Summary: All of her life Ingrid Brandl Galatea dreamt only of becoming a knight. Romance had never even crossed her mind, at least not until she met Dorothea Arnault at the Officers Academy. Since entering into a relationship with Dorothea, Ingrid finds herself burdened by the heavy weight of the secret that she has been keeping. Ingrid is quite anatomically different from other girls and she had always hated her body because of that. She now must navigate through the challenges of first love and pursuing knighthood while also finding a way to somehow finally come to terms with her own body image issues.
Set during Azure Moon route. A few quotes from the game. G!P Ingrid. Slightly more modern than canon in some aspects.
It was an average morning at the Officers Academy, Ingrid sat at her desk in the back of the classroom, fervently scribbling down notes during Professor Byleth's lecture. Ingrid glanced up at the blackboard, from across the room she caught Dorothea's bright green eyes. Dorothea smiled at Ingrid causing her heart to skip a beat in her chest. Ingrid smiled back, but quickly averted her gaze away from Dorothea as she felt her face begin to flush. Typically, Ingrid was a very studious person, an avid learner and very focused on her education, but as of late she had been finding herself extremely distracted during the classes she had with Dorothea. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, she all too often found herself stealing glances at the beautiful former songstress from across the room. Ingrid had been immediately drawn to Dorothea since the first time they met.
From a young age, Ingrid had realized that she was attracted to women, but she had never had a girlfriend. Truth be told, she had never even been close. Ever since coming to the academy, Ingrid had found herself becoming increasingly nervous around most girls, but Dorothea in particular. Anytime Dorothea so much as looked at her, Ingrid's heart practically melted. The way Dorothea smiled at her or touched her whenever they interacted instantly turned Ingrid's legs to jelly. She had never felt this way about another person before. She had never even experienced what it was like to have a crush on someone until she met Dorothea. These feelings were beginning to confuse and frustrate Ingrid. She was certainly very physically attracted to the former songstress, but this was definitely more than lust. Ingrid was also attracted to Dorothea's personality, she was very outgoing, kind, popular and friendly.
Ingrid glanced up at the blackboard and realized that she had missed much of what professor Byleth had just said. Ingrid had also been so enveloped in her own thoughts, that she didn't even realize that it was now nearly time for class to end. She quickly began scribbling down the information that she had missed, making a mental note to go back and review the information later.
"Before I let you all go, I have one more task to assign." Professor Byleth said.
The sounds of loud groaning and muttering from the students began to fill the classroom.
"Dorothea, I have you on sky watch duty this week." Byleth said, looking down at her notes.
"Oh no." Dorothea sighed. "Sky watch duty? Isn't there anything else I can do instead, Professor? I don't know how to fly a pegasus."
"This will be a good opportunity for you to learn something new." Byleth said. "Do we have any volunteers to partner with Dorothea for sky watch?"
The hands of nearly every male student in the class immediately shot up into the air along with several female students as well. Byleth's eyes slowly scanned the classroom and finally settled on Ingrid, who was still busy scribbling down notes onto a sheet of paper.
"How about you, Ingrid?" Byleth asked.
"Huh? I'm sorry, Professor." Ingrid looked up from her notes and met the eyes of the professor. "What was the question again?"
"You're experienced with flying a pegasus. Why don't you pair up with Dorothea for sky watch this week. I'm sure you could show her a thing or two."
"Uh, yes. Okay." Ingrid nodded. "I'd be happy to."
"Great." Byleth said. "I'll expect a full report on how it goes at the end of the week. Class is dismissed. I'll see you all tomorrow."
Ingrid had to consciously try her best to conceal the smile that was quickly threatening to spread across her lips. She had never been partnered with Dorothea for any tasks around the monastery before. Though she was nervous, she couldn't have been more excited to be paired with the girl she had desperately been crushing on as of late.
