Hi, I did something. I'm not so sure if it's good or anything and I think I might have made Mia and Ilyana a little OOC. Honestly, I'd have to give Hitokun props for indirectly inspiring me to write this story. I was reading one of her fics while at work (yes, I know that's bad) and my thought was "Man where the hell did Mia x Micaiah pop up. Mia x Ilyana in the one true pairing." So I decided to write this. Yeah, makes no sense but hey, it got me to write something so it can't be all that bad.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little Mia x Ilyana fic.
One Step at a Time
'Concentrate Mia. Pretend the target in front of you is the enemy and cut him in two.' The young swordswoman thought to herself as she faced the target, her sword glinting in the sunlight. With one flash she had cut the target in two, both halves scattered to the ground. With a smile, she straightened and examined her handiwork. 'A nice clean cut. Perfect!'
She turned her attention to the next target, this one covered in the heavy armor one would find on a knight. There were numerous dents and cuts across the plate and Mia looked at it in disgust, twisting her sword in her hands. She might have been one of the best sword users in the whole army, but she still couldn't cut through armor without a little help. Her fighting style, developed using light blades, always was too weak to cleave through a knight's powerful armor in one stroke. She could use those thick, heavy blades that were designed for piercing through armor, but those swords were unwieldy and she really, really hated them.
"Still practicing, Mia?" A familiar voice came from behind her and Mia turned to give her partner a smile. Ilyana, stood several feet away, a semi-bored look in her eyes as she absentmindedly chewed on a cookie from a bag of snacks. The violet-haired mage looked at the series of targets that had already been cut, some of which had been marked with the likenesses of several people. Ashnard's head lay on the ground right next to what appeared to be the top half of Shinon's body. A small smile appeared on her lips and she looked back at Mia, finishing her cookie. "I hope Shinon doesn't mind."
"Bah, who cares what that jerk thinks." Mia waved her concerns away, scoffing. "Besides, he's off prancing with Elincia and her army. So it's not like he's going to see me cut him in two."
"I guess." Ilyana shrugged. It was true, after all. After that horrendous display of power by the goddess Ashera, the army had split into three different groups. She and Mia were traveling with Ike's army at the moment and they were taking a break after a brief skirmish against some of Ashera's fanatical supporters. "Hungry? Oscar is almost finished with the food."
"Is food all you think about?" Mia said with a crooked smile, her free hand on her hip.
Ilyana seemed downcast for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I think about other things."
"Good. I'd be worried if it really was all you thought about." She laughed and walked up to Ilyana, patting her on the shoulder. "So what brings you out here?"
"I just felt like talking." Ilyana replied in a flat tone as she crumpled up her bag and tossed it to the side. Mia blinked at her partner a couple of times, confused a little. They had worked together in the first war against Ashnard and now they were working together in the war against the goddess herself, but there still were times where Ilyana just acted…weird. This apparently was one of those times.
"So…uh, what do you wanna talk about?" Mia scratched her head, blinking her sea-green eyes. "You…you aren't going to try to eat me again, are you? Cause that was just weird."
Ilyana blushed, remembering that time when she had gotten so hungry she had thought of Mia as a hunk of meat that was waiting to be barbequed. A tall, slim, beautiful hunk of meat, but still delicious, delicious meat. She shook her head rapidly. Now was not the time to be thinking about things like that. "No, of course not. I told you that last time was a mistake and I already said sorry."
"Haha, I know, I know." Mia smirked and patted Ilyana on the head, playing with the young girl's two braids. She began leading the smaller girl to the mess area, steering her away from the wooden corpses of so many fallen soldiers. "So, did you really want to talk about something or just tell me that food's almost ready?"
Ilyana paused in her tracks, throwing Mia off. She nodded slightly, her voice a little nervous. "Yeah…I did."
"Well? Spill it. You can tell me anything." Mia said with a grin.
"Okay…Mia? I love you." Ilyana said as she stared into Mia's eyes, her face set in a resolute expression. "I don't know when it happened, but lately I've been finding myself thinking about you more and more often. So today I decided to tell you how I felt."
Mia's sword dropped to the ground, landing with a small thud.
"Ha…ha…Is this a joke? Are you playing a trick on me?" Mia laughed lamely, looking back at Ilyana to see if this really was a joke. The look on her face, however, showed that she was as serious as she could possibly be. Mia stepped back, shaking her head and looking upset. "S-Sorry…that was kind of out of the blue. I'm really not sure how to think…I mean, you're my friend! Of course! B-But still…I mean…well, you know."
"I really don't…" was Ilyana's only reply.
Mia laughed again, once again without feeling. She backed away some more, unable to really think of anything to say besides a quick sorry. She then turned and ran away, her heart pounding in her chest and her thoughts all in a whirl. 'Ilyana loves me? She's serious…she's seriously in love with me. I…I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to do? I don't think about this stuff. I don't even remember the last time I thought of someone romantically…and now, and now! I need a drink!'
She kept running in a blind panic into the camp, ignoring other peoples' questions as she tried to remember where the hell those damn merchants kept their wagon. One of them had converted theirs to a miniature bar. She was so intent on her search that she wasn't watching where she was going and slammed right into someone else.
