A/n- Is it bad that I wrote a Rutger/Clarine fic while working on my other Rutger/Clarine fic? Probably, but I did it anyways. So this has nothing to do with the other one, but same basic backstory is in play for Rutger. Oh, and Elimine Day= Christmas since I don't think Jesus existed in Elibe.
Ilia's harsh, wintry conditions had finally taken a break on the advancing army, they were marching toward the mercenary Zealot's castle home to retake it as a part of their plan to liberate the icy nation, but they had stopped for the day. Most of the army appreciated the rest after the fight they had just had in the blowing snow and darkness, but one member was complaining, as usual.
"You know, I don't remember signing up for traveling to Ilia when I joined this army." Clarine said shivering from the cold ever so slightly. "If I would have known this were going to happen I would have brought my winter dress. What? Don't look at me like that Klein, you didn't know either!"
"Maybe not, but I do thing you're exaggerating just a bit there Clarine." The level headed Archery General answered. "It's not that bad."
"You just think that because you're thinking about that pegasus knight girl you like." Clarine countered and Klein really didn't have an answer for that because she was right. So he decided to try and change the subject.
"That reminds me, I have a gift for you." He told his sister. "I know it's not much, but Elimine Day is tomorrow and I wanted to get you something." He said pulling out an Angelic Robe from his satchel. "And no, I didn't take this from the convoy, but it was the only thing on the way here that I thought you would like that I could find in a shop."
"Oh Brother, it's wonderful!" Clarine said forgetting about the cold and hugging her brother tightly. "I think this will go great with my dress, or maybe I could use parts of it for a headband or scarf."
"Well, you can do whatever you like with it, it's yours now." Klein said with a smile. He truly loved his sister, even if she was still a bit childish at times. "Don't worry about getting me anything back, this was just a last second thing."
"Nonsense, I'll find something for you." Clarine told him. "Just give me some time and I'm sure that you'll love it."
"I'm sure I will, but for now I must be off. I have someone else I need to talk to." Klein told her and she just smirked knowing it was Tate. She wasn't the most stylish woman in the army, but she made her brother happy so she had no qualms with her. But that got her thinking about someone else, someone she admittedly was starting to fancy. She couldn't see him anywhere though. She turned around still thinking about him and her brother's gift when she ran straight into him. She started to fall, but he caught her.
"Careful, the ice here is bad for your footing." Rutger said in his deep monotone voice as he helped her back up. He had his permanent scowl on his face, but Clarine could tell that it was his 'neutral' expression.
"And the temperature is horrible for my legs it seems. Don't you just hate this cold weather?" She asked him. She was more comfortable that she ever was around him, especially after he told her she could come and make him laugh every now and again.
"I suppose that it does slow me down a bit." He commented. Though he was inwardly thinking that he was lucky he wore a long robe and not the short skirt Clarine did. "Try to be more careful, I won't be here to catch you every time." And with that he left. Usually Clarine would yell at someone for being rude for talking to her like that, but she knew Rutger well enough to know that it was him actually caring.
I should get him something for Elimine Day. Clarine thought to herself, finally getting back to her thoughts. But what though? A new sword? No, we have a bunch of those in the convoy and I wouldn't know which one to give him anyways. New Clothes? No, he seems to really like those robes. Then it hit her, and it was even an Elimine Day tradition. She quickly ran to the main camp and to her friend Dorothy's tent.
"And I swear to Elimine that's all I said to her and she ran off." She heard as she walked closer to the tent.
"Uh-huh, sure." Was the response she heard back from Dorothy. That Saul must have scared off another woman with his 'preaching'
"Am I interrupting something?" Clarine asked from outside the tent.
"Not at all, come on in. Saul was just leaving." Dorothy answered. Clarine entered and Saul bowed on his way out. Lucky for him he didn't see Clarine's disgusted look. "He's not that bad, but he really needs to learn some tact."
"He'd hit on me if Anima tomes didn't beat Light tomes." Clarine commented before straightening her skirt and sitting down. "But that's for another time, I have something important I need to ask you."
"Is it about my training to be more proper? Because I've been working on it, I swear." Dorothy said clamming up a bit.
"No, not this time. I was actually wondering if you had any mistletoe on you, you said you cook and that's a plant right?" It was a weak connection, but who else was she going to ask, Dieck? Fat chance.
"Yes it is, and it's poisonous. You're not planning on killing anyone are you? I mean more than we already are." Dorothy asked a bit confused.
