well, i'm quite proud of this one. this couple is adorable and it's too bad the fire emblem series doesn't have yuri relationships as part of the canon. but hey, that's what us writers are for, right? XD

Warning: this is an intimate romance between two girls. if you have a problem with that, get outta here!

enjoy!

It was some time after the war. Lyn held on to Florina from behind as they flew towards the plains, and ultimately, towards home. As they fought together, the two had become closer than ever before. They had overcome great odds together and protected each other throughout, and it only strengthened their already tight bond that could only be accomplished by spending much of one's childhood together. Lyn was elated to be able to spend some quality time with her best friend on the plains once again.

Florina was very happy as well. But for other reasons, she was also very timid. This would be her first chance in a long time to be completely honest with her closest friend. Friend… it wasn't a strong enough word to portray the bond she shared with Lyn. She was her closest confident, the person she could always rely on, the person who was always there for her, to protect her, to comfort her. And now, she was going to take the chance to repay her. To be worthy of her companionship by expressing her true feelings. She only hoped she wouldn't be too scared to say it, as she had been for so long.

As they settled in, the two enjoyed each other's company immensely. It reminded them of the times they spent together here when they were little, and they relived many of those memories. They laid in the grass and peacefully watched the clouds, they went on leisurely flights on Makar's back, they even played a few childish games that one would think they would've outgrown. But there was no one to tell them what they should and shouldn't do. They simply had fun, and that was all that mattered.

However, while Florina was genuinely happy to be here once again with Lyn, she couldn't help but make furtive glances at her from time to time. She was trying to find a proper time to reveal her true feelings, but at the same time she didn't want to ruin the fun they were having. Although that was also an excuse for her fear of the confrontation and she knew it. She was immensely afraid of ruining the close relationship she had with Lyn, but she had promised herself she would open up to Lyn during this time and she planned to do just that. However, it ended up being Lyn herself who prompted her to action.

The two were lying in the grass, watching the clouds once more, thinking quietly to themselves. It was a pastime they never seemed to get bored of. Then Lyn broke the silence.

"You know Florina, I can't begin to describe how happy I am to be living here once again with my closest friend…" Florina fidgeted at the word "friend". Lyn noticed her uneasiness for the umpteenth time. She could tell when something was bothering Florina, and had been waiting for her to admit it in this case. However, she was obviously very afraid to mention this one so she decided the only way she was going to get it out of her was to inquire directly.

"You know you can tell me anything, right, Florina?" Florina threw her a confused look.

"Wha- What makes you say that?"

Lyn smiled. "Come on, Florina. I know when something's on your mind. You get that fidgety look from time to time, usually in response to something I say. What's bothering you?"

Florina blushed and played with her hair. Lyn knew her all too well. This was the time.

"W-well… I… You know how much you mean to me, Lyn. You're the most wonderful person I've ever known. Yet… I can't help but be bothered when you refer to me as your friend…"

Lyn was confused. Why would that bother her?

Florina continued, "Look, I… I feel that 'friend' isn't enough to describe the bond we share. But that's not the only reason. I… I don't want to be friends!" she saw the shocked and hurt look on Lyn's face, and quickly continued "N-No, that's not what I mean! I… I want to be more than just friends! Because for the longest time Lyn, I-I…" She took a deep breath. She could feel herself blushing immensely. There was no going back now.
"…I love you." She could hardly bear to look Lyn in the face at this point, but she wanted to know what her reaction was.

Lyn was dumbfounded. She could feel her cheeks growing slightly hot. "Oh… Florina, I never knew you felt that way…"

"Lyn, it's ok if you don't feel the same way. I… just want to be honest with you. You've been by my side to protect me all this time, and you deserve at least that much… I've had dreams about you, and urges… for a long time now. I've always been suppressing them because I thought they're wrong… We don't have to talk about this again if you don't want to. I just felt you should know…" Florina felt relieved that she had finally let it out. However, now she was anxious about whether Lyn felt the same way, and how she would think of her from now on.

Lyn thought about it. Did she love Florina? She wasn't quite sure. She cared about her and was extremely protective of her, but Florina was the type of person who needed protection. She had always thought she was so willing to protect her because she was her best friend, but maybe it was for another reason. Her emotions were in such a stir that she could barely tell what she was thinking at this point.

"No, Florina, it's not wrong of you to think that way. I just… don't know if I feel the same way. Could I have some time to think about it?"

Florina looked at her wide-eyed. Lyn was being more accepting of this than she had thought. "S-Sure…"

A few days passed. The two kept mostly quiet, both occupied with their own thoughts.

The more Lyn thought about the dilemma, the more frustrated she became. She simply couldn't come to a concrete conclusion. When she thought about it, she hadn't been attracted to many boys in her time. Though, she had attributed that to her secluded and independent lifestyle. When she thought about it, she didn't object to the idea of being with a girl. But whether or not she wanted to be with Florina was a different matter entirely. Finally, she came to a decision.

