AN: Sorry for the late upload! Life got really hectic but it's finally settled down a little. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Several inconveniences mowed over Felix, leaving him gobsmacked.

For starters, the exam had been a nightmare. Not because he didn't know how to answer the questions. He may as well have taken three separate exams, if only for the unmitigated stress he'd endured.

Annette and Ashe had sat on either side of him that day, as he'd instructed them to. Ashe had nodded off a few times (saved by swift kicks to the shin - you're welcome) and Annette had nearly conked out.

His solution was to scooch his chair closer to hers. When Annette sagged like a pegasus rider fighting against lofty gales, his shoulder was there to catch her. She'd startle, realizing she'd very nearly fallen asleep on him, and quickly return to her test, a blush electrifying the freckles on her cheeks. It was an effort of will not to gaze at her when she was so close to him.

Normally such behavior might arouse suspicion from a teacher. However, Professor Byleth immediately comprehended what the issue was. She offered Felix a slight nod and resumed her silent vigil over the class.

After the exam, he'd combed every inch of the greenhouse for Annette's doll. He feared he'd never find it, for he'd searched everywhere. Until he'd looked up. Dangling between the fingers of a tree near the back of the greenhouse was a raggedy-looking doll. He had no clue how it'd gotten itself wedged up there. It was far too high for Annette to reach. It was even too high for him - he'd had to climb the damn thing to retrieve it.

Ghosties don't exist, he'd told himself. He didn't believe in that nonsense, but even so...

He'd brushed off the dirt and bits of leaves covering its dress. He wrinkled his nose. Unfortunately, moisture had seeped into its cloth material and red yarn hair, leaving it a smelly, soggy mess. Over the next few days, he'd attempted - several times - to air-dry it. But winter was fast approaching, hints of frost kissing the air. So he'd resorted to wrapping it in parchments and furs, replacing them when needed. Wouldn't want it to grow mold, he reasoned.

I'll return it to her today, he told himself. Except, he felt weird about anyone seeing their exchange. Seiros only knew why.

In the Blue Lion's classroom, he waited with his classmates to be called on by their professor to review their exam scores. The doll was wrapped snug in violet velvet on the desk before him. Sylvain eyed it with curiosity and Felix slid him a dark glance. His friend decided not to ask about it.

"Annette Fantine Dominic," Professor Byleth called out from her place at the podium. Felix's attention snapped to the front of the room.

"Y-yes!" The warlock answered. She practically jumped out of her seat; her hands trembled as she accepted her graded paper. Professor Byleth's mouth curled upward in the hint of a smile. A very proud one.

Felix could've sworn a Bishop had restored him to his full strength in that moment. Annette had annihilated that exam. Deadly intellect and unmatched magical prowess, all wrapped together in the makeup of a tiny, unassuming girl who sang about sweets.

His fingers itched for battle. He'd never challenged her to a duel, had he? She'd be quite the challenge. Perhaps it was time he propositioned her with a match?

"Annette," Mercedes gently encouraged her from the front row. "It's alright."

She glanced over her shoulder at Mercedes, her complexion whiter than the sheet of paper she gripped in her hands. Her freckles were like flecks of embers. "Yeah, how bad could it be?" she laughed nervously.

He rested his chin on his hands and tried his best to ignore the idiot beside him. Sylvain was currently wracked in the throes of despair, his leg bouncing up and down and jostling against his. "Come on already," he was muttering to himself. "Let's get this over with."

"Don't pretend there's any hope. You failed. So shut up," Felix snapped at him. He'd seen duller blades cut cleaner than his wit.

Ashe's jaw practically snapped off and fell to his desk. Ingrid whipped around to shoot him a disapproving scowl while Dedue watched the scene unfold with disinterest. In contrast, his lord, Dimitri, grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose. Mercedes gracefully swiveled around in her seat to press a delicate hand to her mouth. With a giggle, she said, "Oh dear," like she was trying hard to stifle a bout of laughter.

Sylvain just gaped at him in disbelief, unable to come up with a rebuttal. It's not like anyone could accuse him of being especially bitter toward him in particular- Felix was always rude to people.

Professor Byleth levelled him with an unamused glance.

And Annette -

A toothy grin stole over her countenance and relief softened the stiff muscles in her back. She handed back her exam to her professor, almost reverently. "Thank you, Professor Byleth!"

