic tensions were less high.

You let the kiss go at Líf’s pace, and he kept things slow and gentle, cradling your jaw with one hand, careful not to prick your skin with his armor. His longer hair tickled your cheeks as you pressed yourself as close to him as you could be without sitting in his lap. He leaned into you further in response, his other hand sliding into your hair. You lost track of time, and soon he began to feel tiredness creep up on you. You wanted to stay awake and keep kissing him, but Líf felt you start to droop and pulled back. He gently maneuvered your body back until you were laying down on the bed.

“Rest,” he told you softly.

“Will you–” You were too worried to voice the question out loud, scared of the answer.

He looked down at you tenderly, moving some hair from your face. “Yes, I will stay here with you.”

You smiled, crawling under the covers at last, one hand creeping out from underneath them to hold one of Líf’s hands as you relaxed enough for you to fall asleep.

Líf watched over you as you slept, keeping your hand in his as if you would disappear if he let go. No harm would likely come to you anyways; Thrasir knew that he came here occasionally, but she would not intrude on him. She wanted their world back as badly as he did, and they had come to trust each other over their years of servitude under Hel. He had to admit that he found himself wanting to do what you had been asking of him, even though it would mean going against Hel and losing his only chance to save his people. He had been a monster for so long that he hadn’t been able to see a way out, not until you came. He just didn’t know how he would explain himself to Thrasir.

He found himself staring at your lips as you slept peacefully. He still couldn’t believe you were really here, and that you could find it in your heart to love a creature like him. He had not said it out loud, but he had loved you for a long time. All these years he had spent missing you, and you were finally returned to him.

With you here, he dared to hope. He had reserved himself to being Hel’s servant in order to save his world. He had been confined to this reality for so long that he had lost sight of any other possibilities. Hel was immensely powerful, but could she really be the only being in existence that could bring a dead world back to life? Your presence had reinvigorated him, and he felt himself begin to believe that there may be other ways of accomplishing his goal.

When you woke up, he would tell you his decision. He would no longer be Hel’s puppet and damn another world to the same fate as his. Having you by his side reminded him of who he once was, and now that he had you back, he wouldn’t let you go. He would help his other self end Hel’s reign of tyranny, and free himself of his bindings to her at last.

He hadn’t seen you in so long, and you were just as beautiful as he remembered. Every time he thought of you before today, all he could see in his mind was Hel’s scythe ending your life while he was powerless to stop her. As much as he wanted to think of the good memories he had with you, the trauma of you dying before his eyes overpowered all other thoughts of you. He had always wondered what you would think of him if you saw what he had become. He had anticipated a rejection of all that he was now, but you had accepted him and his faults without batting an eye. He didn’t deserve you, but now that you were here, he would make himself someone worthy of your love.

Just staring at your sleeping face helped to stave off his more depressing thoughts. He had truly missed you; he had not been able to sleep ever since he had become like this, but just being beside you while you slept was good enough for him. He felt like he had watched your face for an eternity before you began to wake; he had been so unaware of the world around him for so long that his brain didn’t register time very well anymore. He had to assume that the Askrian army had defeated the attacking forces and would have noticed your absence by now. As soon as you were ready, he would open a portal to take you back to them so you could all join together to take Hel down once and for all.

You were so tired that you didn’t even dream. Or maybe it was an effect being in the realm of the dead. You still felt tired, but you couldn’t sleep forever, not when the Askrians of the other world needed you. You slowly opened your eyes, noting Líf’s eyes on you immediately.

“Alfonse,” you said fondly before you could stop yourself, but paused at the cloudy expression that overtook his face. “I’m sorry I keep calling you that without thinking.”

He shook his head, smiling softly at you. “I don’t mind when it’s you.”

“Okay,” you agreed happily, sitting up in the bed and leaning over to kiss him.

Líf froze up in surprise; he clearly still hadn’t gotten used to the affected from you even after all the kissing you had done earlier. You assumed he was still having trouble believing that this was real. You pulled away to look at the dazed expression on his face and giggled.

Líf cleared his throat awkwardly. “I, uh, decided. I will help the other Alfonse.”

You felt an immediate sense of relief; you weren’t sure if you could convince him, even being from his world. You would go to help them either way, but it would make you more confident to have him by your side. You would show Hel that she would not get away with destroying your world. Everyone you had lost deserved to see her fall. Even though it would not bring them back, you had a chance to save another world and change its fate.

