Whew, another chapter done. When I first started writing I had no idea I would spend this long on the very first day, but I kept coming up with fun little interactions in my brain that needed to be added in, so no harm done. After this is a time skip and the real meat of the story can begin. Enjoy!
Rean couldn't help but smile when he saw the familiar visage of his partner waiting for him at the Heimdallr Station. Even though they had seen each other the previous day and physically she was unchanged, he felt that Fie looked especially radiant at that moment. Perhaps the change in circumstance caused a change in perspective? Regardless, he was so captivated by his fiancee that he almost failed to notice the girl next to her.
In hindsight it should have been obvious that Elise would be present. The news had clearly spread like a McBurn wildfire and if anyone had the right to know it would be Elise Schwarzer. Rean actually felt bad that he hadn't had the foresight to invite her to join them on the trip to Ymir ahead of time, but thankfully it appeared that she had taken the initiative to invite herself.
"Hi Fie. Hi Elise." He greeted the pair as he disembarked from the train.
"Rean Schwarzer! You had better have a good explanation why you didn't tell me that you had proposed to Fie. I almost had a heart attack when I saw your picture in the news this morning!"
Rean shrugged helplessly, "Imagine how I felt when I looked in the news this morning. We were planning on telling everyone tonight, but you can see how that turned out. I am sorry I forgot to invite you to come with us tonight, but it looks like you figured it out yourself."
"It kinda sucked though." Fie grumbled as she entered the conversation. "Princess Alfin paid the Guild so she could interrogate me all day. Dealing with a bunch of gossiping teens was awful. Is this what you have to deal with every day?"
Rean wanted to put a positive spin on his Instructor job, he really did. But the best defense he could come up with.. "It usually isn't this bad?" sounded weak even in his mind.
Fie just stared at him like he was a total weirdo.
"Well, uh, we should probably hurry. The train to Roer should be leaving in just a few minutes." Rean's attempt at changing the subject was blatant, but it got the job done as the three made their way to the train that would carry them the majority of the way to their destination. It was already mid-afternoon and the ride to Ymir would take another five hours. The return trip would take them most of the night.
The trio made it to the next train with a few minutes to spare. They could still feel the eyes of many passengers upon them, but found it a lot easier to ignore when they were with company. They had just gotten settled in and comfortable when the train whistled and started moving.
"Were you able to message our friends?" Rean asked the girl who had taken the seat next to him.
"Yup. All of them will be waiting for the call tonight." Rean was pleasantly surprised that all of Class VII would be available. It was very rare that they were all able to make the scheduled weekly group chats, so them all being available for an unscheduled one was a bit of a shock. Maybe the fact that it was an unscheduled one (and most of them probably already knew what the topic would be) was the reason they decided to find time for it?
"Will you be coming back with us tonight?" Rean asked his sister as Fie proceeded to turn his lap into her pillow.
"No. I don't have to be back at school until tomorrow afternoon so I will spend the night at home with our parents." Elise replied as she stared at the somewhat scandalous sight taking place across from her. That they would act like this in public surprised her. Still, she couldn't help but find such a scene adorable, especially when Rean started stroking Fie's hair like a kitten. The fact that her brother didn't even react to such an action informed the younger Schwarzer that this wasn't the first time that such a thing had occurred.
It wasn't long until the bracer fell asleep with the sounds of her soft breathing the only noise breaking up the silence shared between the Schwarzer siblings. Rean looked down at the girl fondly before his expression turned a bit sheepish as he finally realized what he had been doing.. She merely responded with an amused grin at his reaction. Rean couldn't deny that a nap sounded pretty good at that time as the previous night did not contain much sleep, but didn't want to give in as that would be very rude to Elise.
"You don't have to keep awake on my account. I have work for the Student Council that I can do." As usual, Elise knew exactly what Rean was thinking. Either that or she had noticed his relaxed posture and how his eyes struggled to remain open. Still, he had permission from his sister and wasn't about to say no to the idea. Even though he wasn't nearly as skilled at instantly falling asleep as Fie was, it didn't take him long before he too passed out.
