Fie woke with a miserable groan. Great, one of those mornings. The moments of sickness weren't all that frequent and never lasted that long, but it was enough to ruin her precious sleep and that was an unforgivable crime in her eyes.
Looking out the window she could tell it wasn't even dawn yet. In a perfect world she goes back to sleep and forgets that any of this had happened, but the world was a cruel and imperfect place. There was little chance of her falling asleep while feeling like this.
A cruel and vindictive part of her mind wanted to wake Rean up. If she had to suffer like this, why shouldn't he? But looking at her lover put an immediate halt to that terrible idea.
He looked so at peace while sleeping next to her. Normally he was a light sleeper, especially when she was ill at ease, so him still resting there made it clear just how much he needed it. Damn him for being so adorable while sleeping.
She supposed that laying there and cuddling with her partner was always an option, but that presented its own risks. While she didn't think she was about to lose her dinner, it wouldn't be the first time if that urge came on rapidly and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to be in bed if it happened. Plus they had found that a warm drink was usually good for calming down her stomach when these moments hit, and to get one of those required getting up.
Grudgingly, the pregnant girl forced herself out of the warmth of bed and got dressed. A few minutes later and she had prepared a cup of the green tea that Rean was so fond of. While she wasn't much of a tea drinker, she could at least appreciate it and it really did help with the sickness.
Now what to do? It would take a little while before she was relaxed enough to risk going back to bed, so for now she needed to do something. Thankfully an idea soon came to mind.
She hadn't really spent much time tending to her garden since their trip to North Ambria, so that sounded like a sound plan. Decision made the girl exited their house and began looking over her flowers and crops.
It was a good thing that most of Erebonia had very mild seasons as she could continue to grow things even with winter fast approaching. The former jaeger took her time as she made sure everything was watered and cleared out any bothersome weeds that were cropping up. A few of the vegetables she had planted were ready for the harvest and she wasted little time in collecting those.
By the time she had finished dawn was just breaking on Trista. Both her body and mood were feeling a lot better than they had been when she woke so she considered her efforts well worth it. Still, she couldn't resist the urge to let out a yawn. Even in her Zephyr days she was not a morning person.
Rean would probably be waking soon, so going back to bed would not get her the requisite amount of rest she required. No, she needed to find a place that would give her a little bit of time to relax before her nosy lover found her. None of the benches around here would afford her that luxury.
She paused as she noticed a handful of students going around town as they prepared for classes that morning. Was it already that time of day? Actually, in hindsight that was perfect. With a grin on her face the silver-haired bracer exited her home and began the trek through town to where it all began for her.
Rean felt a chill in the air as he woke later that morning. That was a bit unusual as usually he wasn't one to notice cool weather all that much. The reason became obvious once his brain began processing information as he realized that the beautiful creature that usually shared her warmth with him was nowhere to be found.
While he wasn't really one to worry about Fie being off on her own, given her current condition he couldn't help but be a tad bit concerned. Shaking off the early morning mental cobwebs the young swordmaster forced himself out of bed and threw on his clothes. There were still a few hours before they needed to make the daily trip to Heimdallr, so there was no rush, but still...
With a critical eye he was quick to notice the slight discrepancy in the location of Fie's gardening tools from their position the previous night. A trip outside was enough to confirm that yes, she had indeed been at her garden. He couldn't help but smile seeing that. It was always a treat to see her get so passionate towards something, even if it was something as simple as plants. He made a mental note to spend more time assisting her with that, as helping her grow her flowers when they were students was quite the experience. Although he did suppose it paled in comparison to the other thing they were now growing together...
But while the garden was freshly attended, there was no sign of the person he was looking for. Still, he didn't think she could have gone too far. The Eight Leaves practitioner closed his eyes and cleared his mind.
Normally, his ability to sense the presence of other living beings was limited. Even while focusing all of himself on his senses the odds of identifying a specific individual would be limited to a few dozen arge at most, especially with the surroundings being so busy. But Fie was the exception to that rule.
