Chapter Text
Ingrid’s lack of awareness haunts Yuri. He knew Dimitri was obtuse, but he expected more of her. He still needs more information, but he truly wonders if anyone from Faerghus would be able to notice their obvious flirting.
He heads to the church. Maybe he can pray for a solution.
He’s just about to cross the threshold when Dorothea steps into the doorway. He smiles wide and thanks the goddess for this gift.
“Dorothea! Aren’t you a sight around the dismal camp.” He cheerfully greets her.
“Oh! Yurikins, are you coming to pray?” She smiles brightly. Her long dark hair falls in soft ringlets around her shoulders, and her green eyes sparkle in the sunshine.
“Well I was, but with you here, well my prayers have already been answered.” He smiles charmingly. He can be very disarming when he wants. He holds out his arm.
Dorothea narrows her eyes suspiciously, but takes it. They walk slowly, arm in arm, around the perimeter of the camp.
“I didn’t think I was your type.” She laughs.
“You’re not, but I admire you greatly. Especially your perceptiveness and ability to read people so accurately. You remind me of a brunette version of myself.”
“A prettier verson?”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
Dorothea laughs. She sighs and relaxes into Yuri’s side.
“So what do you want?”
“I wanted to ask you about Sylvain and Felix.” Yuri answers honestly.
“Oh. Them.” Dorothea’s disdain is obvious. It tickles Yuri.
“I know you’ve only been here a bit longer than myself, but I figure your aptitude for gossip and survival instinct might give you some insight I have missed.”
They round a corner and begin to walk out the camp’s entrance and into the outstretched field. Wildflowers crunch under their feet. Dorothea’s fine dress rustles through the grass.
“They’re a mess.” Dorothea sighs. “Truly pathetic. Don’t look too hard at them or you’ll just get depressed.”
Yuri chuckles.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because Sylvain and I have been sleeping together.”
Dorothea drops Yuri’s arm. She freezes and holds up her hands in both exasperation and surrender.
“Oh yikes, Yuri. Oh goddess…” She laughs awkwardly. “Why? Why him?”
Yuri sheepishly shrugs. He will spare Dorothea the lustful details.
“So do you know how long they’ve been…” Yuri rolls his eyes. “Pining?” He spits out the word in disgust. Dorothea shakes her head.
“Not officially. But I suspect it’s been a while. They were weird at the academy too.” Dorothea tries to remember. She places her hands on her hips.
“Honestly, Yuri, I made fun of you, but I also thought of pursuing Sylvain back then, so I of course did my research. On both him and Felix.” She laughs.
“I figured if I couldn’t nab the Gautier, Dorothea Fraldarius sounded just as wealthy.”
Yuri snorts.
“But Felix fell through very quickly. If he even likes women he has a weird way of showing it. It’s pretty clear what his preference is.” She rolls her eyes. “He’ll let Annette climb all over him, but the minute Sylvain or even Dimitri show any physical affection, he turns pinker then one of Mercedes’ strawberry tarts.”
“So did you end up pursuing Sylvain then?” Yuri asks in amusement.
“I would have! But I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours about how he was back then.”
Yuri nods.
“Heinous-bastard-man seems the most appropriate description. He wasn’t worth my trouble.” Then Dorothea smiles, recalling a clear memory.
“I thought Sylvain was so cruel and arrogant… until I saw him one night walking with Felix.” Her voice becomes distant.
“It was raining and he gave him his coat. He was soaked, but I had never seen him smile like that before.”
Dorothea waves off the clouds of nostalgia.
“Anyway-“ She returns to her snarky self. “They’re a lost cause. I’ll perform an opera about them one day when I stop being mad.”
…
Yuri attends the next war meeting with all of Dimitri’s officers present. He resists toying with Sylvain during his presentation. Sylvain stands in front of a map and sets pins in several areas. He points to a cluster of caves and explains that they have reason to believe enemy forces could be gathering there.
“The empire?” Ashe asks.
“Maybe, but there’s been sightings of mostly mages, so we think there’s a possibility…”
“Cornelia.” Dimitri finishes his thought.
“We should send a scouting mission to determine who these people are, and if she’s among them.” Dimitri stands and Sylvain takes up his seat next to Ingrid.
“Yuri and I can go.” Ashe volunteers. They are a typical scouting duo.
“I don’t think so, Ashe.” Sylvain explains. “I just said that we suspect it’s a bunch of mages. And you always struggle with them. We wouldn’t want to risk you getting overwhelmed if you were caught.”
