A/N 1: So this is a whole series I've been putting on AO3. There's a lot of smut interspersed, so I can't post it all here. But, link! archiveofourown series/ 1914559
A/N 2: true story, on my last play through all of these things happened at the same time (except maybe Shinon, I forget.). I was amused, as it definitely seemed like the perfect "upgrading to official couple" scenario…
A/N 3: I'm not going to write any of the conversations verbatim as I find that tedious and I'm lazy :)
A/N 4: I also know that Soren and Stefan's B support is not about their brands, buuuut it just fit nicely here.
A/N 5: fun fact, there are -two- pictures of Soan on google and the one facing head on shows a pair of wings on his forehead (an interesting choice, considering he's got nothing to do with birds…)
Ike didn't often get alone time anymore, not since he was knighted. Or lorded. Or whatever. Everyone was constantly trying to talk to him, from whiny noblemen from Begnion to Soren's after-battle reports to Princess Elincia being clingy or… well. He was a popular guy. So as he stood overlooking the Great Bridge that connected Daein and Crimea, he had to bask in the solitude even as he knew it was temporary.
There was really only one person he hoped would approach him, but given how Soren had been actively avoiding him since they were in Begnion, outside of the reports, he was not optimistic. The few times Ike tried to talk to him, he got obvious lies about how everything was fine. Not exactly best-friend-worthy interactions, but ultimately Ike would have to wait for Soren to come to him. He could be patient. Sometimes.
So, basking. The sun was setting, the temperature was cooling, there was the scent of the ocean breeze on the air -
"Lord Ike?"
Ike smiled wryly before acknowledging her with a nod as she approached him from behind. "Princess Elincia." It was a thing, now – both of them had given the other permission to just go by first names, but Elincia couldn't drop the proper act so Ike pointedly kept calling her Princess. "Come to see the homeland?"
"It is surreal," she admitted as she came to stand beside him. "Just on the other side of the bridge is everything I've been fighting for. It's… honestly scary, because I don't know what we'll find."
"I can get that, but in the end, the state of stuff is the same whether we see it or not."
"Hmm. Good point."
Ike honestly liked Elincia just fine. She was nice and her heart was in the right place, even if her insistence on manners drove him nuts. So he tried to smile at her. "And you'll fix whatever's broken."
She smiled at him and opened her mouth to speak, but another voice called out, "Sorry to ruin the lovely mood, but you're the two beorc I need to talk to!"
Both Ike and Elincia looked back, and Ike let out a sigh of relief to see Ranulf. This was a very good sign, proof that the request for help from Gallia went through. "Gallia's going to help?"
"Hello to you too," Ranulf joked. "But yes! I have arrived with reinforcements, and we are officially joining your war effort. We'll march under Crimea's banner and everything."
"Oh, thank you!" Elincia gushed, looking as if she was so happy she might cry.
"So Crimea, Gallia and Begnion, plus some people from Phoenicias and the Serenes? We might stand a chance." Ike had to smile too, although his wasn't anywhere close to hers.
Ranulf's ear swiveled. "I believe that is your staff officer's cue to rain on our parade…"
"Well he'd be happy to hear that you're deferring to Crimea. He was pretty sure Begnion was going to take credit, so most of them are back in Daein," Ike admitted. He just wouldn't be happy about anything else. Not that I know why…
"Well, I'll leave you two to enjoy the quiet, beautiful night together," Ranulf said with a mischievous smirk and a wink. "I have to go check on my people. I hope you've been treating Lethe well because she will tell me if you weren't."
"Considering she has two new best friends, my sister and a beorc from Daein, I'd say she's okay," Ike pointed out.
"Wonderful. Ciao!" Ranulf left them with a short wave.
Ike looked at Elincia, whose face was completely bright red. "What's wrong?"
"Oh! Oh, nothing!" she said way too quickly to be convincing at all. "Nothing is wrong, Lord Ike! I… er… well…"
"Well enjoy the view," Ike said, deciding he wanted some more alone time and walking to go find some. He spectacularly failed when Shinon somehow drunkenly sauntered up to him.
"Hey! Hey you!"
Ike groaned. "What?"
"You're a dick," said Shinon, pointing at him.
There was no use arguing when he got like this. "Yep."
"Little Ikey, clinging to Titania's skirts. Little Ikey, in love with the princess. Little Ikey ain't got nothin' on his dad, you hear me?"
"I never said I did-"
Shinon threw up all over himself.