In what felt like mere minutes but was actually close to four hours later, Rean was awakened by his sister. A brief glance outside the window confirmed that they were nearing Roer. The industrial city had expanded a lot since his first field study and now almost the entire horizon was filled with large buildings and orbal generators.
Feeling an uncomfortable sensation, Rean looked down to discover that at some point Fie had shifted from his lap and was now buried face-first in his crotch. Calling upon all the will and discipline he had learned as a student of the Eight Leaves Rean did his best to keep his body from reacting.
"Fie it is time to wake up." He gave the girl a shake for emphasis. Her response was merely to moan something out and bury herself deeper in him. Rean groaned as the situation just became a lot harder. Thankfully Elise didn't appear to notice his predicament.
"Fie... please." He all but pleaded. Fie merely proceeded to nuzzle her face into him, proving that she knew exactly what reaction she was causing. He could easily imagine the shit-eating grin that was almost certainly on her face. This continued for a good few seconds before she finally got the reaction she desired from him.
"I am up." She calmly stated as she rose from her position, but the mirth in her eyes was blatantly obvious to her soul mate. Rean did his best to subtly adjust his pants, but knew he would be switching trains with a noticeable bulge. He shot a pointed glare towards Fie, but the girl merely responded with a wink.
Luckily for Rean, it was already the evening and most of the passengers were headed home and didn't notice the Chevalier as he boarded the train that would take them the final hour of their journey to Ymir. Very few people were headed towards the same train as them. As a matter of fact...
"Oh, we have the entire train car to ourselves." Fie muttered aloud. She turned to the younger Schwarzer, "Elise if you wanted to move to a different car so me and Rean can have a quickie that would be totally awesome."
The look on Elise's face at that moment was priceless. The mix of shock, mortification, and horror was such that Rean couldn't bring himself to chastise Fie. Privately he also thought the idea had merit because he was still suffering from her earlier teasing. After a minute of trying to come up with a response Rean had an epiphany.
"Actually, I was thinking." He said in a low voice despite being the only group in the car, "If we were to run a bit late tonight we would have no choice but to catch the midnight train from Ymir. Sadly, the earliest train from Roer to Heimdallr wouldn't be until 4, so we would have no choice but to stay at a room for a few hours."
"Oh..." Fie blinked once, twice, three times before her eyes widened in realization. "That would be terrible." The slightest tint of red on her face let him know that she was thinking the same thing he was thinking, and he had a feeling they would be stuck on the midnight train that night. It meant another night of little sleep, but that was a sacrifice that they were very willing to make.
"Rean! Fie!" A very scandalized Elise shouted as her embarrassment reached a new level. Fie was a bit surprised that the usually restrained Rean Schwarzer would say something like that in front of Elise, but perhaps he was comfortable enough around his sister to let his guard down. Either that or her prior actions had gotten him wound up enough to just not care.
To most people Rean Schwarzer was the Ashen Chevalier. The hero who repeatedly fought to bring peace to Erebonia, toppled the corrupt government, and fought against a shadowy organization causing chaos behind the scenes. While these things were certainly true, they had no understanding at who Rean actually was.
To his friend and family, Rean Schwarzer was many things: A leader, an instructor, and a young noble carrying the Schwarzer name. Someone who would always look out for them, often at his own expense. Intelligent and kind, but reserved and cautious with his words. This was a more accurate version of Rean, but...
For Fie and Fie alone he was simply Rean. Completely unguarded in his actions and open with his desires. He didn't need to worry about the consequences of his actions or words and was simply free to do what he wanted. This Rean could be playful, mischievous, passionate, and often a total perv. This was her favorite Rean by far and he belonged to her.
Silence descended upon the group, with neither of the accused willing to respond to Elise and Elise realizing that forgetting the entire conversation occurred was the best course of action. The final trip to Ymir was short, but darkness was already starting to descend upon the land by the time they reached the final station. A short trip up the cable car later and the three found themselves in the snowy confines of Ymir.