In the years since they had gotten close, and especially in the past half-year living together, Rean had noticed his ability to sense out Fie in particular had gotten a lot stronger. Perhaps he was biased, but her energy had such a unique feel to it. It was both chaotic and reserved. Quiet and Loud. Everything about her was one great contradiction. And yet it never failed to calm him down. He wouldn't be surprised if he could feel her as far away as the capital.
Thankfully she wasn't that far away, but it did appear that she was a fair distance from him. In a place that was quite familiar to him.
He was a bit surprised at where he sensed her. While the two hadn't gone out of their way to ignore the academy or its students, they hadn't really felt compelled to go there either. Even with some of the changes being reverted after the debacle of the Great Twilight it didn't change the fact that it was no longer their Thors. The only real ties they had with that place were with the buildings itself and the few members of the faculty that still remained from their student days.
Still, that was where Fie had gone so that was where he was going. Although it was no longer his Thors, he couldn't help but have a sense of nostalgia as he took that familiar path towards the school. Those early days with Elliot and Gaius as they took the path each day while chatting about classwork, club activities, or whichever current conflict was going on with their classmates. He couldn't help but grin to himself as he thought about just how far they had all come since those days.
Once at the old building the former student again stretched his senses out in search of his partner. It was almost time for morning classes to begin so the area was packed with different signatures, but that wasn't much of a hassle for him. There were only a handful of places Fie would go to when she was a student and he didn't see any reason to believe that would change these few years later. He could tell that she wasn't at the school garden and all of her favorite benches were vacant. That left one obvious destination to check.
"It's the Ashen Chevalier!" He wasn't all that surprised to be identified so quickly, as despite the fact they didn't interact with the campus or its students much everyone knew that they were residents of Trista. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was to find an entire mob of students waiting as he entered the main building. It was almost as if...
Of course. Fie knew that he would eventually come to collect her and had let these students know as a distraction. That was exactly the kind of mischief she would pull off.
With practiced ease the war hero adopted an easy smile and greeted the mob cordially. He had seen a few of the second-year students in the previous year while still employed as an instructor, but as the class featuring Ada and Fritz had since graduated he didn't know any of them personally. Still, he did his best to deal with the group as best he could, answering some questions, deflecting others, and doing his best to ignore the one girl who grabbed his butt.
In a way it reminded him of his second year as a student, shortly after earning the moniker of Ashen Chevalier. Enlistment at Thors had increased dramatically thanks to his presence and the new wave of first year students were very... enthusiastic to spend time with the new hero. Not having Class VII there to support him made it even harder, although friends such as Patrick, Alan, and Vivi did their best. Thankfully this time wasn't nearly as bad, as he had both gotten somewhat used to the attention and he had the support of someone far more dear to him, even if he could sense that she was snoozing peacefully in a nearby room.
Eventually he was saved by the literal bell as the beginning of morning homeroom was enough to scatter the mob, freeing him to reach his destination. Even if everything else was different, it was nice to see that the infirmary had not changed. A quiet room with Instructor Beatrix shooting an amused smile towards him at he entered and Fie sleeping peacefully on one of the beds.
"I've been expecting you." The kindly old medic greeted him. "It's been a while, Rean."
"Same to you, Instructor Beatrix." He knew he didn't need to give her that title anymore, but some habits die hard. He glanced over at Fie. "Has she been...?"
She shook her head. "Not too long. Maybe just an hour or so?"
"...Is that alright?"
"Technically it isn't, as she's no longer affiliated with the school, but I don't see any problem with it." The former colonel had always had a soft spot for the girl, after all. "As long as we don't need the bed for any students she can remain for as long as she likes."
He pondered on that for a minute. Technically they didn't need to rush themselves that morning and Beatrix had given permission... "Do you mind if I pull up a chair and keep her company for a bit?" Might as well go all-in on this little nostalgia trip. Beatrix's grin grew a little wider as she nodded her head in approval. He also didn't fail to notice the slight upward twitch of the lips from the 'sleeping' woman, either, causing him to roll his eyes in amusement. Still, that wasn't enough to deter him and soon he found himself seated next to his lover.
