Edited by the lovely VeloxVoid, check out their works on ao3 and fanfiction .net!
Note: incorrect bird handling is displayed here. If you find a (baby) bird in the wild DO NOT pick it up, but rather call animal services if you are unsure of its health.
It was a bright day at Garreg Mach, the sun shining through the arch Hilda was walking towards, and the birds' song could be heard from outside. They couldn't have picked a better day to go out. Hilda looked around when she reached the arch, standing on the edge to go outside. Marianne hadn't arrived yet, and, knowing how Marianne felt about being too late, she hid behind one of the pillars standing close to the door. A few minutes of looking at students passed by before she turned her head.
Marianne walked into the hall; as if feeling her presence, Hilda turned to face her. Her posture was withdrawn, her eyes cast down to the ground, apologising to students for walking in the way. Hilda smiled as she shook her head. When Marianne got closer, she could make out her outfit: a beautiful black dress, shorter than her usual one, with white accents and black tights underneath. Her hair was in her usual style, but somehow it still looked as mesmerising as when she first saw it. Hilda hid further behind the pillar as Marianne got closer, looking down at her own outfit. She wasn't wearing anything too special, just her brown skirt and white blouse, and her hair in twin ponytails. She wondered if she should've done more, as this was supposed to be a date. She shook her head. Knowing Marianne, she wouldn't mind Hilda dressing like her usual self.
She stepped away from the pillar when Marianne still had her back turned towards her, and made it look like she had just arrived, right before Marianne. She turned around when Hilda tapped her on the shoulder, so gracefully that it took Hilda a moment before she could talk.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
Marianne looked her up and down, her face turning grim. "I'm sorry Hilda. I thought this was a date, like… like not between friends. I don't look casual at all. Do you want me to change?"
"No, Marianne, you're right." Hilda grabbed one of her hands. "This isn't a casual date between friends, I'm sorry for confusing you with my outfit. I didn't expect you to come with such a beautiful outfit, I should've worked a little harder myself."
Marianne blushed, feeling her hand being dragged along as Hilda started to walk to the gate.
"I'll make it up to you later, so don't be afraid to remind me, okay?" Hilda's small smile made Marianne's heart flutter. She only saw it when the two of them were together, her usual broad smile shown to anyone, especially when she needed something off of them. This smile was reserved for shyness and closeness, Marianne had found out, and she couldn't help but smile back.
They walked through the market; items, weapons, gifts and whatever you could think of were there, ready to help the knights at a moment's notice. Marianne walked along with Hilda, who let go of her hand when they were near a stall to look, only to grab it again when she left. When they reached the gate, Hilda stopped her for a moment and handed her a small bouquet of lilies, keeping one of them and tucking it in her hair. A smile flashed across Marianne's face before it become neutral again, the happiness seeping away like a plant absorbing water. Hilda smiled as well, hoping to remind Marianne she was the one who asked her out, and that she wanted to spend time with the blue-haired girl.
"Why?" she had asked. Hilda couldn't explain, she had just wanted to.
Now, she asked it again as they walked out of the gates towards the woods. "Because I want to, Marianne. I want to spend time with you, is that not a good enough reason already?"
The girl shook her head and asked it again, but Hilda reached out her hand and led them towards the woods. They were met with the bright chirping of birds, their song much louder here than at Garreg Mach. She walked slowly, letting Marianne look into the trees as she made sure not to walk into one herself. Hilda followed her gaze, birds jumping from one branch to another, each time chirping a response to the others. When she couldn't hear the sounds of merchants in Garreg Mach, she slowly let go of Marianne's hand, letting her listen to the birds with her eyes closed, not forcing her any further into the forest if she didn't want to. Stepping back, she looked at Marianne again, wondering why she would apologise for her outfit. Even if they were going as just friends, Hilda would've appreciated the work Marianne had put in for her. Now that they weren't here as just friends, she appreciated the girl's outfit even more. It gleamed in the sunlight that was coming through the leaves, her skin almost translucent as she turned towards Hilda.
She looked a bit scared, as if she'd been caught. "Am… am I holding us up, Hilda?"
Hilda sighed; she could never fathom why Marianne felt the need to apologise over everything. Despite the fact she didn't understand, she still tried to help Marianne as much as possible.
"No, Marianne, I was just looking at you. You're beautiful in the sunlight."
Marianne looked away, her white skin reddening before turning back to the birds.
"You want to go further in? We might find a place to sit and listen to them."
Marianne hummed as response, being led further into the forest by Hilda's hand again.
The forest was thickening as Marianne stopped dead in her tracks, her arm accidently being yanked away by Hilda when she didn't notice Marianne had stopped. "Marianne, I'm so sorry, are you okay?"
Hilda saw tears forming in hazel eyes, and she wanted to apologise again, grabbing her arm and softly rubbing it, before she looked in the same direction. A small bird laid on top of a pile of leaves a few feet away from them. Looking up, she saw a nest right above it. She stepped closer and saw that bird had just hatched, its eyes still closed and not even crying out to its mother. Marianne held her back as she wanted to get closer. "If you touch it, it will die. The mother won't feed it anymore."
Hilda looked at her, the tears falling over her cheeks, and at the bird, alone on the leaves. She couldn't get rid of the thought that Marianne looked like the bird, cast away and isolated from her family.
