A/N: I decided to take a break from my usual type of work and write a little something sweeter than normal. I also just finished playing ToG:F and I have to say, loved the game, just was a little sad that Hubert didn't actually get Pascal. We all know what happens for Asbel and Cheria... Anyways. At least there is always hope, and as Malik said: "It takes a lot of energy taming a stray cat. Just hang in there." Too cute. Also, I noticed not a lot of fics for Hubert. Sad. He might be a bit of a punk, but you got to say he is pretty awesome in battle. :P And Pascal is one of my favs too. Enjoy! Now back to my other stuff. :)

Just fixed some minor spelling and grammar mistakes. While I know I may have missed a few, nobody is without faults and if/when I find them I will fix them. Thanks. I also changed the rating to T for some mild suggestiveness.

Summer Fever

Words Say it All

Hubert Oswell sat at his desk hovering tiredly over the piles of paperwork that hid nearly the entire space that was provided to him by the Stratha military. He let out a heavy sigh as he bent over reviewing and signing the mounds of documents before him. His glasses slid down his nose and he scratched the side of it before pushing them back into place. For anyone else, they would have found it useless to position them back into place for they would surely slide back down due to the film of sweat that layered his skin for being stuck in a stuffy office all day. But not Hubert; he always made sure that he looked proper and that everything was always in place. It was even the middle of summer and even though the cryas from the Strathan Valkines was working properly again, it was still hot. The water from the oasis only added to the strained humidity in the air and made it hard to not get a little flustered throughout the day. He sighed again and pushed his glasses back up his nose. There was something to be said about wanting to be somewhere where the temperature was much more tolerable.

A light tap followed by a chirping noise caught his attention and he looked up to see a yellow mechanical bird fluttering at the window to his office. In a flash, Hubert was opening the window and ushering in the tiny bird, closing it quickly as to not let in any more humidity then he could stand. The bird whizzed around his head as he fumbled inside his uniform to produce the communicator receiver. Right now, he could do with a distraction and this one was a distraction he was glad to have.

It had been nearly eight months to the day since he had come back to Stratha and after having constant distractions and running about made life back home feel a little, well, boring. He missed everyone. Letters did not seem to fulfill the emptiness that had grown in his heart the past few months. Time seemed like it had stretched and warped itself around him making it seem like an eternity since he had last seen everyone together. Malik sometimes visited him when he was on official business, as well as Richard. But his brother Asbel and Cheria were busy with Lhant and Sophie so it was just letters he got from them. At least I will get to see them in not too long for the wedding. Asbel had finally gotten up the courage to ask Cheria to marry him and help him take care of Sophie and everyone, especially their mother, was ecstatic.

That left only one other person he had not seen in quite some time: Pascal. His heart involuntarily skipped a beat as he pulled out the communicator and the bird flew into it. He had not seen Pascal since they had parted ways in Zavhart. Not that they did not communicate on a regular basis, thanks to Captain Malik, but neither of them had time to see each other since. Hubert was two minded about it. Firstly, he was glad that he did not have to have any other awkward moments with the bright Amarican and was still nervous about his feeling for her. He thought that being away from her would ease the tension but it did not; he found that he thought about her even more. Secondly, he sorely wished he could see her to try and make her understand how he felt. Maybe if she understood, it would give him some sort of resolve and also to see how she felt about him.

The communicator beeped and lit up with Pascal's message and Hubert sat back down at his desk, setting it down over his previous documents and set his attention on the little screen:

"Hey Hu,

Boy is Lhant crazy! You were right that your mom had been obsessing over Asbel and Cheria. It's like nothing else exists right now! The whole town is in a state of summer wedding fever and are all trying to help out with the preparations. Oh yeah, I should probably tell you that I finished installing the new cryas air and water converters in Barona and decided to come down to Lhant and help out your big brother with all the crazy, dazy wedding stuff! Too bad you're not here yet. Maybe you should see if the President will let you have some more time off and head out here early. Asbel says it would be great to have someone else here to keep him sane. Obviously I'm not enough. Well, see you soon, Hu!

