#was just idly thinking ahead about what books I might put on a bookmark for pride | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

weakzen · 4 years

Text

Cigarettes and Iced Espresso

Felix tries the Detective's coffee. Mason starts a research project. And Nate just sighs eternally.

pairing: female detective/mason rating: t

AO3 version

The late sunlight warms the paper beneath my hand and casts a shine on the wet ink of my half-finished words.

As the tip of my pen hangs above them, the carriage clock ticks away steadily in the background, almost as if hurrying me to just get on with it. Get it done already. Commit to it once more and don't look back. Sighing softly, I lean away from the coffee table and idly tap the end of my pen against my lips while I mull over the best way to do exactly that.

More specifically, the best way to phrase the lie I'm about to write into my report in order to cover the Agency's ass.

Again.

I suppose, at least, I don't have to worry about telling it well enough to slip it past Tina. She already knows about the latest incident. And she's helping again too, with a subtlety that no longer surprises me, even if the Agency doesn't appreciate or know about it.

…I hope.

My pen stills as my lips press together. Unease coils in my stomach, same as it always does whenever I think too much on Tina's precarious position.

The one I let her walk into, ultimately.

No matter what she says.

My shoulders begin to stiffen too—but then Mason brushes his knuckles across them, and starts skimming his fingers along the skin bared by my sleeveless top.

I exhale a small breath and lean into his touch, sagging slightly against his leg and the sofa behind me. My head tilts back and he draws his fingers up my neck in response, combing them gently into the hair above my nape.

For a moment, I let my eyes fall shut and relax into the lazy strokes he delivers from his sprawled out position behind me.

We'd settled like this at least an hour ago, me hunched over the coffee table, slowly sinking into the rug while trying to catch up on paperwork; Mason stretched out on the sofa with one foot on the floor, dozing slightly with his leg pressed against my side; and Nate curled in a nearby armchair, an old leather-bound book nestled on his long legs, one he hasn't glanced up from since he first coaxed open its creaky spine.

As though on cue, he carefully turns one of its thick pages, a content little smile resting warmly on his face.

A faint smile of my own pulls at the corner of my lips, and Mason draws it into the open entirely when he deliberately grazes a ticklish spot on my neck.

With a very soft chuckle, I nuzzle my face against his hand and he eagerly catches my jaw in return, curling his fingers along the edge of it as he strokes my cheek with his thumb. Fondness swells across my chest as he does, filling my heart to the point where it aches slightly.

I've… really come to enjoy these lazy afternoons together.

And I'm so glad to be here now.

With him.

With all of them.

Sighing again, more contentedly this time, I press a parting kiss to Mason's knuckles and lean forward once more. His fingers trail down my spine with the movement, until they come to a rest on my waistband and hook into my belt loop. He toys with it idly while I turn my attention back to my report, reading over my words again as I fidget with my pen.

I'm halfway through them when the ice shifts in my cup, and I absently reach over to take a sip of my drink. And I'm halfway through that, frigid and rich bitterness washing over my tongue, when inspiration slams into me. I quickly return my drink to the coaster, careful not to let any condensation drip onto my work or the table.

Then I start writing my lie.

For a long while, there's nothing but the scratch of my pen against the paper and the ticking of the clock, with the occasional sound of Nate turning a page.

Mason gradually ambles away from my pants to stroke at the exposed skin on my lower back.

And eventually, some time later, he speaks to break the silence.

“They're back.”

Nate perks up right away, inhaling slightly as his attention pulls away from the book.

“I'm glad. I hope it went well.”

Mason grunts in agreement and I nod softly.

Nate reaches for the bookmark he placed on the coffee table earlier. The ornate wooden one I've never seen him use before today, lacquered black and decorated with a scrolling and beautifully delicate mother-of-pearl inlay of chrysanthemums, all topped by a shiny silk tassel. The one he seemed almost embarrassed by when he caught me staring at it wide-eyed, and reminded me he did, in fact, have much nicer ones, but they were all being used in other books at the moment.

Of course, Nate.

Just oh, this old thing me with your gorgeous fucking bookmark that's older than I am and probably worth at least a few months rent.

Grinning quietly, I roll my eyes and shake my head a bit as he tucks it back into the book.

Then he sets his book on the coffee table and stretches, long arms soaring into the air as his shoulders crack.

“It sounds like it went well,” he comments, breaking into a smile.

I have only a moment myself to catch the storm of excited footsteps in the hallway before Felix explodes through the doorway.

“Good afternoon, everybody!”

He barely stops to deliver his greeting before he launches himself into the nearest free armchair, which grunts loudly beneath the force of his landing. “I'm back and you can stop missing me now,” he adds, folding his arms behind his head as he winks.

I wink back. “You're actually implying that's possible? I'm shocked.”

A loud laugh bursts from him in response and Mason flinches slightly.

“Good point,” Felix replies, grinning at me. “Continue pining away then.”

“I'll be sure to do that,” Nate says, smiling warmly. “How did it go?”

“Just fine. Easy. Incredibly boring, though,” Felix says, sighing. “Nothing happened, so I'm sure Adam is super excited to tell you all about it.” He jerks his thumb toward the doorway. “He's on the phone with Agent Black right now, but—ugh, enough about all of that,” he says quickly, waving his hands around as his grin widens. “What's going on with all of you? What have you been up to?”

Mason huffs out a breath. “Enjoying the quiet while it lasted.”

Felix leans forward in the chair to smirk at Mason. Then he cups his hands around his mouth.

“Sounds boring,” he blasts in reply like a foghorn.

Nate and I both wince beneath the volume—and Mason sits upright and growls at him so deeply the whole sofa vibrates.

“Maybe even more boring than reading,” he continues on without skipping a beat, glancing at Nate's book. His gaze slides over to my stack of papers next, and his lip immediately curls. “But not as boring as that.”

Then his eyes fall on my drink.

“Hey, what is this?” Felix snatches my cup from the table without waiting for an answer, then immediately swirls it around with a shake of his hand, rattling the ice together as the liquid sloshes dangerously close to the rim.

Nate stiffens, sucking in a breath as he reaches out a hand toward Felix. “Be careful with that.”

“Careful's my middle name,” Felix replies coolly, waggling his eyebrows at Nate. He gives my drink a deep sniff before his eyes flash to mine. “Smells weird. Can I try?”

I glance at the cup clutched in his grasp, Haley's logo emblazoned on the side, water droplets beading across it from the half-finished, half-melted iced espresso still spinning inside.

With the extra shots I'd asked for, oily foam spiraling on the surface.

And no cream or sugar to cut the sharpness of it at all.

Mason snickers quietly and settles back against the cushions again. A subdued chuckle makes his body tremble slightly.

“You haven't tried coffee before?” I ask, raising a brow.

“I've tried hot coffee—gross, by the way. And one of those frappé things, which was way better” he replies, nodding as he gives the plastic cup a few rapid, crackling squeezes before he holds it up. “But nothing like this.”

“Uh, well…” I begin, pressing my lips together briefly. “It's not that different from hot coffee, and I really don't think you'd like it. It's pretty bitter. Might be a little too… intense for you.”

Felix scoffs—but still pauses, eyeing my drink carefully before he gives it another quick sniff.

“I agree with Alex,” Nate says, frowning with concern. “And you definitely don't need the caffeine.”

“Caffeine doesn't affect us, Natey. You know that.”

Nate gives him a wary look. “Yes, but I still don't want to take any chances.”

“I think it's worth the risk to see him try it,” Mason says, dark amusement coloring his words. “Go ahead, Felix. Take a big swig. It'll put a bunch of hair on your chest—if you can handle it.”

“Really?” Felix's eyebrows shoot up.