"Get back, Marianne," she said as she softly pushed the girl back. She crouched down on her knees, raised her fist up high, and let it plummet downwards, hitting the ground hard as her hand was consumed by the earth. She did the same with her other hand, both of them dark brown by the clay earth. "Do you have a handkerchief?"
Marianne handed her one, confusion on her face as she saw Hilda put it in the ground as well. Hilda shook off the majority of the earth and went towards the small bird. She captured it in the handkerchief, holding it with two fingers as she went to the tree. With one hand on a branch, the other making sure the bird was save, she placed her foot on the bark and slowly climbed up towards the nest. About half a meter below it, she raised her hand, extending her arm so that the handkerchief was just above the nest, and slowly opened it, letting the bird land softly in the nest while still holding on to the cloth. When she was sure it was safe, she jumped down and walked towards Marianne.
"I think it'll be okay." The small smile was back on her lips, lasting longer as she saw Marianne's tears disappear. She reached out her hand and wiped away a tear on the girl's cheek, leaving a brown smear on her face.
Her eyes widened as Marianne felt her cheek. "I'm sorry Marianne, wait." But as Hilda wiped off her hands on her skirt, she heard the small laughs of her date. She saw Marianne wipe off her cheek laughing, before it came back to her usual neutral face.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm a bit ticklish there." Why did that sound like the sweetest thing Hilda had ever heard? "Thank you for saving the bird, Hilda." She felt her hands being grabbed by Marianne, her heart leaping at the sudden gesture.
"It was nothing. I'll wash your handkerchief when we get back." Marianne nodded. "Do you... want to go back?" She nodded again.
They walked back hand in hand, Hilda kicking her feet through the leaves in a playful manner as Marianne followed her to the beat, stepping through the leaves instead.
"Be careful, Hilda, you might fall-" Marianne let out a scream as she fell forward, her foot catching a root of a tree. The ground was getting closer and she braced herself, raising her arms in front of her and closing her eyes, but the landing never came. Instead she felt strong arms around her waist, stopping her in mid-air and pulling her up again.
"Are you okay, Mari?"
The nickname sounded odd in Hilda's voice: only her father had ever used that name. The oddness quickly made way for a feeling of security, and the softness she always felt whenever she was with Hilda. "I-I'm okay." Her voice sounded shaky - her nerves not yet calmed from the fall.
"I'm sorry for tripping over the branch, I-"
"Stop." Marianne's heart stopped for a moment - the sternness in Hilda's voice didn't go unnoticed.
Realising her tone she quickly shook her head, stepping closer to Marianne. "Please stop apologising for things that aren't your fault, or things that can't be controlled by you whatsoever."
"I'm sorry."
Hilda grit her teeth, her eyes looked fiercely over to Marianne before calming down, a sigh escaping her throat. "Marianne, why do you always apologise? I told you not to."
"Why did you ask me out?" Hilda looked taken aback. She hadn't expected Marianne to ask a question of her own. She wanted to talk back, but Marianne's face stopped her, looking as if it might burst into tears any second. "This date brought nothing but misfortune to you, I knew this was a bad idea."
"Mari, what are you talking about? My dirty hands?" Marianne shook her head. "I thought it was amazing, seeing you happy listening to the birds. I was so nervous until I saw you, but you made me feel so at ease. I don't get why you think it brought misfortune to me."
"I'm sorry Hilda, please-" Marianne stopped mid-sentence, feeling her tears being wiped away by the soft hands of the other girl. She felt herself being pulled closer, their faces close together as Hilda stared in her eyes, the bright pink flashing in the sun.
"Marianne."
"Y-yes?"
"I…" She closed her eyes, gathering all the strength she could muster. "I love you. The time we spend together is the most fortunate thing in my life."
Marianne's eyes shot open, fearfully looking at Hilda's closed ones. "Y-you don't mean that. There's no way a girl like you could love me. I'm too much of a burden to you."
Hilda shook her head, opening her eyes to see the brown irises of Marianne filling with tears, disbelief striking her face.
"Surely there would be someone else in your life, someone that would make you happy and live life to the fullest?"
Hilda sighed. "Let me make this very clear for you Marianne." She stepped closer, hands intertwining with Marianne's. "I… love… you." Which each word she stepped closer, until she was only inches away from her face. She moved one hand up to her cheek, tickling it with the dirt still on there, and kissed Marianne's smiling lips.
Marianne pulled back, their lips separating and Hilda's hand slipping away from her waist, respecting the girl's boundaries after she had already overstepped them.
"I'm sorry Marianne - I couldn't help it." Her face looked so genuine, so sad to have parted from the one she loved. It made Marianne want to apologise again, but instead she came closer and placed her arms around Hilda's neck.
"Are you sure, Hil?" Marianne said as she leaned closer.
The girl didn't answer, instead placing her hands back on their original position and slowly leaning in for the kiss, waiting for Marianne to make the first move. The small smile came back as she felt the girl's lips against her own once more, her heart beating rapidly against her chest as their bodies softly pressed against each other.
Hilda was the first to back away, but she quickly grabbed Marianne's hand to make her feel at ease. "Want to do this again?"
The girl smiled at her, the same one plastered on Hilda's own as they walked towards Garreg Mach again. "Yes."