Title: Warm Hands

Pairing: Sophie/Dwyer

Rating: K

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Fire Emblem franchise. This story is written out of love for the characters. All rights should be credited to Nintendo.

Author's note: There are no other Sophie/Dwyer fanfics on this site…uh-oh.

This was a pretty spontaneous idea! I wasn't planning on writing for this couple, but I was grinding the 'Before Awakening' DLC to get all of the child units and eventually got Dwyer and Sophie to S Support. They're a super cute couple!

Spoilers for mid-game of Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest and Dwyer/Sophie's S Support.

I don't know if anyone likes this couple except me, but if you do, enjoy!

-START-

"Gah! No, Avel!"

The sound of a whinnying horse was accompanied by a frantic woman's voice. A few moments later, the deafening sound of snapping wood echoed throughout the camp. Everyone who was still awake at the late hour grumbled at the sound of the commotion, and those who were awake continued about their work as usual. Even Silas, who knew the owner of the voice was his daughter, could only heave a sigh.

Sophie's feral steed was charging around the camp again. The horse created chaos and left only destruction in its path everywhere it went. Sophie could only chase her steed haplessly, hoping that she didn't cause the same amount of destruction as her horse. Sadly, she often did just that. Pails of water were knocked over, crops were trampled and crates of supplies were often smashed to pieces. Depending on the contents, sometimes the contents were also partially eaten. Those were the worst occasions.

"Avel, stop!"

After almost half an hour of chasing the horse around the dark and chilly castle, Avel had exhausted himself and allowed Sophie to tuck him away into the stables for the night.

The young woman secured his reigns and even tossed a blanket over her beloved steed, wanting to keep him warm. The stables weren't exactly the most consistent environment in terms of temperature.

"There you go," she said, patting his face gently once she finished putting him to bed. She wiped some sweat from her brow, completely worn out after the debacle of chasing her mount around camp. No doubt she'd get an earful from the troops come morning.

"Get some sleep, Avel," she said wearily. "We've got another long day tomorrow."

Her slender hand rubbed Avel's velvety nose, which made him snort playfully. Sophie's petal-colored lips formed a smile at the adorable sight. Even if he caused a ton of trouble, at the end of the day, Avel was still Sophie's steed and friend. It often took hours to calm him down and get him settled, but it was always worth it for the two to bond.

The young woman exited the stables and, upon pushing open the heavy door to head to her private quarters, a burst of cold air hit her body like a sack of bricks. She could feel the biting cold even beneath all the layers of heavy armor and padding she wore to protect herself in battle. The automatic reaction was for her to step back and let the wooden door slam shut again to seal the cold back outside.

"Gah, it's so cold!"

She peeked out a nearby window and saw that the evening chill that had been present earlier had turned into an actual, frigid storm. The sky was as dark as mulled wine, and the cold wind that pushed her back into the barn only seemed to be gaining momentum with each second. It appeared that a snowstorm was on its way.

She hadn't even noticed the change in weather. Had she really been in the stable with Avel for that long? Sophie supposed that wasn't too shocking, considering how stubborn Avel was and how persistent she was to tame him. The more she thought about it, it was possible that she'd been chasing him for perhaps a couple hours.

Regardless, the sleeping quarters were all the way across the castle yard. It would be a miserable walk, but she couldn't camp in the barn all night. A lot of people in camp already teased her for being a klutz. Such an incident would only add fuel to the fire. Even her father had admitted that his daughter was clumsy, although he always found a way to give each incident a positive spin and lift her spirits.

Besides her father, there was only one other person who could make her feel sure of herself again even after the worst mistakes.

He was a newly appointed butler in the camp, although when she'd first met him after riding out of the Deeprealms to join her father in battle, he'd been a troubadour. He didn't look strong, but often assisted her in battle by blocking attacks and occasionally even landed a fatal blow once he was promoted to a butler like his father. There had even been a few times where he had healed her after facing a wave of enemies.

When she took a hit, he was at her side with a healing tome. When she faced multiple enemies, she would strike first and he would initiate a follow-up attack with his dagger, hitting from a distance so Sophie had time to get away. When he came across Avel making a mess, he offered his expert cleaning assistance to speed up the process.

His name was a sigh on her lips. "Dwyer…."

"Yeah?"

Sophie gasped in shock and bolted upright. Dwyer stood a few stalls away, looking at her with a mix of curiosity and exhaustion. It was his usual expression. The young man walked towards her, his clothes slightly askew and a few pieces of straw stuck in his sandy hair. He appeared to have just woken up from a nap.

