by Sara Jaye
Drabble written for Superbus on LJ.
"You've gotten better since our last match, Lyn!" Hector set his axe down and ran a hand through his hair. Lyn smirked.
"Well, out of all our matches, I'd say we're about even with wins and losses," she said as she re-sheathed the Mani Katti.
"You sound like Eliwood," Hector snorted.. Lyn raised an eyebrow.
"You're comparing me to Eliwood?"
"No, I'm not comparing you to Eliwood, I just said you sounded like him," Hector said. "I could never compare you to him, you're way too different!"
"Well, obviously we are!"
"I didn't mean THAT different," Hector said, stifling a blush as he stole a glance at her figure. "I meant...well, he's him and you're you and that's that so let's not get any further into this!" he said quickly. The plainswoman laughed a little.
"Thanks for clarifying," she said, removing the sword's sheath from her belt and laying it on the ground. "So, shall we fight another round, or go back to camp, or just stay here for awhile?"
"I dunno." Hector sat down on a patch of grass and leaned back against a tree. "Everyone's off doing their own thing, we might as well just sit here for awhile," he said.
They sat there in a peaceful silence for a while, enjoying the nice weather. After many days of rain, it was nice to see a clear sky.
"Say, Hector?" Lyn said at length.
"Yeah?"
"About earlier, when you said 'I wouldn't do this for just anyone'...what did you mean?" Lyn asked.
"Eh?" Hector raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I said what I said, there wasn't any hidden message in there."
"Then...why did you turn red and change the subject so quickly?" Lyn moved closer, and Hector fidgeted a little.
"I did not!" he protested. "The enemy really was coming at us!"
But the sudden splash of color on his cheeks gave him away.
"Enemy or no enemy, you were blushing...like you are now," Lyn said. "Hector, there is something you were trying to tell me, isn't there?"
"No!"
Lyn shrugged.
"All right, then. I'm sorry, Hector...if you're shy, I shouldn't press you for answers," she said.
"Hey!" Hector glared slightly at her. "I'm not shy! I'm the complete opposite of the word, ask anyone!"
A pause.
"...Well...around my friends and on the battlefield, that is," he mumbled.
"Well, aren't we friends?" Lyn asked.
"Umm...yeah, but it's...it's different, cause you're a woman!" Hector lied.
"It's not because I'm a woman. I've seen you talk very freely with Serra and Fiora," Lyn said.
"...Well...they're just people..." Hector kicked at the ground. 'Damn it! How do other guys do this without getting all stutter-jitter!' "Yeah, Serra's just a vassal and Fiora is such a serious person it's hard to imagine her as just a woman or something..."
Lyn giggled.
"Why, Lord Hector of Ostia, have you fallen for me?" she asked. Hector sputtered.
"WHAT! Now what's all this about, I say a few things and you go jumping to wild conclusions! Have you been hanging around Serra or something!" he blurted out. "Besides, you're a country girl, you're supposed to be more naive than this!"
"I'm not naive about other people's feelings," Lyn said. "Hector, ever since you said those words to me, you've been acting differently. You always ask to be partnered with me on our marches, you always tell me to be careful even if the enemy isn't too strong...is this what you meant by not being able to compare me with Eliwood?"
For several moments, Hector felt like his head was going to explode as he tried to sort himself out. He knew he'd felt this way about her for some time, but admitting it was a whole other story.
Lyn was so different than the other girls, at least in his opinion. Not that the other girls were boring archetypes, but...Lyn was just different. She wasn't just a mixture of noblewoman and country girl, she wasn't strong or weak or quiet or loud...she was just Lyn.
"Yeah," he finally said. "You got me, Lyn...I can't compare you to Eliwood, or Serra, or Fiora, or anyone else." He edged closer. "You're special."
"Because I'm the marquess of Caelin's granddaughter, or a mixed breed?" she asked, a bit jokingly.
"No..." He laid a trembling hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Because...you're Lyn."
Now it was Lyn's turn to fall silent and blush.
"Hector," she finally said. "I have to admit, that sounds a little strange coming from you."
"Yeah, I..." Hector rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "I'm no good at this stuff, I didn't wanna get sappy but I didn't wanna sound too gruff, so I just said what was going through my head at the moment."
"My mother used to say 'if you can't put your feelings into words, just say what's in your heart or on your mind'," Lyn said.
"She must've been a smart woman," Hector said quietly. Lyn nodded.
"She was..."
He pulled her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"So, now that you've forced it outta me," he teased, "are you satisfied?"
"Quite," she said, smiling. "And doesn't it feel better to be open with your feelings?"
"Well, if I hadn't been we wouldn't be having this moment," Hector said, resting his chin on top of her head. The plainswoman closer her eyes and nestled further into his embrace.
"I thought so."
It would be a while before they finally headed back to camp.
If it weren't for the whole Sacae factor, I think I'd ship this pairing more strongly. They really do have a great interaction, and I loved writing this story.