“Agreed.” Dimitri nods. “Yuri, I would like you to go on this one. We’ll need someone fast and quiet, and with a relatively high resistance to magic.”
Yuri agrees. Dimitri casts his gaze around the table.
“Felix. I’d like you to go with him. You’re my second fastest unit on foot.”
Felix winces. He’s not as well versed in hiding his distaste as Yuri is.
“Is that a problem?” Dimitri looks taken aback. Felix is always keen to prove his usefulness.
“No, boar. It’s fine.” He sighs. “When should we head out?”
“Tomorrow morning. I’ll have Sylvain prepare maps before you head out.”
…
Felix and Yuri meet by the gate when the sky is still lilac and the air is still. The surrounding plains are covered in frost and the chill nips at their noses and ears. Sylvain approaches them with their maps as they double check their packs for supplies. He goes over to Felix first.
“Here you are. You’ve remembered your compass?”
“Yes, Sylvain. This is hardly my first expedition.” Felix rolls his eyes.
“Okay, just checking. And uh…” He lowers his voice. “Try to get along with Yuri, okay? He’s not a bad guy. I don’t wanna hear that you tried to bite his head off 2 hours into this thing.”
“I won’t hurt your new boytoy, Sylvain.” Felix huffs. “Don’t worry.”
“Mmmm.” Felix’s words do little to reassure Sylvain. He moves over to hand Yuri his maps.
“Here.”
“Thanks.” Yuri takes them.
“Are you nervous?”
“Not really. Honestly, the enemies don’t scare me as much as my partner.”
“Yeaaaahhhh.” Sylvain rubs the back of his neck. “Felix is not… he’s a good person. Just maybe be wary of him in the mornings. He gets pretty grouchy.” He laughs.
“Well then I can’t wait to spend several sleep deprived days alone with him.” Yuri fake smiles.
They set out and hike for hours in silence. It’s peaceful. The sound of birdsong and babbling streams helps to fill the void. They make their way into a dense forest and begin to climb upwards. It’s a deceptively difficult hike. The ground looks flat, but their legs burn with effort. The air cools. Occasionally, the trees will thin and the ground will fall away to reveal that they have been walking along a gorge. It is late afternoon when they reach the spot marked on their maps. The rocky, densely forested cliffs they stand atop look down into the gorge and cave entrances below. They can see people coming and going from the caves already, but no indication yet as to whether Cornelia is among them. Felix begins to settle on a log to watch and unpacks his satchel. Yuri follows suit.
“What are you doing?” Felix asks.
“Uhhhh, setting up camp?” Yuri raises an eyebrow. Felix tuts.
“You should keep moving forward, so you can watch the caves from a different angle. I can’t see the other side from here.” Felix explains. Yuri thinks it's a convenient excuse to get rid of him.
“Fine.” He swings his pack back onto his shoulder. “But I’ll be back at sundown so we can take watches.”
Yuri does as he promises and returns when the sky is streaked with red and the last of the sun’s rays disappear over the horizon. The birds all return to the trees to roost, and the first stars begin to peak through the tree canopy. Yuri’s feet barely crunch on dead leaves as he approaches. Felix spies his shadow and clutches the hilt of his sword.
“It’s just me.” Yuri assures him. Felix barely relaxes, but he at least lets go of his sword.
“You’re very quiet.” He observes.
“I’m supposed to be. Nothing worse than a noisy thief.” He grins. He sits on the log next to Felix.
They cannot light a fire, or else they will be spotted. So they huddle together under a blanket and munch on their rations of jerky and sliced noa fruit. Felix does not protest to the closeness. He knows how cold Faerghus nights can get, and Yuri’s body is warm if nothing else. They happily munch on their light dinner and the bright moon begins to rise and bathe everything in blue light. Felix pulls his hair down to cover his ears against the frigid cold. It falls around his shoulders, black and gleaming like the sky itself. It reminds Yuri of raven feathers. It’s beautiful, and he has to begrudgingly admit that Sylvain might have good taste.
“You know…”. He dares to speak. It crackles through the silent night. “There really is nothing between Sylvain and me.”
Felix sighs.
“Do we have to talk about that idiot now?” He snaps.
“I’m only trying to clear the air. You used to be fine with me, but ever since you suspected we were messing around….” Yuri grins. “Well you’ve been downright murderous towards me. And here I thought Dimitri was supposed to be the one with a hidden beast.”
