I love these two because this is one of the rare Kellam supports that doesn't mention his invisibility problem, and I love it. I'm also stuck in rare pair hell, send help plz.
Also, this festival will probably be a setting for future prompts for other pairings. Be on the lookout for those.
Also, also, two of my other pairings that I'm gonna be writing about in this series are mentioned here, so enjoy that preview.
Kellam had never been more nervous in his entire life.
The knight had come to terms with the fact that he was invisible to nearly everyone, destined to never stand out and spend his days alone in the shadows. Even his best friends, Stahl and Donnel would sometimes forget about him, but luckily they always remembered eventually and felt terrible about it. It was worse with most of the women in the army. His attempts at friendly conversation either ended up with him being completely ignored, or accidentally scaring the wits out of them when they finally noticed his presence. It seemed like it would be a never ending cycle of disappointment and loneliness.
And then he met Cherche.
He had thought that she would act the same as the others in the army when he tried talking to her, so he was rather shocked when she immediately responded to he inquiry about his trousers. He was then caught completely off-guard when she started calling him 'cute' and 'adorable', and he was left flustered for the rest of the day. Stahl had called him a dense idiot, insisting that she was definitely flirting with him. Donnel had eventually agreed with Stahl, after observing Cherche initiate most of their future conversations and continuously gush about his adorableness. And then she had asked to 'spend more time together' with him. Which led him to his current situation.
He, Kellam, the most forgettable person in this army, was going on a date. A date with a beautiful, smart, strong, amazing woman. A date with Cherche.
"You really need to calm down Kellam." Stahl said as he helped his nervous friend straighten his tie. Donnel nodded in agreement as he tried in vain to get his messy purple hair to cooperate with him. Chrom had given the army a day of leave, due to a festival taking place in the town they were camped near. Given that the army had turned into more of a matchmaking service – much to Chrom's annoyance – many of the soldiers were taking the opportunity to spend time with the objects of their affection.
"I'll try Stahl. But this is the first date I've ever been on. What if I blow it?" Kellam said, taking deep, steady breaths to calm himself. Stahl laughed as he let Kellam help him with his tie.
"You'll be fine. Just be yourself and have a good time." Stahl said, running a hand through his green hair. With a quick look in the mirror, a satisfied look crossed his face and he turned to his friends.
"Alright, I'll see you two later. Lissa gets impatient if I keep her waiting too long. Good luck!" he said, and took his leave of Kellam's tent. Kellam watched him go and sighed; Stahl's words had not convinced him.
"Ah Kellam, don't be so down. I reckon we all get a little nervous on our first dates. This'll be my first with Olivia too." Donnel finally said, sighing with frustration as he decided to give up on fighting with his hair. Kellam nodded. Being in the same boat as someone else did ease his mind a bit.
Donnel soon left to meet up with Olivia, leaving Kellam to stare at himself in the mirror. He was wearing an orange dress shirt with a black tie to match his black dress pants. A fairly simple outfit, but it suited him. He took a deep, calming breath and set out to meet up with Cherche.
"Ah, there you are Kellam."
Kellam stopped when he spotted Cherche waiting for him at the edge of the camp. His breath caught in his throat as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a halter top, backless red dress that fell to her mid-shin. Her hair, which she normally wore cascading freely down her back, was pulled up into a neat bun, with some loose hair framing her face. Kellam had never seen someone so beautiful, and it took all of his willpower to keep himself from gawking rudely at her.
"H-hello Cherche. You look...beautiful." Kellam said nervously as he approached her, keenly aware of how hot his cheeks were. Cherche smiled brightly at him, causing his heart to skip a beat.
"Thank you Kellam. You look very handsome yourself. Orange really is your color." Cherche said as she placed her hand in the crook of his arm. Kellam stared at her hand for a moment and gulped, trying to fight of his nerves that threatened to make him lose his cool and run away.
"S-shall we go?" Kellam said. Cherche nodded and they made there way to the village.
The festival was vibrant and upbeat, with many food stands and fun games that rewarded winners with prizes. It didn't take long for Kellam's nerves to be forgotten, because of how much fun he was having. They tested out the many different foods on display, and Kellam managed to make Cherche laugh herself to tears when he managed to smear some dessert across his face. Kellam had also managed to win Cherche a small wyvern carved out of wood, by successfully fooling a woman who claimed that she could guess his age. As the night wore on, they found themselves standing just outside the village, under a large tree that stood on the shore of a large lake.
"This is a good night Kellam," Cherche said as she gazed out on the smooth, shining surface of the water. Kellam nodded in agreement as he squeezed her fingers, with were entwined with his like they belonged there.
"Yeah. The weather is perfect. It's kinda nice to be able to forget that we're actually at war, even just for a day." Kellam said, looking over at her beautiful face that seemed like it was glowing in the moonlight. She really was the picture of perfection tonight.
"Kellam." Cherche said with a serious tone after a moment of silence. She let go of his hand and turned so that she was facing him. Kellam stared at her nervously, waiting for her to continue.
"Before I joined this army, I had built up a resolve to not bother myself with trying to find someone to court as a partner." Kellam's face flushed a bright red. "Being tied down to a knight is a hard life, one I would not wish on any normal man. But then I met you." Her eyes locked with is, which were wide as he continued to listen intently.
"Your calm and protective presence drew me to you Kellam. You are so kind and helpful to everyone, even if people overlook you too much. I've..." she paused for a moment and shifted nervously as a faint blush appeared on her face, "I've come to care for you. A lot. I was hoping that you would possibly feel the same about me."
Kellam took a moment to process what she had said. This felt like a dream, but real it was. He must have been born under a lucky star to have somehow gained the attention of the most beautiful woman in the army.
He must have been taking too long to answer, because Cherche frowned and gazed at the ground.
"If you don't feel the same, it's okay. I'll just-" she began, but the rest of her sentence was cut off when Kellam reached up and cupped the side of her face in his hand. He held his breath and decided it was now or never, so he quickly closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against hers. He saw her eyes widen, but then they slowly closed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Kellam found his eyes slipping shut as well, and his unoccupied hand moved to the small of her back. His lips moved gently against hers, so soft and warm. Kellam almost felt light-headed, like he was getting drunk on the taste of her lips. Everything in this moment was perfect.
A loud booming noise startled the couple into parting. They both looked up to see an explosion of colors spread out in the sky above them. The cheers of the other festival goers sounded through the night as another boom sounded, sending more colors coursing through the sky. Cherche giggled as she looked up at Kellam, who smiled back at her.
"Cherche. You're the most amazing woman that I've ever met. You're so strong and kind and beautiful. I feel like the luckiest man in the world." Kellam said, pausing to reach up and brush a loose strand of hair from her face, causing her to blush, "There's no one else I'd rather be with. I'll fight by your side as long as you'll let me."
"Oh Kellam. I'm so happy to hear that. We'll be partners-in-arms for here on out then?" she asked, closing the gap between them once more as she lay her head on his chest. Kellam smiled and wrapped her arms around her.
"Of course. There's nothing I want more." he said, as they watched the rest of the fireworks show. It was the perfect end to a perfect night.