“No,” Nate says, narrowing his eyes at Mason. “That's just a terrible and very inaccurate saying.”

“The more you drink, the better it works,” Mason continues on, ignoring the look. He claps his hand on my shoulder. “Just ask Alex.”

Felix cocks his head to the side and grins at me. “Does that mean you have a hairy chest, Alex?”

“Incredibly hairy, yes. Like a shag carpet down there,” I say, grinning as I glance at my breasts.

“Whoa! Alright then, I'm in!”

“Felix, wait—”

Nate's arm flings forward, but his protest comes too late as Felix jolts up into a stand, tips his head back, and downs such a large and confident gulp of my drink that he pretty much finishes it off entirely.

…He doesn't swallow much of it, though. Mostly just holds it inside of his now comically large cheeks.

Beneath his slowly widening eyes.

The clock ticks away as we watch him in silence.

Until a choked noise suddenly spasms in his throat.

Mason chuckles deeply—and I can't help but join him a little.

Then, in grimacing horror, Felix spits all of it back into the cup and Mason breaks into a loud laugh.

A look of wounded betrayal flashes across Felix's face, one he quickly directs toward my drink. For a moment, he appears so upset to have it in his hand that it actually seems like he's about to fling it away entirely, but then he recovers enough to pivot.

And moves to slam it down toward the table instead.

In a flash, Nate whips forward, arms gliding outstretched to both break the cup's impact and slide a coaster beneath it in one smooth motion.

And despite how often I've witnessed him make similarly graceful saves to prevent disaster, I still remain impressed as hell—

“Felix!” Nate sputters loudly, shooting him a wide-eyed look.

—although, whether the reprimand this time is directed more at the backwash, the potential water damage, or the near miss of my drink exploding across the room, I can't say.

Felix ignores it regardless, retching out coughs as he clutches his throat.

“Disgusting,” he manages to choke out, his voice hoarse. He begins pacing around in a distressed little circle, fanning his tongue. “That was awful!”

I just shake my head, unable to hide my grin. “Told ya so.”

“Feel that hair coming in yet?” Mason asks, laughter still clinging to his words.

“No,” he moans, “but I feel the barf coming up.”

Nate sighs. “Go drink some water, Felix.”

“Right.” Felix nods firmly, his brow furrowed.

Then he crouches next to my bag, rips it open, and yanks out my water bottle. In a blur of movement, he spins the cap off and starts chugging, swishing the water around in his mouth noisily before swallowing.

“That's not the water I meant…” Nate begins, then shakes his head and sighs again. “Nevermind.”

As Felix continues drinking and the moment dies down a little, I glance back at my paperwork, my amusement fading. I know I should really keep going at it right now. Just pack it up and find a quieter place to work, or else I won't get it done at all. And I did want to have it finished today…

I sigh and tap my pen against my lips again.

But Felix isn't exactly wrong in his assessment of how exciting it is.

“How do you even drink that stuff anyway?!” he cries out to me, plunking my water bottle onto the table. “It tastes like— like—” His hands flail around at the corner of my vision as he fumbles for the words. “Ugh, it tastes like a soggy ashtray full of old cigarettes,” he finishes, then shudders audibly. “No wonder you like kissing Mason so much.”

“Mason doesn't taste like cigarettes,” I mutter unthinkingly, without glancing up.

Mason shifts behind me immediately, and I can feel his smirk drilling into the back of my head just as surely as I feel the fingers he starts tracing along my arm.

“Is that so, sweetheart?” he asks, his voice dipping into a low and teasing tone. “What exactly do I taste like then?”

“I'm sure that's a fascinating topic,” Nate says quickly, “but let's—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Felix cuts in loudly. “Exactly! Let's hear it! What does he taste like?”

“You don't have to answer that, Alex.”

“Oh, but she does,” Mason drawls.

“Yeah, Natey. You're outvoted.”

“Don't I get a vote too?” I ask, grinning.

Felix and Mason's shared and immediate no batters hard against Nate's yes.

“Outvoted again! Hah!” Felix's amused gaze swivels toward me, his coffee-related woes apparently forgotten. “Now spill it.”

Nate sighs deeply in resignation and offers me an apologetic look, although it's difficult to see it over how closely Felix slides in to crowd his face near mine. A sly smile unfurls across his lips as mischief twinkles in his eyes, and Mason completes the pincer with a flank from behind, leaning in so closely that his breath tickles hot against my skin.

My cheeks prickle with heat in response, but I remain where I am, pressing my lips together tightly as I try to squash down the nervous chuckle that threatens to escape me.

“I must taste like something good,” Mason whispers in a husky tone, his lips brushing against my ear as his fingers glide down to squeeze my waist, “considering how often you come in for a bite.”

A shiver ripples across my body, tearing that chuckle free in a wake of goosebumps.

Mason grins against me.

“So what is it?”

I bite my lip, but I can't stop the answering grin that bursts across my face, not any more than I can ignore his fingers teasing my hip or the anticipation building in Felix's expression.

I think I hear the faint sound of a facepalm, too.

“Well, uh…” I drop my gaze to the pen I'm waggling rapidly between my fingers. “First off, that was an amazing pun. Good job.”

Felix snorts as Mason's grin widens.

“Secondly, I, um…” Another chuckle escapes me as my cheeks flare to what I'm certain is an embarrassingly bright shade of red. “I… think I really need to, uh, do more testing before I can give you an accurate answer. So, I'll have to… get on that and come back to you later,” I finish weakly, my words trailing off into a cringey little noise of distress.

Felix peels away from me, sputtering into a cackle. “Oh, wow! That's it? Not what I expected! I thought for sure you were gonna say he tasted like you.”

Then he waggles his eyebrows at me suggestively and I break into a snorting laugh.

“Okay, okay, that's— That's actually pretty good, Fee. Wish I'd thought of that.”

We laugh together loudly. And somewhere off to the side, Nate groans in pained exasperation.

But Mason only sits up and immediately pushes off the sofa—hooking his hand under my arm to take me with him.

I stumble up to my feet with the motion, still shaking with amusement as I turn to face him. And when I do, when I finally meet those pretty grey eyes of his, he smiles down at me with playfully curled lips and that achingly familiar look of affection. That extremely inviting half-lidded gaze, where promises of pleasure smolder away intensely. That passionate stare he always captures me with right before I end up pressed against him and doesn't release until long after he's finished unraveling me beneath.

That look of resolute and fathomless adoration that I'm still falling into and have fallen into every day since that moment he first cupped my face in his hands, peered into my soul as he offered his, and told me that he loved me.

That he always would.

And despite the countless times I've glanced up since then and found him watching me with that exact same expression, my breath still catches every time.

Even now.

Even more so when he slides his hands around my hips to pull us together, and a long thrill of yearning twines around my heart.

“Well, if you need to do more testing to be sure, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his lips lifting with amusement, “then let's head to the lab right now so you can, uh, 'get on that before you come for me' as soon as possible.”

Felix explodes into another wild laugh, one that I have to join, but Nate just whirls towards all of us, his mouth already twisted into a disapproving frown.

“No,” he says firmly, “you can't do that in there. Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” Mason counters, pulling his eyes away from me to smirk at Nate. “It's research, right? That's what labs are for.” His smirk slowly sharpens. “Unless you mean we should do our research in the library instead…”

Felix rolls back onto the floor howling, clutching his stomach as he shakes, while Nate fixes Mason with such a dry, withering stare that I actually start to worry for the plants in the room.

But Mason only chuckles in response.

“So when can we expect the results?” Felix wheezes a moment later, grinning up at us as he wipes the corners of his eyes.