Most of the class had already quickly filed out of the room immediately following Byleth's dismissal, Byleth herself had also exited the room, leaving only Dorothea and Ingrid lagging behind. As Ingrid gathered her belongings, she didn't even realize that Dorothea was still in the room with her. Dorothea slowly sashayed over to Ingrid's desk, hoping to attract the blonde's attention.
"So I guess we're partners, huh?" Dorothea smiled, she placed her hands on the desk and leaned down until her breasts were nearly level with Ingrid's eyes. "I admit I'm not thrilled about the task, but I'm glad to be paired with you."
Ingrid looked up at Dorothea, she took in a deep breath and cleared her throat as she forced herself to look into the brunette's eyes rather than at her exposed cleavage, although this proved to be an especially difficult challenge for Ingrid, she forced herself to manage, as the absolute last thing she wanted right now was to have to hide yet another desperately unwanted erection. Ingrid had always been extremely private about her condition, very few people in her life even knew of her condition at all and she certainly didn't want Dorothea to find out. Ingrid often felt angry and sorry for herself for having to be burdened with this kind of secret. Ever since she was old enough to understand that she was different from other girls, Ingrid had hated her body. It was confusing and constantly made her feel ashamed. She spent much of her time longing to be a normal girl. Every day of her life Ingrid wished that one day she would wake up and somehow her penis would be gone. After nearly eighteen years, though Ingrid still felt embarrassed and very uncomfortable with her body, she thought she had at least gotten used to it by now. Since coming to the Officers Academy things had drastically changed. As of late, Ingrid had all too often been finding herself inconveniently aroused during her normal, everyday activities. Whether it was sitting in class, having a meal at the dining hall, studying for exams or practicing her fighting skills at the training grounds, Ingrid had too frequently been faced with needing to conceal one awkward erection after another, which only furthered the frustration and disdain she already felt regarding her body.
"I'm quite looking forward to working with you as well, Dorothea." Ingrid closed her textbook in her lap and stood up from her desk.
Ingrid and Dorothea walked toward the door of the classroom together.
"Please. After you." Ingrid took a small step back and motioned for Dorothea to exit the room ahead of her.
"Thank you." Dorothea smiled. "Such a perfect gentlewoman you are."
Ingrid slightly blushed.
"So, should we meet at the stable in the morning? I'll be there early anyway." Ingrid said as she followed Dorothea out of the room.
"Sure. That sounds good." Dorothea nodded. "I was wondering...if you're free right now, would you like to join me at the dining hall for lunch? It's always nice to have some company."
"I would like to, but I'm afraid I can't. I actually have to head over to the stable now. I need to take my pegasus for a ride. He needs some exercise. He didn't get to go outside much these past few days because of the rain. He gets awfully restless and tends to misbehave when he's been cooped up for too long."
"Don't we all?" Dorothea laughed. "I'd love to tag along." Dorothea wrapped her hands around Ingrid's forearm. "If you wouldn't mind having me."
Ingrid's knees went weak as her eyes sunk down to Dorothea's hands clutching her arm.
"Um...I don't mind at all, but are you sure you want to? You usually seem to avoid going to the stable unless you're forced. I always thought you didn't like horses or pegasi. Why the sudden change of heart?"
Dorothea smiled to herself, over the past few months, she had made an almost daily habit of flirting with Ingrid at every possible opportunity and she was a bit surprised that Ingrid had never responded much to her advances. She was almost certain that she remembered Sylvain once mentioning that Ingrid was interested in women, so why hadn't she responded to her flirting? Dorothea was among the most attractive girls at the academy and very popular due to her beauty. She dated often, both males and females. But now, found herself preoccupied only with vying for Ingrid's affection, torn between trying to decide if Ingrid's lack of response was due to unrequited romantic feelings or simple obliviousness.
"It's not that I don't like them, I'm a little...afraid of them to be honest. I usually prefer smaller animals."
"Oh, well there's no reason to be afraid. Large animals can be intimidating, but you just need to know how to handle them. I'll teach you everything."