"Don't thank me, Annette. This was all you. Congratulations on achieving this year's highest score in the academy." Annette froze, her body going taut as if her legs had been cursed to meld with the floor. Professor Byleth clapped an appraising hand on her shoulder. "You did well." Felix barely reigned in a smile before anyone noticed.

"Annette, that's amazing! I knew you could do it," Mercedes exclaimed excitedly. Ingrid and the rest of the class all added their own praises. The warlock practically glowed with joy. He couldn't look away.

"I'm pleased to announce that the Blue Lions have all proved their merit this year. That said, don't settle for mediocrity. Simple oversights may cost you your life on the battlefield," Professor Byleth continued, glancing at Sylvain with her last comment.

The paladin bolted up-right in his seat. "I passed?"

Felix rolled his eyes.

When Annette started back to her seat, her glassy gaze roved over the class. Her movements were wooden, like she was still processing what she'd heard. Until their gazes met. Her eyes rounded with clarity.

Something seized his heart, tripping his pulse and screwing up its steady rhythm. Heat scorched his face so intensely he feared everyone could see the redness spreading over his skin. He should look away, he was staring - he was, wasn't he? Did anyone notice? Wait, why was she staring back?

Annette, unaware of the mental shutdown he was undergoing, tilted her head at him inquisitively. He'd seen her do that before in the greenhouse. Right when she was about to sing. The lyrics bubbled at the edge of his tongue.

She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting, it seemed. He panicked. Cakes and steaks, this was madness.

Felix cast his gaze about the classroom, suddenly all too interested in the exact number of empty seats there were available. How come the Blue Lions held so few in its roster?

Awkwardly, he glanced back at Annette. She settled down next to Mercedes. Without the weight of her gaze, he felt as though he could catch a breath. That had been...agonizing. The warlock leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Mercedes, utter joy shining in her eyes. Mercedes rubbed soothing circles into her back and the girl wilted. Bruised shadows stained the soft skin beneath her eyes. Her complexion had a papery quality to it.

Rest, he thought to himself. You've earned it.

Ingrid got up from her seat at Professor Byleth's summons. Her stool's wooden legs scraped against the tiles, breaking him out of his reverie.

Felix scratched the back of his neck and frowned. He glanced to his right and found Sylvain peering at him with a downright smug look on his stupid face.

Panic gripped him once again. "What?" he grumbled. Instinctively, he grabbed the velvet bundle as if to protect it from Sylvain's prying nature.

The red-haired playboy waggled his eyebrows suggestively, all his wounded pride gone at this...well, whatever conclusion was he'd come to. "Nothing," he said, his grin growing wider. "But I should've guessed. You, my mean, grumpy old friend, always had a soft spot for cute things. You always snuck out to feet the strays and make sure they were sheltered in the rain."

Felix glowered at him, unsure where he was going with this. That smug grin of his was revolting. He didn't like feeling blindsided.

Sylvain deliberately angled his chin in Annette's direction. "Maybe give up a day of training and try out a different battlefield."

He'd mentioned a different kind of battlefield before. But Sylvain was a moron. All he could think about was girls. Felix didn't care about anything other than training and getting stronger. Strong enough to best his professor, strong enough to protect those he cared about.

Felix shouldn't have looked. He didn't know why, only that if he did, he knew he'd only confirm whatever it was that Sylvain already knew.

Temptation won. His gaze slid to Annette for a brief second. She noticed. Felix went rigid, hyper aware of how Sylvain was gloating beside him. Enjoying every tortuous second of his discomfort.

"Now, wait for it…"

"Wait for what?" Felix growled.

"For the best part," he answered with a sickening cadence of self-importance.

Felix didn't get a chance to retort, because Annette looked back at him again. This time however, she sat up and stared directly at him. What's more, she smiled at him.

Ingrid plopped onto her seat in the row ahead of them with a defeated sigh, but it was all background noise at this rate. He swatched Annette, dumbfounded and vulnerable For some godforsaken reason, memories of her in the greenhouse teased him. The feel of her hand as she'd pulled them into the cover of the bushes. The sweet cookie-dough scent in her hair tickling his cheek. Her breath, billowing hot on his mouth -

He speared his bottom lip with his teeth and quickly looked away. Iron flooded his senses, making everything seem much more vivid. He wanted to smile back at her, to congratulate her for her victory - personally. Something of the sort.

"Ouch, cold as ever," Sylvain said dramatically.