"So uh, did someone tell your parents that we were coming?" Fie asked as she was the first to notice that both of the elder Schwarzers were already there waiting for them.
"I didn't," Elise muttered as Rean shook his head in the negative, "but I am not really surprised. They were always good at knowing what we were doing."
"Why hello you three. What an unexpected surprise to see you." Said Baron Teo Schwarzer as they approached. He tried to keep a neutral expression, but the mirth in his eyes gave truth to the lie.
"Oh, maybe something interesting happened and they wanted to tell us?" Lucia Schwarzer 'guessed'. Unlike her husband she didn't even try to hide the joy on her face.
Rean rolled his eyes at their comments. "Hi mom, hi dad. Yes we do have something to tell you."
"How could you possibly guess that. You must truly be a prophet." Fie stated in complete deadpan.
"It is chilly out here, we should take this inside first." Lucia suggested reasonably.
The group, now expanded to five people, made their way through the familiar grounds of Ymir to the Schwarzer estate. There weren't many people out at that hour, but it was obvious to all that the only reason the Schwarzer group wasn't completely mobbed by well-wishers was because the residents understood that this was clearly a family moment. Rean knew he would have to make another trip when time permitted so he could spend time with the residents of his hometown.
After a short, but somewhat awkward walk, the group reached Rean's childhood home. Lucia left to prepare tea and snacks for everybody, while the rest made themselves comfortable in the main room. It was quiet until the Schwarzer matriarch returned.
"So what is this news that has you arriving here so unexpectedly?" Asked the woman who had clearly been expecting them.
"Remind me to make Vivi's life a living hell." Rean groaned. This was supposed to be an exciting and fun surprise that they could spring at their own leisure. Instead it just felt like everybody was trying to make their lives miserable as they rushed themselves ragged.
"I already have some ideas for that." Fie responded, her own annoyance as obvious as his.
"Well, since I know you guys have absolutely no idea why we are here," the sarcasm from the Ashen Chevalier was truly legendary at that moment, "I guess I should let you know that Fie and I are getting married."
"Oh my! That is wonderful news!" Lucia exclaimed as she clapped her hands together in joy. Despite her clearly knowing the news ahead of time her excitement was still very genuine.
"Congratulations son, Fie." The Baron was more restrained in his response, but no less happy for it. He watched with no little amusement as his wife swept the couple up in a big hug. His amusement grew as Elise decided to join in on the group hug.
"Mom, Elise, please." Rean whined as he pulled himself from the hug. His family could be so embarrassing! Fie delighted in his embarrassment, even as she attempted to hide the slight discomfort she felt as she still wasn't fully used to people being touchy.
After that he proceeded to explain the events for what felt like the hundredth time. This time was a bit better thanks to the presence of Fie who occasionally chimed in with her own comments, but for the most part she was happy to let him handle it on his own.
"You never expected to have this kind of future, did you Rean?" His father asked after the explanation finished. While the question was vague, Rean knew exactly what he was referring to.
"I... no, I didn't." He admitted shamefully. "I didn't expect to have any kind of future at all." He truly didn't. Growing up with the scorn that came from being a commoner adopted into the nobility, discovering that he had a monster inside of him that threatened to burst forth at any moment, realizing that he was the sacrifice to some nationwide curse, and learning that his destiny was to fight in a series of Rivalries against legendary warriors with the prize for winning being an almost certain death as Ishmelga consumed him. It was a burden that he bore stoically and without complaint, but one he never expected to be free from.
"But you do now! And I have never seen you as happy as you have been this past year." Elise said in an attempt to lighten up the conversation.
"It's true." Rean said with a smile. "Being freed from the curse has been such a liberating feeling. It is like I am finally living my own life. Being a Bracer will only add to that feeling."
"You won't be feeling that happy when someone requests that you track down their missing cat." Fie muttered as she playfully elbowed him.
