Title: Don't

Summary: Fernand decides to leave The Deliverance and Clair has something to say about it.

Rating: T

Author's Note: Personally I felt that the moment where Fernand said that he loved Matilda in game was out of place and made little sense. Clair however, clearly meant a great deal to him. Outspoken as she was, I felt it would be fun to write up a scene where she actually spoke up when Fernand left. I intend this to be a One-shot but I may do more with it in the future!

Don't

Clive's back smacked the wall and with his words of hatred Fernand snatched the breath from Clair's burning lungs. The blonde's knees knocked together as her hands balled into fists at her sides. Her nails pressed crescent moons into her exposed palms as she tried to find her grip. For once Clair could not speak.'Stop this at once' her thoughts willed the words into her mouth. Soft pink lips pressed into a hard, unbreakable line and she shook her head slowly.

Fernand's ivory knuckles turned paper white as his long fingers knotted into Clive's shirt. Tension rocked his entire body as he gritted his perfect teeth "I lost my taste for this long ago!" the noble spat. Clive's blue eyes remained steely and unfeeling. It was as if he'd been waiting for his childhood friend to admit it. In her own head, Clair couldn't make sense of that. It was true that the two had been bickering a great deal more, still they were best friends!

It all happened so fast. In a matter of seconds Fernand released Clive and disappeared down the main corridor. Alm was the first to speak, his words were all but lost on Clair whose world was crashing down within her mind. Soft murmurs. That was all she could hear. Only when Clive stated that he wouldn't be going after his friend did her mind switch into a new gear. "How can you say such a thing?" the words fell from an anxious mouth.

"Clair." Her beloved brother responded softly "You must trust me-"

"No Clive!" The blonde raised her voice as her hands found her hips and her nails dug deeper into her palms "I refuse to stand idle while you run head first into a situation you will live to regret!"

"As much as it pains me to say this, Fernand has changed. He is no longer the man I knew. We must all make sacrifices to win this war, Clair. You yourself just agreed that now is the time to adapt. In order to survive this ordeal we must look at the bigger picture and Fernand remains blinded by his prejudice. I too wish with all my heart that this was not the case but we both know that he will never change." The calmness in her brother's voice that would usually bring Clair comfort only made her blood boil.

"Do you truly believe that, Clive?" It sounded like a question but the pegasus knight left no time for her brother to answer, "All at once you expected so much of him!" Her stomach was in knots, she hated to argue with Clive but he was wrong to give up on Fernand. "Without warning you appointed a stranger the leader of The Deliverance! Our Deliverance! While I wholeheartedly agree with your decision, I vehemently disagree with how you went about executing it!"

"There was no good way to make such an announcement in Fernand's presence. I thought it best to get it over with. How would you have had me do it, Clair?" Clive raised a blonde brow as his arms crossed over his chest.

"Perhaps a less public conversation!" Her delicate hand gestured toward the small troop to her left.

"Clair-"

"I have had quite enough of this standing around. Excuse me while I make an attempt to smooth this over." She turned on her heel with an ushered grace and started down the corridor on a mission. There was simply no way she could allow Fernand to leave The Deliverance. After all it was Fernand and Clive who initially started the group. It would be wrong to abandon it now.

Clair drew in a deep breath as she stood outside of Fernand's bedroom door. The room was located at the top of the first main stairwell. Clive's was perfectly adjacent to it. Lately they spent more time at the camp than they did at home. Clair was no exception. She swallowed the knot in her throat and knocked softly with the side of her hand. A few moments of utter silence passed and she cleared her throat "AHEM!" Every fiber of her wanted to kick his door down. It was incredibly rude for him to ignore her. Again she turned her hand, favoring her pinky as she knocked softly but insistently. Blood rushed color to her face as she felt the sting of neglect welling up inside of her. "AHEM!" Clair turned her full fist on the door and began beating it racket flooded the entire corridor, bouncing from wall to wall as the wood cried out beneath the blonde's assault.

Clair shifted her weight onto one leg and crossed her arms as she tapped her foot impatiently. Surely he would open the door now. Moments passed and it became clear that Fernand was not going to answer her which forced her to be rude. Delicate hands thrusted forward and forced the heavy door to swing open.

