A/N: Short idea based off of musings, see endnote for more.

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING, ALL PROPERTIES REFERENCED BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS

Ruminations

"We need to talk," Rozeal declared affirmatively, firming up the courage inside for her coming plans.

"Rozeal, please," Scarlen looked outright terrified, his face trying to reach the same paleness as his wings. Ricoth wasn't outwardly the same, but to those who knew her – which both of the others did – they noticed the worrying of her lip and the way she was fiddling with the beads on her wrist. She didn't like causing these things in those she cared about – it's why this had taken so long to turn into confrontation – but this needed to resolve, for all their sakes. The situation of both women pining for Scarlen – who clearly had feelings for both of them – but neither willing to make a move for fear of hurting the other's feelings and breaking their friendship, had just led to them avoiding each other. It was unhealthy, and painful, for all involved.

"No, we've clearly all been avoiding it, and we shouldn't have you reaching out to strangers to try and help," Rozeal's voice was firm, but her eyes were apologetic as she looked at Scarlen. "It's not fair to be trying to make you choose between us, as if we have no agency ourselves, and I don't think it's right even then to be going with that decision and cutting someone down..." The high entia took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves before continuing. She had planned this? Why couldn't she remember what she was going to say? "Do you remember; you promised we'd stick together through thick and thin – the three of us – all those years ago?" Ricoth smiled sadly, clearly still braced for what she saw as Rozeal making her move on Scarlen. He himself gave an uncertain nod, trying to work out where she was going.

"Of course," he murmured, softly, "I'd never forget something like that."

"Then I say we do that," she replied resolutely.

"What do you mean?" Scarlen asked in confusion.

"I mean this problem; our feelings, this… love triangle!" Rozeal exclaimed in frustration, "everyone's gossiping about which of us you're going to choose, and how it's going to split us apart – Vidian said she was worried for me and she had ice cream ready! It feels like half the city is spying on us and talking about how we're going to fall apart over this, but why should we?" Once more, she took a moment to calm herself; this time from frustration at so many nosy busybodies poking at their friendship, something others could never understand. How complete they were together. "You two are the most important people in the world to me," Rozeal stated in a soft, heatfelt tone barely above a whisper, "I can't live without either of you." Before she lost her nerve, she grabbed at Scarlen's shirt and yanked him to her embrace, throwing their lips together suddenly. She tried to pour all of her feelings into the kiss; the years of love she'd felt growing for him as he'd grown from the boy she'd befriended to the man he'd become, the decades of friendship turned to pining turned to need. Now she understood what people meant when they talked about when they mentioned sparks flying! When she finally pulled back for air with a gasp, her heart was racing a mile a minute, and her lips tingled pleasantly. "Bionis, I've been waiting way too long to do that." She spent a few moments looking into his shocked, but certainly not displeased face before turning to her other dearest friend.

Ricoth tried to hide the slightly pained look she'd had, but not quite quickly enough so that Rozeal didn't see it. Still somewhat hesitantly, but emboldened by her prior kiss, Rozeal approached, gently caressing the side of the other woman's face as she got close and looked into Ricoth's wide, pretty eyes that were starting to swell with unshed tears. She waited a few seconds – giving the other woman a chance to pull away or protest – but when nothing came, her heart skipped a beat, and she leaned in.

Where her kiss with Scarlen had been passionate, and burning with need, with Ricoth she was slower, and more deliberate. Where she had to reach up on him, instead they stood at much the same height. This was more of a gamble; a hope that Ricoth might come to some of the same conclusions about herself and their relationship that Rozeal had. Ricoth's wings fluttered against her hand for a few seconds before relaxing, and her heart soared when the other woman responded to the kiss, moving to change to a different angle, pressing together surprisingly delicately. It was soft, and sweet, and an altogether different kind of earnest love, but wonderful all the same. It felt right. Their parting was less dramatic, too, with both women noticing their eyes had shut in the embrace.