“I don’t want you dead.” Felix ponders. “Yet.”
Yuri huffs out a laugh in surprise.
“I just don’t trust you. And it’s okay not to trust you. I’ll always be wary of those who have allegiances to the other side. I’m wary of Petra for the same reason, and Bernadetta. Maybe even Dorothea.”
He sighs.
“But you’re dangerous. If things were to suddenly go very badly with you, I wouldn’t trust Sylvain to question you if he’s been brainwashed by his dick.”
Yuri snorts.
“Sylvain isn’t dumb.”
“He has a selective intelligence.”
Yuri chuckles. Felix also cracks a smile.
“Why him?” Felix asks. “Why do you even like him?”
“Oh there’s a great deal to like, Felix.” Yuri grins. Felix scowls back at him, which just makes Yuri laugh harder.
“He’s smart. I always like that in people. He’s also really funny to me. He has this reputation of being an experienced flirt and womaniser, but when he’s actually pursued…” He smiles widely.
“He actually gets flustered pretty easily. He’s more naive than you would think. I like that. I think it’s cute.”
Felix rolls his eyes.
“He’s also nice, and playful, and looks forward, when so many of you Faerghus nobles love looking behind you.”
Yuri gives a sharp sigh.
“Plus he’s stupidly attractive. Just really spectacular to look at.”
“Of course.” Felix groans. Yuri laughs and leans into his side.
“So you don’t trust me” Yuri clicks his tongue. “Is that all?”
He can feel the atmosphere around Felix easing. He feels less like he might suddenly crack and explode, like those thoron spells he’s so fond of.
“Sylvain seemed pretty upset when you caught us the other day.”
“Probably just ashamed. He should get over it. I’ve caught him doing worse.”
“No…” Yuri scratches his chin. “No it was more like…stressed. Remorseful. Like you of all people were not meant to see.”
Felix huffs.
“Why not?”
“Well probably because he’s in love with you.”
Felix stops breathing. His gaze snaps onto Yuri, who just continues to wear that same easy smile. Like he’s never experienced a challenge in his life. He looks almost bored. Felix’s mouth moves up and down, but no sound comes out.
“W-what are you talking about?” His eyes narrow into a dangerous glare.
“You look shocked.” Yuri leans back on the log, getting comfortable. “You really shouldn’t be. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. The way he squirms whenever I mention you.”
“That doesn’t mean-“ Felix snaps.
“And I know you like him. You wouldn’t be so ready to gut me if you weren’t a little bit jealous.” Yuri levels Felix with a serious expression. His smile falls. Felix swallows. He has difficulty choosing his next words.
“I already told you why-“
“Yeah, yeah, you told me a half truth.” Yuri waves off his defence.
“If I were fucking Ingrid you wouldn’t care half as much. You know that.”
Felix bites his tongue.
The wind whips around their shoulders and they are forced to huddle together. Felix hates it. He feels cornered. A wolf howls in the distance.
“You look happiest when you’re with him, you know.” Yuri whispers. Felix’s mouth presses into a hard line.
“Why are you saying all this?” He hisses. “Just to hurt me?”
“I’m not that cruel.” Yuri laughs darkly. “I’m issuing you with an ultimatum.”
“An ultimatum?”
“Yes. If you don’t make a move on him soon…” Yuri lowers his voice. “I might just steal him away.”
“You think you could?” Felix tries to sound confident. It’s a poor act.
“Which one of us is currently sleeping with him? Hmmm?” Yuri teases. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be too difficult to convince him to give me more.”
“Take him then.” Felix spits. He reminds Yuri of a feral cat. “If you’re so confident.”
“I’m actually being very generous.” Yuri holds up his hands in mock surrender and laughs. “I could just snatch him away right now, but I wanted to give you a fighting chance.”
Felix scowls. He feels belittled and humiliated. This man, this outsider, has seen through him and pitied him. Yuri pulls his knees to his chest and hugs them close. His smile falls and he speaks in a whisper to the darkness ahead of him.
“Honestly, I do like Sylvain. I want him to be happy. I think you would make him happy.” He sighs. He suddenly sounds very tired.
“But if you keep dragging your feet…?” Yuri shrugs.
“Watching you two dance around each other is really depressing.” He sags against the log.
