The very first night he joined the Shepherds Gaius lay awake, listening to the rhythm of rain spattering against the shutters in the men's dormitory. During the skirmish at Ylisse Castle he could be sure he saw her. And it was undeniably confirmed earlier that evening when Chrom's little sister shouted "Maribelle!" over the clamor in the mess hall. He felt the hairs on his neck stand up as he stole a covert glance at the noblewoman; she blotted her mouth daintily with a napkin, aiming a playful reproach at the young princess. Perhaps it should not have surprised Gaius to see her amidst the army of her halidom, but nevertheless he found himself stymied by the happenstance. He had only glimpsed her once before – at the trial of her father, the Duke of Themis – and could never have imagined her becoming a soldier, let alone seeing her again in the first place.
Maribelle's eyes flicked over the in the direction of the thief for the briefest of instants and Gaius nearly toppled off his seat in a fruitless attempt to appear nonchalant. With his back to her table, Gaius returned to the meal before him, only partially paying attention to the conversation between Donnel, Kellam and Stahl. By the time he convinced himself to turn around again, Maribelle had already left the dining area.
The rusted springs of the cot moaned loudly as he flung his body into a new position. Thunder rumbled dully outside and he wished in vain that a lowborn outlaw such as he would be easily forgettable. Her father's trial was almost two years ago at this point. However, during its conclusion in court, Maribelle shot Gaius a look so piercing and venomous that he was certain he had made her list of permanent vendettas – not to mention the fact that their second fateful meeting found him in company of rebels plotting to murder the exalt.
Perhaps the most maddening aspect of this whole scenario was the fact that Gaius found himself so helplessly discombobulated. He had always been proud of his roguish streak, but the whole business with the Duke of Themis had been a source of disquiet for him. It was the first time he felt truly responsible for the life of another, an innocent – he then began to fully comprehend the gravity of his actions and their consequences. This course of personal evaluation also became the impetus for joining the Shepherds upon discovering the plot against Emmeryn's life (although Lissa's stash of candy certainly did "sweeten the deal").
He would have to make an effort to explain everything to Maribelle, he thought. It would likely be worse than pulling teeth, but they were comrades in arms now; Gaius knew that ignoring the tension was hopeless and could even be problematic from a tactical standpoint. He groaned and pressed his palms against his eyelids until he saw stars exploding across the blackness. Working up the courage just to breach that haughty veneer of hers was going to be a tall order even for someone as charismatic as himself. It was either that or desert the Shepherds immediately… in the middle of the night… on his first day…
Furthermore, he worried that Maribelle would reveal his involvement in the attempted robbery of the royal treasury to Chrom before he could clarify the facts. Would it really make a difference to her anyway? he wondered. He doubted Chrom would take any kind of disciplinary action, yet Gaius could not seem to reconcile a nagging feeling in his mind that his own reputation suddenly mattered a great deal. Exasperated, he nestled further under the wooly blanket, willing himself to get a good night's rest.
A/N: This is my first attempt at fan fiction! I'd like to see this story progress into romance (and maybe, just maybe, a lemon/lime). Thanks for reading ^_^
* cover image source: scribbledabble (tumblr)