You knew that time was of the essence now that you weren’t too exhausted to stand. You pushed the covers off of yourself, standing up and adjusting your now-dusty cloak. Líf gave you one last smile as he reached down for his mask. He easily affixed it back to his face, and you were unable to supress a bit of sadness now that his face had been hidden from you again.

You watched as Líf reached down to his side, removing your Breidablik from its place and handing it to you. “If we are to defeat Hel, you’ll need this.”

You accepted the legendary weapon, noticing its pristine condition, not seeing any new dents or scratches in its surface. Líf had taken such good care of it, you noted fondly.

“I kept it with me,” he said, and you looked up from Breidablik to him. “It’s shameful to admit, but I would talk to it as if it were you.”

You stepped forward to wrap an arm around him. “I’m here now. We’ll beat Hel together.”

“What happens then?” he asked. “If Hel is dead, will I disappear as well?”

“I…” You didn’t know the answer to his question, and knew that false promises would do him no good. “I hope not. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I will fight until Hel is no more,” he promised, offering you his hand. “And then we can truly be free.”

You took his hand as he summoned a swirling portal that was the same deep purple as the accents on his armor. This was real. You were going to fight your most important battle yet.

“They have entered Hel’s castle, but they will need us if they are to win. Veronica may cast the Heart’s Rite, but it will take your weapon and the other summoner’s together to kill Hel,” Líf explained.

You nodded, feeling worries creep up that you tried to push down. You squeezed his hand; you had Alfonse with you again. You would have to believe that you could do this. You couldn’t leave your allies waiting.

Líf stepped towards the portal, and you suddenly felt like you didn’t have enough time with him. You wanted more, you wanted to be selfish. But you had to do this.

“Alfonse, I love you.” You wouldn’t go into a battle with such an uncertain outcome without telling him one more time. You hoped that it wouldn’t be the last time.

“And I love you,” he replied, his voice sounding the tiniest bit distorted due to the mask, but the emotion in his voice was clear.

You needed to keep your nerve up, so you followed him into the vibrantly-swirling portal… and straight into an inferno.

Swords clanged and magic flew from all around you. Hel’s army of the dead was relentless in their efforts to keep the Askrian army from reaching their leader. You had appeared to the side of the battle; closest to you was Sharena, who was flanked by a few heroes as they attempted to fight their way through a squadron of armored units. They were so focussed on their goal that they didn’t see a lone dark mage sneaking up to hit the princess of Askr from behind.

You gasped, gripping Líf’s arm as he zeroed in on the same thing you were seeing. “Stay safe and find the other summoner,” he said, drawing Sökkvabekkr and dashing at the mage.

You watched as Líf easily cut down the mage, surprising Sharena, who grinned happily when she saw who had come to her aid. You had to take your eyes off of their reunion to focus on your own goal; you had to reunite with the other summoner before the Heart’s Rite was completed. You couldn’t see her in the mess of fighting, but if it were you, you would likely be at the back of the army, giving commands from a safe distance. You mentally wished Líf would stay safe as you turned and ran into the crowd of heroes.

It didn’t help that there were a lot of tall figures in the heroes’ ranks; it made finding one girl much harder when you couldn’t see past the armored ranks of your allies. It was all you could do to avoid being hit by the magic flying in either direction. You weren’t sure if the heroes around you realized you weren’t the other you or not, but they let you weave around them as you searched.

There was a commotion at the back of the throne room as the final few soldiers surrounding Hel were taken down, and you caught sight of the summoner at last as she and Veronica advanced towards Hel. You cursed internally; you had been heading in the completely wrong direction. The army began to close in on Hel, which made the crowd condense further, leaving you no room to get over there.

Hel addressed the heroes that stood just in front of her. You could see Alfonse, Sharena and Anna all with their weapons at the ready, but couldn’t hear what Hel was saying. Just at the edge of the crowd were the summoner, Veronica and Eir. You became even more frantic as Líf stepped beside Alfonse’s side, Sökkvabekkr at the ready. You noticed that he looked around for you, but didn’t see you at your counterpart’s side. You wanted to scream and tell him that you were here, but you knew that your voice wouldn’t carry over the crowd.

“Please!” you begged, shoving at the unmoving soldiers in your way. “Please let me through!”