He spent the next half hour or so alternating between quietly chatting with the elderly instructor and relaxing while listening to the peaceful breathing of the slumbering girl. Not the most productive use of his time, but it was quiet and comfortable and so he didn't mind.
He was shaken from his relaxation when Fie let out a loud yawn before sitting up and wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Sup?" She greeted Rean as if it were just some normal encounter.
"Have a nice rest, dear?" Beatrix replied with her ever-present placid smile.
"Mmm." The girl made an agreeable noise. "Forgot how comfy this is. Might have to come back more in the future."
"Well, you're always welcome here. But might I suggest you let a certain someone know the next time? He's a bit young to be getting gray hairs... again."
The girl glanced at him with mischievous eyes before turning her attention back to the nurse. "Nah. It's funnier this way."
Yeah, that was about the answer Rean was expecting. He let out a mournful sigh. "Did you have to let all the students know I was coming?"
"What? And deny them the chance to meet the most famous graduate of this school ever? Why are you so cruel, Rean?"
"You might want to be careful with that." Beatrix warned with visible amusement. "While the Ashen Chevalier might be the most well-known, a certain Sylphid has been gaining a lot of notoriety lately, especially among the younger generations. It's always wonderful hearing the excited chatter that ensues when one of the students spots you flitting about town."
"Bah..." Fie grumbled while looking away, but none present missed the embarrassed hue on her cheeks. "I guess we should get going before first period finishes." Rean was pretty sure she was saying that to prevent said situation from happening and not out of any real sense of responsibility.
After bidding farewell to Beatrix and promising to make use of her sanctuary again at a later date, the two bracers made their exit from the infirmary... And proceeded to run into another pair of individuals who were just exiting from the teacher's office. The first was no surprise to them, as both knew that Vice-Principal Heinrich was still employed there. The second, however...
"Vice-Principal! Towa!" Although he tried to keep his voice even, he had no doubt that Fie at least noticed he was a lot more excited to see one of these individuals than he was the other. Not that she felt any differently about it, he knew.
"Rean! Fie! It's so good to see you two again!" The tiny teacher greeted the two.
"Schwarzer... Claussell." He thought he did an impressive job at holding in his annoyance at just how enthusiastically he greeted Fie. He knew the baron never had a high opinion of the girl, both for her common blood and infamous background, but he needed to understand that she was his and that she deserved to be treated with a whole lot more respect.
Fie, being Fie, didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she had her signature easy grin as she looked towards the school leader. "If it's easier for you, you can start calling me Mrs. Schwarzer. Might be a little early, but it won't be long now."
Heinrich looked like he had swallowed something particularly bitter. "I would rather not." He grumped out before turning his attention back towards Rean. "Speaking of which. I have heard some nasty rumors concerning you. Please tell me that you did not renounce your noble title and position."
"Ah..." Well this was awkward. "That part is true, actually. I didn't think I would be able to devote the time to the people of Ymir that they deserved."
"He's a busy man, being the Ashen Chevalier and all." Fie piped in unhelpfully. "Kicking ass, saving the world, getting the girl."
"Grr..." The baron looked ready to blow up, but a deep breath was enough for him to regain his cool. "Regardless. Despite your... unfortunate decision, never forget that you have a duty to always remember where you came from and what you represent. Good day to the three of you." The noble left with an audible huff, leaving the trio of graduates standing there alone.
Towa was the first one to break the silence as she laughed sheepishly. "If nothing else at least he was well-meaning... I think?"
"It's pretty funny if you ask me. He desperately wants you to represent just how awesome nobles are, but you aren't cooperating at all. Not to mention he's conveniently ignoring the fact that you're adopted nobility and are marrying a foreign-born commoner."
Not wanting to deal with the current topic of conversation Rean instead chose the topic. "So what were you doing here, Towa?" He asked as the three exited the campus.
"The principal sent me here to meet with the main campus so we can begin coordinating our final exams in a few months." She pouted adorably. "Unfortunately no other teacher volunteered to help so I have to handle it all myself.
Urk! He never really considered how much work his departure would leave for the others. "Sorry about that..."