"Fuck you," Felix retorted.

"Felix!" Ingrid gasped, her eyes lit with rage.

"Many ladies do," Sylvain replied happily, earning a viscous look from her.

"You two are such babies," she told them, jabbing a finger at them for emphasis. She tossed her straw-yellow hair over her shoulder and huffed.

Sylvain smirked and his voice dipped low. "Only say the word and I can give you all the babies you -

Her rage ignited into a storm. In a flash, Ingrid was out of her seat and yanking on both of Sylvain's ears. "Say the word and I'll make you impotent." She stamped a foot on the ground for emphasis.

He flinched, crying out, "Okay, I got it, stop it already! Ouch, you're gonna rip them off! What the hell?"

"When have you ever wanted to listen?" she asked, a wicked glint in her eyes. She pulled on his ears again, and beamed as Sylvain protested.

Ashe looked on in horror, his gaze pinned on Sylvain's ears as though it was the last time he'd see them attached to the buffoon's head.

Sylvain just couldn't keep his mouth shut, though, and as he attempted to pry her off of him, said, "I had no idea you enjoyed being the dominant one. Makes sense, being a pegasus rider - OUCH!" he yowled as Ingrid twisted his earlobes until they resembled mashed balls of dough.

Professor Byleth released a long-suffering sigh from her place at the podium. Her steps were swift and her dealings more so. With one hand she grabbed Ingrid by the collar and pulled her off of Sylvain as deftly as she would flick a dustbunny off her shoulder. "That's enough, you two," she chided them. Sylvain gingerly touched his ears, a pout on his face. "After I finished complimenting you all. Ingrid sit down, I think you've tortured him enough."

Sylvain stuck his tongue out at Ingrid and Professor Byleth rounded on him. "As for you," she started, and the young paladin nervously folded in on himself. "I don't want to have to intervene again," her words were thin as ice over a frozen lake, conveying much more than the rest of the class could ever know.

He had one chance to step across that ice and if he fucked it up, he'd send himself careening through the sheet.

Felix and Annette glanced at each other, sharing in this little secret about Sylvain's greenhouse dalliance.

"But teach, she started it!" he protested, crashing through that ice and effectively shattering any chance he had.

Professor Byleth crossed her arms and said, "My office, this lunch period."

Annette and Mercedes were out of the classroom the second lunch began. He didn't know how to catch her alone so he held onto the velvet-wrapped doll. Felix followed them into the lunchroom.

His plan had been to somehow sneak the doll to her while they were in line grabbing their trays of food. Somehow, Ashe caught up to them first and he had no choice but to think up another plan.

When they all sat down, Felix moved to sit right beside them - but a swarm of girls flocked toward Annette like bees to honey pots.

He'd never had a problem dining with others - he'd never paid anyone much attention, unless his professor invited him. Then he'd have to act all cordial and crap. Now he felt transparent as a plane of glass. Unease spider-walked along his spine and he itched to hide the velvet bundle under the table.

He shovelled his food into his mouth, trying to hurry up and escape the suffocating room. The mashed potatoes were mush in mouth, tasteless on his tongue.

"I know, I can't wait!" one of the girls beside Annette was saying, clasping her hands together excitedly. He didn't recognize her, but then again he didn't really take notice of anyone unless their skills stood out among the crowd.

Mercedes nodded and took a sip of her drink. "We're all going to help each other with our makeup. Annette's really good at it," she told her after she'd set her glass down on the polished wooden tabletop.

"Wow," Ashe exclaimed. "You know how to do so many things, Annette. It's really impressive."

Annette's smile belied her bashful words. "Nah, not really. I just like makeup is all. Besides, I think it's kind of expected for girls to know all the different ways to mix colors."

"Cooking is the closest I can get to understanding something like that, but even then I can't entirely grasp the more nuanced parts. Dedue's dishes are unlike anything I've ever had, though."

Mercedes tilted her head with surprise. "I can't say I've ever tried his own recipes. Or Duscur food at all, for that matter. I'll have to ask him sometime."

Ashe nodded. "You should. Unfortunately a lot of people don't even give him a chance before they get to know him. There's a lot we could all learn from each other."