"Okay, bye," Ike decided, walking away. Even though he had nothing to do, he did not have time for that! He'd go hide in the woods to get some alone time, sheesh.
In love with the princess
In love with the princess
Every time those words appeared in his brain, it felt like a stab to the chest.
Why why why did he have to overhear that? It was hard enough seeing Ike and Elincia together alone. But to have his worst fears spoken aloud –
No, stop it. You will be fine. You've been avoiding him for months and think that you're still his friend? Of course he's moved on. Let him be happy with someone who isn't a cursed freak.
In love with the princess
Soren grit his teeth and hugged himself tightly, trying so hard to just stop this absolute agony, the sheer wrongness he felt at the idea of Ike loving anyone (else).
It really drove it home that Soren was in love with Ike.
Great job figuring that out after he's fallen in love with someone else, genius! It's not like he would ever love you anyway!
No, he's the only one who's cared about me. He was so kind even when I was afraid of stupid things or having night terrors or panic attacks, and he laughs when I get snarky while most people get annoyed. He may love her, but I'm still his friend, and he loves his friends too.
Not anymore! You ruined that, too. Like you ruin everything.
Speaking of panic attacks, one was absolutely brewing in his chest. Goddess he just wanted to die but Ike still needed him even if he didn't want him –
He got up and left his tent, fleeing into the woods so he could retch in peace, vomiting up the bread he'd had for dinner. It didn't help, and his heart was still racing like he was having a heart attack.
In love with the princess
He was aware of someone kneeling by him, but he didn't have the coordination to look up. He couldn't even protest or act when a hand went on each of his shoulders and acutely squeezed. Stefan. "Pressure points to help curb anxiety," his 'visitor' said, confirming Soren's intuition. "Try to focus on my voice and nothing else." He began a soft narration of where they were and what they were doing, and Soren actually listened to him just long enough for the panic to ebb and depression to flow in its place.
"What do you want?" Soren asked, just done.
"To help you," Stefan said as if the answer were obvious. "No one deserves to be alone when they're suffering."
"I'm not suffering," he replied through gritted teeth, even his mouth not wanting to lie so blatantly.
"Everyone does, from time to time. Us more than many."
"No one else is out here puking except Shinon and he drank too much," Soren retorted.
"Oh, I didn't mean 'us' as in soldiers." He gently cupped Soren's chin and turned it so they were looking at each other. Then he pushed aside a large lock of hair covering the left of his face. Above his eye was a symbol similar to a wing in its shape, and Soren was too emotionally wiped to not gasp. He let the hair fall back into place.
"You're…"
"Like you, yes. That's how you knew it was me before I said anything. Whatever repels the laguz attracts us to each other. I've known what you are since we met."
"Oh." He didn't know what to say.
"Would you like to discuss your panic?"
It was possible he answered too quickly. "No. It's fine. Thank you." He stood up and brushed his knees off.
Stefan stood as well. "You recently learned, didn't you?"
"What? Oh, of this?" He pointed to his forehead.
"Yes."
"Shortly before I met you."
Stefan nodded. "That makes sense, then. You've been grieving for a short time. It's quite common. Probably have yourself convinced you're an abomination?"
"I am," Soren said softly.
"There is a group of us in the Grann Desert," he said calmly. Soren noted that Stefan didn't argue the point. "If you ever feel like you need a place to call home, come find us."
"Ike is my home," Soren admitted, although he wasn't sure why.
"Hmm… Does he know that?"
Soren then remembered something obvious: he was not obligated to continue this conversation. "Good night," he said quickly, fleeing.
So, going to hide in the woods let him be alone… but also gave him a front row seat to Soren getting sick and Stefan stepping up before Ike could. Then they talked and Stefan was all touchy and…
Ike felt sick now, too.
Maybe… maybe this was why Soren was avoiding him. Because he finally had someone else to rely on. Ike was high maintenance now, after all. And Stefan was older, wiser, a better swordsman…
No, it didn't make sense. Soren started growing distant before Stefan showed up. But why?
Maybe he figured out you think he's really hot?
No way, I've been great at keeping that secret! And he's not that shallow - he'd just tell me he's not interested.
Maybe he's just outgrown you. Maybe he doesn't need you anymore.
But I need him! What am I supposed to do?!
He walked back to camp, distracted by too many thoughts and how horrible it felt to picture Soren and Stefan together like that. What was wrong with him? Why was he so jealous?
Just because he'll talk to Stefan and not you?