The night after Lyn made her decision, she waited at the bed, determined. Florina walked in and saw the intense expression on her face. She wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. She did know that ever since she had confessed, it had been harder than ever to sleep by Lyn's side with naughty thoughts swimming through her head. She had opted simply to cuddle with her as they had when they were little, though it felt a little different now. Lyn knew what she was thinking about. Now she intended to remedy the situation.

"L-Lyn? What is it?" Florina was nervous as to what Lyn had in mind. She fiddled with her hands.

Lyn noticed. And she knew she was about to give her ample reason to be nervous. "Florina, why don't you sit down here?" she said, patting the space on the bed next to her. Florina walked over and hesitantly sat down, shoulders tense.

Lyn paused for a moment before speaking. "So, I've been thinking a lot about what you said, Florina. And I've decided that in our current state, I'll never figure out whether I truly do have feelings for you." Florina's heart sank. That was it? They'd never know? They'd go through the rest of their lives thinking "what if…?" she was appalled. Lyn was usually such a decisive, forthright person. But then Lyn spoke again and she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Which is why, I want to let you do whatever you want. Fulfill those dreams and urges you've been having. Then maybe I'll be able to decide."

That was just like Lyn. Straightforward and to the point, even around a touchy subject like this. Florina found herself blushing immensely at what she was suggesting. "Y-you… you want to try kissing me?"

Lyn looked at her with determined eyes that boded no uncertainty of her intentions. "Yes, I do. And we'll see what happens after that."

Florina was stunned. This wasn't the way she wanted their first time to be. It was supposed to be a mutual expression of their love, not a test to see whether or not it was mutual. But then she thought about it. That was some pretty hopeful thinking. And if there was even a slight chance that Lyn could return her feelings… well, Florina was willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

She met Lyn's unwavering eyes. She'd obviously thought this over and had steeled herself to the idea. "…alright" Florina said softly. She shifted her position to face Lyn more. Then she began to lean closer. Lyn turned her head slightly, they both closed their eyes… and their lips met.

An explosion of emotions erupted inside both girls. Florina pushed with surprising aggression, her tongue lustfully chasing Lyn's passive one. Florina had never felt anything like it. It was far better than anything she had imagined. She longed to taste more, learn more of Lyn than she could have known about her otherwise. Lyn accepted her embrace passively, her mind in a daze. She simply accepted whatever came about her in the situation.

Florina enjoyed the prolonged sensation to her hearts content. She slowly let her hands begin to wander. She leaned over Lyn and they fell slowly and gently onto the bed, Lyn on her back, Florina still kissing her. Her hands traced the graceful lines she had admired for so long, finally having the opportunity to explore them. Lyn shivered as she felt her fingers slide down her side and waist, down to her thigh. She had never known this side of Florina. This Florina was confident, sensual, let her natural instincts take over. Florina enjoyed the feeling of Lyn reacting to her touch. Every quiver, every sharp breath, every small indecipherable sound muffled by their sensual kiss, filled her with joy. Then, somehow, she built up the willpower to break the kiss.

She stared into Lyn's eyes, now dazed and distant. She stayed there for a few seconds, taking in the site of Lyn that looked so different than she had ever looked before. She could feel her nervousness setting back in. "…well?" she said. "How was that?"

Lyn tried to gather her thoughts. That was a sensation she had never felt before. It felt decidedly good. It felt natural. And as she looked into Florina's bright, greenish-blue eyes, suddenly, she knew. "I… I think I love you too, Florina. Do you think you could go a bit further?"

Florina didn't wait to be asked twice. She kissed her again, and this time, Lyn returned the kiss. Suddenly, it felt substantially better for both of them. They reveled in each other, intent only on each other. As far as they knew, there was nothing else in the world but each other.

be warned, i am about to rant about my feelings/experience writing this fic.

my original idea for this story was that Lyn would normally be portrayed as the leader in the relationship (for obvious reasons), and i wanted to see what it would be like if the role was reversed. thinking in this context, i figured Florina would be the sort of person who's more sure of her identity as a lesbian, so i tried to emphasize that in contrast to Lyn's uncertainty. while i ended up keeping them more in character than i planned, i tried to implement the original concept into the love scene and i think it worked out fairly well. I tried a few new things with this story: it's the longest i've done so far, the narrative covers two different perpectives, and it's my first attempt at an intimate love scene. god, that was harder than i thought it would be... i feel like it came out a bit short. but whatever, too late now XD

alright, ranting over. for what i'm sure is a virtually non-existent amount of people who care, no, this doesn't mean i'm abandoning my Raven x Rebecca story. i'm just suffering from some writers block in the form of laziness and lack of inspiration/ideas, ok? i'll get around to it.

anyway, feedback is appreciated and encouraged! -drumsticks