“Not any time soon,” Mason replies, then glances back to me. “It's going to be a long and very involved process, isn't it? Need to make sure our testing is very… thorough. And exhaustive.”

“Well, good research does take time.” I cap my pen and toss it onto the table. “Sometimes years,” I continue, sliding my hands up his chest to circle my arms around his neck. I flick my gaze to his, smiling slyly. “And it also requires a lot of repeated experimentation to ensure the results are accurate.”

He catches his lower lip between his teeth and inhales slightly. “Oh, I'm looking forward to it.”

Nate expels a loud, groaning sigh and claps his hands together a few times.

“Alright. We are done with this topic now.”

“What's wrong, Nate?” Mason flashes him another teasing smirk. “Aren't you always going on about how I need to 'broaden my horizons?'”

“Yes, but I—”

“And that I should learn new things?”

“Yes—”

“And try doing stuff I've never done before?”

Nate closes his eyes and inhales very deeply as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Yes, Mason, I have said all of those things, and this is not what I meant by any of them and you know it.” He sighs heavily again. “But… if you insist on conducting this so-called—” he grimaces slightly “—research you have in mind, then at least do all of it in your room, please.”

Mason lets out mock sigh of resignation. “Well, if you insist. Hope it won't end up compromising our results.”

“Pretty sure they'd be way more compromising if they weren't done in there,” Felix quips, his lips thinning into a smirk.

Mason looks back to me again, smiling, and I can already hear the comment forming on his tongue.

“Oh, give Nate a break,” I say quickly before he can speak. “He's earned it.”

“If you insist,” Mason repeats, more genuinely this time.

And with that said, he gives me another lingering look before he slings his arm across my shoulder and turns to guide us from the room. I curl my arm around his waist in response as I fall into step with him.

“Wow, Natey. You're not even gonna tell them they need to stay for the meeting?”

“I'm sure we can manage without them this time,” Nate replies dryly—then adds in a more sincere tone, “and thank you, Alex.”

I flash him a quick smile over my shoulder.

“Have fun!” Felix calls out as we exit.

Once outside the living room doorway, I catch a final fragment of conversation.

“Ahhh, that totally made up for the boring patrol…”

But then it's lost to the sound of our footsteps and the anticipation stirring quietly inside of me.

We soon reach the primary juncture of hallways in the Warehouse, and I turn to head toward Mason's room, but he tugs me in the opposite direction instead. I raise a brow, but still follow his lead.

“We're going to my room?”

“Yeah. Don't wanna make a mess in mine.”

"Wow." I roll my eyes and give him a smirk. “Love that you think it isn't one already, sunshine.”

He smirks in return.

As we follow the long, bending corridor that winds toward my room, Adam whirls out of one of the adjacent hallways ahead, striding toward us with that purposeful gait of his, matched by an equally determined expression.

“Where are you two going?” he calls out as he nears.

“To make important scientific discoveries,” Mason replies without stopping, clapping him on the shoulder as we pass.

Adam turns, raising a brow in question. “We need to debrief first.”

I glance away from him as we keep walking, unable to hold back a snort.

“Yeah, that's kinda the plan,” I mutter.

Mason curls his arm around me tighter, his chuckle echoing down the hallway behind us.

#the wayhaven chronicles #twc #twc mason #nate sewell #felix hauville #adam du mortain #mason #twc m #twc n #twc f #twc a #the detective #zfic #alex/mason #alexandra black

57 notes · View notes

darkhymns-fic · 6 years

Text

Poetry Isn’t Your Strong Suit

Lloyd's feelings for Colette could no longer be denied, but how else could he express them to her than just through second-rate necklaces?

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairings: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel, Genis Sage, Raine Sage Rating: G Mirror Links: AO3, FF.net Notes: Someone showed me a prompt and I ran with it.

Lloyd knew that he liked Colette ever since he was little, but it was only at thirteen years old that he was finally able to put his feelings for her into words.

Kind of.

Colette had sat at lunch alone when he first saw her, hair so bright that it reminded him of the polished metals his dad would use to craft. After that, his young mind then began to process other things; the way her voice lifted whenever she saw Noishe at the village entrance, how her white dress stood out in the classroom against the brown oak of the walls, and the day she held his hand when she brought him to her grandmother, hoping to share with him the baked cookies her family had made.

There were other girls in the class that he thought were also pretty, especially Professor Raine and her silver hair. But before he could join her fan club with the other boys, she had yelled at him loudly in front of everyone for sleeping during a lesson, and then gave him extra math assignments as punishment. The way she had shouted had been so frightening, which took away any pretty shine Lloyd once had for her.

Colette never shouted – sometimes she barely said a thing at all, and it took a few days for Lloyd to have her speak to him beyond simple polite greetings. After that, she would make faces at the math questions he showed her, and always marveled at the tiny little carvings he drew on the school desk (until Professor Raine found out and had him sit on the floor for the rest of that week). And when she smiled – when she really smiled, and not the kind she showed to adults from the Church or nodded with while in class – it made him happy. How her teeth would show, how it stretched her cheeks, and how bright her eyes would become, so much so that he tried to do all he could to keep them shining.

There would be many girls around with pretty hair, but no one smiled like Colette. On her last birthday, she had smiled so much, holding the necklace he made for her, shaped like an uneven star. It didn’t seem to matter to her that it wasn’t as good as the work his Dad would do. She had held it tightly between her fingers, and the feelings that he had been building for her in his chest, suddenly filled him to the point of overflowing. Something that made his heart beat fast, that nearly made him reach for her hands again until he held it back.

Lloyd wanted to tell her how he felt, but he was never very good at words, and…. he was afraid of saying so to her face. He then asked the smartest person he knew for help – his eight-year old best friend.

“You want to write what?” Genis asked. Both boys were seated before the small pond in front of Genis’ home. There was a tiny mound of pebbles placed between them, each trying their hand at skipping stones. Lloyd had the stronger arm to flick the stone straight past the pond’s perimeter, while Genis just lopped his own straight into the water.

“Just… like, a letter.” Lloyd didn’t look at Genis, keeping his eyes on the water and suddenly feeling very, very self-conscious about the whole thing. “For Colette. I want to write something for her. And I think I need your help doing it.”

He didn’t have to look to know Genis was frowning. “Sis says that your handwriting’s really bad.”

Lloyd started. “She’s not supposed to tell you that!”

“Sis tells me everything! And I’ve looked at your homework enough to know that already.” Genis continued their game, throwing another stone, once again smacking into the center of the pond. “I mean, I guess Colette might still be able to read it. What did you want to write her? Are you going away somewhere?”

“Um, no,” Lloyd said, confused. “Why?”

“People send letters to others when they’re far away, dummy. But you see Colette every day, so I don’t see why you need to? If you want to tell her something, just tell her!”

“I can’t… um…” Lloyd messed up his aim, the stone going off course to the left. “I can’t really say it out loud. Writing it just… seems easier... And you’re good at all that word stuff!”

A pause. “Just tell her you like her already.”

Lloyd’s stone hit right into the moss-covered fence, missing the pond completely. “How did you know?!” he asked, in awe of Genis’ insurmountable knowledge.

“Lloyd, after so long hanging out with you, how could I not know?” Genis finally succeeded in skipping a stone, hitting three splashes before it sunk. “Also, sis told me.”

Lloyd decided to be a little sulky at this, bringing his knees to his chin and staring ahead. “Jerk.”

Still, that was one hurdle overcome, and it gave the boy an opening that he took advantage of before it went away.

“You should just write my letter for me!”

“What?” Genis cried. “I’m not doing that!”

“Well, you owe it to me for being a jerk!”

“How was I a jerk?!”