"D-Dwyer?" Sophie stammered, a little embarrassed. "How long have you been there?"

She desperately hoped that he hadn't seen her struggle with Avel. Although he was already aware of how unruly her steed was, her that didn't make it any less uncomfortable on her end. It wasn't like she enjoyed messing up in front of others.

The young man yawned before replying. "A few hours, I guess. I finished cleaning the stables and decided to take a nap. I just woke up."

"Oh," she said with a thankful sigh. She was glad he hadn't witnesses her and Avel's usual battle for dominance.

"Anyway, why are you here?" Dwyer asked, turning his head to stare at the dark side outside the stable window. "It's dark out. Did you just put Avel to bed?"

"Yeah," Sophie said with a small laugh. "You know how difficult he can be sometimes. It took a little longer than usual."

Dwyer returned her smile and approached her. "It was a rough day, huh?"

"Yeah," she replied with a nod. "It's definitely been a…interesting evening."

He smiled at her and she felt her heart skip a beat. Although Dwyer wasn't conventionally handsome with his slumped posture and darkened gaze, his actual face was pleasing to look at. It was a special event when he smiled. It was an uncommon sight, so when she managed to sneak it out of him, the young woman always felt a little surge of pride.

"If you don't mind, may I walk back with you to the castle quarters?" he asked. "It would be an honor to be escorted by one of the finest knights in the troop."

Sophie felt a little heat rise to her cheeks. He was quite the smooth talker…perhaps more than he was aware.

"You aren't going right back to bed, are you?" Sophie asked incredulously. "Didn't you just wake up?"

"Oh no, I'm going to clean a bit, and then I'll turn in," he said with another yawn. "Sweep the floors, polish the windows, dust the furniture…you know."

She had no idea how he could still be tuckered out after just seeing him wake up.

"I don't mind, but are you prepared for a miserable walk?" she asked playfully, pointing back to the window he previously peeked out of. "It's freezing out."

The young man blinked and went to the window. It seemed that he was also oblivious to the temperature change outside. He tugged off one of his gloves and placed a hand against the glass. His fingers tensed, letting Sophie know that he definitely felt the chill through the frost panel. Dwyer turned back to her, and surprisingly, a sly grin was present on his face.

"Well, it is winter, so I suppose it's to be expected," he laughed.

The woman lifted a silver brow, impressed by his demeanor. The young man didn't seem the least bit bothered by the inclement weather. In fact, he looked at if he was a little excited for the impending snowstorm.

"I've always found the cold refreshing," he explained. "It doesn't really bother me."

All of a sudden, his calm expression changed and became grim. He averted his eyes from Sophie and focused them on the ground beneath his boots. It looked as if his words had caused a bolt of unwelcome realization to strike him. "My father feels the same. I suppose…I inherited it from him."

The young woman tilted her head curiously at the statement. Sophie recalled a story that her father had told her from when he had first met Dwyer's mother and father; Corrin and Jakob. Their group had just defeated an army of Faceless and was headed to suppress a rebellion in the Ice Tribe. According to Silas, Jakob had been unbothered by the cold and even opted to run ahead with Lady Elise to pave the way, leaving Corrin and Silas to freeze in the blizzard. If the story was true, Dwyer's affinity for the glacial temperature would make sense.

"That may be true," Sophie began, treading lightly with her words, "Or it might just be coincidence."

"Hopefully it's the latter," Dwyer responded flatly, shoulders slumping as he slowly pulled his glove back over his hand. "Anyway, let's get going. You must be freezing in here. When we get back to the quarters, I'll make you some coffee and build you a fire."

Sophie dipped her head at the sound of his tone, not liking the words that came out of her comrade's mouth. In a way, she knew how he felt.

It was like she didn't love and respect her father. Quite the opposite was true. Sophie had always had a great relationship with Silas, and from the time she'd been a child, she had longed for nothing more to become a knight of Nohr and fight alongside him on the battlefield. She also knew that, while Jakob and Dwyer had an overall positive relationship, it wasn't without its hitches. They varied from each other greatly, and those differences caused disagreements. None of the arguments were fatal to their relationship, but she could imagine that after a while they would ear on Dwyer's mind. Hell, they would wear on anybody's mind.

Without thinking, Sophie reached out and took her friend's still ungloved hand. His flesh was warm to the touch.

Dwyer paused and looked at Sophie with slightly widened eyes. "Huh? Sophie?"

She didn't answer immediately, which caused Dwyer's brow to furrow in slight anxiety. "What...What are you doing?"