"Whoa, Mia, what's the rush?!" The sultry voice of the group's resident thief entered Mia's ears and the purple-haired girl gave a sigh of relief.
"Phew, Heather…where'd the merchants put the booze? I need a drink, right now." Mia said, breathless as she picked herself up.
"Didn't Ike get rid of all the drinks cause he didn't want us to party too much? Especially since we're being hunted by some of the weirdest, creepiest enemies ever?" Heather replied with an arched eye, looking at Mia with some amusement. "Don't tell me you forgot."
"Son of a bitch!"
"Do you really need it that badly?" Heather asked, her eyes darting around to see if anyone else was in the vicinity. When she confirmed that they were alone, she leaned in and whispered in Mia's ear, "I grabbed a couple before he could get rid of it all. I guess I could share a bottle or two with you."
Mia shivered at the close contact but nodded rapidly. "Yeah, sure. Just lead the way."
"Right away, my dear." Heather said, a slightly mocking tone in her voice as she executed a perfect bow. "It will be my pleasure."
---
Several minutes later, Mia was in Heather's tent nursing a small glass of ale. The thief's tent was remarkably sparse for who she was, but there was a sack lying in a corner that Mia was almost certain contained valuables that Heather had snatched from…somewhere. Besides that, there was only a chest for clothes, a small table and chair, a single lamp, and a cot. She definitely was lucky to have a whole tent to herself, although no one doubted that Heather wouldn't mind sharing with a certain halberdier.
"So why the need to drink? You didn't seem like an alcoholic to me." Heather asked as she lifted her own glass to her lips. "Something happen?"
"You could say that…" Mia mumbled, still feeling upset about the whole mess. "Hey Heather…uh, you like girls right? What made you like them more than, you know, guys?"
"That came out of nowhere." Heather said, looking at Mia carefully. "Why ask now? Is there someone you're looking to be with? Like Micaiah?"
"What? Of course not." Mia snorted. "Besides, I'm sure she loves Sothe. Or…something. Anyways that's not the point. It isn't me, it's someone else."
"Someone confess to you, then? Who?" Heather grinned like a fox, her blue eyes glinting mischievously.
"You can't tell anyone." Mia warned. "If I find out you did, I'll…well, I can't kill you, but I promise I'll do something bad."
"Please, why would I do something like that?" Heather raised her hands in protest. "Just because I don't hide who I want doesn't mean I'm going to blab about everyone else's love interests. So come on, tell me. Who is it?"
Mia sighed and rubbed her forehead, wondering if she really could trust the sneaky woman. "Fine. It was Ilyana."
Heather's eyes widened slightly and a big smile appeared on her face. "Is that so…This is news. Big news. I'm surprised though. I never would have expected her to do something like this. I hope you didn't just leave her standing there without an answer. …Oh wait, of course you did. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here."
Mia glared at Heather briefly before taking another drink. "Yeah, so what? I didn't know what to do! It's not like I receive love confessions every day of the week, much less from my own gender. I…I said I was sorry and that I needed to think about it. And then I ran away."
"So what's the problem? You've had enough time to think about it now, right?" Heather grinned. "Nah, I kid. What's your problem with it? Just the fact that it was sudden or is it because Ilyana's a girl? Would you have reacted the same if, let's say, Rhys confessed his love to you?"
"It's really more the surprise thing. Although I guess I might have been more receptive if Rhys had been the one asking." Mia replied, looking a little uneasy. "I mean, I'm all fine with girls liking girls, but it still makes me a little…weirded out. No offense, of course."
"None taken. Tell me, can you see yourself being with Ilyana? Not just in the battlefield, but everywhere? I assume one day you're going to settle down and stop being a hired sword." Heather stated, looking over her glass. "Can you see yourself living with her? Maybe even adopting a child and raising it?"
"Well…I already kind of live with her. We share tents." Mia said plainly. "I don't know about the raising a kid thing. I think I'd be bad with kids."
"That's really not the point, but okay." Heather shrugs, pulling out another small bottle. "Anyway, I don't know what to tell you. Take a couple of days to think about it. Think about what it would be like living with Ilyana, not just here on the road, but for the rest of your life. There's really nothing saying this relationship has to last forever, but I think you two make a nice couple so you might as well carry it as far as you think it can go. But most importantly, don't rush this. You're not doing anyone favors by deciding an answer on a whim."
"…Thanks Heather. I guess I will do that." Mia drained the rest of her glass and stood. "Thanks for listening to me."
"No problem. Good luck and I hope you make Ilyana happy." She smirked before tossing Mia another spare bottle of booze. "Take this. Just make sure no one else finds out and if someone catches you, I didn't give it to you."
Mia caught it with surprise before smiling. "Yeah, got it. Thanks a lot, Heather. Good luck with Nephenee."
"I'll make my own." Heather smirked as she waved farewell.
---
The next couple of days passed well, albeit awkwardly. Ilyana had said nothing when Mia returned to their tent. She only flipped a page in her spellbook, ignoring Mia's presence. It was only slightly better on the battlefield. While they still worked as an unbeatable team, communication between the two was bad, to say the least. Whereas before they would often exchange jokes and keep their morale up, now it was just a silent trek. Any attempts to break the silence failed and eventually Mia just gave up.