Lloyd stood up, hand still clasping a pebble. “For saying my handwriting is dumb!”

Genis followed suit, his young face turning a light shade of red. “When did you ever care about that? And it’s true anyway! Besides, me writing your love letter for Colette is super weird!”

Lloyd stuttered out, “It- it’s not a love letter! And don’t say that so loud!”

“Oh, come on! Everyone already knows!”

“No, they don’t!” Lloyd countered, but struggled to think of a follow-up. It took him a full five seconds, fists clenched as he wracked his brain for something good to say. “And what do you know? You’re… only eight after all!”

Genis rolled his eyes. “That’s so lame.” With that, said eight-year old then turned around and lopped numerous pebbles into the lake, which shocked Lloyd to his core.

“That’s cheating! You can’t do that!”

“It’s my pond! So, it’s not!” Genis finished by crossing his arms, standing tall with a smug smile. That stance sparked a competitive beast within Lloyd, one that always seemed to come out whenever they played games together.

“Oh yeah?” He wound up his arm, aiming it at the pond again. “Check this out then!”

“Boys!” A shout reverberated from the house behind them. Raine had both hands on her hips, staring daggers at the children. “Please quiet down while I’m working. You two have been yelling the whole afternoon.”

Raine’s interruption was sudden. Her shout especially threw Lloyd off balance. Just when he was about to throw the stone, he wobbled and threw it at a completely opposite direction – toward Raine’s head.

“Ow! Lloyd!”

Lloyd had never run out of a place so fast.

Genis had come by his home the next day, lugging a giant textbook in his arms, and saying no words about his sister. He dropped it on Lloyd’s worktable, making the structure rattle from the weight. “That’s a thesaurus,” Genis said to Lloyd’s befuddled expression. “To help you find good words for your letter to Colette.”

Lloyd looked blankly at the book. “…Do I have to read all of it?”

“No, just find the page of the word you want to say, but better. It’s in alphabetical order.” Genis then raised an eyebrow. “You… do know your alphabet, right?”

“I’m not that dumb!”

“I’m just making sure!”

The book was as thick as one of his dad’s arms. Lloyd was wondering just how exactly Genis was able to make it through the long trek in the forest while carrying that around. He was good at magic, but shouldn’t he need at least one hand free to do any of that…?

Genis answered his unspoken question. “Sis came with me. She’s just outside.”

“Oh.” Lloyd grew nervous. “Um, is she…”

“She’s fine, though she’s got a nasty bump on her head.”

Lloyd was already not looking forward to Monday.

“Anyway, just use this so you can write your love letter to Colette. I even bookmarked the pages with the words you might want. Like ‘nice’, and ‘pretty’, and ‘the’…”

“I told you, it’s not a love letter!” That sounded so uncool! “But, um, thanks,” he said in a more somber tone.

Genis smirked. “Don’t think too hard on it anyway. I’d help, but Raine wants to try out a new recipe today and I have to make sure she doesn’t melt our cooking pot again.”

Lloyd had intense sympathies for his friend just then. “Sorry.”

Before Genis turned to go, he said, “If you really don’t like what you wrote, I guess I could try writing your letter for you. It’ll be really weird, but only if your letter is that bad. You’d have to rewrite it in your handwriting though. Colette would at least recognize that it wasn’t your writing for sure.”

Lloyd was tempted to jump at the chance. Since Genis let him copy his homework all the time, how was this any different? But then he thought about it, and about Colette’s smile. Is that something Genis would even notice?

“Thanks, Genis,” he said simply, still mulling over his thoughts, barely noticing when his friend finally left the room.

After that, Lloyd put all his willpower into just trying to open the humongous book. He immediately regretted this decision. He already had to write. Why did he need to read, too? Couldn’t he just copy one of those dumb love poems that the Professor made them read for literature class and be done with it?! Not that it was a love poem to begin with!

Lloyd sat at his desk, eyes glazing over the pages, idly noticing the bookmarks that Genis had placed. Why did he want to write this so bad? When he could barely write an essay to save his life, and his grade?

Colette had been so busy with her Church duties lately. She left class early to attend even more lessons, walking a far stretch of land to the temple. Despite how long Lloyd would wait for her, hours after school was already over, the sky would start to darken once she returned. So little time left together before he had to march back home with a whining Noishe. Colette would always apologize on those days, her hands unconsciously touching the necklace he made for her. If only he could have made a better one, if only he could say something that would make her magically stop apologizing and thinking everything was her fault.

He hoped that this letter would make her happy at least, if he couldn’t do all that. He wanted her to smile without fear, and he wanted her to cry whenever she wanted. There were tears in her eyes when he and Genis found her on her birthday, seated on the grass, away from the village. But she had wiped them away before they got close. Lloyd wondered how often she held those tears back. He wanted to tell her that she could cry in front of him if she needed to.

There were too many things that he wanted to say. He dug his fingers through his hair and pulled at them in frustration. “Argh, why does writing have to be hard?”

But like when he made her the necklace, he decided to push through. His skills may not be the best, but he could at least try! He searched for a piece of paper and pen, both so dusty from their lack of use. “Okay! I’ll do it!” he shouted to no one in particular.

It was the first time Lloyd ever pulled an all-nighter.

Lloyd could barely think straight the next morning.

The problem with getting little sleep was that it made his journey to Iselia a bit harder. Luckily, no monsters attacked him this time, and Noishe was more than willing to guide the boy. He was so tired that he was nearly falling asleep atop the dog. Colette, who liked to greet Lloyd everyday (and his cute doggy!) was waiting by the village entrance for him. She immediately noticed the bags under his eyes.

“Lloyd, you look so sleepy,” she commented with worry.

He smiled at her tiredly. “I’m okay, just… had to do chores and junk.”

She smiled back, going over to pat Noishe’s head, scratching behind his big ears and laughing as she did so. Her shoulder brushed past Lloyd, just against the inside pocket of his jacket.

The letter was in there.

Colette didn’t seem to have noticed it. “Ready to go?” she asked him, already starting on their way to the schoolhouse.

This was the time to give it to her. His hands still ached from holding the pen for hours. Bunches of balled up paper littered his room, which would result in an angry Dirk later for not cleaning up. All he had to do was hand her the paper he held close to his chest and tell her what he felt. He had done it so easily with the necklace, despite how much his heart trembled. But the way she was looking at him, so expectant, suddenly froze Lloyd’s limbs.

“Uh…” he started, throat all dry. Noishe sneezed behind him, making him jump. “Um, uh, y-yeah! Let’s go!”

Ah, damn it.

Colette was already leading the way as Lloyd followed her. He could call out and stop her at any time, but his hands were shaking. He had worked so hard on this! Just give it to her!

His numerous chances completely vanished once they finally walked into the classroom. Immediately, he was greeted to Raine’s face – and the small bandage on her head.

“Good morning, everyone,” Raine said as she was seated at her big desk. Sharp eyes latched onto Lloyd quickly. “Good morning, Lloyd. Glad you could join us.”

Wow, that bump really was big! Lloyd winced at the sight, shifting nervously on his feet. “Sorry about… um..” Why could he suddenly not talk today?

“It’s fine. Go take your seat. And Colette, you don’t need to be late yourself just because Lloyd is, too.”

“I- I know! I’m sorry.”

Lloyd watched forlornly as Colette rushed far to her seat, all the way on the other side of the classroom. He had missed his chance…

“Lloyd.”

“Uh, yeah! Sorry!”

It was normal for him to barely pay attention in class, but never before had his mind buzzed so much as it did now. Lloyd’s desk was shifted all the way to the right wall, ever since the ‘desk carving’ incident where Professor Raine thought it best that his acts of vandalism would not be spurred on by a gleeful audience (ie: Colette). Lloyd shifted every so often, unable to take sitting there for six hours until he could finally give it to Colette… but then, didn’t she have to go to the temple later for her Chosen stuff? Argh, he was never going to get it to her then!