"I know how you feel."

"Huh?"

He stared down at her incredulously as she lifted her other hand to take his, folding her fingers around his palm securely so his hand was safe in her grip. Tentatively, she squeezed his hands and shared his much needed warmth. A shade of pink dusted Dwyer's cheeks.

"I know how you feel," she repeated, breathing deeply. "Hear me out. I know your relationship with your father is stressful. It isn't perfect, but at the end of the day, you two love each other."

Dwyer scoffed and attempted to step away. Sophie held his hand tightly and forbade it.

"He brought an army to save you in your Deeprealm when your house was under attack for days," she reminded him, much to his chagrin. "He always brings you your favorite coffee beans. He competes with you because he cares, and he wouldn't give you all the attention if you didn't mean something to him. I think you know that…and I don't think your relationship with your father is really what's bothering you."

Dwyer wasn't sure what to say. Thankfully, Sophie wasn't done speaking, and she pressed on with her classic level of determination. The young woman swallowed and continued.

"I'm not trying to lecture you," she promised. "I'm just saying…you always say things about how you don't want to be like your father, but you always end up berating yourself in the end. What you said just now…about not wanting to be like him…was you discrediting yourself."

Dwyer stared at her with an unamused stare. Regardless, he didn't try to pull away from her. "I'm afraid I don't see the connection, Sophie."

He hadn't met for such a simple comment to elicit such a reaction. The young man wondered why she seemed so passionate about the conversation.

Sophie continued to speak, holding his hand tightly as she spoke. With each syllable, her voice became more hushed, as if she was divulging a precious secret to him.

"I think that…you discredit yourself because you feel insecure about living up to your expectations, and I feel the same," she repeated one more time, but this time she lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes met his, and Dwyer was unable to look away. Her pure and honest gaze held him completely captivated.

"Insecure?" Dwyer asked. "Um…I don't think that's true."

Sophie chuckled airily, as if she'd had expected that exact reply. Dwyer's blush deepened at the sound. He never realized how pretty the sound of her laughter was.

"Dwyer, it's no secret that I'm a klutz," she said, recalling the events that had brought her to the stable in the first place. "I spend hours with Avel, and he's still stubborn. When people say things about my clumsiness and inability to work with the steed my father picked out for me…I feel like I'm letting him down. People always connect us…my reputation is his reputation. So, if I do something wrong, my first instinct is to think, 'I may be a klutz, my at least I inherited my father's optimism.'"

"I can't argue with that," Dwyer responded with a tiny grin. "You should be happy about that you. At least you inherited something positive from your father."

"That's what I mean," Sophie said, pointing a finger inches from his face. "You just did it again!"

"Did…what?" Dwyer asked, still amazingly confused. He desperately wished Sophie would make her point.

"You're belittling yourself," she chided again, rapping her knuckles against his forehead in a gesture of mock discipline. "It sounds like you're berating your father on the surface, but all you're really describing the in lack of self-confidence you perceive in yourself. I do it all the time…I'm an expert, actually."

Dwyer's grin turned to a frown as he gently lifted his gloved hand to pat hers. "Sophie…I don't lack confidence. I went through hellish training as a kid with my father…and I know my skills are good."

The young woman nodded, her silvery curls bouncing gentle against her cheeks.

"I just…know how it feels to have high expectations to live up to," she said quietly. "You may live up to yours, but I'm still struggling to meet mine. When I make excuses about my father, and what I may or may not have inherited from him, it's never actually about him. It's about me."

"Sophie…" Dwyer muttered, dark eyes widening as he looked at her. It suddenly dawned on him that she, while trying to cheer him up, was confiding some dark feelings in him. The young man had never seen the usually cheerful Sophie look so deflated before.

I'm being selfish, he realized suddenly. He gritted his teeth and averted his eyes shamefully. She's trying to make me happy, and all I can do is complain about myself.

"Sophie, I'm sorry," he said. His voice didn't stutter over a single word. In fact, he'd never sounded more alert. She lifted her head to meet his gaze curiously, finding his intense eyes looking back at her. Even his long bangs didn't obscure her view.

"Why?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"I've been an idiot," he said, a humorless laugh escaping his lips. "You're…not wrong. I do feel an obligation to live up to my father's reputation…just like you. Even though I can cook and clean and fulfill all my duties as a butler, I suppose a small part of me still resents him for leaving me in my Deeprealm, so I give him grief…then I give myself grief in return. I know it's wrong, but it's just who I am. It's my personality, I guess."