A radiant glow began to emanate from Veronica as she began the Heart’s Rite that would allow Hel to be killed. You weren’t a warrior, didn’t have the strength to push people out of your way who were too busy watching the scene up front to notice you. You were on the brink of tears you were so frustrated; if this plan failed because of you…

Your cloak was tugged at from behind, and you turned back to see Thrasir just behind you. Your first reaction was to jerk away from her, but she raised a finger to her lips and you stilled, staring warily at her.

“Come with me,” she said, gesturing with her eyes to the portal just behind her.

You must have looked hesitant, because she glared impatiently at you. “The Heart’s Rite is almost complete. If you don’t get up there, Hel will not die.”

“But why?” You couldn’t fathom why Thrasir, who had attempted to take your life before would be helping you.

“I did not notice before, but you are our summoner, are you not?” she replied. “Hel had used everyone for too long. I lost my brother because of her. I will not let this chance escape me.”

She could be lying, but if you stayed back here, the battle was lost. You nodded at her; you would have to take the chance that she was offering you. You had no time to waste to give it any more thought. She turned, heading into the portal, and you followed right on her heels.

“Bring death to that which cannot die!” Veronica’s voice rang out loud and clear as you and Thrasir appeared next to her.

“Now!” Thrasir hissed, and you drew your Breidablik just as your counterpart drew hers.

Side by side, you aimed your divine weapons at Hel, who was locked in place by Veronica’s magic. Together, you fired true, striking Hel in the center of her ghostly chest. And then the woman who had taken everything from you was no more. Hel’s body shuddered as she fell apart into dust.

You stared at the empty space where she had been. It almost didn’t feel real that she had been defeated. Everyone was glancing around at each other, embracing each other in relief that it was finally over.

Your focus was drawn to Líf as he dropped to his knees and your mind assumed the worst. You dashed over to him, startling the heroes around him as you also dropped to your knees.

You cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you. “Are you okay?” you asked him, desperately hoping that Hel wasn’t the only thing that had been keeping him alive. You couldn’t bear to lose him, not when you had only just found him again.

“I…” he panted. “It feels…”

His head dropped onto your shoulder and you realized that his forehead against you felt feverish. What was happening to him? His head felt heavy as he leaned more of his weight against you, and you sat down properly so you could support his body.

You placed a hand on his chest to keep him somewhat upright as you tried not to panic. You called his name softly, but you couldn’t see any signs that he even heard you.

“Is he…?” Sharena asked as she dropped to her knees beside you, Alfonse just behind her looking worried.

“I don’t know…” you replied shakily. You didn’t know what you could do for him, if there was anything you could even do for him right now.

He was so feverishly warm, you felt like you were burning up just from being in contact with his skin. You realized that his chest felt clammy under your hand, and you reeled back to look at him just as Eir gasped from beside you.

“Mother’s influence…” she whispered.

Your suspicions were confirmed as you realized that your hand was resting on the skin of his chest. His chest that was now fully opaque, no longer alit with a ghostly glow, his ribs no longer visible. You hastily propped his head up to take off his mask, his cheeks flushed with life again. He wasn’t dying, he was coming back to life.

“With mother gone, her power has stopped influencing him,” Eir explained. “Death taints his skin no longer.”

Líf’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and he grunted in surprise as you hugged him tightly as soon as you noticed he was awake again, feeling his once-again-human skin against yours. He realized almost immediately, looking down at his mostly-bare torso on display from his death armor, and your heartbeat rang out in your ears as you noticed that his eyes were back to their original crystal blue. He was truly free of Hel’s corruption at last.

He held you tightly against him as he sobbed into your shoulder. Everyone around you dispersed to give you space, rallying the troops to return to their own world. You pet his hair and he slowly relaxed until he was no longer shaking, but still held onto you tightly.

“Aren’t you cold?” you teased him, running a hand along his stomach, watching as he shivered under your touch.

He pulled back from you just far enough so he could see your face, a soft smile on his face. “I haven’t felt the cold in years, so it is a welcome change.”

That’s right. You had to assume he was essentially a walking corpse for years left with nothing but his pain for company. But now he didn’t even seem bothered that his entire abdomen was on display, something that was flustering you as you saw a noticeable increase in musculature from when he was younger.