Lloyd glanced at the blackboard ahead and saw Raine writing down some math equations. So boring! He knew Colette didn’t like math that much either. Sometimes, he would pass her notes while in class, usually with badly-drawn pictures of dogs (he could carve well enough, but drawing wasn’t his strong suit). But now she was rows away, so that was a bust. Maybe he could have handed her the letter then…

A brilliant idea lit up Lloyd’s mind.

“So, we will be going over the basics once more.” A collective sigh from most in the classroom. “Yes, I know most of you have this down by now, but this will be a good refresher. As well as help catch up those who are behind.”

A furious crinkling of paper whispered from Lloyd’s desk, but luckily Raine’s voice was louder, overpowering any other sound. Genis heard it however, turning around to spy at his friend who was bent over his desk. He was folding up something. Was he making those paper cranes again? Lloyd knew he could just do that during art class, didn’t he?

“Now, from the beginning. When you have one apple, combined with another apple…”

But Genis had never seen Lloyd work so hard on those things before. Being around two rows ahead of Lloyd, he couldn’t see very well, but strained his neck trying to anyway.

“Obviously, it amounts to two apples. This only increases the number of said apples, and not, as some would say, their apparent strength. Numbers can denote different values, and they are not equivalent for all situations.”

Lloyd sat up straight suddenly and seemed to smile at his own handiwork. It was a simple paper plane, though one miles better than what Genis could ever make. Then Lloyd turned to his left, one where Genis knew Colette was sitting.

That was how he was going to deliver his love letter?!

“Ms. Raine,” spoke up one student, a girl with thick glasses, who sat just ahead of the young Chosen. “Would it be alright if I can open the window? It’s getting very humid.”

Lloyd didn’t notice Genis’ open-mouthed stare. This was the best thing he ever thought up! He didn’t have to wait for who knows how long to give this to her. That and he wouldn’t need to just stand there awkwardly while she read it either.

He paid no attention to what was happening up front.

“Alright, Laura. You can do so. Now, let’s review fractions.”

Lloyd calculated the arc of his flight, and then flew his paper plane with careful force. Not like skipping stones, but he was usually better at this. The plane circled just above Colette’s head.

Then the window opened.

The breeze was a bit sudden, ruffling the pages of some open books. Colette brushed back some loose strands over her ear to keep them from flying in her face.

She never noticed the plane above suddenly change direction.

“Aw man!”

Lloyd’s cry of dismay was a bit loud, attracting numerous eyes. The paper plane continued to fly drunkenly above the ceiling, buffeted by light winds before it finally decided to settle on a flat surface with a less than graceful landing.

And it did so on top of Raine’s desk.

Raine looked to it, then back to Lloyd. “What’s this, Lloyd?”

The boy went very pale. Wow, this… did not go as planned at all.

The kids in the classroom then started to voice their own theories on the mysterious paper.

“Is it those doggy drawings again?”

“I bet it’s a gross picture of Ms. Raine!”

“No, it’s a love letter to Ms. Raine!”

“He can’t do that! He’s not in the club!”

Raine ignored all the mutterings and went to pick up the paper. “Well, if this is so important that you needed to interrupt our lesson, Lloyd, then I suppose you won’t mind if I share this with the rest of the class.”

“Wait!” Lloyd shouted. He got so frantic that he jumped right onto his desk, flailing his arms. “Don’t look! That’s not-!”

“Lloyd Irving, get down!

Raine already unfolded the paper plane, not checking if Lloyd heeded her words. He didn’t, standing stock still as she read aloud.

“Roses are red, violets are blue, out of a million people, I chose you…”

Genis slapped his forehead. “You started off with that?!”

“I – I was stuck on the first sentence, okay?” Lloyd yelled.

Raine continued, her voice completely stripped of all emotion.

“Please take my hand, and also know, that whatever you say, I will like the…” Raine squinted. “More? Moist? Oh, it’s ‘most.’” She sighed. “Lloyd, your handwriting has improved, but only slightly…”

The other students laughed, pointing at the boy who was still standing tall on his desk. He quickly scampered back down, but Raine continued to read. Did she know no mercy?!

“The rest doesn’t rhyme, but I want to say, I really like you and want to see you smile. But if you want to cry, that’s okay, too. You are…” Raine squinted her eyes again, though this time in confusion than out of any reading difficulty. “The superlative lassie with the prevalent aortic pump that myself comprehend of.” Silence followed shortly after.

“Wow, and it started off so romantic, too,” a student critiqued aloud.

Genis turned to Lloyd. “Why.”

“I was using the thesaurus like you said to! I wanted to sound all smart!”

“You could’ve just said heart!”

There was apparently more, as Raine’s eyes scanned the lower parts of the letter. But then she folded it up, deciding enough was enough. “Lloyd, while I am flattered you feel that way about me, please don’t throw your proclamations of love around in the classroom. Someone could lose an eye.”

The kids laughed, shouting popular love rhymes as Lloyd looked down, his face red. Though a few remained pointedly silent; the boys of Professor Raine’s club, muttering vengeance for Lloyd taking their beloved’s attention, Genis who was still wrapping his head around it all, and Colette, her eyes still that bright blue. Lloyd had sneaked a quick glance at her, and immediately felt like complete crud.

“Now, I appreciate a man that can transcribe his thoughts neatly. So, we will be going back to our handwriting lessons, Lloyd, after school.”

“Now he gets private lessons too? Come on!”

Unlike the other boys, Lloyd was not so thrilled. This was just another punishment, with even less time he would have with Colette. He looked back to the girl, but her eyes were forward again as Raine restarted her lesson. He hoped he hadn’t messed anything up.

Next time, he was just sticking with jewelry.

Genis couldn’t help but feel bad about the entire thing.

The day dragged on, Raine’s lessons already erasing the previous incident with little impact, except to Lloyd’s pride. The boy had tried to sneak away when class ended, but not before Raine called out to him.

“Now, Lloyd. If you really want to see me smile, you will do these extra lessons for me.”

Most of the class had already left, Colette earlier than most, as she once again had gone off early for Temple training. Only Genis straggled, as he always did to talk with his sister. He watched as Lloyd sulked, walking up to the front of the class.

“You know that wasn’t meant for you,” Lloyd mumbled, still embarrassed.

Raine’s face betrayed no surprise. Instead, she spoke, “Of course. I saw her name on it, no matter how sloppily written it was. And I was there when Genis decided to hand you our thesaurus, after all.” Then, her voice turned a fraction softer, preceding her words with a sigh. “I suggest you tell her your feelings in a more discreet manner, preferably not during class time.”

The boy had no defense to that. “Fine. Sorry.”

Genis wondered then if he really should have written the letter himself.

Lloyd was already morosely writing out sentences on the chalkboard once Genis left, the excuse given to his sister that he would start making her dinner. Despite being only eight, he was a fast learner when it came to cooking (and most other things too, of course). Besides, when one lived with Raine, learning to cook was a necessity.

Instead, he went down the path that led to the temple, where the shore was outstretched. He wasn’t really allowed to go out by himself, but his window of opportunity was short! He had to hurry before Raine would finally leave the schoolhouse.

He barely turned the corner to go outside the village before bumping into someone.

“Genis! I’m sorry!”

Colette had landed on her back, looking up at the young boy with apologetic eyes. Genis remained standing, looking down at her with some bewilderment.

“You know, Lloyd has a point. You really do apologize too much!” He reached for her hand, trying to pull her up as much as his little body was able to. Colette mostly got up through her own strength, but she thanked him all the same.