The pegasus knight stormed in with every intention of reminding Fernand exactly who she was but as the door shut behind her and her eyes found her old friend, Clair felt something break inside of her. She froze, folded her hands behind her back and bit her lower lip. The silver haired male remained in place. His hands shook on top of the wardrobe he'd flipped on to the floor. On his knees, with his jaw clenched and tears teasing the corners of his dark eyes, Fernand was the center of the disaster he'd left the room.

Clair glanced around, almost impressed at how much damage he'd done in the short time it took her to come and find him. Nothing that once stood upright remained in its correct position. His bed, desk, candlesticks, and armchair and all been tossed to opposite ends of the room. The heavy wood frame that once held his mattress swelled outward, bursting around shallow craters. He'd even emptied out his book shelf and covered the floor in it's contents.

"Poor thing." The blonde quipped as she took a slow step forward "You've made such a terrible mess." As she moved, Clair was careful not to trip over any of the clutter.

"You presume to pity me?" Fernand rasped "Were you never taught that a woman should not be alone in a room with a man who is not her brother? Get out!" he snapped.

"Oh Spare me. This is hardly the first time you and I have talked alone." The wardrobe creaked a bit as she took a seat beside Fernand. She sat with one leg crossed over the other while he knelt on the floor and placed his face in his hands. "You cannot possibly mean to leave us, Fernand. Not after all this time."

"There is no place for me with The Deliverance, Clair. Not anymore." Fernand husked as he wracked his fingers through his long bangs.

"Even if that were true, you would still have a place with Clive and I." Her tone was blatantly matter-of-fact.

"It is true, Clair." His eyes were downcast, away from the blonde beauty. "You stood there with the rest of that rabble and bore witness to what just took place."

"You will stop referring to Alm as 'rabble' and yes, I did." Brown eyes narrowed as her pink lips pursed "It is a fine mess the two of you have made."

Fernand's head snapped up and anger flashed through his eyes "The two of us? Clive is the one who would have all we have worked to achieve destroyed!" A blue vein pulsated near his right brow as his jaw locked as he inched closer to Clair.

"While it is true that my brother should have talked with you in private regarding the leadership matter, it is also true that you should better learn to control that temper of yours." Clair rested a delicate finger against the tip of his nose.

"He wishes me to take orders from a worthless farm boy-"

"That farm boy rescued me."

"You know full well that I was on my way." His ivory fingers crawled up her cheek and cupped the side of her face "I would never allow any harm to come to you."

"How can you keep such a promise if you leave?" Her eyes searched his as she covered his hand with her own. Fernand's eyes searched her face with such intensity that she could feel his gaze upon her skin. It was as if he were trying to memorize everything about her. In the moments it took for a fleeting smile to grace his lips, the light left his eyes. He'd made up his mind. "Don't." Clair whispered.

Pain flashed through his eyes and for a moment he looked like himself again. Fernand blinked and his softness melted away with a sneer "You will have your farm boy." A harsh shove cast her to the floor and Fernand was gone.

Blonde hair fell over the pegasis knight's shoulders as she picked herself up. Clair shifted onto her knees and dried her tears with her gloved thumb. Her mouth set into a hard line and she willed herself not to chase after him. Such a thing was hardly ladylike. Come now, her thoughts whispered. Get it together.

"Clair?" Clive's gentle voice met her ears as his frame filled the doorway.

Trembling lips forced the most beautiful, glossy smile as Clair stretched out her arms and arched her back. "One moment please." Once again, she was solid teflon. "It would seem that Fernand has chosen to pursue a different path in life, the fool simply would not listen to reason."

"I know you did your best." Clive responded matter-of-factly.

"I wish him the best, now back to a more pressing issue." Her heart all but skipped a beat, "This room is an ungodly mess. Someone must clean it up immediately."

"I will be sure to attend to it swiftly."

"Indeed."

"Will you be heading out for a spell?" The blond male asked with a tenderness.

"I shan't be gone long." She promised.

With grace the blonde passed Clive by. As she made her way back toward the entrance, Clair kept a steady pace. It wasn't until the sun kissed her cheeks and there were no longer prying eyes to spy that the noble girl broke into a full sprint. Between breaths, Fernand clouded her mind. Emotions that were nearly too much for her to comprehend bubbled up inside her chest. Her breath hitched and she feared that at any moment her heart would burst. There were tender moments between them, all intimate and stolen in pure secrecy. All so precious now that nothing would ever come of them.

From the sky, on the back of her pegasus, Clair watched as Fernand left the camp. "You fool." She whispered as tears broke against her hands that clang for dear life to the reins. "You promised."