He looked confused by your sudden refusal to look at him, and moved closer to you, but found that you still wouldn’t look at him. Without the distraction of defeating Hel, you had nothing to keep your embarrassment at bay. You weren’t sure how you were so confident earlier in your room; it wasn’t as if him turning fully human again changed your relationship or who he was. But right now, him cupping your jaw to make you look at him in front of the entire Askrian army was sending your embarrassment levels skyrocketing.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his tone sincere and so full of concern for you that it made you feel guilty.

You reluctantly met his eyes, cheeks so warm you were sure that you looked like a sweaty mess. You still didn’t answer him, unsure of what to say, and he scrutinized your expression, looking for any sign that you were injured. Finding nothing but your blushing face, he leaned in, closing his eyes as he got close to your face. There were so many people around you, and it was all you could think about, and you froze in place, your eyes wide open.

“What’s wrong?” Líf asked, opening his eyes, his lips mere inches from your own.

“N-nothing…” you stuttered.

He raised an eyebrow, grinning flirtatiously with a challenge in his eyes. “Then kiss me.”

When did he get so bold? You tried to pull back to look around and see if anyone was watching you, but Líf’s hand on your cheek held your head still, staring into your eyes with a determination that unnerved you. “Kiss me.”

You knew that people had to be staring, but he wasn’t letting up, so you leaned in to give him a quick kiss. Líf predicted your plan, his hand that was on your cheek sliding into your hair to keep your mouths locked together as he slid his tongue along yours. His eyes were closed, but yours were wide open with shock. He kept the kiss going for a few more seconds before pulling away, and the air was pierced by the sound of a wolf whistle.

“I hope that you’re taking notes, Alfonse!” Anna teased the prince, who was looking anywhere but at you and Líf, who finally let you disengage yourself from him.

“Well I think it’s sweet!” Sharena added.

You and Líf finally stood up, and he leaned down ever so slightly to whisper in your ear. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. It’s just been so long since I was fully human.”

You couldn’t find it in yourself to be mad at him. Not after all that he had been through. You both watched as the army dispersed; the healers tending to the injured as the mages began to set about creating portals back to their Askr.

“What do we do now?” you asked quietly.

“I don’t have the answer to that either,” Líf admitted. “I still intend to save our world, but without Hel…”

“I’ll go wherever you go,” you told him resolutely. “We’ll find a way to bring everyone back.”

“I couldn’t help but overhear–” You both looked over at Anna as she approached you. “You both are more than welcome in our Order of Heroes. You too, Veronica. Er, I mean Thrasir.”

You must have looked hesitant, because Anna grinned widely. “Hey, we owe ya one, and I don’t like owing people!”

Alfonse stepped up beside the commander, his eyes on Líf. “I want to help you… Alfonse. Please come back with us. We can help you find a way to restore your world.”

Líf stared at his other self, the two having a mental conversation for their ears only. You wouldn’t mind going back with the other world’s heroes, but you would defer to Líf. You trusted him immensely, and without Hel’s influence, he was free to pick whatever path he chose. You just wanted to stay by his side.

“I will accept your offer,” Líf answered at last, his fingers seeking out your own as he took your hand in his. "But only if she agrees.”

You were startled by the attention suddenly being on you. “I… of course,” you quickly answered.

“It’s settled, then!” Anna said, clapping her hands together. “Everyone, let’s prepare to head out!”

With that, the Askrian trio began to follow the rest of the heroes to the portals, leaving you, Líf and Thrasir standing in Hel’s throne room. Líf let his hand drop from yours to approach Thrasir, who was standing off to the side of the room. She watched him, awkwardly crossing her arms over her worn tome as he stopped in front of her.

“I intend to restore our world,” he told her. “And I will keep my promise to you. We are allies in this, and I have faith that we will accomplish our goals.”

“The portals are ready!” Sharena announced as she strode up to Anna, who was overseeing the situation. “Everyone has begun to head back to Askr!”

You watched as the army began to thin out and heroes filtered out of the portals that had been set up at the doors to the throne room. Sharena and Alfonse split up to assist in herding everyone to the portals while Anna set off through a portal to oversee things from the other side. The crowd got more and more thin as everyone returned to Askr, and soon it was just you, Líf and Thrasir left.

“We’ll be back,” you said with a smile, hoping to inspire confidence in the two.

Thrasir stared at you, and you didn’t know how to feel. You had never been confident with her motives, especially since she had been at odds with Askr for so long. Having her as your ally was an awkward feeling for you, but she had the same goal that you did now. Although you couldn’t help but find her intimidating, especially because you couldn’t read anything into her stare.

