Author's note: this is also known as "let me get this rarepair idea out of my head, please." Lovely as it is.

Fire

The log crackles as it settles in the fire, bright red embers burning in its flesh. The woman pokes it with a stick, helping it sink further, the flame giving off less smoke and more heat as a result. She smiles.

She's sat at the entrance to a small cave. The light from the fire helps make it feel warm and homely. Outside, sheets of rain coat the world with humid obscurity. She squints, trying to see through the downpour. Her companion shouldn't be long. Idly she squeezes some of the damp out of her hair, rests her doublet on a nearby rock to dry, and sits and hums.

She's not much good with songs, something she's a touch self-conscious about. It's hard not to be when your mother and brother are both talented song birds that could sing a tune so sweet, even heartless kings can't help but feel moved. Still, she smiles and hums a bit louder. She hasn't seen her brother and mother in many years, she misses them sometimes... But if she hadn't left...

"Ah, there you are." She grins broadly, upon seeing the shape striding through the trees.

"Soleil..." The other woman smiles, despite the rain plastering her hair to her face. She lifts the game in her hand up. "I caught dinner."

Soleil pouts upon seeing the dead hare. Ylisse had no end of cute animals compared to Nohr or even Hoshido. She wasn't going to go hungry on its account, but she was much fonder of eating bear and other less cute things, even if the meat was tougher.
"You're lucky you're so cute," she says, standing up to pull her companion in from the rain. She plants a kiss on her cheek as she takes her catch from her. "Love you, Lucina."

Lucina smiles sheepishly, shrugging the water off her shoulders as Soleil goes to skin their meal. Her cape is set to hang from the tip of her spear near Soleil's doublet to dry by the fire. Her armour comes off to rest at its feet, along with her shield and greaves. By the time she's managed to brush out some more of the rain water from her hair, Soleil's got the meat skewered on sticks and cooking over the fire.

"You did well to get this fire going in this downpour, Soleil." She says finally as they both sit on the bedroll Soleil had put down near the fire. "It can't have been easy to find dry wood."

"I got lucky," Soleil chuckles, blushing slightly. Lucina's eyes are full of affection. It makes her heart throb. "How about you? Any luck with the scouting mission?"

As always, Lucina's face turns serious as she thinks of her task. Her back straightens and her gaze looks forward, her chin jutting out in that distinctive way that enchanted Soleil from the minute she met her.
"Yes, they're camping out on the plain above the waterfall, a league west from here." She relaxes a little, leaning back against the cave's walls. "The weather's likely going to stay this way until this time tomorrow. I don't see them upping camp any time soon."

Lucina's eye twinkles as she glances at Soleil, a small, sly smile on her face. "We've got time to relax for a change."

Heat swells in Soleil's chest. Lucina's smiles are much rarer than she'd like, but they are so infinitely interesting. Whenever the corner of her lips twists away from her default expression, one that apparently passes for a smile in the courtly circles of Ylisse, it causes palpitations in Soleil's heart as she strives to identify the exact nature of it. She wants to collect every one of them.

She must have been sat staring, because she startles upon feeling Lucina's lips press against her cheek, that same flirtatious smile still there.

Okay, it is getting much too warm for her tastes.

"Soleil, what..." It's Lucina's turn to be flustered, still unsure how to react whenever Soleil pulls off her shirt.

There's a low growl in Soleil's throat as she tosses her top to the ground, rolling onto her knees to reach the taller woman's shoulders. Whatever Lucina was away to say next is lost as Soleil pulls them together into a tight hug. The spear user laughs as Soleil's scabbard is knocked back and they both fall back on the roll.

"You're so darn cute!" Soleil says, her voice muffled as she hides her face in the crook of Lucina's neck.

"Says you," Soleil can feel movement in Lucina's jaw, bemusement probably. The smaller woman holds her tighter as Lucina chuckles again. "You're so bright and wonderful, Soleil. I..."

Soleil lifts her face up to observe Lucina's as she hears the change in her tone. She shakes her head to keep the pink tendrils of her hair from obscuring her vision. Lucina's left eye is twinkling like starlight. Soleil knows she could lose herself in her gaze any day of the week.

Seeing Lucina hesitate, her breath caught in her throat, Soleil smiles warmly, wrapping her legs around Lucina's and waiting patiently. She has so many honeyed words fighting to pour out, but she knows the wait will be worth it.

Tears well up in Lucina's eyes, causing Soleil's smile to falter for a second. Lucina shakes her head, a watery smile on her lips.

"I love you, Soleil."

It's not the first time Lucina had told her this, but every single time she says it, it is so heartfelt that every piece of Soleil's soul melts. The tears are flowing freely from her lover's eyes as Soleil is grasped tightly in Lucina's arms. She squeals when Lucina rolls them over, her bare shoulders connecting with the damp earth beyond the bedroll, but she doesn't mind. How could she when Lucina's kissing her like it was her purpose in life?

The fire crackles. The rain keeps hammering down from the heavens. The hare meat sizzles as the two women lose themselves in each other, hands caressing, mouths searching, and eyes twinkling.

"Only you," Soleil chuckles as Lucina nips at her throat. She'd been an astonishingly quick study in finding ways to get Soleil feeling incredibly hot and bothered.

"Hm?" She hums, pausing slightly. Naturally Lucina would make Soleil elaborate on a comment like that.

Pushing herself up on her elbows, Soleil looks sardonically down at the woman in her lap. Lucina's dark hair is splayed out like a cape over her lithe shoulders. Soleil wants to see them, tear off the tunic and body glove covering them.