"Dwyer…" she whispered, eyes softening at his words.

"When I say that I don't want to be like my father, it still means I'm resenting a part of who I am," he admitted. "I…shouldn't resent any part of myself."

Sophie lit up and said gleefully, "See? I told you…"

"But this isn't just about me," he said, cutting her off as politely as possible. His ungloved hand freed itself from her grip and went to caress her cheek. His thumb brushed over the flesh just before her bottom lashes. He could hear her sharp inhale at the touch and felt his usually steady heart begin to thunder in his chest. "It's…about you as well."

"Me?" Sophie asked. A little surge of panic seemed to flash across her eyes, as if she knew what Dwyer was about to say. The woman attempted to back away. "What about me?"

"You already told me," he said sternly, keeping his gaze glued on hers. "I know people in camp tease you about being clumsy. I know that it probably gets to you…that's why you were so easily able to call me out on my feelings. You've been there before, right?"

The silver-haired woman was silent. Her gaze was unblinking as she looked up at him, her lips slightly pursed. Despite his nervousness and the sudden realization of their linked hands and closeness, he pressed on.

"Sophie, it's true that you aren't the most graceful," he said, choosing his words carefully. "You make a lot of mistakes. Who doesn't? You still work hard, on and off the battlefield."

"Yeah, but…" she stammered, shaking her head gently against the warmth of Dwyer's hand. She sighed against him, puffing out one of her cheeks like she usually did when she felt annoyed. "I just don't want to disappoint people. I want to earn their respect, and it's hard to do that when you're tripping around like an idiot."

The young man smiled softly and slid his hand away from her cheek. Instead, his hand found her narrow shoulder. He squeezed it with reassurance.

"Sophie, you don't earn respect by copying others," he said softly. "Sure, you absolutely inherited your dad's optimism and affinity to swing a sword on the battlefield, but you are your own person."

Sophie looked up at Dwyer inquisitively. "You aren't just saying that?"

"I don't lie," he replied flatly. "Especially to people I care about."

She peered at him skeptically and asked, "What about people you don't care about?"

"Then lying isn't worth the effort," he said with a shrug. His bluntness made Sophie laugh, and a smile returned to his face upon seeing happiness blossom on her beautiful face. The young man appreciated every side of Sophie, but he always liked seeing her happy and confident the most.

"I'm being serious," he said, fighting back to urge to laugh with her. "I don't agree with people teasing you, especially if it lowers your self-esteem. However, I don't think there's a single person in this camp that doesn't respect you. As stubborn as Avel is, there's nobody else in camp that could handle him. That alone is worthy of respect. You're strong, Sophie."

Realizing he had rambled a little bit and that Sophie was staring up at her with a sparkling gaze that indicated something beyond simple interest, he trailed off. A blush covered his cheeks, and he tried to lower his head so his wild hair could hide it. "Of course, there's other things too…"

Sophie's eyes became half-lidded, her long eyelashes sweeping the tops of her cheeks. A little breathe escaped her lips as she continued to keep him close. Her voice was gentle, like a jingle bell, as she asked tentatively, "Um…can I ask what other things you're talking about?"

Dwyer looked down at Sophie, his gaze tense for only a few seconds before he relaxed. The young man closed his eyes, although the blush on his face didn't alleviate. Instead, he looked back down at her and put his arms around her, slowly pulling her close. The young man didn't hold her too tightly…she could back away if she wanted.

Still, after everything they had learned about each other and everything they had discussed, he felt like being apart from her was silly. Embracing her was something he had been tempted to do for a while, but he'd never dreamed of actually carrying out the thought.

For a while, Dwyer had thought he'd felt something more for Sophie. Seeing her succeed on and off the battlefield, despite her stubborn steed and clumsiness, had impressed him and led the man to somewhat idolize her. It hurt his heart knowing she harbored feelings of self-doubt. He longed to start by her side and be the one she could look for to reassurance, but ideally, he hoped that she would never need it. The young woman had no idea how perfectly imperfect she was.

"Sophie…um…" he stammered, the side of his face pressed against hers as they stayed locked in their embrace. The words came before he could stop himself. "I…um…I want to go steady."

Internally, he wanted to punch himself.

Oh gods, Dwyer. Why would you ask her out now? This isn't the time for that!