Líf looked between the two of you, and then to the portal. Thrasir caught his gaze easily, humming as she waved her hand in a well-practiced motion, summoning her own portal.

“Until we meet again in Askr,” Thrasir said.

“We will see you there soon,” Líf replied, and then she departed through her own portal without another word.

After she left, Líf returned to your side, taking your hand in his again. As he leaned down to kiss you, you noticed that even his hair had returned to normal, the formerly-white fade at the ends of his hair restored to its normal golden color. He pulled back after a moment and stared at you with fondness in his eyes, a look that you had never seen in him before, even before Hel had decimated your world.

“You don’t need to worry about Thrasir,” he told you, and you realized you must have had an uncomfortable look on your face while she was there. “She won’t try to harm you anymore. She’s grown up in the past few years, something I did not miss about this world’s Veronica. I’m surprised Alfonse got her to cooperate with him.”

“Thrasir surprised me when she teleported me up here,” you commented. “I wasn’t sure what to think since last time I saw her, she wanted me dead.”

Líf smiled ruefully. “When I didn’t see you with your other self, I thought the worst. I was prepared to strike down enemy or ally to have you by my side again.”

“Líf…” You weren’t sure what to say, but leaned your head on his chest, hoping your touch would be more of a comfort to him than your words right now.

“As much as I enjoy this time, the portal may close soon, my love,” Líf said, and the pet name had you smiling without thinking.

“Right,” you agreed. “We should probably go.”

“I would take us there myself, but I have never been inclined to magic like Thrasir. Hel’s magic was the only thing that allowed a brute like me that ability.”

“You’re not a brute,” you refuted as you both began to walk around the rubble of the crumbling castle and towards the brightly-colored portals. “You’ve always been a fairy tale prince to me!”

Líf stumbled as your words hit him, and you decided to remove your hand from his so you could link your arm with his instead. He had rescued you from certain death at the very least, a base quality of the fairy tale prince, and you wouldn’t be convinced otherwise.

“I can’t say that I agree,” he said at last as he helped you over a large chunk of ceiling that had fallen in your path.

“You don’t have to,” you hummed. “You’re my prince, even if our world is in shambles.”

Líf sighed, choosing to divert the conversation instead of dignifying your statement with a response. “I’m just relieved to be free of Hel’s grasp at last. The things I did…”

You both were close enough to the portal now to just enter it, but you stopped just short, staring at the swirling blue magic. Now that you were close, you could see the barest shape of the portal’s other end. It was faded and blurry, but you could recognize the courtyard outside of the Askrian castle easily. You couldn’t remember the last time you had been in the courtyard. Even before you were brought here through time, you had been journeying to fight Hel for so long that the Askrian palace felt like an old memory from another time.

“All that matters is what we do going forward,” you said softly.

You knew that you couldn’t wrap up his pain with pretty words, but you wanted to do anything you could to comfort him right now. He allowed himself to be vulnerable with you, and it meant the world to you to see him smile at you, his grip on your hand tight as you took a step toward the portal. Neither of you looked back at the ruined castle as Líf stepped through the portal with you just behind him. You would be back here, you promised yourself, when you restored your world and brought back everyone you had lost.

It was late in the afternoon when you arrived in the alternate Askr. The castle was abuzz as festivities were prepared to celebrate the order’s victory against Hel. It was all quiet overwhelming for you and Líf, and Anna arranged for a room for both of you to allow you space away from the raucous celebrations.

“You won’t mind sharing a room, right?” Anna had asked you with a wink. “It helps the order save on funds too!”

It was weird, being in essentially a guest room in what looked just like the castle you knew so well, but having Líf by your side was a big help to you. As soon as the door closed and you were alone at last, Líf wrapped his arms around you from behind, resting his chin on top of your head.

“I was unsure if this could happen,” he admitted. “Part of me thought I would die when Hel did.”

“You scared me,” you said, voice sounding less confident than you intended.

“I don’t intend to make a habit of it, my love,” he said, and you revelled in his sweet tone. He was still wearing his open-chested outfit, and the warmth from his body easily bled into your own.

You leaned back into him, and the position shifted his arms that were around you so that they now pressed against the underside of your breasts. You immediately felt him stiffen up, so you went a little farther, hoping to get a reaction out of him.