“Hey, Colette, I actually wanted to tell you something. Is now a good time?”

“Oh, of course!” she answered, hands clasped politely. No priests were with her now, not even her grandmother. This was probably the first time Genis had ever seen her walk by herself from the temple. “Grandmother had to finish up some things,” she said to the question in his eyes. “And they say it’s good training if I walk around this place by myself more often. So that I can prepare for my journey!”

She said this with such positivity that, for a moment, Genis saw something in her eyes. But it vanished so fast. Perhaps it hadn’t been that important.

“It’s about Lloyd and his letter, from today.”

“The letter he wrote to Professor Raine?” She smiled again. “She is really pretty though.”

“But that was for you!”

Colette paused, hands still clasped before her. Genis couldn’t read her face. He decided to just explain further.

“Lloyd wanted to write how he felt about you, but he’s so thick-headed and just didn’t give it to you like any normal person would. He even asked me for help and everything. So, all those things about red roses and your smile and…” A sigh, so much like his sister’s. “Aortic pumps, were for you. This is so weird for me to talking about, but Lloyd’s my friend and I just thought you should know!”

Colette remained silent. Genis then wondered if maybe this was the worst thing he could’ve done for his friend actually, but not like the other options were much better! “You don’t have to tell Lloyd or anything if you don’t like him back. I don’t think he’s going to be writing anymore love letters anytime soon.”

“I do, though.”

Very soft, a breath, one that was swallowed up by the ocean’s waves from far off. Even Genis’ nimble hearing could barely make out a sound.

“I do like him. A lot. So much… I’m sorry.”

Genis considered. “And you’re apologizing… why?”

Colette shook her head, though kept on her smile. It was wider, showing a bit of teeth, and her cheeks stretched enough to create dimples.

“I’m really glad all those things were for me. I’m so happy.”

This worked out even better than Genis had hoped for. He really was smart! “Great! Then you can tell him too and be all happy together.”

That smile faltered. Colette looked off to the side, where her home was. The sky was painted with hues of orange and gold, inviting a certain sleepy air to the world. “I, well, I can’t.” She looked like she would say more, but instead just shrugged.

Genis already had to cut short his self-praises. “Huh? Wait, why can’t you tell him?”

“I can’t.” She repeated. Then a shaking of her head. “I can’t.”

Genis blinked owlishly. Everything that had suddenly made sense to the smartest kid in class just as abruptly didn’t at all. “What? I don’t get it. If you like Lloyd, too, then why not…”

Colette smiled, with closed lips, and her cheeks as unstrained as possible.

“I don’t want him hurt, that’s all. So, keep this a secret between us, okay?” Hands fiddled before her, clasped together so tightly. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, well… okay.” Genis frowned, then just let out a tired breath. “I really don’t get you older kids though. Is this how I’ll be later?”

Colette giggled. “You’ll be great, I think!” She pressed her hands down her dress, addressing any invisible wrinkles. “Um, is Lloyd still in the village? I was hoping to see him after, but my training always lasts really late now.”

“He’s getting tutoring from sis, and suffering.”

“Oh no! Poor Lloyd.”

“I think it’s going to be done soon though. This is usually the time she gets hungry.” Then Genis flinched. “Argh, I have to start making dinner!” Before he rushed off, he said to Colette, “I bet Lloyd would be happy to see you!”

It was the last thing he could do for his friend, despite all this weirdness about feelings and secrets. He was glad to see that Colette nodded to that idea.

“I’ll go see him right now!”

“Great! I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”

While he rushed through Iselia, already catching Colette going through the school doors, Genis really had to wonder. Maybe this was what love was about, after all?

But what do I know, he thought to himself, pushing all the questions aside. I’m only eight years old, after all.

#tales of symphonia #colloyd #lloyd irving #colette brunel #genis sage #raine sage #fanfiction #one shot

20 notes · View notes

keysketches · 6 years

Text

[[ for @nohrdragonprince // @fe-holiday-exchange ]]

[[Can also be read over at AO3!

Fic under the cut~! Merry Christmas/happy holidays, nohrdragonprince!]]

The two sat in companionable silence, Leo lounging in a plush chaise longue and Kliff sat with his back up against it. Both held in his own lap a thick tome, and for some time the only sound they produced was that of pages being delicately turned.

They had for the purpose of today's visit opted for Leo's study. The better part of the area surrounding them lay in impeccable order, pristine and everything in its place... everything except for the mess atop the table right next to them, which could only be described as organized chaos. They, of course, would know where everything was and how to find what they were after.

Finally, after what to some might have felt an eternity, Kliff reached for a piece of paper - one of many they had ready to use as bookmarks - and, albeit briefly, breached the silence:

"Interesting passage here about a root hoshidan and nohrian magics potentially share."

Leo had looked over, attentive, and nodded. The two shared a quiet smile and returned to their research. It was a ritual they'd come to count on. At least once a month, Kliff would return to the nohrian capital and they would exchange their findings. On the rare occasion or two, they'd meet elsewhere. Sometimes they'd have tea. Other times they'd wander the courtyard and share in discourse. Infrequently they would even spar, testing what they had learned in a practical setting. Mostly, though, mostly they sat, and they read and shared their findings.

Lately though, a crinkle in his fine brow as he looked over the younger mage, Leo couldn't help but wonder if there was something he wasn't sharing.

How It Came About.

After the war, Kliff bid farewell to Alm and the rest of his friends. Then, he vanished.

He had gotten a taste of the adventure he'd long yearned for, but it was only that: a taste. He wanted, needed more. As nice as it might have been to stay in the newly formed kingdom of Valentia and lend a hand, something in his gut told him he would not find what he was looking for on his home continent.

And so he'd set out, taking with him only what he could fit within the confines of a small backpack.

* * * * *

The aftermath of the war left Leo with even more of an image to live up to. There was much to be done in terms of helping Xander, now king, with the rebuilding of Nohr in its new image. Undoing the damage done would not happen overnight. Many of the citizens were frustrated with the upheavals their way of life was seeing, and he could not rightly blame them.

They would have to adjust nonetheless.

As he walked the streets of the capital, he stood tall, proud, sharp eyes assessing the morale of the people on this new day. His hand lingered ever near Brynhildr, the tome warm and alive and comforting to the touch, and it lent him just that extra bit of authority should he require it. Already he was deciding what he might put in today's report to his eldest brother. Food was not as plentiful as it ought to be. There were still scrums in the streets aplenty, and general attitude did not appear to have shifted overmuch.

Then, he felt it. A tap on his shoulder. With a surprised grunt, Leo whirled on his heels to face whoever it was that had the audacity to-

oh. A boy- no, a young man, perhaps. Running a quick visual appraisal, Leo figured he and the stranger might be similar in age. Yet there was something about the pale-haired youth that gave the impression of knowledge beyond his years and the feel of a distant, faraway place... and this, not in the same sense that a visiting Hoshidan (rare though they still were) might come across as foreign, or even anyone from Cyrkensia, or... or...

Lips drawn taut in the midst of his speculation, Leo's lithe brows lifted in question. "Can I help you?"

The stranger, with his inscrutable, distinct crimson gaze, seemed to start at the query. He glanced away, rubbing idly at the nape of his neck. "I was just, hm, wondering if you were aware your collar was inside out."

The effect was immediate. Leo's cheeks flushed for an instant the colour of the tomatoes he was so very fond of. "Beg pardon?" No, no, no... How? He thought he had long left that careless habit behind. He'd long had enough of his siblings' teasing him for it and had actively sought to do something about it. So much for that.