They fall into a tense silence. Eventually their bones ache and their eyelids feel heavy. Felix volunteers to take the first watch. Yuri pulls out his bedroll and tucks himself in tightly, still close to Felix. His legs are freezing, but he manages a few winks of sleep before Felix wakes him up for his shift. Yuri clambers onto the log with stiff, uneasy legs. Felix does not bather to unpack his bedroll, instead deciding it would be more efficient just to use Yuri’s. It’s preheated after all. He falls asleep fast and hard. Yuri envies him.
Yuri watches the caves that now have no activity around them. The mages are undoubtedly up to no good, but it looks like they at least keep a normal sleep schedule. Yuri focusses on one of the flaming torches around the cave mouth. Watching the flames undulate and break off, only to grow once again, lulls him into a meditative state. The sky turns from black to navy, and then eventually to dusky purple. The stars snuff out. People slowly walk out of the caves, not yet covered in mage robes. They feed their horses or gather water, before stumbling back in. A yellow glow on the horizon promises the sun is near. Yuri jostles Felix awake.
They enjoy a quiet breakfast of more noa fruit and some handfuls of nuts. Felix breaks apart a loaf of date bread that Mercedes had made him before leaving. He hands a chunk to Yuri, who takes it gratefully. They watch the caves eventually turn into a bustling hive of activity. Mages come and go and wagons full of supplies disappear into the caves. Eventually a horse and rider approach, flanked by several mounted guards. The mages pour out of the caves and seem to line up for the rider’s arrival. She sits atop her horse with her long burgundy gown billowing behind her. Her light hair falls around her shoulders and ample chest.
“That’s her.” Felix nods. Cornelia. Her image is burned into his memory, even from such a distance. He’d never forget the silhouette of the woman who almost took Dimitri away from them.
“Seems like our job here is done then.” Yuri stands and stretches. His back pops.
“We should tell Dimitri at once. We have no way of knowing how long she’ll stay.” Felix packs his things while keeping an eye on Cornelia down below. She stays atop her horse as she and her entourage disappear into the caves.
“I don’t see my adoptive father.” Yuri hums curiously. “Perhaps she’s left him rotting in a ravine somewhere.”
“Come on. We’ve got to move quickly.” Felix swings his pack onto his shoulder.
…
The walk back to the camp is downhill, and Felix and Yuri manage to make it in time for afternoon tea. They inform Dimitri of their findings and all of his officers scramble to meet in the hall. Cornelia has eluded them for months, and this might be their last chance to finally take her out. They have to move, and soon, but it’s a dangerous situation. They have only a rough estimate as to how many people are defending the hideout and, of course, no idea what the inside looks like. Just how deep or winding the caves could be. But Dimitri is determined to try.
Officers are busy all day telling their units and battalions their orders and assembling supplies. They are to set out in the morning. In all the bustling, Yuri manages to bump into Hapi.
“You can stay behind you know? If this woman is who you think she is….” It’s an uncharacteristically generous moment for him. Hapi grimaces.
“No way, Yuribird. Dimitri is going to have to beat me to the final blow.” Her monotone voice sounds strangely determined.
“If she’s really there, then I need to see here with my own two eyes.”
Yuri nods. He helps Hapi and Constance pack their saddlebags for the following day. Constance sounds confident as ever, relishing in the new opportunity to show off some experimental magic. She keeps their hearts light with her grandiose boasting.
Yuri finishes helping Hapi and Constance pack and they all move over to the mess hall together. They enjoy dinner together (Dedue is on kitchen duty, thank the goddess) and depart ways for the night. Yuri considers returning to his tent, but instead finds his feet travelling up the path towards the ruins that house the highest ranking members of this army. Yuri walks up the cobblestone steps and pauses in front of Sylvain’s room. He deeply sighs. Then knocks.
Sylvain answers the door in an unkempt state. His hair looks a mess, like he’s been dragging his hands through it all day.
“Yuri…” He breathes.
“Hi.” Yuri steps into the doorway.
“I uh…what can I do for you? Nothing too physical I hope.” Sylvain smirks. His eyes are tired.
“No, no, that’s not why I’m here.” Yuri shakes his head. He nervously bites his lip.
“Why then?” Sylvain relaxes against the door frame.
“I just…” Yuri’s eyes dart down the hall before he rises up onto his toes. He kisses Sylvain. Sylvain sinks into it, wrapping Yuri’s slim waist up in his arms.
“Don’t die tomorrow. Okay?” Yuri whispers against his lips. Sylvain smiles and sets him back on the ground.
“You too.”