The young woman didn't answer immediately, and the lack of a response frayed Dwyer's words to the point where he began to stutter. "I…I mean, we seem to understand each other and have a lot in common. I just thought that maybe…you might be interested in…"

"Being your girlfriend?" Sophie asked, her sudden interruption startling him. The young man pulled back to see her smiling up at him. It was the same gallant grin that she carried on the battlefield, especially after a long and victorious battle. She looked absolutely angelic in his arms, cheeks pink and lips the color of cherry blossom petals. The mere sight sent him spiraling into a mushy mess, making his usual wit and sarcastic tendencies vanish like magic.

"Dwyer, I would love that," she replied sweetly.

For a moment, he mind went blank.

"Really?" he asked incredulously, finding his voice. "You aren't just messing with me?"

"No!" she asserted. "I've always liked you. Ever since we started fighting on the battlefield, and defending each other, I've become very fond of you. I was always happy when we could talk to each other."

Was he dreaming? It seemed too good to be true that Sophie would even entertain the notion of dating him. She was a powerful knight and he was a lowly butler. She had the skills of a cavalier and he was a troubadour, good only for healing. In a way, he thought she deserved more. On the other hand, he trusted himself that there was nobody else that would ever be able to make her happier. He would be sure to carry out that promise.

"Plus," she added, her fingers wandering up to his cravat, gently fiddling the silky material between her fingers. "I think…we're a good fit for each other. I know that I've never felt uncomfortable around you, and I hope you feel the same around me."

"Sophie…" he whispered, voice deepening. "I'm so glad you feel that way. I do too. I promise I do."

Their foreheads bumped gently as they stayed intertwined with each other. As happy as he was, Dwyer was unsure of what to do next. Sophie was his first, and only, crush…and he wasn't sure what the next gentlemanly step should be.

The two teens looked at each other for a minute more before Sophie finally stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms about Dwyer's neck. "Oh, for goodness sake, this is killing me! Come here."

Her soft lips collided with his, sending tendrils of heat, desire and elation through his body. The young man responded instantly by snaking his arms about her waist and dipping her backwards. He leaned into her, turning his head and kissing the corner of her lips until she also cocked her head, which created the perfect angle for the duo to continue their loving but chaste kiss.

He left small, delicate kisses across her face, each one as delicate as the touch of a butterfly. His lips caressed her cheeks, chin, eyelids and even her neck. Sophie's kisses were slower and more precise. When her lips found Dwyer's, she lingered intentionally, driving him insane until he pressed their lips together again until she moved to kiss another sensitive spot.

After their kisses ended due to their breathlessness, the young couple held each other tenderly for a few more moments. Dwyer kissed Sophie's hand, Sophie kissed Dwyer's heart.

"I really like you," he vowed softly. He was certain he was grinning like an idiot, but even he couldn't care. "I always have."

"I really, really like you too," Sophie said in return, giggling as she lifted their mouths together for one final kiss. Dwyer returned her passion instantly, not wanting to pull away.

After their final kiss ended and their embarrassed giggling had subsided, the two lovers had to decide to do about the original problem at hand. During their chat, the mounting chill outside had turned into a small blizzard. While it was still possible to see past the flurries of snow that raced down from the sky, it was obvious that the storm was getting worse by the second. The two needed to leave the stables if they wanted any chance of making it to the quarters without turning into icicles.

"C'mon, let's head back," Dwyer said. "I doubt that they would send a search party to look for us, but I wouldn't put it past our parents."

The teasing was well-received by Sophie who, despite the heaviness of their conversation, still smiled and nudged him in the side playfully. "Fine, but it's still freezing. We'll have to stick close together."

"Oh no," Dwyer said in mock distress. "Stay close to you? Well…I suppose if I have to."

"I'm afraid you do," the knight said, winking at the butler flirtatiously. "Don't run ahead of me, okay?"

"Never," he swore adamantly. Sophie could count on that.

The two teens linked arms and pried open the doors to the barn. A wave of snow erupted as the door swung open, and they began their freezing journey back to their rooms. However, with their hand slinked and their bodies so close, even the coldest chill didn't seem to bother either of them.

-END-

Thanks for making it to the end. I hope you enjoyed!

I think they are just the cutest together. Then again…Dwyer's supports with almost everyone are hilarious, and Sophie is probably one of the sweetest/strongest kids. They could also be Kana's retainers. Maybe that's why I like them?

Anyway, until next time!

Maybe by then I'll summon Jakob in Heroes, haha! He continues to elude me, lol. Thankfully I've got Marth, Minerva, Male!Robin, Female!Corrin, Gunter and Maria to keep me company. I've also summoned Felicia like ten times…thankfully I love her but, c'mon game, give me Takumi or Jakob.