"Oh," Ricoth let out the delicately quiet sound of realisation, her lips forming a wide 'O' shape in what new parts of Rozeal's brain thought looked very kissable. She couldn't help but let out a giggle, watching the gears turn behind her friend's eyes. If you'd asked her a week ago, she'd have said she was straight; she was in love with Scarlen! But seeing him talking to that warrior woman with the strange friends, and then being almost interviewed about her feelings had made her consider things. What it would mean if this actually resolved and one of them ended up with Scarlen, and the other alone. She couldn't bear a life without either of them, or to see them upset, so she'd been mid-way through resolving to let Ricoth have him and bury her own feelings to find someone else, only…

The idea of anybody else wasn't the least bit appealing. Even thinking of men with similar traits to Scarlen wasn't the least bit attractive - romantic or otherwise. She wasn't so much heterosexual as much as Scarlensexual. Past this same epiphany, and comparing to how she felt about her other, equally close friend and…

She was watching this same set of epiphanies be reached in the other woman's face; they always did tend to be on the same wavelength. Thin, exploratory fingers found her other hand, and entwined them together with a comforting squeeze. Rozeal beamed, joy lighting her face at the implied meaning.

"People aren't going to like this," Scarlen said, interrupting the pair from their intimate moment, and drawing their gazes over to the young man scratching the back of his head in a rather attractively awkward manner. "I mean, you remember how they treated Pilara-."

"I don't care what other people think," Rozeal protested before he could go further about the treatment of the lesbian guard who'd faced some ostracizing since coming out. Homosexuality was one of those things that wasn't talked about openly, but was quietly shunned in society. They'd all heard the whispered stories.

"I agree," Ricoth spoke up for the first time since they'd gathered together, her voice steady, "the two people who matter to me most are right in front of me." She smiled, and looked back at Rozeal with another reassuring squeeze of their still joined hand – another swell of hope forming in her chest at the assurance – before returning to Scarlen. "She's right. I think it's at least worth trying, even if it isn't 'normal.'" Scarlen grimaced, clearly mulling over her words, but still uncertain. Ricoth was always known as the calmer and quieter, more reasonable member of the trio, while Rozeal was a bit brasher with a tendency to leap in, the unkind might call Scarlen weak-willed and dragged along by them. In truth, he was cautious to a point of over-analysis, and sometimes just needed a little push from them to get out of his funk. That was why he'd spent so long agonising and tearing himself up over this decision and his worries.

"I-I don't know if I can-if I'm able to," he stumbled over his words, gesturing wildly with his hands, "I was terrified about losing this – the two of you. And I was terrified about being able to handle a relationship at all, whether or not I'd do the right things or be good, let alone something like this! I-I just don't want to hurt you; either of you." He slumped after his confession, the frustrations and fears of dealing with the choice he'd had presented to him for so long finally let out.

"You're overthinking it," Ricoth replied soothingly, "just continue to be yourself; the man we fell in love with. Our relationship with each other is just evolving a bit, with a bit more kissing being involved. Speaking of which…" Quickly, Ricoth darted over and practically leapt at Scarlen, landing a sound kiss upon him. Rozeal watched them with a smile, her heart swelling. She'd been dreading an event like this for months – if not years – seeing the two of them in an embrace instead of her. She'd expected to feel envy, or maybe hatred, tearing their friendship apart. Instead, she felt happy watching the little expression of joy shared between them, the cute way Ricoth stood on one leg while the other lifted up a little, the little squeak Scarlen made when she'd thrown herself at him. They were hers; the two most wonderful people in the world. And she was theirs. And Rozeal would hang on tight to them, no matter what. "Definitely waited way too long," Ricoth commented after they finally came up for air. Rozeal couldn't help but let out a carefree laugh.

They'd be alright. Everything would work out, she could feel it. No, better than that; they'd be fantastic. And the rest of the world was just going to have to live with that.

Melia fiddled with her golden gauntlet as she leaned on the balcony, trying to not too obviously watch the trio below. They were just… casually chatting in the gardens. Scarlen and Ricoth were on the bench, while Rozeal was sat between between the other woman's legs on the ground, while her hair was braided by deft fingers. They looked far more carefree than they had when she'd originally talked to them, and the Crown Princess found the whole situation most… perplexing. She'd been so sure there were only two choices, and that it would end in tears for one of them – she'd wanted to help, and minimise any hurt that would result, work out the best match. She'd hoped, maybe, that it might bring her some resolution to her own, somewhat related problems. Instead, they'd forged a third, entirely unexpected path of their own. And Melia just didn't know what to make of it.

"There you are." Melia was startled from her definitely-not-staring by the approach of a certain blonde cyborg. "It's nearly time to get going," she continued in a friendly manner, sidling up to her with more grace than most of her people possessed, courtesy of her, albeit unwanted, 'upgrades'.