…
The mission is a mess. The Faerghus army is at a clear disadvantage, careening down winding, dark cave tunnels that lead to who knows where. Spells curve around blind corners and hit infantry in dazzling bursts of light. The horses are claustrophobic, and even the most seasoned of them move in spooked and unpredictable ways. Sylvain eventually ditches his entirely to join Felix and Dimitri on foot. The only saving grace is that the mages are easy to kill if you manage to reach them. With little armour and only one skill to defend themselves, Felix cuts through them mercilessly. Sylvain is stronger, and can bowl several over in one hit. Dimitri flattens entire battalions with a swing of Areadbhar. Its glow in the cave’s darkness gives the Faerghus forces something to look towards.
They spy Cornelia at the end of a winding tunnel, but by the time they reach her, she has disappeared. Likely warped to a safer location, or through a hidden tunnel that only she knows about. It’s frustrating, but the army must adapt and turns their focus to claiming the stronghold and taking out as many mages as they can. Cornelia may have escaped, but they can still make her life harder by removing any allies or support systems she has.
Felix and Sylvain follow a group of fleeing mages to one of the last rooms they have holed themselves in. It’s toward the mouth of the cave, but there is no way for them to escape, with Ingrid and Dedue standing guard at the entrance. They’ll never make it past the Faerghus army. A few try to sprint past Felix, but he brings them down with no hesitation. Sylvain fires off several dark magic spells, trying to flush them out. They return fire from behind their barricade, but Felix’s aegis shield protects them splendidly. The mages are frantic. They fire spells in every direction, hoping one might ricochet and catch the experienced fighters off guard. Sylvain defends himself from a group that attempts to rush him all at once. Felix picks off the ones at his back.
“I grow tired of this.” Felix whines. He runs forward to take out the few mages that remain. He won’t let them hide any longer. Sylvain catches his breath after the latest assault. The ground shakes.
Sylvain immediately snatches his eyes towards the ceiling. In a cave system, collapses are far more dangerous than enemy mages. He guesses that in all the spells firing off everywhere, several of them have hit and weakened the roof. Sylvain only has a second to act. Felix has not noticed the more pressing danger. Crumbs of stone and dirt fall onto his raven locks.
“Felix!”
Felix turns towards his name. Sylvain barrels into him, sending his small body skipping along the stone floor.
Felix watches helplessly as Sylvain is engulfed in a wave of rock and gravel. The ceiling caves in and all falls silent. Felix’s heavy breathing echoes off the walls. Any remaining mages have also been crushed.
“Sylvain!” Felix’s scream tears up his throat. He sprints to the rock pile and feebly claws at the debris. He tries to remember where Sylvain had last stood. He claws at the pile, digging so feverishly that his nails begin to bleed. He wipes at his eyes, marring his cheeks with mud as the dirt from his hands mixes with his tears. He can’t keep his breathing regular.
There is the clatter of footsteps behind him and Dedue and Ingrid arrive, possibly from hearing Felix’s screams, or from the entire cave system shaking. They search until they find Felix in his frenzy. He inarticulately babbles something about Sylvain. Dedue gets to work next to him.
“Go get His Majesty.” Dedue orders Ingrid. He lifts a huge boulder and tosses it to the side. Ingrid wordlessly nods.
She returns with Dimitri. He dives into the pile like a man possessed, heaving away at huge stones and mounds of dirt. With him and Dedue helping, they might actually be able to find Sylvain. Felix still can’t stop crying. No one speaks as they work. No platitudes of ‘it’ll be okay’ or ‘don’t worry’. They have no idea if they’ll find him, or what state he’ll be in when they do. Dedue and Dimitri have already thought about who will replace him, should the worst happen.
“Felix, your hands.” Annette arrives and hovers over him. She looks down at the bloody mess with concern. “Let me fix you. You can work harder again if you let me heal you.”
“No time.” Felix grunts .
He brushes away sand until he reaches a hard obstacle. He follows the edges of the stone to pull it away. His gloves brush the stone as he moves, wiping away excess dirt. The stone shines.
His heart stops beating. He digs around it and follows the line of its edge until it is unmistakable. It’s Sylvain’s gauntlet.
“Dimitri!” Felix calls out. He digs until his can see the Gautier crest embedded in the metal, and finally… a hand.