"I am always happy when you are at my side." Rean retorted without thinking. Fie desperately tried to prevent a blush from forming, but failed miserably. Why did that idiot keep saying such cheesy things so casually and why did it always affect her so! Her blush deepened as Lucia and Elise started giggling at her plight.
"We haven't had the chance to really plan for the future," Rean admitted without realizing just how much chaos his previous words had caused, "but it will probably be a while before we actually get married. Bracer work will be really hectic for the first months. Not to mention our friends are always busy so anything we plan would need to come months in advance." Beside him Fie nodded in affirmative while she worked to regain control of her racing heart.
"Fair enough. And after that? Do you intend to settle down?" 'Will you become the next Baron Schwarzer?' was the unspoken question.
"Sorry, but I am still not sure on that one. We have talked about settling down and starting a family of our own some day, but we are in no rush to do so." While Rean still wasn't on board with the idea of becoming the Baron of Ymir, he could envision a future where he lived like Viscount Arseid and started a school for the Eight Leaves One Blade style while still fulfilling his familiar obligations.
"That is fine dear. Your father is too stubborn to die anytime soon, so you and Elise have time to figure it out." Her words did put his mind at ease knowing that he still had time before making that decision.
After that the conversation devolved into more mundane topics, not that Fie minded. She knew that Rean didn't get to visit his family as much as he would have liked, so having the chance to catch up, however briefly, wasn't something she was going to begrudge. Despite being a family gathering the Schwarzers made the effort to include her in the conversation as much as possible.
'They are treating me like part of the family already!' Fie realized. Sure she had realized earlier during her conversation with Alfin that she would technically become a Schwarzer, but the way the family was able to already consider her as one of them was a shock. A pleasant warmth filled her body as she relaxed into the conversation with the newest members of her family.
"As nice as this is, didn't you say that you guys had another group to talk to tonight?" Rean's mother reminded them after a while.
Rean checked his ARCUS to see that more time had passed than he had realized, "Oh shit!" He exclaimed. "I guess we really will be taking the final train to Roer tonight." He told Fie. That got a smirk from said girl, a blush from Elise, and confused looks from his parents. "Alright, I guess we have to get this over with."
"Do we have to?" Fie whined. It was late and she was sick of all these conversations. Especially since she knew that this final one was going to suck the most.
"C'mon Fie. We can't just leave them waiting all night." He replied with amusement. He truly did agree with his partner that this was getting tedious, but he was still the responsible leader of Class VII and would never intentionally do anything to inconvenience his classmates. He took Fie by the hand and together they made their way to the privacy of his bedroom.
"You know I always thought the first time you brought me to your bedroom would be a bit more exciting than this." An amused Fie quipped. Rean merely mouthed the word 'later' which caused the girl to grin.
Eventually the two found themselves sitting on Rean's bed with ARCUS IIs in hand. Neither seemed very eager to make the first move, but after a second Rean sighed and started pushing the buttons needed to call the group. All of Class VII would be forever grateful to Prince Olivert for providing them with the Round of Seven app as their duties would constantly keep them apart, but they were never truly far away thanks to it.
Unsurprisingly it was Fie who answered the call first. After that it was the ever excitable Millium. Next was Elliot. Emma, Alisa, Jusis, Machias, Crow, Laura, and Gaius all followed. Despite how mentally exhausting they knew the upcoming conversation would be, both were as delighted as ever to see the faces of their dearest friends.
"I just wanna know," Fie stated before anyone could say anything, "has anyone here not already heard the news?" A few of their classmates shared amused looks at the question as they could tell how exasperated the girl was, but two members seemed confused.
"I have been in Nord for the past weeks. I am not exactly sure what news you are referring to, but if it is something recent then it hasn't reached me yet." Stated Gaius Worzel. Some might wonder how a nomad in the middle of the Nord Highlands would be able to join this conversation, but having friends in the Reinford Company and Epstein Foundation meant that spending hundreds of thousands of mira to install a signal booster in a place where only a handful of souls could use it was absolutely a thing that happened.