He easily read into your intentions, uttering your name warily. You were finally alone together, and he was human again, so you didn’t want to hold back anymore. You gently unwound his arms from around you so you could face him. You could tell he looked nervous, but it seemed to be more of a nervous excitement, his blue eyes looking a shade darker than usual.

You took his hand, pulling him with you towards the bed as he followed with short, robotic steps. You were usually so in sync with him, able to read his thoughts like a book. But this time you didn’t want to rely on guesswork. You wanted to hear him tell you that he wanted you as much as you wanted him right now.

You sat on the edge of the bed, and one more tug on his hand had him leaning over you, placing his other hand flat on the bed to brace himself so he wouldn’t fall on top of you. He put up no resistance at all, the longing obvious in his eyes. Still, you had to be sure.

“Alfonse.” You waited for him to answer with a short hum before you continued. “Do you want this?”

“Yes,” he answered breathily, quickly.

You wanted to clarify further, just to be absolutely sure, but he rushed forward to kiss you and you took that as his answer. In your surprise, you lost your balance, falling onto your back on the bed. Líf eagerly followed, caging you in with his body and kissing you again, deeper this time. You were trying to lose yourself in the kiss, but Líf’s armor was starting to poke uncomfortably into your skin, and you pulled away when you couldn’t take it any longer.

“Your armor hurts,” you whined, and Líf pulled away quickly as if you had burned him.

You couldn’t even begin to tell how his armor came apart, but he did not falter, reaching up and unclasping his collar piece, dropping it to the floor without a care. The rest began to come off just as easily, as the collar was joined by his shoulder guards and bracers, his fluffy cape dropping to the floor as he took off the remainder of his chest armor, his torso and arms now completely bare.

You thought that he would stop there, but he surprised you as he bent over to unstrap his leg armor and remove his belt. His entire outfit seemed to be armored other than his cape, and you weren’t sure how he was comfortable at all wearing it. He likely hadn’t been; there was no way that much armor could be easy to wear all the time. You didn’t realize until it was too late that he was intent on following your request exactly as stated as he removed the armor from his legs, which were connected together. Removing the leg pieces brought the armor covering his pelvis with it, and your face flushed as he now stood before you fully naked.

“What–” you stammered, caught totally off guard.

“I would never want to harm you with my armor,” he replied, but the smirk on his face told you he was teasing you again.

You couldn’t even look at him; his sudden nudity was flustering you beyond belief. “…you never used to be this forward.”

He laughed, and you felt the bed dip with his added weight and closed your eyes. You felt him begin to gently push your cloak from your shoulders, and you lifted your arms to make it easier for him to take off.

As he undid your belt, you felt his lips at your ear. “I had years to regret never telling you how I felt. I don’t intend to hold back from what I want anymore.”

He tossed your belt aside, and you finally opened your eyes as you felt a hard prod against your thigh. You were once again reminded of the muscle he had put on in the years since he had seen you as his strong chest and broad shoulders engulfed your vision. You kept your eyes above the belt as he slowly unzipped your shirt, exposing the bra you wore underneath.

And then he was kissing you again and you lost track of the clothing coming off. You had never discussed romantic pursuits with him before, never knew if he had even kissed someone before, but he was surpassing all of your expectations. His tongue moved alongside yours so smoothly, like this wasn’t your first time kissing each other, and you found yourself struggling to keep up with the passion he put into the lip lock.

You didn’t know when he had done it, but as he cupped your breasts with his hands, you realized that he had removed all of your top layers. You broke away from the kiss with a moan as he squeezed your chest under his large hands. You squirmed back further onto the large bed, and Líf took the opportunity to slide your pants down, unzipping your boots and removing them as well.

Now just in your panties, you had no time to feel self-conscious as Líf climbed back on the bed as well, his eyes on your body and an ever so slight red tint to his cheeks.

“Can I…?” Líf seemed hesitant to finish his sentence as he stared at your underwear.

You smiled at him in a way that you desperately hoped was attractive, lifting your hips up as an invitation instead of words. He followed your lead, his hands drifting to your hips to slide your panties down your legs and then toss them off of the bed. He stared down at you, one hand moving from its place on your hip to gently move over your currently oversensitive nerves, the sensation making you close your eyes with a shudder.

He seemed to know exactly what made you squirm, zeroing in on the motions on your clit that made you squirm and cry out and repeating them until you couldn’t take it anymore. You opened your eyes again, hand going to brush his fingers away from your body.