"Your collar," the white-haired youth repeated simply, his stare even and distant, as though this were really no big deal.

And... It wasn't, Leo realized, annoying though it was. To his credit, a testament to his character, he bounced back remarkably fast. Tugging on the collar, he huffed, flipped it deftly around, and stood tall. "You have my gratitude." He inclined his head, and took that moment to further discretely study the newcomer, eyes surreptitiously narrowed in consideration.

No way the guy was from around here. From his dress to his manner... As the boy shrugged, nodded, and then turned to leave, Leo called after him. His instincts were after him not to leave the encounter at that, and who was he to ignore them?

"Wait!"

The boy turned and pinned that piercing, always searching stare of his on Leo. Undeterred, the prince pressed on. "What is your name?"

The boy tugged idly at his own collar, a furrow developing in his brow. Clearly, Leo remarked privately, he was not the only one who'd been studying the other. "Kliff," he said simply, affecting a second indifferent shrug before making to turn away anew. Not the sociable type, huh? Leo knew someone a little like that.

"Well met, Kliff." Leo had jogged a few steps to catch up and now walked abreast of the pale youth. If he really was a foreigner, then his opinion of the land might prove invaluable insofar as gauging how Nohr was progressing. He flashed the boy a ghost of a smile, just enough to show he meant no harm, but also enough to hint that he was far from done with Kliff's time. Kliff, for his part, appeared coolly resigned. His detachment was hardly enough to deter the prince. "From whence do you hail?"

"Far away."

Leo quirked now only a single brow. Cryptic. "Far away?" he echoed in challenge, bristling slightly despite himself as he easily matched the other's pace.

Kliff met him with a wry smile. "Who is a man to pry without even so much as giving a name of his own? I wonder."

Blinking back his surprise, Leo quietly grit his teeth before nodding in acknowledgement. "You've got me there. Forgive me. I'll admit I may have gotten ahead of myself."

The white-haired boy chuckled dryly, as though to say, 'may?'

"I am Leo, a prince of Nohr. My people are my primary concern, but foreign relations factor amongst my duties. I did not intend to pry for the mere sake of prying. You've no need to humour me, however I-"

"-Good."

Of all the nerve! Few and far between were those who who dared cut Leo off. The impertinence! The gall! The-

"...Because," Kliff continued, his smirk lacking malevolence but betraying his amusement all the same, "it's a bit of a long story, and I will admit I had no intent on sharing it. But..." The white-haired boy's stomach rumbled. He frowned in thought. "...I suppose I could be swayed." Leo perked up. He had a feeling he knew where this was headed. "If you want more,” Kliff continued, “the least you could do is treat me to lunch."

Bingo.

* * * * *

Kliff stirred his nearly empty cup of tea absently, his gaze lingering past the window to his right. It was a song and dance he'd not performed overmuch despite the extent of his travels and the number of people he'd met along the way. Try though he might, opening up remained difficult. None of the individuals he'd met could ever replace his Ram Village gang and, logically speaking, that was fine. He wasn't out to replace them. That'd be impossible. Still, he had to admit: a small part of him missed home. Or, more specifically, missed the people there.

Leo had skillfully coaxed from him not only where he came from but also the history of the events prior to and surrounding his departure. It helped that something about the guy felt oddly familiar. The tome at his waist certainly did him favours - though mages back home did not require the use of them, Kliff had long ago learned that this was not the case for most outside of Valentia. A fellow mage... And then there was his demeanour, too. Perhaps a bit easily frazzled concerning certain things but oh so quick to recoup his composure, and Kliff was already more than willing to bet he'd stand impervious when it really counted.

Of course, maybe he was completely wrong about that. Only time would tell, and he wasn't likely to stick around, so, it didn't matter, not really, and-

"You all right?" Leo questioned, taking a ginger sip of his own drink.

"Hm? Yeah. Just fine." Right. The blonde had posed a question, and he was supposed to be thinking about it. Whoops. "I decided fairly young that I wanted to go into magic. Just... something about it. I can't explain." Bless Sir Mycen, he'd excelled where it came to teaching them about physical combat and even a little where tactics against magic were concerned, but where the use of the art itself came into play... Kliff had had to rely on the few tomes of information he could scrounge up and on experimentation. Painful experimentation, more often than not, at that. "But they couldn't keep me away from the books if they tried."

As he spoke, he could see the telltale glint of interest in Leo's eyes. A fellow mage, indeed. How oh so utterly exciting. Kliff frowned, cupping his tea and pointedly staring into it. "And what brought you to magic, then?" He didn't look up, not yet.

The prince did not even have to pause to consider his words. "Much the same! A certain je-ne-sais-quoi attracted me to it from a young age. The feeling of raw power flowing through your veins, at your command... If anything, it was not so much that I chose the path of magic, but more so that it chose me."

Kliff nodded in understanding. He could relate. Looking up at last, he found himself suppressing a sigh. He was being studied again. And with the blonde's knit brow, with how he did not bother hiding his puzzlement, Kliff felt he knew what was coming next.

"You are a mage," ah, there it was, alongside subtle undertones of mixed suspicion and curiosity, "but wear no tome? What's your specialty?"

Kliff smirked but glanced away again, suddenly weary of this whole inquisition. His fingers drummed lightly, silently against the table. Insatiable curiosity to match his own had always been a bit daunting. And didn't this prince have better things to do?

Ah. Speaking of.

"Y-your highness!" A messenger had run up and, slightly out of breath, was stuck a moment leaning over his knees, panting for want of air. Then, at once, the man sprang up straight, offered a too-official salute, and got to business. "Your presence is requested three blocks south. A tussle has broken out over the new taxes and-"

"-say no more." Leo had already risen to his feet. "I apologize for cutting our meeting short," he offered Kliff. "Thank you for answering my questions. I would love to learn more about you and the land you hail from, but duty calls."

Kliff shrugged and grinned weakly. "Know how that goes." Alm had always followed that same call of duty, after all. He'd proven himself fit to lead long before he ever wore any crown.

"Perhaps fate shall guide us to another meeting. 'Til then." With a curt nod to punctuate his words, Leo exited, and was promptly followed by the messenger. He was asking something about a mount before Kliff could no longer hear them. Brows lifted skeptically, Kliff reached over for the rest of the tea in the nearby pot. Waste not, want not.

Maybe they would indeed meet again some day, he mused. He wouldn't be fussed if not but, in truth, the guy really hadn't been that bad.

* * * * *

Leo reached forward and patted his horse's neck. All around him were trees in bloom, pink petals drifting peacefully unto the earth. Straightening his posture, he pulled one of the petals from his hair and observed it a moment in the palm of his hand. It reminded him of that demure, pink-haired hoshidan noble. Had she not been named after these particular trees? Maybe, he mused idly, she would be present at the forthcoming meeting.

His thoughts were suddenly dashed by a distant yelp of pain. Glancing back at his retinue, he nodded and at once set forth, giving his mount's reins a quick snap and leaning forward to guide the way. He gave little heed to the fact that they were a couple hours past Hoshido's border already, and thus many things sat outside of his jurisdiction - someone needed help. And while the prince did not consider himself overly charitable, he also was not completely heartless, damn it.

Carefully but quickly arriving on the scene, Leo wasn't sure what to expect. Certainly, it wasn't this: a trio of brigands - with their attire and demeanour, they could hardly be called aught else - had surrounded a boy with too-familiar white hair. Except they had scattered even before Leo and his crew came fully into sight. One of them was clutching at his belly and looked to be in not so good a condition. The others looked on, wary but slowly creeping forward anew.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!"