“Good job, Felix.” Dimitri claps him on the shoulder. He and Dedue set about clearing away the large pieces of rubble over where they now suspect the rest of Sylvain’s body lies. It’s hard work, as more sand falls down to fill the gaps they clear, but eventually they unearth his whole arm. A tuft of red hair. Felix’s feral digging turns tender, so as not to scratch Sylvain’s already beaten face. His eyes are closed, and he’s covered in dust, but it is undoubtedly him. He feels warm to the touch. Felix presses his ear down to his lips.
“Well?” Dimitri asks. Fear tinges his voice.
Felix cries harder and he isn’t sure whether that’s a good sign or bad.
“It’s there. But barely.”
Annette immediately sets on top of Felix, healing magic glowing in her hands. She delicately takes Sylvain’s face between her palms.
“Go get Mercy!” She yells over her shoulder. Ingrid nods and vaults onto a nearby horse to find her.
When Mercedes appears, valiantly riding behind Ingrid, Dimitri and Dedue have managed to unearth Sylvain down to his stomach. Felix holds his head in his lap, and Annette tries to heal any trauma to his head. Mercedes throws off her gloves and marches up to Sylvain, kneeling down beside him. With expert hands she unlaces his chest plate and removes the top layer of his badly dented and scratched armour. She moves over Sylvain’s chest, that now visibly rises and falls with his breathing.
“Annie, do his ribs for me, okay?”
Mercedes and Annette swap places, as Mercedes takes Sylvain’s head in her hands. Her face is scowled in a serious expression. Felix holds his breath. Her thumbs smooth over Sylvain’s bruised cheek.
“Felix.”
“Yes?”
Mercedes sighs into a relieved smile.
“He’s going to be okay.”
…
Sylvain wakes up in the medic tent with a pounding headache. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to blink. But he should be thankful that he’s at least alive. He turns his head and shooting pain moves up his spine. It looks like it’s dark and he is in a private tent. Or at least a private area within a larger tent. Felix doses on a chair next to him. His hands are bandaged. His face is clean, but his hair looks clouded with dirt.
“Fe-“ Sylvain croaks. Felix’s eyes flash open. He moves quickly to Sylvain’s side.
“Fe, are you okay?”
“Am I-?” Felix’s concern melts away to rage. He laughs and it sounds crazed.
“Am I okay? You’re the one who almost died!” He spits. “What a ridiculous question to ask.”
“You still haven’t answered.”
“Of course I’m okay! You saw to that, didn’t you?” Felix sits back and seethes in his chair. “How many times have I told you to look out for yourself! You don’t need to be protecting me all the time, I can take care of myself.”
“You can’t.”
“What?!” Felix shrieks. Sylvain’s expression remains neutral.
“I have plate armour. You don’t. If I left you, you would have died. I know that.” He explains. “But I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.”
“I will be though. I stood a chance. You never would have.”
Felix chews on his lip. His eyes narrow. His frenetic screaming relaxes to a chilling calmness. His voice drops low and quiet.
“I don’t want you to risk yourself for me-“
“No. But I wanted to. Why are your wants more important than mine?” Sylvain glares at his childhood friend.
“I won’t apologise, Felix.”
“You can’t go throwing yourself in front of anyone-“
“You’re not anyone!” Sylvain shouts. His ribs ache. Felix grips onto the armrests of his chair. He tries not to look as startled as he feels. Sylvain had never raised his voice to him.
“It’s because it was you.” Sylvain huffs.
“You’re so stupid!” Felix hisses. He lunges for Sylvain, grabbing him by the scruff and kissing him.
Sylvain’s eyes widen. Felix stiffens against him. Their lips are barely aligned. He begins to move away.
"S-sorry-"
“Don’t.” Sylvain pulls him back before either of them can regret their actions.
Kissing Felix is very different. Different to all those girls in the past, and Claude, and even Yuri. He’s awkward and clumsy, unsure of where to put his hands or his lips. He picks up on Sylvain’s cues a second too late, and he doesn’t yet know how to move his teeth out of the way. But Sylvain’s heart has never beat so fast. His veins feel like they are on fire and his head feels light and airy. His pain vanishes.
Gradually, Felix relaxes and lets him taste his tongue. He moves along with Sylvain, rather than against him. Sylvain cups his jaw and moves his hands into his hair. His nails scratch at his scalp. Felix hums. Sylvain begins to tug him forward.
Felix leans as far as he can, but Sylvain still pulls. He braces himself on Sylvain’s chest.
“You’re hurt.” Felix explains.
“It’s fine. My head took most of the damage.”