“Please… I want you,” you pleaded, unable to look away from his throat as he swallowed at your words. “That means in me, Alfonse,” you teased, and he stared down at you like you were prey, which sent a shiver down your spine.

His expression turned determined as he grasped his cock, and you tried to move your legs apart as much as you could to give him room. He stared down at you for a moment before he grabbed your thighs, and you squeaked in surprise as he pulled your hips flush with his, your legs forced to bend on either side of his hips to accommodate the position. You were basically sitting in his lap, your breasts brushing against his chest with every breath.

You immediately felt the prod of his cock against your clit, and the sensation jolted you forward, your head falling onto his shoulder. His focus was on connecting the two of you, and you moaned into his neck as he began to push inside you. You gripped at his back and shoulders, and he groaned loudly as he fully sunk into your cunt.

“My love,” he whispered into your ear, and you moaned his name back.

He encouraged you to wrap your legs around his hips, and as soon as you did, he slid halfway out and then rocked back in, repeating the motion and sending waves of pleasure through you. You panted into his shoulder, your throat already feeling somewhat dry as he pounded into you. You did your best to rock your hips along with his, but you were much clumsier than he was, getting lost in the sensations and the high of having your feelings returned by the man you had loved for so long. Knowing that he wanted this as bad as you did made you feel impossibly warm in this moment.

You felt one of his hands slide into your hair, the other one on your hip steadying you against him. He pulled your head from his shoulder, gently maneuvering your face close enough to his for him to kiss you. You put your all into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck as his kisses got rougher.

After one well-timed thrust on both of your parts, Líf leaned his head back with a low groan of your name. “You feel so good…” he said, barely lucid in the midst of all he was feeling.

You scratched at his back as his eyes met yours, and you wondered if desire was as blatantly obvious in your eyes as it was in his. He was flushed, and looked like he was getting close already, but it wasn’t like you weren’t in the same boat. The close position meant that you could feel every shiver that went through his body, every quiet breath or groan as he brought you both closer and closer to the edge. You couldn’t hold back your own cries every time he hit in just the right spot, which was happening more and more as he attuned himself to what you seemed to like.

“You’re so cute… it’s hard to hold on when you sound like that,” Líf rasped, and you blushed brightly, suddenly aware of just how many noises you were making until he brought his hand down to rub his thumb against your clit in tight circles and you forgot all about your concerns, the only thing you could focus on was how close you were to going over the edge.

Your sounds spurned him on, as he continued to rub at you as his movements got sharper and harder, the feeling almost too much for you to take. You could do little else but hold on, reaching up to pull his face to yours so you could kiss him. You could feel him getting more and more rushed in his movements, his tongue a little slower to play with yours as he put his all into the rocking of his hips.

Líf’s aggressiveness finally abated as he held you tightly to him, stilling on his last thrust and groaning your name into your mouth. His hand never stilled, fingers bringing you to orgasm at last as he renewed his efforts into kissing you breathless. You were sure that your nails were cutting into the skin of his back, but he made no indication that he was in any pain. Rather, his closed eyes fluttered open to look at you with reverence, resting his forehead against yours.

“I love you,” he said, leaning in for a deep kiss that you happily reciprocated until he pulled back again. “It feels strange to be in Askr with no title to my name. Here, I’m just another soldier from another world.”

“We both are,” you agreed. “I’ll have to get used to not being the summoner anymore.”

“You will be when we get our world back,” Líf replied softly. “Until then, I’ll enjoy us sharing the same room.”

[emblemxeno]

I’m one of the few people who sees Byleth as a character and I’ve been in situations where a neutral third party had to get me to finally see some sense so I hesitate to say it’s complete pandering. That being said, Dimitri and Sylvain needed an A Support especially after Sylvain says he’s not sure if he can forgive Dimitri. Also, as much as I ship Dimileth I found them mostly useless. It was a joint effort of Gilbert, Rodrigue, and even Felix. Byleth just stopped him from running to his death.

Oh, and the holding hands scene I saw as platonic and romantic. I have depression and there were many time I was willing to take anyone’s hand to keep from drowning emotionally.

(I assume these were from the same person)

Oh totally! That's valid. I myself never saw it that way, but I'm glad you did, I always appreciate different perspectives.

And true on the Byleth not being as important as the other three. I also am a physically expressive person, so I like to hug and get close to my friends all the time, so I can totally see a platonic reading of the hand scene, too.