"Only you would save your tears for when you're happy," Soleil's hand drifts down to tilt Lucina's chin up. Her thumb wipes away one trail of tears as she kisses the other, feeling Lucina lean into the touch. It was rare for her to be so relaxed, Soleil usually needing to coax her into anything so heedless. Those rebels plotting against her father must have been really pinned down by the weather for her to allow herself a break in her constant vigil. Soleil's other hand fumbles for the hem of Lucina's tunic. "Here, my love, let me..."

Soleil has little trouble getting Lucina out of her tunic once she removes her belt. It's normally a battle to get Lucina out of her turtle neck, but today there is little resistance when Soleil bares her to the warmth of the fire and a million butterfly kisses to each and everyone of her many battle scars. At some point they remember to move the hare meat away from the heat, before it burns. Soleil feels Lucina's hands on her own belt dragging her away from the food before she can even consider whether they should eat it now. Lucina soon makes it obvious what she hungers for when she moves down between Soleil's thighs.

Soleil is glad for the thundering noise of the rain. The way Lucina's mouth makes her sing, she'd be embarrassed if anyone else heard.

By the time she's returned Lucina's affections in full, they are two sweaty, glowing huddles under their blankets, relaxing by the fire with a bite of chilled hare each. If this is what Lucina is like when it rains, Soleil thinks, she'll just have to take her to visit Nohr one day. But she wouldn't, she thinks, glancing at Lucina as she attempts to delicately eat a leg without making a mess. Lucina is a butterfly that deserves nothing but sunshine, she thinks, and the sooner the two put an end to this threat to Exalt Chrom's rule, the sooner they can return to their adventures together in the Out Realms.

"Say, Soleil..." Lucina says, the last of their meal resting in a bowl, both stomachs full as Soleil puts one final log on the fire for the night. "What song were you humming when I got back?"

"Hm?" It takes her a moment to recall. "Oh, that?" Soleil looks away, only slightly embarrassed. She hadn't thought Lucina would've heard that. "Just a song my mother used to sing to me when I was little. You remember how my parents were away a lot when I was growing up? Sometimes, when I think of them, I'll hum that song to myself."

"I'd love to meet your family one day." Lucina smiles warmly, her hand grazing Soleil's arm.

"Maybe you will..." Soleil replies easily. She tries not to think about how her mother disappeared without trace, not even a goodbye. Last she saw her father, he was searching the libraries of Ylisse for any means to find her. He'd had no luck in Nohr or Hoshido. After meeting her grandmother, Soleil hadn't had the heart to stay by his side any longer. She had felt the need to move on. Meeting Lucina afterwards had been a gift.

Lucina must have noticed the falter in Soleil's words. Her gaze turned serious and she pulled Soleil into a hug.

"Will you sing that song for me?" She asks. Her voice is kind. The request is light. Soleil knows she could refuse, but she doesn't. She doesn't ever want to shy away from Lucina.

"Alright, but don't laugh... My brother is so much better at this, but here goes..."

And Soleil sings, tripping over her words, missing a key here and there, but the words still come forth. Her mother always seemed so sad when she'd finish the song, the same way Lucina looks when she mentions her upbringing. Soleil feels selfish when she finds tears filling her eyes. Her body isn't riddled with scars like Lucina's. She knew little of her mother's troubles, refused to let her mother dwell on sad things when they were together, but Soleil knows her troubles cannot compare. It doesn't stop her from crying, just as she would as a child, when she knew her parents were going away, back to that war they hid her away from. It never seemed like a day had passed for them, but she knew the times between their visits got longer and longer, that both her mother and father grew wearier as she grew in years. She forces herself to remember the joy she felt when her mother was there, singing with her in her lap. She tries to retrieve the feeling of joy and piece Lucina had given her that evening. She relishes the warmth and security of Lucina's embrace as she stumbles through the next verse.

She'd much rather be dancing with Lucina in the fields, in the sun, surrounded by butterflies and flowers and cute rabbits and birds.

Instead she falls asleep in the arms of her lover, feeling distinctly homesick and worrying about what had happened to her mother.

Her cheer the next morning is forced, and the sad bend of Lucina's brow lets Soleil know that she is not fooled. Still, she makes no comment as she oils her armour and packs up camp. The rain looks set to let up shortly after lunchtime.

They set out towards the rebel's camp, sword and spear at the ready, feet light on muddy slopes. They're in luck. The rebels don't look set to leave anytime soon, and they too seem to have taken the opportunity to relax, if the empty bottles of wine littering the camp are any indication. Even the lone sentry seems to be nursing a hangover, hanging his head low in a dripping cape.

"Now's our chance," Lucina whispers. "Will you manage to subdue that guy and then meet me in the leader's tent?"

"No problem." Soleil grins, her mind already turning to the job at hand. She stretches out her wrists but stills when Lucina grips her shoulder.

"Once this is done..." Lucina seems to want to say more, but stops and shakes her head, smiling earnestly. "Once this is done, you get to pick where we're headed, okay?"

Soleil stares dumbly for a second before nodding. She turns away quickly, lest Lucina see the fire in her cheeks. The sentry doesn't stand a chance.

Maybe it is time for Soleil to check up on her father and introduce her new girlfriend. He can't have gone far in a year, right? Maybe he'd have some good advice on...

The pommel of her sword collides with the back of the sentry's head. She smiles. She'd cross that bridge when they got to it.

Fin.