"Forgive me; I needed some time to think," Melia replied smoothly, decades of diplomatic training easily allowing her to retain a sense of balance.

"Which can be a bit difficult with Reyn in the room," Fiora said with a giggle, her eyes playful and unobstructed by her normal visor. Melia couldn't help but smile slightly. Reyn was honestly a nice, and very brave man, and a good friend, with – she'd discovered – a great talent for getting to the root of a matter, but he did have a voice that tended to overwhelm a room, and one's own thoughts. "You've been a bit quiet since we talked to those three," the other woman gestured with a nod of her head down to the gardens. Inwardly, Melia cringed at being so easily figured out – aside from everything else she'd had to deal with since her rescue, did the woman have to be quite so perceptive as well?

"I find their decision strange," she admitted, turning back to look down on the trio, not seeing much point in denying anything.

"It's a bit unusual, yeah. But if it makes them happy, I think they'll be fine," Fiora replied calmly.

"But they'll never be accepted!" Melia protested, "they're going to face underhanded scorn for the rest of their lives. I'm sure the gossip about them will spread like wildfire, if there's anything I've learned on this adventure."

"Oh, you've really never been in love before now, have you? Suppose it makes sense being cooped up in that tower, and dealing with etiquette, and expectations, and rules, and all that," the homs' tone was almost pitying in its sympathy, and Melia bristled at it. She probably would have said something unkind and snooty if Fiora hadn't continued. "Being in love means you do whatever it takes to stay together; if that's forcing some people to accept something they don't want to, you do that. No matter the cost. You push aside any obstacles because it's worth fighting for," she explained passionately, and when Melia looked over at her, she could see that earnestness of belief burning in her expression. How could she hate this woman? Much as she wanted to dislike her, she was too damn honest, and true, and open, in all the ways Melia herself struggled with.

"I see – love conquers all, as they say," she chose her reply carefully, choosing to focus on the words rather than her own inner conflicts – which would not be fair to unload on the other woman who'd done nothing to deserve them besides existing.

"That's exactly right!" The grin on her face was so bright; she honestly believed what she was saying. And all the many stories agreed with her, surely? Love was supposed to be the most important force in the world, so her mother had said. Yes, she was right; the views of others or restrictions of society should never come before that.

"Thank you for your wisdom; as you say, I led a sheltered life before this journey," she bowed her head politely in gratitude. Never let it be said she did not try to be kind and courteous or not admit to her wrongdoings or faults, even if she hadn't voiced them aloud. She leant back onto the balcony, looking out over Alcamoth, her wings resting softly against her hair as she watched a graceful ship glide into landing. She mentally digested the conversation, her prodigious memory mulling through the words with the same care she had always applied to scholarly pursuits and- "Wait, what do you mean 'before now'?" Her head spun back to look at the homs, who smirked in response.

"Paying attention," Fiora commented in an approving tone, "I meant you and Shulk." Melia seemingly blushed and paled dramatically all at once, which shouldn't have been possible. Her fine control was shot as her cheeks flared, and the knowing look on the other woman's face shattered her calm.

"I don't – I'm not sure quite what you're implying," she tried to deflect in an admittedly unconvincing manner.

"I'm not blind, Melia," Fiora replied softly, "I don't even need reading glasses anymore since they stuck me in that mechon. I can see the way you look at him."

The other woman leaned onto the balcony beside her, seemingly calmly watching a passing patrol ship instead of reacting appropriately to the verbal bombshell she just dropped. This was the last thing Melia wanted to happen. She'd been trying to accept her feelings were doomed to be unrequited, and the boy would end up with his miraculously returned childhood love – something which was obvious to everyone except him, it seemed – and that Melia would go on alone. It was one thing to try and come to terms with that herself, in private; quite another to be confronted directly by the very person who usurped her place before she'd even had a chance to realise she'd fallen for Shulk. Not that he belonged to her; if anything, she knew the other girl had a stronger claim having known him longer and better than Melia ever could. And she could see how well they fit together. It was just so painful to see them together and know she couldn't match up.

"I'm not the only one, either. I had a chat with Sharla back on the Fallen Arm; she said before you guys rescued me, she'd been certain you and Shulk would end up together," Fiora commented, serenely dropping yet another piece of explosive ordnance.