"I must admit to confusion of my own." Laura S Arseid added. "I have spent the entire day training students at the Arseid school and haven't had time to do much else. I did notice a few of the students discussing an article in the Imperial Chronicle, but when I inquired about it they avoided the subject."
"Well unsurprisingly most of you already know, but Gaius, Laura, Fie and I are-" Rean never got to finish his sentence as someone decided to cut him off.
"Rean and Fie are getting married!" Millium Orion apparently couldn't contain her excitement any longer.
"Millium, why?" Groaned Jusis Albarea. "My apologies. One of these days I will need to get a muzzle for that girl. Still, allow me be the first to offer my congratulations."
"Yeah! This is so exciting! I am so happy for you guys." Exclaimed Elliot Craig.
"Indeed, although I wish you two had prepared this better. I almost choked on my morning coffee when I opened the Chronicle." Of course that was Class VII's coffee expert Machias Regnitz.
"Ah, lighten up. I am sure Rean agonized over asking the entire day, only to panic at the last second and blurt it out without noticing his surroundings." Rean winced at how well Crow Armbrust knew him. "How badly did he screw it up Fie?
"Oh it was awful. He totally choked up and forgot how to talk. Lucky I was able to figure out what he was getting at." Rean couldn't help but flush in embarrassment as his classmates laughed at his expense.
"Fie! You weren-" Rean was interrupted by said girl leaning over and capturing his lips with her own briefly.
"Aww. You guys should lighten up a bit. We know that Rean still occasionally struggles with his own feelings. I think it's sweet." Rean made a mental note to send Emma Millstein something nice for her contribution to this chat.
"And yet it never stopped him from spouting cheesy speeches straight from the heart." Deadpanned Alisa Reinford, a frequent victim of said cheesy speeches.
"Still, this is wonderful news. I am so happy for the two of you. Adios knows if anyone deserves to find happiness it is the two of you." Stated Gaius, as kind and supportive as ever.
"So why did you do it now? Did you knock her up?" The silence following Millium's crass statement was finally broken by the sound of Duke Albarea's head slamming into his desk.
"Umm." Rean wasn't quite sure how to reply to that. "Nothing like that... I think? Uh, anyways, I am planning on becoming a Bracer after graduation so I thought it would be a good time to make our relationship more official."
"Oh? You are joining the Bracer Guild? Perhaps I will see the two of you in Legram soon." Laura mused. She watched in some amusement as her best friend decided to abandon her own ARCUS and lean on Rean's shoulder, putting both of them on his screen.
"I am sure I can find work for the two of you in Bareahard." Added Jusis, now sporting a red mark on his forehead from where his head impacted his desk.
"You nobles shouldn't abuse your status to monopolize Rean and Fie!" Complained Machias.
"Wait, does this mean that you are going to be his boss Fie?" Asked Elliot.
"Yup." The girl replied as she made a 'V' with her fingers.
"Sorry, but I just can't see it. You might technically be his superior, but we all know that Rean is a goody two shoes who will take charge as soon as anyone has a problem."
"True, his penchant for sticking his nose in other people's business has only gotten worse over the years."
"But that was why he became our leader so quickly, right?"
Fie pouted after hearing the comments from Crow, Jusis, and Emma. She really wanted to be in charge, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Rean was going to be an exceptional bracer.
"Don't worry Fie, I will respect your authority. Just as much as you respect Instructor Sara's authority." So a big fat zero. Great.
"You all suck." The Bracer finally responded, causing no small amount of mirth among her classmates. She might have said something more, but instead found herself trying to stifle a yawn. As is often the case, the yawn proved to be contagious as it caused Rean to yawn himself.
"Geez, you guys look exhausted." Alisa stated the obvious.
"Do you know how hard it is to teach at a school when all the students want to gossip about your love life?" Rean asked rhetorically.
"...I had to spend the day with Sara and Alfin."
"Okay yeah, that sounds awful."
"That does sound exhausting, yes."