"Great. Thank you so much. I know I can always count on you."
As they walked toward the stables, Dorothea glanced over at Ingrid. She had always liked Ingrid and gotten along well with her, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly when romantic feelings had surfaced. Lately, she found herself much more drawn to the blonde than usual. Both young women had come to the Officers Academy amid drastically different backgrounds. Dorothea, an orphaned commoner turned beautiful songstress of the prestigious Middlefrank Opera Company. And Ingrid, a noblewoman, daughter of Count Galatea of Faerghus and heiress to House Galatea. Before being discovered and celebrated for her angelic voice, Dorothea had suffered years of mistreatment at the hands of the nobility when she was a only a small child, growing up alone on the streets of the imperial capital. These circumstances had caused her to harbor feelings of low self esteem and a strong distaste for the nobility, but even despite her past, she had befriended several likable nobles at the academy, holding a particularly soft spot for Ingrid. Ingrid had always treated her with nothing but the utmost kindness and respect. She didn't seem to care at all about their difference in social status and Dorothea admired her unwavering determination and dedication to her training to become a knight. Due to Ingrid's usually hectic training schedule, Dorothea was often left wondering if Ingrid would have time for a girlfriend or if she was even interested in having one at all.
When they arrived at the stables, Ingrid placed a bridle and saddle on her large, white pegasus and led him outside. She watched as Dorothea nervously took a few steps backward, obviously intimidated by the large animal.
"Don't worry. He won't hurt you." Ingrid said reassuringly as she gently stroked the pegasus' nose. "I promise he's friendly."
"If you say so..." Dorothea said, taking a small step toward the pegasus. "I trust you." Dorothea reached out and tentatively stroked the animal's nose just as Ingrid had done a moment prior.
"I begged my father to let me bring him when I enrolled at the academy." Ingrid said, patting the pegasus' neck. "Thankfully the monastery had room. We've been basically inseparable since I was a child. I would have missed him too much."
Dorothea watched as the horse nuzzled against Ingrid's arm and happily flapped his wings.
"Aaww. You two are best buddies, huh? That's so cute." Dorothea said.
"Why don't you give him a treat?" Ingrid reached into a bag sitting on the ground underneath one of the stall windows and pulled out a bright red apple which she handed to Dorothea. "Show him you mean well."
"I can give him the whole thing?"
"Sure. Just hold your hand out and let him take it." Ingrid placed her palm underneath Dorothea's hand and guided her hand toward the horse's mouth.
The large winged horse lowered his head and took a bite of the apple, leaving half remaining in Dorothea's palm. When he finished chewing the first half of the apple, he happily reached his neck down and took the second half from Dorothea.
"See there's nothing to be afraid of." Ingrid said. "He's big, but he's gentle. And he loves sweets." Ingrid pulled a cube of sugar from her pocket and gave it to the pegasus.
"Well, he certainly seems sweet enough." Dorothea smiled as she turned around to face Ingrid. "Even if he does slobber a lot." Dorothea laughed holding out her hand, which was now coated in saliva.
"Here, please let me take care of that for you." Ingrid chuckled as she pulled a handkerchief out of her jacket pocket and gently wiped Dorothea's palm dry.
"Thank you." Dorothea said, her eyes meeting Ingrid's.
"Certainly." Ingrid nodded. She felt her mouth go dry and her breath catch in her throat as she stared into Dorothea's sparkling green eyes. She had always thought that Dorothea was beautiful, but standing here so close to the former songstress only reminded her of just how intimidatingly beautiful Dorothea actually was and just how nervous she made her.
Ingrid's entire body felt warm. At this point she was unsure if that was due to Dorothea's piercing gaze or the bright afternoon sun beating down on her from it's position high overhead. Dorothea was then suddenly caught off guard when the pegasus gently nudged his head against her back, causing her to lose her balance and stumble forward into Ingrid. The blonde quickly wrapped her arms around Dorothea's waist to catch her.