Felix is weak and can’t protest. He climbs on top of Sylvain, straddling his hips, and leans down to kiss him more. Sylvain grins widely. He hums his satisfaction and kisses Felix deeply, drawing out little whines from the inexperienced swordsman.
Sylvain can feel Felix getting hard against him. As much as he would love to grind against him, his movement is limited. Any thrusting of his hips would leave him gasping in pain. He doesn’t want to kill the mood. Instead, he lets his hands travel down Felix’s chest and stomach, until they pull at his waistband. Felix stalls and catches his hands.
“Wait…” He sits up. His shirt is askew and falls off of one shoulder. His ponytail sags and loose hair frames his pretty face. His lips are a bitten pink.
“Sylvain I don’t… have fun like this.”
“I know.” Sylvain nods. His hands settle on Felix’s thighs.
“So don’t do this if you’re just playing with me.” Felix sighs.
Sylvain sighs. He fights past the pain of his battered body and sits up. He takes Felix’s head in his hands and tucks the loose hairs behind his ears. His smile is warm and fond when he kisses Felix. Felix sinks against his chest.
“It’s always been you, Felix.” Sylvain breaks off their kiss. The tips of their noses touch. “You’re all I want.”
Felix nods. He’s too overwhelmed to say anything and have his voice betray how close he is to crying. He lets Sylvain kiss him and pull him back on top of him. Felix is needier, pressing himself closer and nibbling on Sylvain’s lips. Sylvain chuckles, moving his hands down again to Felix’s stuttering hips. Felix stops kissing his lips and instead begins to make his way along his jaw and neck. His breathing is ragged as Sylvain takes his dick into his hand.
He frees Felix from his tight trousers, and strokes him slowly. He reaches full hardness in Sylvain’s grip and flushes a beautiful peach colour. Felix’s kisses have stopped, too distracted by Sylvain’s ministrations. Sylvain grins. He turns his head to kiss Felix’s cheek. He quickens the pace of his hand.
The sounds Felix elicits could keep Sylvain awake at night for many years. He huffs and whines against Sylvain’s ear, such pretty and desperate songs.
“Ha, ha.” He pants against his neck. His nails dig into Sylvain’s shoulders. Sylvain tightens his grip.
Felix cums, panting and shuddering. Sylvain pumps him through his aftershocks, cum pouring down his fingers to make his last few strokes slick and easy. He kisses Felix until their lips are chapped and he has memorised the feeling of their chests pressed together.
…
When they ride back to their base camp, Felix sits behind Sylvain on his horse, helping to keep him upright. Sylvain winces and hisses with every unexpected jostle. The ride cannot end soon enough.
They arrive and Felix gingerly supports him back to his room and lays him in bed. He promises to return soon, but he has to check on his and Sylvain’s men.
“They will want to know that their brave leader has survived the night.” Felix teases. Sylvain smiles stupidly at him.
Mercedes arrives soon after with a fresh round of healing magic and a bowl of chicken soup. She feeds him tenderly, and talks about her favourite fillings for tarts. Her words lull Sylvain into a pleasant drowsiness. She leaves him with tea making supplies and some herbal medicine.
Sylvain wakes when there is a tentative knocking at his door. He sits up and peels off his sweaty tunic.
“Yeah?” He croaks.
Yuri enters and looks over Sylvain’s bruised torso. Bandages wrap around his ribs. There’s another on his cheek and he sports a black eye.
“You look terrible.” He sighs. There’s no teasing lilt to his voice.
“Thanks.” Sylvain snorts.
“I heard what happened. It sounds …” Yuri wrings his hands together. “Dreadful. The entire army was pretty freaked out. I’ve never seen Ingrid so pale.”
He walks over and gently touches Sylvain’s shoulder.
“I’m really happy you’re okay.” Yuri smiles. He bends down to kiss Sylvain on his cheek. Sylvain grimaces. He places his hand on Yuri’s chest and pushes him away.
“Sorry, Yuri.” He looks guilty. “We can’t do that anymore.”
“Oh?” Yuri stands up and places his hands on his hips. “And why not?”
“Well… Felix and I-“
“Ah,” Yuri cuts him off. He chuckles, and sits on the bed next to Sylvain.
“Yeah, so…” Sylvain tries to explain himself, but Yuri has already filled in the blanks.
“And he isn’t up for sharing?” Yuri smirks. Sylvain laughs. It vibrates against his tender ribs.
“No, absolutely not. Sorry.”
Yuri smiles. Sylvain finds it hard to read his expression. There’s a soft fondness to the lilt of his lips.
