"Almost more trouble than you're worth"
by Sara Jaye

My first Fire Emblem fic! Yay! :D This is a short piece set early
in the game, based on a conversation between Kent and Sain in chapter 1. I
liked those two almost immediately, their interaction always makes me smile
and their characters work so well together. XD

[Fire Emblem isn't mine, I'm just borrowing the characters for a while.]

-

"That was close!" Lyn sighed. "This latest gang of bandits certainly meant
business." She glanced over at Florina and smiled gratefully. "We couldn't
have done it without you and your lance. Thank you," she said. Florina
blushed.

"It was nothing...I-I just wanted to help, and Sain was hurt pretty
badly," she said quietly.

"Speaking of which..." Lyn glanced over at Sain. "How's your leg?"

"Milady, as much as I appreciate your concern, please stop worrying!" Sain
said. "Tis but a scratch!"

"For 'just a scratch', you're bleeding pretty badly," Wil pointed out. "At
least put some rags around it or something!"

"I'm fine!" Sain insisted. "Really!"

"Then stand up."

Sain got up quickly, only to stumble and yell out in pain a second later.

"Owww!"

"Sain!" Kent growled softly, rushing over to his friend's side. 'This
happens WAY too often for my liking...I always warn him, one of these days
he's gonna get himself killed if he isn't careful out there! Sometimes I
wonder why I even bother worrying so much,' he thought. Glancing over to
Lyn, Florina and Wil, he smiled. "Don't worry. I'll take care of him, you
guys go set up camp."

"All right." Lyn smiled, handing Kent a couple of rags. "Sain, you stay
off that leg," she cautioned. "It looks REALLY bad."

"Yes, milady," Sain winced.

"Thank you. We'll try to be with you shortly," Kent said. Lyn, Florina, Wil
and the tactician picked up their things and left.

"She worries too much. We're supposed to be protecting her!" Sain said.

"That may be the case, but that doesn't give you the right to charge
blindly into battle and nearly get yourself killed," Kent said sternly.
"God, look at all that blood...it's a wonder you haven't passed out yet!"

"Guess that guy messed me up pretty bad, didn't he?" Sain laughed a little.

"This isn't funny, you idiot!" Kent said sharply. "You're lucky he didn't
cut it clean off!"

"Why are you giving him so much credit? If he was so great, then why was he
beaten by a slim lance?" Sain asked.

"Well, considering you were already pretty weak, and didn't have any
vulneraries on you..."

"Okay, okay, spare me your lectures, please! I'm in real pain here!" Sain
groaned.

"I thought you were just fine." Kent rolled his eyes.

"Well, that was before I tried to stand on it," Sain said. Kent sighed,
taking one of the rags Lyn had given him and dipping it in the nearby
stream.

"Just hold still," he said, dabbing the rag over the wound. Sain shuddered
slightly.

"It's freezing!"

"Don't tell me you can't handle a little cold water," Kent said.

"That wasn't a complaint!"

"It doesn't sting?"

"Only a little...but I can handle a little sting!" Sain smiled. Kent raised
an eyebrow, but continued to run the cloth over the wound until the blood
was cleaned off.

"Now, I'll just wrap it and then we can catch up with the others," he said.

"Thanks, Kent." Sain smiled. "I owe ya one."

"You always say that. And every time, I tell you the only thing you owe me
is to be careful out there," Kent said.

"And?"

"And you AREN'T!" Kent tied off one of the rags. "At least today you
weren't."

"Florina was gonna get attacked! I had to do something!" Sain argued.

"You rushed in to save her and SHE ended up saving YOU!"

"Well...at least I tried!"

"And we appreciate your effort," Kent said. "But next time, at least make
sure you're using the right weapon before you go charging in there." He
nodded with satisfaction as he tied off the last of the rags. "There. Now
keep it still for a few minutes," he instructed.

"All right. But we're gonna have to get going soon. Lady Lyndis will worry
if we're not back before it gets dark," Sain said. Kent nodded.

"Hey, Kent?" Sain asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"You're always yelling at me if I'm careless, you complain about how much
of a pain I am...then if I actually GET hurt you freak out and worry," Sain
said. "I mean, it's nice that your little 'Oh, you're such a bother'
grumblings aren't serious, but...I dunno..."