"Are you all right?" Ingrid asked, resting her hand on the small of Dorothea's back, helping to steady her.
"I'm perfectly fine." Dorothea nodded.
"Good. I'm so sorry. I hope he didn't hurt you. I'm sure he was just trying to be playful. I think he likes you."
"No harm done. He surprised me is all. Luckily you were right here to catch me. Thank you so much."
"Oh. It was nothing..." Ingrid smiled, bashfully.
Ingrid kept her hands wrapped securely around Dorothea's body. She'd never been this close to Dorothea before and Ingrid found herself taking in the intoxicating scent of the former songstress' perfume. After several long moments, Ingrid finally realized that she was still holding onto Dorothea. "Uh, I'm really sorry." She was jolted back to her senses and reluctantly removed her hands from Dorothea's body.
"It's okay." Dorothea smiled.
"I'll go get another one of the pegasi out and show you how to saddle it." Ingrid said, quickly averting her eyes from Dorothea's.
"Actually..." Dorothea reached down and took Ingrid's hand. "Do you think it would be all right if I just rode with you for now?" I've never done this and I'm nervous. But, if I was with you, I'd feel much more comfortable..."
"Oh. All...all right." Ingrid anxiously cleared her throat. "Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to get a feel for flying before trying it for yourself."
"Shall we get going then?" Dorothea asked.
"Yes." Ingrid nodded. "Um, I suppose I'll mount you and then-"
"Oh?" Dorothea giggled. "Most nobles usually at least treat me to a meal first, but I may consider making an exception." She laughed. "Come by my room later, we'll see where the night takes us, yes?" Dorothea's tone was playful, though in reality she was only half joking.
Ingrid's face and neck immediately flushed a noticeable dark shade of red.
"I'm s-so s-sorry." Ingrid stuttered. "I only meant I'll help you up-to get on the pegasus-I-I apologize, I should speak more carefully. I hope I haven't offended-"
"I'm only teasing you." Dorothea chuckled. "Calm down."
"Good." Ingrid exhaled heavily and nodded.
"Relax, Ingrid." Dorothea said, placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "No need to be so uptight with me."
"I'll try not to be." Ingrid nodded. "Here. He's a bit tall. You may need a boost." Ingrid picked up a bucket, flipped it upside down and placed it on the ground near the horse. "I'll give you a hand." Ingrid then offered Dorothea her hand. The former songstress happily accepted Ingrid's assistance as she stepped up onto the bucket.
"You know, you better be careful, a girl could really get used to this kind of chivalrous treatment." Dorothea said, gently tracing her index finger down Ingrid's jawline.
"Yes. Well, um..." Ingrid blushed again. "Go ahead and put your foot in the stirrup and try swinging your other leg up over his back. You'll need to use the muscles in your legs to support most of your body weight."
"Like this?" Dorothea gripped the saddle and swung her leg over the horse's back landing in the middle of the saddle. "Okay, so not the most graceful maneuvering and not nearly as good as you, I'm sure. But, I did it, that counts for something, right?"
"You were great." Ingrid said. "Don't worry."
"Thanks." Dorothea smiled. "But, can you hurry and get up here? I don't want him to take off without you." She slipped her feet out of the stirrups and moved backward in the saddle to make room for Ingrid.
"He won't." Ingrid said reassuringly as she placed her boot in the stirrup and very carefully mounted her pegasus so that she was sitting in front of Dorothea. "We'll have to sit relatively close together so we don't interfere with his wings. I hope you don't mind."
"I don't mind one bit. This is cozy." Dorothea moved her body flush against Ingrid's while carefully avoiding tangling her legs with the horses' large wings.
"Are you balancing all right?" Ingrid asked.
"I think so." Dorothea replied.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Yes. Quite comfortable, actually." Dorothea said placing her palms flat over Ingrid's thighs.