"D-did she," Melia stammered her way through the response, completely off guard and uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, and even more put off by how calm her counterpart was acting while discussing her affections for a man Fiora clearly cared for similarly!

"Yeah," Fiora answered nonchalantly, seemingly oblivious to Melia's inner turmoil. "And I gotta agree with her, to be honest. I've known Shulk all my life, and he and I have similar tastes – most of the time, anyway. 'Course, he's practically oblivious because he's too busy overthinking other stuff; it's why he's always needed Reyn and me to drag him out of the clouds."

"You agree with her?" Melia exclaimed, focusing on what almost sounded like approval for the idea of Shulk and her... What on Bionis was she trying to accomplish with this conversation?

"Of course," Fiora finally turned to look at her, that same smirk still in place. "Though it does rely on Shulk noticing a girl's attracted to him, and I've been trying to make that happen for years. Still am, I guess; some of my choices in armour might have been because they draw attention to the fact I'm a woman, but he's too much of a gentleman to take notice." She twisted in place to gesture at her, admittedly, somewhat on-display cleavage in her current armour set – including a bust that outstripped her own. She then continued by pointing at Melia, "just like that short skirt of yours that flips up while you're swimming, and he looks the other way." Melia's face was doing its finest imitation of the fire apples Sharla seemed addicted to, while Fiora tried to stifle a laugh. "You're really cute when you blush, you know."

"W-what?" she spluttered, feeling like a ball being bounced between tennis partners as her mental state was slammed around by more and more overwhelming statements.

"Oh, for Bionis' sake, you're as dense as he is," Fiora rolled her eyes, and then darted forward on mechanically assisted limbs that let her dance through combat to plant a soft peck of a kiss against Melia's lips. The high entia was left completely stunned by the homs seventy years her junior. Her mind had completely ground to a halt as she was left staring blankly at the now openly giggling woman, mirth dancing in her eyes. "Definitely a cute blush."

"You're-what're you," she couldn't put the words together, genuinely speechless. Her lips tingled where soft, warm flesh had impacted against them, however briefly, and that was all she could focus on.

"I know how much Shulk means to you, and how much you've done for him – since I've come back, and before. And I know he cares for you in turn. And I know you're a kind, thoughtful, and brave person that I'd like to get to know better," she explained as if it was the simplest thing in the world and not at all totally earth shattering. The blonde turned as a shout echoed from across the parapet, a distant Reyn beckoning loudly to leave amidst their other friends – and drawing rather a lot of attention to them. "And I think if those high entia you helped can try it, why not us?" she continued, flicking down her visor as she moved to leave.

"You-but-I-we-surely Shulk would never agree to this?" grasping at a dozen and one issues and emotions, Melia somehow landed on that one.

"Do you really think he'd turn us down?" Fiora looked back over her shoulder, "he's got the biggest heart on Bionis; you can see that in every person he chooses to help in every stop we make. He'll at least try."

Melia was so distracted by her words that she completely forgot about the fact the party was leaving, drowning in a whirlpool of emotions to sort through. She had not exactly been anticipating facing quite so many revelations to her worldview today.

Still.

The proposal wasn't exactly repugnant; far from it, the more she thought about it, the more… appealing it was. Hadn't she spent much of the time since meeting her admiring Fiora? (And despairing that surely Shulk would never see herself what with the homs woman being so bold, and fearless, whilst she faded into the background). And logically, distantly, she had known as Empress she would be expected to take on multiple consorts, but that was more of a political union rather than one based on love, and something she'd put far from her mind. Moreover, it was focused towards the survival of the Imperial line with a focus on reproduction, which a homosexual relationship obviously didn't…

Had there ever been a homosexual leader of her people? She thought she might have vaguely read of some hushed up scandal or another involving one of her predecessors secretly keeping a mistress. Oh, but that would never suit them; neither she nor Shulk nor Fiora would ever be happy with duplicity. Fiora, given her nature, would likely do something public and…

She was seriously considering this, wasn't she?