"You're wondering how I've put up with you for so long?" Kent laughed a
little.

"Yeah." Sain glanced down at his leg.

"Well, there are a lot of reasons," Kent said. "One, if I'm not looking
after you then who else will? Someone has to keep you from getting yourself
killed."

"Hey, don't make me out to be some kind of stupid weakling! I can fend for
myself just fine!" Sain's brow furrowed.

"I know you can. But you're so reckless sometimes," Kent said. "And I don't
want you getting yourself killed."

"I know," Sain sighed, drawing his good knee up to his chest. "I guess I
feel kinda bad for making everyone worry."

"Hey, we only worry because we care," Kent said.

"But doesn't it drive you crazy sometimes? In all the time we've known each
other, you've had to be the voice of reason while I was running around
chasing women," Sain said.

"I admit, being the practical one does get tiring sometimes," Kent said.
"But if someone has to do it, it might as well be me. Just comes naturally,
I guess."

"And we love you for it," Sain laughed.

"So much that you tell me to lighten up at least once every day?" Kent
raised an eyebrow.

"Well...I don't want you to worry so much you grow old before your time! I
mean, we're still young! Just cause we're fighting in a war doesn't mean we
can't enjoy life!" Sain said.

"True." Kent moved a little closer to Sain and glanced at the slowly
darkening sky. "Sometimes I wish we didn't have to worry and watch our
backs every second. But this is what is, and this is what's going to be
until we've won."

"I know." Sain closed his eyes for a moment, leaning slightly against Kent.
"And as long as we're in this, I want to do everything I can to help Lady
Lyndis. I've promised myself...I'm not going to let her down."

"That's the spirit." Kent smiled, patting the hazel-haired knight on the
shoulder.

After a few more moments of silence, Sain looked up.

"We ARE gonna win, right?"

"Of course! Lyndis's Legion may be small, but we're determined!" Kent
grinned.

"Good." Sain smiled. "And who knows? Maybe more people will join us along
the way."

"Maybe they will." Kent glanced at the sky once more. "Now we should go
catch up with the others, it's getting dark. How's your leg?"

"Still hurts, but the throbbing's gone down a little," Sain said as he
tried to stand. "Oww..."

"Here." Standing quickly, Kent helped Sain up and slid an arm around his
back. "Lean on me. We'll have to find you a stick for tomorrow."

"Thanks." Sain draped his arm across Kent's shoulders and smiled. "Of
course, I may not need a stick for that long," he said. "You know me! I
heal faster than anything!"

"Right, Sain."

"Really!"

"Sir Kent! Sir Sain!"

The men turned around to see the tactician heading towards them.

"Ah, Lucy." Kent smiled and waved to her. "We were just heading back."

"I apologize for our prolonged absence," Sain said. "My companion here
wouldn't let me stand up until the bleeding slowed down."

"You've got a good friend, then," Lucy said. "Sain, how is your leg
feeling?"

"It hurts. But with a good night's rest, I'll be up and about by tomorrow
afternoon," Sain said. "Even earlier, if need be! After all, I've got to
be there to protect Lady Lyndis and Florina in the battles!"

"Just remember, I'm not sending you into a battle if you're still hurt,"
Lucy said firmly.

"Have I ever said no to a beautiful woman?" Sain smiled. Lucy shook her
head. There was never a dull moment with this company.

"Let's go, guys," she said, turning around and walking back into the
forest.

"Well, now that it's dark I guess we should head back quickly, before the
others do worry about it," Kent said. Sain nodded. Together, they headed
back to the forest where the rest of the company waited for them.
Tomorrow, they would plan their route to the border of Bern.

-End-

Wow, first fanfic I've finished in over a month! ;; Gotta keep
up with my writing.
I liked writing this. Kent and Sain have such a fun,
interesting relationship-Sain's always being reckless or chasing girls,
Kent gets annoyed cause he doesn't want him to get himself killed...in
fact, the title came from one of his lines. XD The way he always looks out
for a guy who annoys him really says something about his devotion. XD
And a minor note: Lucy is the name I gave the tactician in one of
my saves.