Kliff's words went unwisely unheeded as the two remaining bandits advanced, slowly closing about him. With a scowl, he threw his hand over his head. A magical circle of a brilliant violet filled with runic symbols flared to life beneath him, its glare almost blinding to the unprepared. Then, out of thin air, a bunch of shard-like blades materialized and, upon the boy throwing his hand in his opponents' direction, they flew, vicious, blood-thirsty missiles seeking victory.

And victory they achieved, most handily. His enemies downed, Kliff stood tall and, casually dusting himself off, snorted haughtily. "Warned you."

It was as he was stooping down to pick up his backpack from one of the thugs that Leo and his retinue dear near, startled expressions worn by one and all. Leo was the quickest to master himself, however. "Impressive," the prince noted, giving the impromptu battleground a cursory sweep. That the young mage had dealt with three all to himself was no small feat, but more than that...

"You did that with no tome. How?"

Shouldering his pack, Kliff looked over his shoulder skeptically before beginning to stalk his way down the path. "I'm fine, why thank you so much for asking."

With a huff of annoyance and frustration both, Leo urged his horse forward until he was maintaining a pace abreast of his surly acquaintance. "My apologies, I saw what you did back there and got a bit one-track minded. The awe of new, foreign magic... You know how it is, I imagine?" The prince offered a rueful smile.

"I would prefer if you weren't so quick to assume but... you're not wrong," Kliff offered, wearing a teasing smirk of his own. "Leo, was it?"

"That's Prince Leo to you," one of the men bringing up the rear tossed, keen on decorum right up until the moment the prince in question shot him a withering glare. He could well speak for himself, please and thank you.

Looking back toward his company, Leo simply nodded. "I'm pleased you remember me. But you're still deflecting, Kliff. I must know how you came by magic sans tome - it will keep me up at night, I swear it! From one mage to another."

Kliff offered a sheepish laugh and shrugged. "It's just how we do it back in Valentia. I've no charms to give nor tricks to share. Our magic pulls not from a book or conduit but from the self." He shrugged, as if that was that - and by his estimation, it may as well have been.

With a dissatisfied huff, Leo leaned back in his saddle, brows furrowed and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he considered Kliff's words. Not requiring a tome could prove quite the advantage over one's enemies... Not that they were in a time of war any longer, but he could not help looking to the future. Humans were inevitably creatures of habit and, for whatever reason, that habit - if books of lore and history were of any indication - included battle and chaos.

Still, he had no cause to disbelieve his fellow mage. The scarlet-eyed youth had seemed fairly frank - if albeit a tad curt - the last they had met.

"That's a shame, but so be it." For now, at any rate. "May I ask what brings you to Hoshido?"

It was Kliff's turn to huff, albeit with good humour. He crossed his arms loosely over his chest. "You ask a lot of questions of me for a man sitting atop his horse. I should think, given the terrain, I would prefer to focus on my footing."

With a groan and a resigned mutter, Leo slipped from his horse's back and fell into step beside Kliff. Happy now? his expression seemed to ask. If he wanted to play that game, Leo had no problem challenging him. He was a prince, yes, and perhaps his station was considered above treading in the mud, but bollocks to that. He had to keep his eye on the prize, after all, and whatever individual wasn't willing to get a little dirty for that was unworthy of victory. "Are you always like this?"

Kliff met Leo's amused expression with a bemused chuckle of his own. "Always like what?"

Leo rolled his eyes and laughed. Kliff grinned back, all dimples in a rare moment of openness.

"So, what brings you to Hoshido?" Leo prompted then. Keeping an eye on where he was going all the while, he couldn't help his mind wandering, if briefly, back to the cherry blossom petals gently falling about them.

"I already told you,” Kliff said. “Traveling. Honing my magic. Expanding my knowledge. Et cetera." He shrugged.

"Ah! Standard wanderer fare, then." Leo snorted with sharp amusement when Kliff shot him a searching look for his comment. "How do you expect to do all that if you won't stay and chat awhile with fellow mages? Skirting opportunity is not wont to do you any favours."

Kliff looked skyward and squinted at the sun lightly filtering through the sakura branches. "Figured I'd sort that out as I went."

"Hm. You didn't strike me as the sort to go without a plan." Goading.

"Hm. I thought we talked about assumptions." Not so much goading as prodding.

"Fair enough. Say, would-"

"-Look, I'm really not much for small talk." And that was that.

The two fell thereafter into silence for the better part of the remainder of the walk until soon enough, a town came into view.

"Think we ought to split ways here," Kliff said. A statement more so than a suggestion.

Leo nodded. "Sure. But, I was thinking. I will be in Hoshido's capital over the next few days before returning home to Nohr. I should think it a shame if you did not drop by to say hello before departing. You say you're not much for small talk but then, neither am I - but I do not consider matters concerning my studies to be merely small talk. It might be interesting to share techniques and the like."

Upon seeing Kliff's impassive features, Leo merely shrugged and went to mount his horse. From atop the black beast, he loomed, looked down with an unperturbed gaze of his own. "Mull it over, at least. And think about your purpose for traveling in the first place."

Kliff shrugged again. "Yes mum. I'll get right on that."

But in truth, the prince had given him some food for thought.

* * * * *

And so, some weeks later, Kliff inevitably found himself on the nohrian prince's doorstep. Before fully parting ways, Leo had quickly penned and given him a letter, a token to be offered to the guards so that he might make his arrival known. The letter in question he now handed over, saw it couriered, and voila - someway, somehow, Kliff found himself escorted to Leo's study, and the two got to work.

For all Kliff's insistence that he wasn't much for small talk, the two eventually fell into easy banter. Two equally analytical - not to mention equally pragmatic - minds, they started at first just talking about magic and their own experience with it. Occasionally they interjected with some tidbit from their past, though both were to some extent guarded, reclusive, more business than not even amongst peers.

Months passed. Years. Kliff's visits continued. Their time together was always short but always productive. Leo trusted him enough at this point to vent if he needed to. About his role in Nohr's future. About his siblings, at times, and how frustrating they could prove no matter how he loved them. About Hoshido and how confusing some of their customs could be, and about this one girl who kept running through his mind. About this and that. The usual things friends shared.

They were indeed friends by now, Kliff had supposed one day, and at the realization he hid behind his quiet smile. It was a nice thought. Maybe this was what he'd been looking for all along. Certainly they had both learned a great deal through their practice and research.

And yet...

Both knew before anyone said anything that this was to be the last day. For now, at least.

Standing at the edge of the study, rucksack edged onto his shoulders, Kliff glanced back at the prince sitting in the chaise longue. It was obvious he was purposefully averting his gaze. Hm. Kliff glanced away. This was harder than he'd thought it was going to be.

Anxious, he cleared his throat.

Leo looked up, lithe brows lifted in careful consideration. He maintained his silence. Then, he shifted so that he was sitting up facing Kliff. His hands knitted together and sat austerely in his lap, he waited.

"I'm leaving," Kliff said, and felt annoyed with how he'd more or less mumbled it. Coward. But as he continued, he gained strength, found his resolve. "I'm not sure when I'll be back." He did intend to return, though. That ought to count for something, right? "I think I might go home for a bit."

Leo shrugged, nodded. "That's understandable." The other had been away from home for a long time now, after all. The prince could not fathom doing the same. There was always so much to take care of, here. "Do as you must." The ghost of a smile danced on his lips.

Neither of them were familiar with expressing overt sentimentality - and perhaps it was for the best that way. Kliff nodded and grinned. "Look for me if you ever happen to visit Valentia."

Leo nodded. Of course. That was a given. "I will."

#feholidayexchange #nohrdragonprince #leo #kliff #fire emblem #shadows of valentia #fates #fe15 #fe14 #fic #art #modern AU #fanart

9 notes · View notes