"Good. Try to sit up as straight as possible. Now...controlling him is mainly about the motions and pressure you use with your legs. That's what he knows to respond to." Ingrid said. "You'll use the reins to guide him in the direction you want to go and he does understand verbal cues as well. But, your leg work is critical."
"Hm. Makes sense. No wonder you have such nice, strong legs." Dorothea said, running her hands back over Ingrid's thighs, her breath hot on the blonde's ear. As Dorothea shifted in the saddle, Ingrid could feel the former songstress' ample breasts rubbing against her back.
Ingrid groaned, feeling her member twitch in her pants. She instantly felt guilty and embarrassed at her arousal and tried her best to ignore it. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath and heavily exhaled. She then shifted her own position as she reached down over the front of her riding pants to subtly adjust herself before taking up her reins.
"Are you okay?" Dorothea asked, resting her chin on Ingrid's shoulder.
"Oh, yes. I'm fine." Ingrid nodded. "Just trying to get situated. Are you ready?"
"I think so."
"Hold on tight, okay?" Ingrid gave the horse a gentle kick in the side with the heel of her boot. He began to flap his wings and slowly ascend from the ground.
The higher they rose, the tighter Dorothea's grip became around Ingrid's body. Before long they were soaring through the air, high above the monastery grounds. Dorothea squeezed her eyes closed, her arms wrapped tightly around Ingrid's abdomen.
"Don't be frightened, Dorothea. Enjoy the view." Ingrid said. "I promise, you're safe with me."
Dorothea tentatively opened one eye and then the other. She looked around, slowly taking in the sights surrounding her. The sky was clear blue with fluffy snow white clouds scattered about. The trees had already lost their leaves due to the rapidly approaching winter season, but through their bare branches, Dorothea could see plenty of lush green grass which adorned rolling hills as far as the eye could see. As she glanced downward, Dorothea recognized the elaborate structure of the monastery's cathedral and long stone bridge leading to it as they soared high overhead.
"Wow. I've never seen the monastery like this before. It's amazing." Dorothea said.
"Yes. It almost takes your breath away, doesn't it? Do you...like flowers? I could fly over the rose gardens."
"That would be wonderful. I adore roses. They're my favorite."
"Great. Hold on." Ingrid signaled the horse to fly to the left and descend slightly as they approached the rose garden.
From above, Dorothea observed a vast, beautiful sea of roses in several different colors.
"They're so gorgeous." Dorothea said.
"This may be one of our last opportunities to see the garden like this until spring. The groundskeepers have already begun harvesting before winter."
"Maybe when spring comes, we could do this again?" Dorothea said, placing her chin on Ingrid's shoulder. "See the roses in their very first bloom."
"Of course." Ingrid agreed. "I would be honored to take you."
A few days later.
"Thank you for escorting me back to my room, Ingrid." Dorothea said. "I appreciate you taking the time to walk with me."
"Of course, Dorothea." Ingrid smiled. "I'm happy to do it. Any time you'd like an escort, please don't hesitate to ask me. I'll make time."
"I'll remember that. Even in the daylight I always feel much safer with such a strong, brave knight at my side."
"I still have a lot of training to do before I can become a knight." Ingrid said, bashfully. "I'm not even a squire yet."
"You will be, soon enough." Dorothea said, confidently.
"I hope so..."
Ingrid glanced over at Dorothea and only now did she realize the heavy stack of books she was carrying. Ingrid silently cursed herself for not being more chivalrous and offering to carry them from the start.
"Your books, um they look a little heavy. Would you like me to carry them for you?"
"This magic book certainly is quite heavy. You're sure you wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all. I'd be glad to." Ingrid said, taking the stack of books from the former songstress.
"Thank you so much." Dorothea said in her flirtiest tone.
As Dorothea handed the books to Ingrid, the blonde felt her fingertips inadvertently brush against the hands of the former songstress. Ingrid's heart fluttered, her knees went weak and she felt as though dozens of butterflies had suddenly taken up residence in her stomach. It embarrassed her to know how much of an effect a simple, accidental touch had on her.