"I'm kidding, silly!" She giggled at his expression. "It's hard work, but nothing I can't handle. The new instructors are quite helpful and Crow even comes down from Jurai to help out on occasion."
"Speaking of..." Fie gave the shorter girl a teasing grin. "How are the two of you doing, anyways?"
Towa flushed scarlet and looked away in embarrassment. "Um... We're doing fine, I guess..." She perked up as an idea came to mind. "Actually, I'm supposed to be meeting him for lunch in the capital in a bit. Why don't the two of you come along?"
The two bracers shared a dubious glance before Rean shook his head. "We wouldn't want to interrupt your date."
"Nonsense!" Something about her kind smile put them ill at ease. "Despite being so close it's been far too long since we've had a chance to spend some time together. And I know Crow has been dying to meet you too. Seems like he can't stop talking about you two these days..."
Oh. He never even considered what a lunch with Crow would be like now that everyone was suspicious of them. Sara might have been the most persistent, but Crow could be the most devious. This was undoubtedly a terrible idea.
That being said, Rean wasn't ready to meet Aidios just yet, and looking at Towa's smile he suspected that that would be the end result if he refused her. "What do you think, Fie?" Said girl looked at him in betrayal as she realized he was putting all the pressure onto her.
Something he knew he would pay for later, but Fie was braver than him and would certainly be able to oppose the diabolical smile of Towa Herschel. Her time with Zephyr taught her how to make hard decisions. "Well, um..." So why did she sound so nervous? "We do need to report to the guild soon-" She wilted as Towa turned her kindly smile entirely upon her. "...But I guess we have a little time free for a quick lunch?" Come to find out even Fie's courage had its limits as her capitulation was both hasty and decisive.
"Great!" She chirped happily as her terrifying grin gave way to genuine kindness. "I'll let him know you two are coming!"
Rean gaped at Fie for her submission, but her return glare made it clear that she entirely blamed him for putting everything on her like that. "Uh... Do you want to ride back with us on my bike? It'll take a few minutes to attach the sidecar, but it should still be a lot faster than the train?"
"Oh! That would be wonderful. Thank you so much!" Despite the dangers that lay ahead, Rean couldn't help but grin in return. Spending time with Towa was always a treat. He made a mental note to make sure they spent more time with their friends – especially the nearby ones – in the future. He had a feeling that they would have more than enough time once Fie's pregnancy advanced into the later stages and bracer activity took a backseat.
Fie was still plotting her revenge by the time the three of them finished getting the orbal bike ready and set out for the capital. Damn Rean and his cowardice, putting her on the spot like that! There would be a reckoning later.
...Mostly she was just upset that he beat her to the punch like that.
It kinda sucked that their friends were such nosy little jerks, as normally the thought of hanging out with Crow and Towa would be quite fun. Crow was a kindred spirit who she bonded with over their shared desire to mess with Rean. And Towa most understood the pain she had gone through as both were rather... small during their school days.
Who was she kidding? She just wanted to lord the fact that she had grown a lot since those student days while the former class president was just as tiny as ever. Fie knew it was wrong, but spending all that time alongside the likes of Emma and Alisa with their unfair advantages took its toll upon her! She needed this!
During the trip Rean conversed with Towa about events taking place at the Branch Campus. She could understand why he was interested in boring stuff like the next generation of students, changes to the curriculum, and which training hall the principal most recently demolished in a spar as he had been working there not all that long ago. Still, she had no interest in any of it, but was forced to listen as there was nothing else to do on the back of the bike.
The place that Towa directed Rean to drive to was a rather simple little diner located some distance away from the race tracks. After parking the bike the three made their way in. There she spotted her second-favorite chevalier already seated and waiting for them.
"Sup, guys?" He didn't seem all that displeased about the bracers intruding upon their date. That boded poorly for them.
"...Hey." Her response to their friend was a bit lackluster, but she couldn't help it. Crow's smile was worrisome!
Rean at least was able to put on a genuine smile, even if he did look more reserved than he normally would have been when hanging out with his best friend and rival. "Crow. It's been too long."
"Aww, don't be like that you two. We're all buds here, right? After everything we've been through together there's no need to act so suspicious. There are no secrets between friends, after all."