She did, however, spend lots of time thinking about what Ilyana and Heather had said to her. Most of that time was spent in frustration, trying not to tear her hair out as she looked at both of the inevitable outcomes. If she said no, then that was it. They probably could still work together, but things between them would be even worse. And if she thought now was bad, she could only imagine what it would be like then. Ilyana would probably request a transfer or something and she would get partnered with someone else. If she said yes…she really couldn't imagine what would happen after that. She guessed that Ilyana would be more lovey-dovey around her or something and maybe they'd talk about other things than the camp gossip and small random facts.
What's even worse is that all this hesitation, worrying, and frustration completely conflicted with how she usually dealt with things. She considered life a battle and like all battles, she went through it fast and quick, acting through instinct. She didn't worry about deep plans and strategies and just went with her gut. Except right now her gut was apparently taking a rain check. She had to make a choice though.
Finally, though, she figured out what she could say. It wouldn't be anything like the stories that the minstrels sang about true love, but she hoped it would be enough to convey her feelings to Ilyana. She found the mage sitting on a cot inside their tent, reading a thin, hardcover book. Mia sat down opposite her, giving her friend a nervous smile before sighing and mussing her hair.
"Ilyana, we need to talk."
"Okay." She lowered her book and closed it, placing it next to her. A quick glance told Mia that it was the mage's diary. She gulped before taking a deep breath, composing herself and reciting her words in her mind.
"Ilyana, I have to say sorry again for how I reacted. While your confession was…extremely surprising, I shouldn't have run like that." Mia apologized. "You really threw me for a loop! I mean, you were the first person to ever say they loved me. Besides my parents, but then they don't count…being my parents and all."
Ilyana smiled, but didn't say anything else. Mia took this as a good sign and the silence helped her think. "So I took the past couple of days to really think about what you had said and I finally came to a decision."
"Which was?" Ilyana prompted, a slightly impatient look on her face.
"Don't rush me!" Mia protested, a playful tone in her voice. "Anyway, I thought about it for a while and decided…why the hell not?"
Ilyana looked at Mia strangely, uncertain of what to feel. "I…That was not the answer I was really hoping for."
"Yeah, that kind of came out wrong." Mia grinned. "No, really…It's not love at the moment. I can't just decide it on four freaking days. But I can see it. I can actually see us being together so…why not give it a shot? You're one of…no, you are my best friend. If you think it could become something more, then I'm more than willing to see if it can."
A wide smile formed on Ilyana's face as she took one of Mia's hands in her own. "Thanks…it really means a lot hearing that from you. I'm glad…very glad."
"I just hope you know what you're heading into here." Mia replied, her eyes glinting with mischief. She tugged hard on Ilyana's arms and deposited the surprised mage onto her lap and began holding her. "I can be a very impulsive person, you know?"
"A-Ah well…I figured that…" Ilyana stammered, a little caught off guard by how odd Mia was acting. She let herself lean against the swordmaster, though, breathing a sigh of contentment.
"Did you figure it out enough?" Mia said as she kissed Ilyana on the side of her neck. She felt a shiver run down her girlfriend's spine and grinned. "Wow, I'm not even good at this kissing thing."
"S-Shut up! It was sudden, that's all!" Ilyana shouted back, her face burning red. It flared even more when her stomach rumbled and she clasped her hands at her stomach, looking down in embarrassment.
Mia just laughed and hugged her. "I hope that doesn't happen all the time. It could get very awkward in the future. You know. During fancy dinners…balls…the bedroom. You know."
Ilyana's face grew even more red and Mia continued laughing, shaking her a little. "Calm down, calm down! We can worry about this later. Right now, we should go eat. It wouldn't do for your stomach to continue grumbling, now would it?"
"No…" Ilyana squeaked softly.
Mia nodded and kissed her on the cheek quickly before gently lifting Ilyana off of her lap. "Well then, shall we go? Since we're a couple, we should go together."
"We always went together."
"Stop poking holes in my attempts to be romantic." Mia said as she stood and took Ilyana's hand. She smiled brightly and motioned in the direction of the mess area with her head. "So shall we go? I think Oscar should be done with the food by now."
As she watched Ilyana smile and nod, Mia realized that she had made the right choice. She'd just take it like she always did and together, they'd make something special. Something long and lasting that would transcend time and space to become an epic legend among men. She smirked as she walked to the mess area, Ilyana in tow. While something like that would be fun, she wouldn't mind something simpler. There was another rumble and Mia flushed a little when she realized it was coming from her own stomach.
Well, first they'd have to eat.
'Eh,' she thought, 'just one small step at a time.'
So? How was it? I've been slacking really heavily with my writing and it's getting hard to get back into the groove, so I'm not sure how well this turned out. I do hope that you enjoyed it, however. If you have any comments, suggestions, or advice, just leave me a review. Or leave me a review anyway to boost my ego or something. Who knows? Maybe it'll get me to actually finish something on this site. Until next time!