"You're always so kind and thoughtful. My goodness, you're going to make a wonderful knight." Dorothea linked her arm around Ingrid's elbow as they began walking toward the dormitory.
"Thank you." Ingrid smiled, shyly. "Since I was a child, I've always dreamed of becoming a knight and serving in the king's royal guard. It's the only thing I've ever truly wanted. I just wish my father wasn't so against the idea."
"Doesn't he know what you're training for at this academy?" Dorothea asked.
"He does. But, it was only after much persuasion that he finally agreed to send me here and even then, he was still extremely hesitant."
"I'm sure he'll warm up to the idea eventually." Dorothea said. "He must know how determined you are and how much you want this. You always work so hard."
"I hope someday he'll come around, but for the time being, I won't hold my breath. I must continue to live my own life, regardless of whether my father agrees with my choices."
When they reached Dorothea's room, the former songstress opened the door and turned around to face Ingrid.
"Would you like to come in for a while?" Dorothea asked. "If you're not too busy..."
"Well...I do have a seminar to get to soon, but I can stay for a bit." Ingrid nodded.
Ingrid followed Dorothea into the room and closed the door behind them. Ingrid had never been in Dorothea's room before and she instantly began to feel even more nervous than she usually did around the former songstress. Ingrid felt her whole body grow warm and her heart beat hard against her chest.
"Where would you like me to place your books?" Ingrid asked.
"Oh. On the desk is fine, thank you." Dorothea said, slipping her uniform jacket off and tossing it onto the bed.
"Sure." Ingrid walked across the room and set the stack of books down in the middle of the desk.
"Come sit down." Dorothea took Ingrid's hand and pulled her toward the bed.
Ingrid felt her mouth go dry, she anxiously swallowed the lump in her throat.
"On...on the bed?"
"Of course."
"O...okay." Ingrid had been too nervous and focused on Dorothea to notice that she had sat down on a few sheets of paper that had been lying on the edge bed.
"Oh. I'm..." Ingrid stood up again and took the now wrinkled papers out from under her. "Sorry..."
"No need to apologize." Dorothea took the papers from Ingrid. "It's only some lecture notes."
"It must be incredibly challenging to learn all of the magic that you're studying." Ingrid anxiously sat down again on the edge of the bed while Dorothea sat down next to her.
"Some of it is really tough." Dorothea nodded, looking at her notes. "This spell is a lot more complicated than I thought. I've been struggling with it all week. I don't know if I'll ever master it."
"You will. I'm sure it'll just take some practice. My training is intense sometimes, but I don't think I could do what you do. I often struggle with even the basics when it comes to magic."
"You could manage just fine. If I can do it, anyone can. My skill level is nowhere near the other students. Everyone at this academy is so talented...I can't compare..."
"You shouldn't put yourself down that way." Ingrid said. "You have as much talent as everyone else."
"I wish I could believe that. I sometimes wonder if I really even belong here. Have you ever felt like you just don't fit in?"
"Yes." Ingrid nodded. "I know that feeling all too well...believe me."
"I just always feel like I'm being judged for being here. I know what people say about me behind my back...a lot of them don't think I deserve to be here. Maybe they're right...the only reason I was even able to get into this academy at all is because a nobleman liked the way I looked and...well I'm sure you've heard the rumors for yourself...everyone knows..."
Ingrid noticed tears beginning to well up in the corners of Dorothea's eyes.
"I only wanted to get a proper education and possibly meet someone with a future who could take care of me so that for once in my life I wouldn't have to worry." Dorothea said. "This academy is so expensive, there's no way I could have ever afforded-"
Dorothea certainly didn't intend to become so emotional in front of Ingrid right now, but she just couldn't stop her words from spilling out. She tried not to allow people's comments to bother her, she usually tried to shrug it off and ignore them. Dorothea usually appeared quite confident, but the heavy weight of her own insecurities still often times got the best of her. Although she really didn't want Ingrid to see her this way, Dorothea felt very comfortable with confiding in Ingrid.