"No, no, no. Look, it's Elimine Day tomorrow and I want to give someone I like a gift. It's a custom that if you hang mistletoe somewhere and you catch someone under it you kiss. That's why I want some." Clarine explained.
"Oooh, that makes a bit more sense then." Dorothy said relieved. "Luckily for you I do happen to have some, swiped it from Saul before he tried something similar." She took it out from under her cot and handed it to her friend. "Think of it as my gift to you."
"Oh thank you Dorothy, this is great. And I promise I'll give you a present tomorrow, once I think of something to give you. It won't be another lesson, I promise that as well." Clarine said getting excited again.
"That would be nice, thank you." Dorothy said even more relieved. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, who is it that you're doing this for?"
"Rutger." She said simply and Dorothy's eyes shot wide. "Oh come on, it's a good idea."
"Maybe take a vulnerary or two as well." Dorothy told her. To most everyone else in the army Rutger was a red blur of death and blood, and they treated him as such. Clarine shook her head slightly and left the tent to find out where Rutger had gone off to. She figured that he was practicing as always, so she followed the sound of metal hacking at wood and eventually she found him. She watched from a distance until he stopped swinging at the tree, and when she did she called out to him.
"Hey Rutger, over here!" She said a bit nervous. She was now reminding herself that she hadn't ever been kissed by a boy she liked, and it was making her shake a bit more than the cold was. Rutger turned around and saw Clarine and when he did that she pulled out the mistletoe and raised it above her head. "Look what I have." She said in a singsong voice. What she didn't know is how much that was going to hurt him.
"I don't know what that is." He lied as he turned his back to her. Of course he knew what day tomorrow was, his father was a follower of Elimine and would always make sure that he would spend Elimine Day with him and give him a nice gift. And even if his mother still held onto the Sacaen beliefs of Mother Earth and Father Sky, he remembered the days she would hang mistletoe on the ger's doorway, just to get a kiss from him. The memories from all those wonderful times just rushed back all at once and he was holding back so hard from not just slicing the tree in front of him in half.
What? How doesn't he know what this is?! Clarine thought to herself while having a shocked expression on her face. Was I wrong? Does he not like this kind of thing? Of course he doesn't you idiot, have you ever seen him do anything romantic? Stupid, stupid, stupid. He probably doesn't even like me like that, who am I kidding? She started to sob as she thought these things and even with the blowing wind Rutger could hear it. He made the mistake of turning his head to look at her and he felt like a complete and udder ass for making her cry because of his stupid emotional damage.
Idiot, this is the only person in forever that you've let in this deep and you can't stop yourself from making her cry every time you see her! What is wrong with you?! He thought, internally yelling at himself. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but her, but he truly did care about her, maybe in more than just a friendly way, and he kept kicking himself every time he made her cry. So he did the only thing he could think to do. He swallowed his sadness and walked over to her slowly. Without words he wrapped his arms around her. She was completely speechless for once, but he wasn't done. He moved his head closer to hers and planted a quick kiss on her cheek before she could say anything.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." He said quietly afterwards, but this time he figured it wasn't enough. "It's not you, it's just... I have memories of Elimine Days with my family and that mistletoe just brought them to the surface." Clarine was shocked, that was the most he had ever talked about himself.
"I-I didn't know." She responded, wiping a tear away. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to do something nice for you, since, you know, I kinda like you for some odd reason." Rutger couldn't help but chuckle slightly at that.
"It's okay, I appreciate the thought." He told her and Clarine was relieved. And warm.
"I think I like you being this close to me." She said before she caught herself. "I mean for body heat of course, nothing else!" Rutger chuckled again and everything was normal again.
"Just remember, tradition says next year it goes on the lips." He said with a grin as he backed away towards the tree he had been slicing up. Clarine was speechless again as he walked away, but then suddenly realized what he said.
"Is that a promise?" She asked with a mix of curiosity and sarcasm. Rutger just shrugged and went back to his training.
"You tell me." He said still grinning. True, he was still hurting from the inside, but it was moments like this where his true personality shone. And Clarine liked it.
"Well, you better not die then, don't make a lair out of me." Clarine joked before turning back towards the camp and walking towards it. When she finally reached the center another thought hit her and froze her in her tracks.
He kissed me. Rutger did something romantic, for me, after I hurt his feelings. Does that mean?
"Lady Clarine, I wouldn't be standing out here in the cold like this, the sun is about to go down." Wolt said passing by and interrupting her thoughts.
"Thank you Wolt, I was just zoning out there for a moment." Clarine told him and he was surprised he didn't get yelled at. But with the way she was smiling, something good must have happened to her.