Pascal"

Hubert blinked at the communicator and ignored his glasses as they slid back down his nose again. A small part of him figured that she would be at Asbel and Cheria's wedding, but he would have never thought that she would go there early and then suggest he do the same. He sighed and closed his eyes as he repositioned his glasses. It was just like Pascal to be spontaneous and he should know that by now. Nothing should surprise him about her, but she always managed to do so. Although he had initially dreaded receiving her mumble jumble letters, after a few months of casual exchanges he found that they were more tolerable than he thought. She also seemed to have calmed down a bit and was less filled with made up words and jabs. Sometimes he still did not understand a word she said when it came to her research, but it still made him smile when he saw the mechanical bird fly towards him. While he understood that her research was bettering the lives of everyone in the three kingdoms, he did not quite get what she was doing. "Someday, I'll show ya Hu." she had commented in one of her recent letters to him.

He picked up the communicator and thought long about how to reply to her. There was no reason why he could not ask for some extra time to spend with his family, but he did not want that to be an excuse so he could get some time with Pascal, even if she did not quite understand that he had feeling for her. Also, normally he would not hesitate to visit the President with such a request but he had yet to formally tell the President that he was declining the proposal of marriage to the President's daughter. She was a nice girl, but he could not give himself to someone when his heart wanted another. Also, eight months was a long time to push off a response. He sighed and imputed a letter back to Pascal.

"Dear Pascal,

I will ask the President if it is possible, but I make no promises. Let Asbel know that I hope to be there early.

Hubert"

With the million and one things that ran through his head, he wanted to make his response simple and short. He opened his window again as he let the bird fly out towards the open sky and onward to its destination over the bright sand and ocean. With a sigh he pocketed his communicator and returned to his desk, writing a formal request to see the President before returning to his previous tasks.

Hubert tugged on the ends of his uniform as he tried not to pace as he waited to be summoned inside the President's office. The multiple water fountains bubbled merrily along the interior of the Presidential Manor. Normally such a sound would soothe his anxiety but it would have to be more than a few little water fountains to do that today. Finally after what seemed like hours he was let in and the old man greeted him graciously.

"Ah, Hubert! What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" He waved his hand inviting him to take a seat in front of his desk. "Have you finally made a decision on my proposal?"

Hubert blushed wildly and looked off to the side. "A-actually I came to ask you if I could possibly have some more time off to visit my brother in anticipation of his wedding…" He cringed slightly at that particular word. A part of him wished that he could avoid the topic but he knew that it was inevitable.

"Oh, I see. Well of course! There is nothing more exhilarating than a wedding to get you all worked up about marriage. Perhaps you will have an answer for me when you get back." The President smiled cheerfully at him and Hubert blushed even deeper.

"Um, well, you see I… Well, there is this…" He was not sure how to say it to someone of his stature. It was embarrassing enough to admit his feeling to Pascal and not get any sort of real response, to tell the President of his home that he had no intentions of marrying his daughter was even more so. He took a deep breath and looked the man in the eyes. "I… My heart belongs to someone else and I am sorry to say that I will have to decline your offer. I cannot take on a responsibility in which I won't be able to fulfill my duties to the fullest. I am sorry, Mr. President."

"Ah…" For a moment Hubert was afraid that he had done something he should not have. "I understand, Hubert. You are a very respectful man and that was why I had choose you, but you are young and young love should flourish if given the chance. Besides, even though I would have enjoyed having you as a son in law, there are many other possible suitors for my daughter."

"S-sir?" Hubert was surprised; he had not expected that.

The President smiled just as warmly as he did when he first entered the room. "Now off with you! Tell your brother congratulations for me." He waved him out of the office without pause.

Hubert stood outside the door as he froze in shock. "Well, that went well." He muttered to himself and finally got control over his body to walk back home to ready himself for the journey to Lhant.