"I agree," Annette said thoughtfully. "We brush everything under the rug, so to speak, when it comes to heavy topics like what happened to his people. Especially having seen how some people treat him the way they do," she ground her teeth together, her knuckles bleeding white around her utensil. A few of the girls glanced down guiltily at their plates. Even Felix had to pause for a moment. Sure, he absolutely fucking hated Dimitri and his sorry ass...but he'd been rude and inconsiderate to Dedue, calling him the boar's dog and shit…

Fuck, what was wrong with him?

With a sigh, Annette shook her head as if to clear away the frustration eating at her. "Anyhow, do you think Dedue could find a cure for me?"

"C-cure?" Ashe sputtered around a forkful of sirloin steak.

"My explosion curse," she clarified for him and Ashe deflated in relief. Nothing to do with phantoms, thank Seiros, his face practically read. "I follow the instructions to a T but the next thing I know - BOOM!" she jumped out of her seat for emphasis, startling many of the people around her.

Felix snorted, unable to stop a grin from tugging at his lips.

Ashe considered her conundrum. "I could always ask him for you. But if you ever need help I can tag along next time it's your turn to cook. I think it'd be easier to see exactly what you're doing to trigger these explosions."

Sound idea, Felix found himself agreeing with Ashe. But his mood soured much like the once-tasteless mashed potatoes in his mouth when Annette reached across the table to grab Ashe's hands. "Really? That'd be so helpful! I'd love it if you could!"

Ashe sheepishly glanced down at his plate.

Felix had the inexplicable urge to swat their hands apart.

Thank the gods, one of the girls unwittingly prevented him from acting on said urge. "Can you do my makeup, please?" she begged Annette, grabbing her upper arm. "I know just who I want to ask."

"Already?" Annette asked, dropping Ashe's hands as she turned to engage the other girl.

"Of course," she blushed. "I'm not going to go with just anyone."

Ashe asked Annette, "Do you have someone in mind?"

What on earth were they talking about? Felix drummed his fingers impatiently on the tabletop, glaring daggers into all of them. Mercedes looked over at the sound and said, "Felix? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, because he didn't know why he was so pissed off. Only that he was. "What're you talking about?"

Annette gasped, as if he should've known about this, and said, "What else? The ball!" Felix's fork scraped against his plate with a high-pitched squeal. No. No, no, no. Not this goddamn waste of time. He opened his mouth to say as much when she asked him, "Who are you going to ask?"

Obviously no one, he wanted to say. Instead, he gripped his fork like it was a shield.

Seeing as he wasn't going to respond any time soon, Ashe said, "I was shocked to hear it was already time too. Professor Byleth should mention it soon, though. There's a lot of stuff to prepare for."

Felix nodded mutely at him in gratitude for sparing him from having to answer her.

But then he said, "I can't wait. I've been wanting to ask someone to the ball since I heard about it."

Felix glanced at Annette. She positively trembled with excitement. "Same! I already picked out my dress and everything!"

"Really? That's smart, thinking ahead like that. Then again, you've always been brilliant. Hmm, I haven't a clue what I should wear. Now you have me extra curious: who is it?" Ashe asked her.

Before she could even reply, one of the girls said, "Oh, it has to be Prince Dimitri. Everyone wants to go with him."

"I mean he is gorgeous," another girl said.

A guy further down the table grumbled, "Yeah I'm sure it's got nothing to do with his shiny little crest." The girl nearest to him balked at his statement and they immediately proceeded to dissolve into a heated argument.

Annette softly smiled to herself. "I was hoping he might ask me himself, actually."

Dimitri? Him and Annette? Dancing together and laughing together and then meeting up at the Goddess Tower to - Felix wanted the earth to swallow him up and spit him out onto a bloody battlefield.

"Wait, you're going for him too?" a girl asked Annette, a note of dismay slipping into her voice.

"What? No, don't be silly!" she laughed. "He's like my older - I mean, I'm not interested in him romantically," she waved away the suggestion.

"Oh, well that's good," the girl said.

Ashe pursed his lips. "Then who is it?"

Why does he care? It wasn't like Felix didn't want to know, but still. He wasn't planning on going anyway. A stupid ball only distracted everyone from what was important: training.

"It's a secret," she said, reaching for her drink.

Felix's appetite disappeared. He got up from the table and went straight to his room, unable to think straight. All he could see was Ashe and Annette together, or Sylvain and Annette, or someone he didn't even know. It bothered him.

It shouldn't.

He cursed at the velvet bundle in his hand. "You're still here, huh?" Great, just fucking great.