"I'm sure you did only what you felt like you had to do at the time." Ingrid took a handkerchief from her jacket pocket and handed it to Dorothea. "How you got here isn't important. But...Dorothea, you should know that you don't have to do those things, okay? Your value isn't determined by your physical appearance or social status. You alone is enough. People will see that, if you give them the chance."
"You think so?" Dorothea asked, gently dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief Ingrid had given her.
"Of course I do. And please don't misunderstand my comments. You're certainly quite beautiful, there's no question about that, but your body is absolutely not your only asset. You have plenty of natural talent in magic and I've seen you handle a sword more skillfully than many students who have been training far longer than you have."
"You flatter me." Dorothea smiled slightly. "I know you're just trying to be nice and make things less awkward, but I appreciate it all the same."
"I'm sincere. I'm only being honest with you." Ingrid said. "You're not giving yourself nearly the credit that you deserve."
"You're sweet." Dorothea leaned over and placed a kiss to Ingrid's cheek. "Thank you."
Ingrid's skin immediately flushed a deep shade of red as a subtle smile slowly crept across her lips.
"Did I embarrass you?" Dorothea chuckled, noticing the obvious reddish hue that now graced Ingrid's normally pale skin.
"Uh. No. Not at all...I..." Ingrid stuttered, nervously and then cleared her throat.
"You always make me feel better." Dorothea said, taking Ingrid's hand into her own. "I truly cherish our friendship."
"As do I." Ingrid agreed. "I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know you better."
"I really don't want you to go, but you should get to your seminar. I wouldn't want you to be late on my account. I'd feel terrible if you were to get into any trouble."
"I can miss it...if you need..."
"I couldn't let you do that. I'm okay. I think I just needed to talk to someone."
"Well, maybe I'll see you later at least?" Ingrid asked, standing up.
"I hope so." Dorothea smiled.
Ingrid slowly backed toward the door, her eyes locked on Dorothea.
"Oh. Wait. Your handkerchief." Dorothea stood up and walked over to Ingrid.
"It's all right. Why don't you keep it?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Ingrid then hesitantly opened the door and stepped outside. As she began to walk away from the dormitory, she placed her fingertips over the spot on her cheek, where Dorothea's lips had been only a few moments ago. She found herself grinning from ear to ear, her heart soared in her chest as she crossed the monastery grounds on her way to the classroom.
"Hey Ingrid." Sylvain called out from behind the blonde.
"Sylvain. Hi." Ingrid said, turning around.
"Where are you off to?"
"Just to the seminar that Seteth is giving."
"I'll walk with you. I'm heading that way too."
"Are you attending the seminar as well?"
"Yeah." He nodded.
"You know this one is optional, don't you? I didn't expect you'd attend unless it was required...wait...what poor girl is going to be there that you're planning to bother?" Ingrid rolled her eyes.
"It's not about a girl this time." Sylvain laughed. "I'm just interested in topics...but, speaking of girls, there is one I wanted to talk to you about. I heard you scored sky watch duty with Dorothea this week. Way to go, buddy." He playfully elbowed Ingrid in the ribs.
"Professor Byleth just assigned us to work together. I didn't volunteer or anything like that."
"Who cares how you got assigned to work together, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you'll be spending a lot of time with her."
"I suppose that's true." Ingrid nodded. "We've been spending more time together than usual lately, even outside of our classwork."
"You've gotta be happy. I know you're into her. Or wanna get into her." Sylvain winked.
Ingrid rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"You know it's true. You thought about asking her out?"
"I've thought about it, sure. But, why bother asking her for a date? She couldn't possibly be interested in me that way." Ingrid sighed. "She's beautiful and sophisticated. A girl like that wouldn't give me any serious consideration. I'm far too plain. You've seen the men and women she usually dates. I can't compete with that."