“Well, congratulations.” He gently nudges Sylvain’s side. “Isn’t he like… the love of your life or something?”
“Something like that.” Sylvain laughs. “And thanks.”
They share a moment smiling at one another. Despite their lack of love, a bond had formed between them, no matter how much they would deny it. They look at each other with intimacy and understanding. Kindred spirits raised in vastly different circumstances. They wonder what may have happened if they found each other earlier. Yuri breaks off the eye contact with an exasperated sigh.
“Ugh! How annoying!” He stands. He spins around to reach out and cup Sylvain by the chin. He looks down at him through long lashes.
“I really could have fallen for you, you know?” A touch of sadness taints his words. Sylvain smiles up at him apologetically. Yuri moves his hand to his shoulder.
“Take care, Sylvain.”
…
Yuri walks briskly out of the officer’s quarters. His heels clack on the hard dirt and down the cobblestone path. He struggles to regulate his breathing. A lump begins to form at the back of his throat and that turns his sadness into rage. How dare he let someone affect him like this. He was the Savage Mockingbird and he was always in control of the situation. He had learned to close off his heart long ago. He believed in friendship, the love of his mother, but little else. He used others and took what he wanted.
What had he wanted?
His feet carry him down the hill and into the nearest village.
…
Felix finds Yuri in the early evening, leaning over the bar at the local pub. His movements are languid and his eyes are glassy. There’s a sheen of sweat on his forehead. Felix pulls up a stool next to him. Yuri turns his head to see him. He glares at Felix with disdain.
“Come to gloat?” He gestures for the bartender to pour another shot. Felix smiles. A little smugly.
“I was actually going to say thank you.”
“Ugh, that’s worse.” Yuri knocks back his drink. He licks his lips. He can’t taste the burn anymore.
“I don’t know if anything would have ever happened if you hadn’t given me a kick in the pants back there.”
The bartender pours a pint of ale for Felix. He sips it slowly.
“Happy to help.” Yuri sneers. His hair has fallen out of his hair tie and his eyeliner is smudged. His lipstick is smeared onto his chin.
“Are you actually upset?” Felix asks. He wonders if anyone has ever seen Yuri like this.
“No! Yes? Just-!” He falls forwards and bangs his forehead on the bar. Felix starts at the thud.
“A great opportunity has slipped by me. I really could’ve have had the life I’ve fought so hard for.” He sits up. There’s a red mark on his forehead.
“Where else am I going to find a hot, rich guy with a huge dick?” He gestures around the pub. “And who’s nice to me? Forget it.” He huffs. He licks the rim of his shot glass, feeling sorry for himself.
“I’m sure you’ll steal someone’s husband soon.” Felix encourages. Yuri grins.
“How nice of you to say.”
They nurse their drinks in the quiet chatter of the pub. Felix orders Yuri a water and forces him to drink it. He protectively glares at anyone who approaches.
“Yuri!” Hurried footsteps echo through the pub and Ashe appears at their side. His cheeks are flushed from running in the cold night. He looks furious.
“So this is where you’ve been?” He nags at the drunken man in front of him. “I’ve been looking for you all night. We were on kitchen duty together.”
“Whoops.” Yuri croaks.
“Let’s go! You can at least help with the dishes.”
“No can do Ashe.” Yuri holds up a wavering finger. “As you can see, I. Am quite drunk. Far too drunk to walk. So I cannot leave with you.”
“Oh yes you can!” Ashe huffs and rolls up his sleeves. He grabs Yuri’s limp body and hoists him over his shoulders. Yuri belches as his vision spins. Ashe secures Yuri’s arm over his chest, to use as an anchorage point.
“Sorry, Felix. I hope I haven’t disturbed you.” Ashe politely bows his head.
“No, no. By all means take him.” Felix smiles with amusement. He watches the spectacle and hopes he remembers to tease Yuri about it later.
“Okay, Yuri. We’re off.” Ashe moves at a brisk pace. Yuri bounces on top of him.
“Goddess, Ashe. When did you get so strong?” Yuri giggles in shock and delight.
“I’m not a kid anymore, Yuri. I keep trying to tell you that.” Ashe huffs.
Yuri sits atop his shoulders in silence. He appreciates the warmth from the other man’s body, the gentle way he steps over gutters and stairs so as to not shake him too much. His freckles lend a boyish youth to his now mature face.
“Hey Ashe,” He purrs. “What’s your boot size again? I’m just curious.”