"Sucks to be you guys."
Commented Elliot, Laura, and Millium in quick succession. The other members couldn't help but send them pitying looks as they quietly agreed with those statements.
"Should we let you two go and rest?" Asked a concerned Emma.
"It's fine." Rean replied. "We still have a few minutes before we need to depart Ymir for the train station."
Thankfully the others took pity on the exhausted duo and the spotlight was removed as the conversation shifted towards lighter topics like everybody's current work or any interesting gossip they might have heard. The pair was content to just listen to their friends, only really chiming in when spoken to directly. The remaining time passed pleasantly as the two basked in the warmth of the other and the sounds of their dearest friends.
"Alright, I think it is time for us to go." Rean sadly admitted after a while. "I know you guys still have a lot of questions and we will gladly answer them once things stop being quite so hectic."
"Mmm." Fie groaned out something that sounded like an agreement, "Being famous sucks." This caused one final bit of laughter from their classmates, with the exception of the other famous members of Class VII, who merely nodded in agreement at her words.
"Bye everyone, talk to you soon." And with that the line went dead and the conversation ended.
"Our friends are all lame." Fie stated after a brief moment.
"Gonna need an explanation on that one."
"Think about it. We have been together for over a year and are getting married, but none of them have accomplished anything."
"What about Gaius and Linde?" Rean asked in confusion. "Pretty sure they are dating."
"If you want to call it that. Gaius is always so busy between his church and Nord that they are lucky to see each other once a month. Spending a week away from you sucked, I would have dumped your ass if it was a month between meetings."
"Well they are more patient than we are." Rean stated as he pondered whether he should feel touched or concerned by Fie's final statement. "What about Elliot and Mint?" Fie merely stared at Rean, confusing him until he thought about what he said. 'Between Elliot's shyness and Mint's... mintness...' "Okay I take that one back."
"Hmm... Did you ever get Crow to open up on his relationship with Vita?"
"Surprisingly, no. That is one thing he refuses to talk about." Rean suspected that his senior still carried something of a torch for the Anguis, but it was a flame that had all but died out thanks to their different stations. "I have noticed him getting closer to Towa lately though."
"The girls are even worse about it." Fie did feel slightly guilty about that. While she would never feel bad about ending up with Rean, she knew for a fact that the other female members of Class VII had been pursuing him. Well, except Millium who was clearly interested in Jusis, but the girl's lack of physical growth probably doomed any chance of that happening anytime soon.
"Well they are all really busy. I am sure they will figure it out eventually."
"Fifty Mira says they will all be virgins at thirty like Sara is."
"Ouch, brutal." Rean muttered with a grin before her last words sunk in. "Wait, you think Sara is still a virgin?"
"Uh huh. Despite her careless attitude she has no interest in a quick thrill. But she also has impossibly high standards in men and that same attitude scares them all away.
"You mean Viscount Arseid." Rean deadpanned. "Oh, but there was that one time where she kissed me..." He mused aloud, only realizing his mistake after he said it.
"Sara kissed you? When did this happen." Fie asked with lidded eyes and an unamused look.
"Uh, it was last year during a field study in Ordis. I am pretty sure she was just drunk and upset that Claire kissed me before that." Rean proceeded to dig the hole deeper.
"You really shouldn't brag about your other conquests with your fiancee." Fie hissed, but the grin on her face let Rean know that he wasn't actually in trouble. "Still, it is a good thing I chaperoned you on your date with Claire all those years ago. Don't worry Rean, I will continue to protect you from other women." The way she proceeded to pat him on the head like a dog was demeaning, but Rean knew that he had absolutely no right to complain about it.
"Your services are truly appreciated." Rean said with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "Alright, I think it is time we get going. Come on Fie."
After a quick farewell to the Schwarzer family and a promise to return once he had free time so the people of Ymir could see him, the two made their way down the mountain and to the train station. Normally such a journey would be considered dangerous as monsters would occasionally roam in the darkness, but neither of the two were worried. Some might see it as hubris, but the pair knew that nothing short of an Aion or a couple of Ouroboros's Enforcers could threaten them at this point, even in the dead of night.