"There's no competition. She definitely likes you."
"Yes. As a friend."
"It's way more than that. She flirts with you all the time."
"You think she flirts with me?"
"Obviously." Sylvain rolled his eyes. "Other girls do too, but you're terrible at taking hints."
"How am I supposed to know the difference between if a girl is actually flirting or just being friendly?"
"Pay closer attention. Her smile, her tone and her body language will tell you everything you need to know."
"Well, even if Dorothea does flirt with me a little bit, I'm sure it doesn't mean anything serious to her. That's just her personality."
"Nah. It's different with you. I'm lucky if I can get a few words out of her. All this time and I've gotten nowhere." Sylvain said. "But you. She'll flirt with you all day long. It makes no sense though, I'm every bit as charming as you are."
"Are you really, Sylvain?" Ingrid said, sarcasm evident in her voice.
Sylvain laughed. "Look, you have a real shot with one of the hottest girls at the academy. She seems like kind of a handful, but I think she'll be worth it, so don't screw it up."
"I mean, I guess she did seem to have a pretty good time with me the other day. We had fun."
"What did you guys do the other day?" Sylvain suggestively raised his eyebrows.
"Nothing like that." Ingrid said. "I took her for a ride on my pegasus. She was nervous about sky watch duty because she'd never flown before. When I said I had to go take my pegasus for a ride, she asked if she could ride with me. That's all."
"Hm. Soaring high above the monastery, with nothing to hold on to except for you. Yeah, she definitely wants you." Sylvain laughed. "Don't be so shy. Have a little confidence in yourself. She might start out riding your pegasus, but if you do everything right, in no time at all you could have her back in your room riding your-"
"Sylvain. Please, stop." Ingrid blushed, tightly squeezing her eyes closed. "Can you ever be serious about anything?"
What? I am being serious." Sylvain said. "I'm sure you've at least thought about it."
The blush over Ingrid's cheeks further deepened and the sensation of warmth spread to her neck as well. Ingrid had indeed had some sexual thoughts about Dorothea, mostly in the form of uncontrollable dreams, but she could never admit that to Sylvain of all people. He'd never let her live it down. Most of the time any impure thoughts that crossed Ingrid's mind were not intentional and she always felt guilty and ashamed for allowing such things to infiltrate her thoughts.
"Just ask her out." Sylvain said. "I'll even give you a little something..."
"I'm afraid to ask what..." Ingrid groaned.
"Here. Just in case things go well, you'll want to be prepared." Sylvain reached into his jacket pocket and handed Ingrid a few condoms. "You never know when you might find yourself needing one of these. I know you're not sure if you're able to get a girl pregnant or not, but why take the risk? I never do."
Ingrid felt her entire face grow warm all over again. At this particular point in time, she definitely couldn't picture herself ever gaining enough confidence to be intimate with anyone, let alone with Dorothea.
"At least you're being responsible, I suppose. Thanks. Although, I really doubt I'll ever need these." She said, stuffing the condoms into the pocket of her own jacket.
"Are you trying to stay a virgin forever, Ingrid? You don't have to be celibate to become a knight."
"I realize that, but even if I did manage to get a date with Dorothea and things eventually, someday somehow progressed to the point of intimacy, how would I ever explain my...you know...I'm...a freak." She sighed.
"Of course you are. But, not at all because of that." Sylvain laughed. "There are plenty of actually valid reasons you're overlooking."
Ingrid couldn't help but laugh.
"All joking aside though, Dorothea's cool. I'm sure she's not gonna care about what you have going on below the belt. Why should she? It doesn't change who you are as a person."
As much as Sylvain tended to get on Ingrid's nerves, he always had a knack for making her feel better when she truly needed it.
"Thanks." Ingrid smiled.
"No problem. What are buddies for?" He playfully wrapped his arm around Ingrid's shoulder as they continued on their way to the seminar.