I've been sick lately and have massive writers block, so instead of working on Fall of Altea like I should, I wrote my very first one-shot! This is my favorite pairing from any game, any story, any show, ever. That probably means I didn't do it justice but I can always write more i guess…IkexLethe OTP for the win!

The long battle with the goddess Ashera had finally been won. Ike had managed to use Yune's power of chaos to defeat the goddess of order. Yune had left them with the promise that she would do her best to reconcile with the long-sleeping goddess and help make the world a place where beorc and laguz could live together happily. For all intents and purposes, the world had been saved.

So why did feel so empty? Lethe had been one of those to climb the Tower of Guidance and had fought beside Ike for most of the climb. Despite the danger she had never been worried, confident in both her own abilities and her partners. Her confidence had never wavered until now, when they were finally out. I'll be going back to Gallia with Lyre soon, she thought. So why do I feel like this? In the back of her mind, she knew why. It was Ike.

The hero of the Mad King's War would be going back to Crimea with his mercenary crew. He had probably forgotten all about her offer at the end of the Mad King's War, when she had told him to come to Gallia if he ever wanted. Disappointment, a feeling she was unused to feeling, filled her and she shook her head angrily. Me, fall for a beorc? There's no way! But she hadn't been able to shake this feeling. Mordecai had been the one to place a name to the feeling after Gallia had officially entered the War of the Goddess.

"Hmmm…you only feel this around Commander Ike, yes?" Mordecai asked in his deep, rumbling voice. He was the one she always turned to for answers concerning matters like this.

"Yes," she answered despite her embarrassment at asking a subordinate for help. "What is this? I can't afford to have any distractions if we are to return our people to normal."

He thought for a little while before answering slowly, "Perhaps you are in love with Ike," he said bluntly.

"Never!" she answered vehemently. "I would never fall for a hu-…beorc."

"You trust Ike, no?" he rumbled. Lethe nodded grudgingly and Mordecai continued. "I not the smartest about these things, but maybe you are in love. Perhaps not."

Lethe just thanked him and turned to leave, regretting her outburst. She left to hunt and clear her head. As she broke the neck of a deer, she was finally forced to admit to herself that maybe she had fallen for the Crimean general.

"Lethe!" A voice snapped her out of her memories as she turned towards the sound. Ike was walking towards her with a worried expression on his face. "Hey, are you alright? You've been standing there for a while staring off into space. It's not like you."

She snorted to cover her embarrassment. "Of course," she said. It came out harsher than she'd intended.

"Are you sure? That was a tough battle. If you're hurt…"

"I'm fine," she snapped, cutting him off. "I'm not so easily wounded as one of your beorc females." She cringed inwardly at how angry she sounded, but she wasn't about to apologize. Ike just smiled.

"I know. That's one of the things I like about you."

Her heart leapt but she kept a straight face and raised an eyebrow. "One of the things?" she asked. Ike blinked as he realized what he implied.

"Well sure," he replied, very slightly red. "You fight well and I've never seen you lose your cool in any of the battles we've been in together." She started to answer with a stinging retort about how weak beorc were but Ike kept going. "In fact, I'd like to take you up on your offer if it's still open."

Now it was her turn to be confused. "What offer?" Her heart began beating faster.

"The one you made after we slew Ashnard. You offered to take me come back to Gallia with you, didn't you?"

Now her heart was really beating. Fool! Get over yourself. He's a beorc! There's no way for it to work. Her voice was calm as she asked, "Are you sure you can handle it? Gallia is no place for a weak-hearted beorc."

"Heh, don't worry. I think I can manage it, especially with you there." Lethe felt her tail thrash involuntarily and her heart sped up until it felt like it would burst. "Lethe, are you alright? Your tail is twitching like mad." The dumb beorc! Couldn't he see that he was making this worse on her?

"I'm fine!" she snapped. Gah, why was he so dense? "I'm not some-"

"Weak beorc woman, I know." Ike finished her sentence with a smile. "And that's good because, well, uh…" He trailed off. His face was deep red and he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Ugh, how do I say this?" His usually sure voice was full of doubt.

"Ike?" Lethe's normally strong voice held just a hint of a tremor.

"Lethe, we've fought together for a long time now. I know you still don't trust beorc much but I feel like we really trust each other. I'll probably just upset you but I want you to know that…I mean I really…" He sighed angrily and said in his usual blunt voice, "By the goddess. Lethe, I've fallen in love with you."

Her eyes widened and her tail grew completely still, like she was about to pounce on prey. He…he's fallen for me? "What?" she hissed out loud.

"Look I know what you're thinking. I just wanted to let you know."

She flicked her tail angrily. "You're a beorc. I'm a laguz! Don't you know what happens to people who engage in unions like this?"

"Yes Lethe, I do know. The laguz parent loses their ability to transform, the beorc is shunned, and the child is a branded is an outcast to both races. But I don't care! As long as a child has parents who love them, what does it matter who they are? Besides, Yune proved that there is no law against such a thing."

"We're too different!" she hissed. "I'm a warrior of Gallia, living in the woods and hunting on my own. You're a beorc who-"

He calmly cut her off again. "Who does the same thing? I might not be able to change my form but I still know how to live off the land. I've seen the way laguz live and it's not that different from beorc. And honestly? Beorc and laguz are a lot alike. You're a lot like me.

She snarled. "You think I would give up my freedom to be one of your pretty beorc housewives? You must be crazy!" She was getting angry now, but whether it was at Ike and his still-calm tone or herself, she didn't know.

"Lethe I would never think that. I know you to well. I know you well enough to know that I've upset you. But I also know you well enough to know that you haven't answered yet. That's all I'm asking of you is an answer."

"I…" Her voice failed her. He'd pinned her down as easily as she could pin a mouse. She tried to speak but couldn't. She couldn't even meet his gaze. Finally, Ike spoke again.

"I understand. I'm sorry for bringing this up. It was a hard battle and a hard war. You must be tired so I'll let you rest." He turned to leave. He made it five feet before she found her voice again.

"Ike," she called. Her voice was little more than a whisper. Some warrior I am. Her pride felt like it was in tatters, but at this point she didn't care. He turned. His face was impassive but she could see the hope in his eyes. I know you as well as you know me. Maybe…maybe this could work out after all. She looked up and looked Ike straight in the face, purple eyes to blue. "It goes against everything I have ever known, everything I have ever thought. I hated beorc more than anything and wouldn't have cared if they all died. You were the first beorc to gain my trust." She flicked her tai. "And you are the only living being, outside of Lyre, that I can say that I love."

Ike was completely still, his arms held rigidly at his sides. Suddenly he surged forward and, grabbing Lethe in a huge bear hug, lifted her in the air as he laughed loud enough to draw stares. "What are you doing?" Lethe yelled. Her voice was irritated but the joy she felt inside was evident.

Ike set her down grinning. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I got a little excited."

"I noticed," she said sharply. Secretly, she liked this side of Ike, the side he only showed to those he cared about. Even then it was never in wartime. Her face softened and she allowed herself to get wrapped in his arms again, despite the people staring at them. Her pride would never have allowed her to do something like this. I have something new to be proud of. I can be proud of us. Her tail curled around her lovers's legs and she make a sound almost like a purr. Perhaps we are more alike than I thought. She smiled into Ike's chest. You really are a lot like me.

Well I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what ya think and feel free to suggest pairings from any FE game, not just Radiant Dawn and Path of Radiance. The more I do the better I (probably) get.