Once more the two found themselves on a train, but this time they truly could say they were the only ones on it, barring a skeleton crew to actually run the train. Fie almost instantly went back to using Rean as her favorite pillow, not that the man minded at all. He got the patrolling train employee to agree to wake them when they reached Roer (thankfully the dim lighting of the train meant he wasn't recognized), and promptly joined his partner in sleep.
An hour later the pair were woken by a wide-eyed attendant as the train entered the industrial metropolis of Roer. Clearly at this distance she was able to recognize the pair. Fortunately she had the good graces to remain quiet. Either that or she was in shock at the identity of the passengers.
Departing the train, the pair looked for a place to stay for the mere three hours or so they had until the morning trains were ready. Deciding that it would be a waste of mira to stay in an expensive place like Hotel Lagrange the pair instead found a cheap little motel to accommodate them. The room consisted only of a single bed and an attached bathroom, absolutely perfect for their needs.
"I'm exhausted." Fie complained as she flopped onto the bed. "Had I known today was gonna be like this I would have said no."
"Not sure I would have asked at all." Rean admitted. "Still, the worst should be behind us." He settled onto the bed with more grace than Fie and let out a groan of contentment as he laid down. "I am tired too. Did you want to catch some sleep before the train tomorrow, or...? He trailed off, but the implication was clear.
"Well I am tired and sleep does sound nice, but 'or' sounds very good." Fie rolled on top of Rean and her normally teasing grin took on a more sultry tone as she looked down upon her lover.
"'Or' sounds very good indeed." Rean muttered before their lips crashed together and all their pent-up feelings towards each other rushed to the surface. The kiss became a battle for dominance, ending with no victor as the pair eventually pulled away for air. Clothes were soon torn off and soon the pair found themselves expressing their love in the most intimate way possible.
Despite their exhaustion, the pair were seasoned warriors and had vast reserves of stamina to call upon when the situation required it, so it was almost two hours later when the satisfied pair finally collapsed in a heap on the bed.
"I love you." A relaxed Rean told the girl resting on his chest as he stroked her hair. When no reply came he tried again, "Fie?" Still nothing. Realization dawned on the Chevalier and annoyance set in, "Wake up Fie." He poked the girl a few times for emphasis.
"Whyyy?" Fie moaned pitifully as she woke up. She couldn't believe that Rean could be so cruel to her.
"C'mon Fie. You know we have to get ready to go soon."
"Too tired. Just leave me behind. Plus my legs aren't working. I blame you for that by the way."
"We can sleep on the train." Privately Rean was getting annoyed by the fact that it felt like forever since he had slept anywhere but on a train. "We need to go wash up."
"Fine." The girl finally acquiesced. "But you are gonna have to carry me." That was something Rean absolutely did not mind at all. Getting to his feet was harder than he anticipated, but eventually he pulled it off. Gently he lifted the naked girl in his arms and carried her to the bathroom. While he would have killed for a hot spring at that moment he was forced to settle for the small bath tub in the room.
Fie relaxed into his arms as he carefully turned the tub on while making sure to not drop her. Once filled he carefully stepped in and sat himself down before setting Fie on his lap. She readjusted herself to get comfortable, which given their positions caused a reaction in her partner. Unlike the earlier teasing on the train this time there were no clothes between the two and the desire was readily apparent.
"Really? Still not satisfied?" Fie teased.
"Sorry I am not a literal saint." Anything else he might have said was moot as the girl pushed herself forward and kissed him.
The bath ended up taking far longer than either had expected and didn't leave the pair feeling as clean as they should have. Still, neither were complaining as they sluggishly made their way back to the Roer train station. Settling onto the train it took mere seconds for the pair to fall asleep together. They would awaken at Heimdallr and return to their normal lives. The next few months would pass agonizingly slow as the two waited impatiently for the next chapter of their lives to begin.