Oof. That was actually a painful blow. Luckily salvation quickly arrived in the diminutive form of Towa. "Crow! Just because we're all friends doesn't mean you should try and guilt them like that!"
"Sorry, my bad." The Azure Awakener didn't look all that sorry.
Not wanting the older male to get a chance to recover and try again Fie decided to go on the offensive. "Hopefully you two are more than just friends at this point, right? You've been together for nearly a year now."
Towa looked away nervously. "Yes? I mean, we're dating. That's enough for now, right?"
"Nope." She shook her head as the food was delivered. "Towa, let me give you one piece of advice: All men are idiots."
"Hey!" Crow didn't like that advice at all. Tough luck for him. Rean meanwhile gave her a flat stare, but didn't say anything. Good boy. He was learning.
Ignoring the outburst she continued. "They always get so caught up on the little things like 'oh no I am gonna die in the Twilight' or 'my fancy title makes a relationship so tricky'. I bet Crow is hesitating to make a move cause a part of him is still hung up on Vita." The man in question looked away awkwardly and she had a feeling her words hit home. "It's up to us girls to make things happen."
"...You think so?" Despite being three years her senior, Towa seemed to be quite interested in her advice.
"I know so. I mean, just look at Rean. He used to be such a bore." Again he looked like he might say something, but instead just sighed and did his best to ignore her. "I pretty much had to do everything at first. Now he's actually kinda fun. We live together, have fun together... and we even make mistakes together. It's not always perfect, but I wouldn't change this life for the world."
"Wasn't I the one who asked you out first?" He countered.
That was an easy question to deal with. "Sure, but that was only after half the female population of Erebonian admitted to having feelings for you and pretty much every guy involved with the Radiant Wings told you to man up at Mishelam."
"...Well how about the fact I proposed to you?"
"Yup. I was impressed. Shows how my hard work at making sure you finally got a clue have paid off." Rean looked unimpressed that she was stealing the credit for that. Fie didn't really care. Instead she turned back to Towa and lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper, but one that both males could clearly hear. "And don't even get me started on how much better the sex has gott-"
Towa flamed bright red. "I don't need to hear about that here!" She squeaked loudly. Fie noted how she said not here. So Towa actually was curious, eh?
...Yeah, she was definitely gonna send the girl some rather risque info when they got home. Corrupting the seemingly innocent Towa might actually be a lot of fun.
"Well this has certainly been a riveting conversation." It was pretty fun to see Crow looking as awkward as Rean used to. "Are you really gonna let your girl get away with saying all that?"
The swordsman shrugged. "I've learned better than to try and stop Fie when she gets like this." She preened at the praise. "That, and the fact that she isn't exactly wrong." Rean earned himself a couple surprised looks for that comment so he hastily amended his statement. "Well, she's wrong about all that stupid stuff she just said..." Rude! "... but there's no denying that her influence is the reason our relationship has advanced so quickly. It can be troublesome at times, but I've never been as content with my life as I am now, so I'm grateful for it."
"I see..." Towa murmured as the older couple processed his words. Fie wasn't sure what they were thinking, but hopefully some of their advice stuck. As fun as it was to tease all their friends about their boring relationships she really did want some of them to speed things up. It was really awkward being the only girl in their group to have reached that level.
Although thinking about it, wouldn't that make her the one they would all turn to when they needed advice? Maybe she should be careful what she wished for cause she wasn't sure if she wanted that role for herself. Having women she saw as big sisters coming to her for life advice just sounded miserable and awkward, but considering that she was soon to become both a wife and a mother, she had a sinking feeling that that was inevitable.
Shaking those horrid thoughts from her head she returned to the present. Some time during her musings the food had arrived and the others were already busying themselves with it, so she quickly followed suit before anyone noticed her inner conflict. The meal wasn't anything special, but the company was good and the food was generally enough of a distraction to keep Crow at bay. The few times he tried to ask probing questions she expertly deflected. Soon enough the meal was finished and the time for them to be responsible adults and make a token appearance at work arrived. The two pairs bid each other farewell as the two bracers returned to the guild while the others slowly made their way to the nearest tram.
