I had just gotten out of a meeting with the other lieutenants when I heard it. It wasn't an innocent question at all, and just hearing it made my insides heat up and squirm uncomfortably. But strangely enough, at the same time, it shook my natural curiosity to life.

"What color do you think Sergeant Melchiott from Squad Seven wears?"

I stood by the open door and visibly tensed. They were talking about Alicia objectionably. I clenched my fists and listened in to the conversation. There was raucous laughter in the group of young men for a moment. A couple seconds passed before they calmed down and one of the men in the crowd answered.

"She seems like the kind of girl to wear white. Pure and kind-hearted…"

"Naw, I bet she wears black. You know, seductive and sensuous…"

"Yeah, I've seen the way she hangs all over Lieutenant Gunther. That's probably it."

There was more laughter within the group at the different suggestions. I had heard enough by that point, so I stepped forward and cleared my throat. Everyone looked at me and all color seemed to drain from their faces. I tried my best to glare at the group of men.

"Don't speak of my sergeant in such an offensive manner. Do I need to report this behavior to your squad lieutenants?" I tried to sound as stern as Alicia had coached at one point and smiled inwardly at their reactions. The men hastily bowed and gave their apologies before fleeing the scene.

I let out a sigh and turned to head back to my office. They really didn't know Alicia like I did…

"Welkin? Are you heading back to your office?" I nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. I turned back around to face her.

"Oh, hey Alicia," I greeted, trying in vain to sound casual. She just raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say to the guys that just ran past me? They looked pretty pale…" Alicia clutched her clipboard closer to her chest and shifted her weight to her other leg. I tried to ignore the swish of her skirt.

"Uh, nothing much." I scratched the back of my neck nervously. I couldn't get their question out of my mind. "By the way, did you need something?"

Alicia brightened up at my inquiry. "Yeah! Actually, I just baked some more bread and wanted to know if you'd eat some. You seemed to like it so much last time…" She blushed and shot me an expectant look.

I let a smile spread across my face and nodded. "Sure, I'd love to eat some more of your bread."

The corners of Alicia's mouth twitched upward. "Okay, follow me!" Without warning, she grabbed my hand and led me toward the kitchen. Unbeknownst to her, I was trying my best not to focus on her skirt, which seemed to fly increasingly higher with every step she took. After a good couple minutes of walking, we somehow made it to the empty kitchen without any mishaps.

I collapsed on a nearby stool with a weary sigh. Ever since I heard that question, I couldn't put my interest in the issue to rest. A plate of fresh buns floated in front of me and forced me to look up at the smiling Alicia. She sat on the stool next to me and offered the plate again. I looked down at it, but I couldn't help but catch a glimpse of her skirt riding up her thighs.

"Are you okay, Welkin? You've been acting kind of strange today." Alicia leaned in closer to examine my face for any signs of illness. I shrugged. Maybe all I needed was a good drink… "I'll go get you something to drink, okay? Maybe you're just thirsty from being in that meeting too long."

I nodded and took the plate from her. It boggled my mind how she could seemingly read my mind like that. She turned and headed for the sink, but Hans decided that was the perfect time to pass by. Needless to say, Alicia tripped over the poor, clueless porcavian, which caused her skirt to flare up. I blinked once then twice.

Pink.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Alicia looked around for the cause of her fall, but Hans was nowhere to be found by that point. Finally, her gaze locked with mine for a split second. A moment passed in silence before she spoke again. "Where are you looking, Welkin?"

I didn't miss the threat in her voice and wordlessly pointed at the ground next to her.

"There's an ant right there." True to my word, there was an ant there. Alicia jumped up and nearly cried out in surprise.

After Alicia got over the initial shock of tripping and landing next to an ant, she retrieved a glass of water for me. I took it gratefully and ate all the bread she had placed on the plate. Once I had finished, she seemed satisfied and took my dishes away. I stood up and turned to leave, but a thought tugged at me from the corner of my mind.

"Pink is a nice color on you." I knew my face had paled at the sound of my involuntary words. I hadn't meant to say that out loud! I chanced a glance behind me and saw a stunned Alicia. Her face appeared to be on fire.

"I-I'll… keep that in mind," Alicia whispered just loud enough for me to hear and went back to her task of washing the dishes.

I was sure my face was burning as well. I left the kitchen without another word and stood out in the hall for a minute. At least I had the satisfaction of knowing the truth that the other men didn't. It was pink just like her face at that moment…

I walked away from the kitchen with the intention of giving Hans a treat.

A/N: Lawl. I don't even know where this came from. But you know Welkin… When he wants to know something, he'll find out one way or another. On another note, what is it with me and Valkyria Chronicles fanfiction lately?