She'd never so much as looked at another woman in that way, before. Then again, she'd never known that many more people than the servants and guards of the Palace – who weren't exactly suitable romantic targets given the power dynamics at play. And maybe it was just - what had Ricoth said earlier? That heteronormative societal expectations had made them overlook an unknown part of themselves? And now she was considering whether or not she was attracted to Fiora, and on analysis the other woman shared many of the qualities that had sparked her interest in Shulk; a deep care for those around her, a strong desire to do what was right, a wonderfully kind heart, intent curiosity about the people and world around her, and not to mention a truly impressive physical ability darting through battle gracefully, even without visions of the future to guide her. But then, she was very different. Where Shulk was quiet and contemplative before asserting a calm authority that shouldn't exist in one so young, Fiora was playful, and brash, jumping into new situations with a thrill of discovery. Shulk was incapable of noticing someone practically throwing themselves at him, while Fiora…

Oh gods, Fiora had been actively flirting with her. She'd never been flirted at! Everyone was too scared of her position or the like. And her feelings were clearly premeditated; she'd come over with the intention of doing so. And Melia knew the homs wouldn't start something like that as a mere frivolity, she was serious in pursuing… whatever this was going to be. Could be? Might be? When had she settled on definitives? Oh Bionis, she was in trouble.

Her ruminations and quiet panic of an identity crisis continued in this manner for some time before it was finally interrupted by a yell.

"Melia!" the shout came from below, noticeably Reyn's dulcet tones. Letting out a small, unladylike curse, she affixed her gaze on her gathered friends below, staring up at her (and receiving plenty of stares of their own thanks to Reyn's volume).

Thinking swiftly, her mind quickly calculated the fastest route down based on a trick she'd been practicing recently. Her staff sprang into hand, an air elemental flickering into being around her as she backed from the railing. Taking a deep breath, she took a running start and vaulted over, plummeting down. With a gesture, she let the ether flow around her to dispel the elemental before she hit the ground, alighting safely with a gust of air cushioning her landing, greaves tapping onto the pavement.

Of course, she'd forgotten the fact that the manoeuvre had a tendency to send her skirt billowing beneath her gold breastplate, and pink coloured her cheeks once more upon realising the free show she'd inadvertently given in her city's main plaza. Her male friends were largely looking away from the display – was that a small blush on Shulk's cheeks? – though Fiora was pointedly not, and was instead smirking as she watched with what Melia realised was now clear interest. And that caused a wholly different kind of heat at the prospect of actually being… desired.

Homs!

One perhaps too shy, the other perhaps too forward. They were going to be the death of her. All the same… maybe there were worse ways to go out.

"Onwards, then?" She declared as if she hadn't just jumped several storeys down, casually collapsing her staff and hanging it on her waist.

"Uh, yeah. Onwards," Shulk replied, turning to lead the party towards the exit transporter. As the group wandered forth with some of the normal bantering chatter breaking out, if Melia's soft hand was found by a metal clad one, nobody else noticed.

A/N: Short drabble I wrote after being frustrated by a certain bunch of side quests involving Scarlen, Ricoth, and Rozeal. It basically sprung to mind due to the way they talked about each other, and were clearly the most important people in each other's lives – to a degree of more than mere friends – and the way that you end up with a happy relationship regardless of which woman ends up with Scarlen, implying both genuinely love him and he genuinely loves both. This and the fact that for some reason, you, the stranger, are the one solving this, and it's all on Scarlen's side, not on the women's, as they apparently have no agency, and you get this.

I'm also just generally not the biggest fan of love triangles.

And then the shipping fairy decided to sprinkle some fairy dust and add a second scene involving the other love triangle in the game, which somehow ended up even longer than the 'main' bit. So I wrote this idea down in a google doc with some dialogue lines and nothing else, and then forgot about it for 6 months. Found it, cleaned it up, and here it is. *Jazz Hands*

To note, I have no personal experience with poly relationships beyond other fanfiction I've read, this is purely just annoyed "kiss already" feelings from playing the game.

Additionally, the first scene is definitely supposed to feel more sudden in diving in, as it's intended to be a realisation that R&R have feelings for each other (as Scarlen is already established to feel for both and have a lot of issues trying to choose between them) and that they just hadn't looked at it the right way before because heteronormativity or something, idk the right phrasing. The second scene is more a happens-to-be-bi Fiora thinking "This is a really awkward situation. I love Shulk, but this cute magic princess clearly has feelings for him as well, and he kinda likes her but is still so damn oblivious, and…" [Sees poly relationship] "Wait. Huh. You can do that?" [Think about it for a few hours] "Fuck it, why not, I've probably not got long to live anyway. Where's Melia at?"