"Well that didn't accomplish much," Crow complained long after the two bracers had left their line of sight. "Was really hoping they would let something slip. Thought we had a good chance with our strategy." They didn't even have to plan anything. He just needed to play off their natural suspicions of him to get their guard up, only for kind adorable Towa to swoop in to their rescue and relax them and hopefully let something slip.
"Mmm..." Towa agreed half-heartedly.
That caught his attention. "What's up? You've been quiet ever since they left."
"O-Oh! It's nothing!"
Great. She was still totally thinking about what Fie had said. He knew the younger girl would try and turn the situation around on them, but it didn't make it any less awkward. Especially with Rean there to earnestly support her. "So uh..." Best to change the topic now lest things get any weirder. "So what did you need my help with once we get back to the campus?"
It was an obvious deflection, but Towa, ever the hardworking individual, answer his question with all seriousness. That said, while she was considering their afternoon plans, a part of her was still focused on the prior meeting. Crow didn't seem to have noticed it at all, which was surprising, but there was one thing that Fie had said that stuck with her.
'And we even make mistakes together.'
There was certainly a chance that it was just a generic statement with no real meaning behind it, but Towa couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was something more to it. Just the way Fie had added that part in at the end...
Still, it wasn't anything conclusive, and even if it was she had no intention of sharing it with Crow, Angie, or any of the others. Although they had forced her into this little information gathering game of theirs she had never actually agreed to share what she found. She respected Rean's privacy too much for that. Not to mention...
She took a glance at Crow while the taller boy was looking away. Although he tried to play it off like he normally did, she knew him enough to understand that Fie's advice had struck home. She would need to follow up with her later for some more... specific ideas. She did her best to will away the flush that came with that thought, lest the former terrorist notice.
After a few seconds and a deep breath she succeeded. Good. Not wanting to fall into that mental trap again she decided to shelve those thoughts for now and focus her attention entirely on his question. It wasn't often she had him available to assist, so perhaps today was a good day to handle a couple of tasks that had been on the back-burner for a while? It was a lot of extra work, but she doubted that Crow would mind all that much...
For some reason Crow felt a shiver go down his spine. Why did he have this ominous feeling that something terrible was about to happen to him...?
The trip back to Trista late that evening was a quiet one, as Fie was too busy pouting to make conversation. Rean found it amusing, but he couldn't really blame her for her low spirits. It had been a rather long day.
One of the problems with an organization like the Bracer Guild is that bracers relied on requests to be productive. On some exceptionally peaceful days those requests just didn't arrive in sufficient quantities to keep everyone busy, especially with the Erebonian branch now operating at a fuller capacity. So when the two arrived at a slightly later time than usual they found themselves facing an empty board.
Still, that wasn't wholly unusual and so the two found themselves hanging out on standby waiting for any late requests to arrive. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened. And Sara wasn't even around for Fie to verbally spar with.
Thus the two were left to their own devices for the entire afternoon. They played some Vantage Masters. Fie took a nap. They played more VM. They made out for a bit. Even more VM. They had an early dinner together in the guild office. Fie took another nap. They chatted on their ARCUS units with whoever was available. Fie launched his VM deck across the room when he once again suggested it. All in all, a very unproductive day.
The silence continued until they arrived back to their home. It was just as they were about to enter the door that Fie stopped and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Someone's here." He looked towards her in confusion. "There are new tracks in the grass that don't belong to us and I think I hear something inside..."
He knew not to doubt Fie, even if he didn't see or hear what she did. What he had, however, was his ability to sense people. And as he focused that sense towards their house... He was struck by such massive killing intent that he staggered back instinctively.
Fie obviously noticed this, but instead of looking overly concerned she just looked exasperated. "I figured this was gonna happen sooner of later." She turned towards the house and began to yell. "Don't just stand in there all menacingly! Get out here! Xeno! Leo!"
Sure enough, the two Zephyr members emerged from hiding. "Fie." They greeted her warmly before turning narrowed eyes towards him. "...Schwarzer." He gulped.