He sat down by the fire, glaring at it in hopes it would tell him what exactly he was feeling. Too bad he sucked at emotions, almost as much as he sucked at talking to people.
"You look distraught." Ranulf looked concerned as he sat by him.
"I thought you were going to find Lethe?"
"I already did. I was going to find Mordecai next but then saw you looking like a drowned kitten."
He made a noncommittal grunt. "Just got a lot on my mind."
"Uh huh… lady problems?"
"No."
"Gentleman problems?"
Ike nodded, not looking at him. "Soren's avoiding me and I don't know why but if I push too hard he might run away or something. He's like a cat."
"Psh, he wishes. He's more like a squirrel."
Oh, right, Ranulf was a cat. "Nah, he's super cat-like. You're more like a dog."
Ranulf let out a full-throated, horrified gasp. "How dare you."
"Hey, some cats are!" Ike argued, wondering if he'd overstepped a line.
"You mean some dogs are like some cats."
"Yeah! Yeah that's what I meant. You're just a very personable cat."
Ranulf regarded him thoughtfully. "I forgive you. So okay, you're upset because your friend's avoiding you and you don't know why. Makes sense."
"He's more than just my friend," Ike argued. "He's my best friend. He's like my rock. No matter what I know he's there for me. I mean I realized that I need him, so, I need to fix this, but I don't know how since he won't tell me!"
Ranulf made a thoughtful hum. "So apparently my joke was way off base," he murmured. Then louder, he said, "Why don't you block him in somewhere and tell him?"
"Tell him what, though? I mean he knows all this!"
"Tell him you're in love with him."
Ike's head snapped up to look at him.
Ranulf appeared a mixture of amused and sympathetic. "I think telling him that would kind of force a conversation."
"I'm in love with him?" he echoed, letting the words roll over his tongue. There was nothing wrong about those words, even when he said them out loud. In fact, it was like a puzzle piece finally got put into place. "I'm in love with him!"
"Well I mean I wasn't wrong, I just messed up who you'll spend the beautiful night alone with…"
"I need to fix this, tonight," Ike vowed. He couldn't afford to wait for Soren to come to him anymore. If he did nothing he was going to lose him.
"… although in retrospect I don't know why I even said that, I've only been with this company like a week total and yeah you are definitely not into women…"
Ike's determination was strong as he stood up. "Clear the air, fix the problems, confess my love. Only slightly terrifying."
"… okay yeah thinking back, it was always 'I wonder what's wrong with Soren,' or 'Soren tell me about your feelings' so… yeah can we start the night over? I feel dumb."
"You are dumb," Ike said affectionately. They hadn't known each other long but Ranulf was already like a really chill older brother.
Then their banter ground to a screeching halt with the familiar, unwelcome cry of "Iiiiikey-pooooooo!" He took off at a sprint.
Soren was now exhausted, which was actually relieving. It was almost impossible to feel the despair so strongly now, and he could clean his mouth and eat again without risk of puking.
There was hope. Just because he was in love with Ike did not mean he needed Ike to be in love with him too. He could be King Isaac's butler or something. And… worst case scenario, if Ike found out and was appalled… Soren could hide in the desert, in Grann. Although there wouldn't be any point…
He was quite caught off guard by a blur of blue and red darting into his tent, burying into his bedroll. "You never saw me!" he barely heard Ike hiss.
"Huh?"
"Oh Ikey-poo, where are you?" came sing-song outside.
"Save me!" Ike whispered harshly.
"Ah ha." Soren felt his mouth twitch up in amusement. "Her again. Hang on, I'll handle this." He walked out into the cool night air. "Quit yelling, I can help you."
"Oh, Soren. Ew." (Ouch. Not that Soren cared about her opinion. But still.) "I'm looking for Ike."
"The whole camp knows you're looking for him," Soren retorted. "He's in a meeting. I can pass on your message."
"Oh, I have a very rare artifact for him…"
"Really? A Hammerne staff?" Wow, of all the things in the world the shop keeper could have chosen to seduce Ike with, she chose a staff. It really drove home that the woman could barter like a pro but she was so fucking stupid. He almost felt bad for her because the only thing that Ike would like less would be a big book. "First of all, as the supplies manager that staff would just go to me anyway. Second, that is the exact wrong thing to get him," Soren informed her. "He doesn't care at all about magic or trinkets. To him, that's just a fancy stick."
She huffed as she handed the staff over, conceding the point that anyone, Ike included, would have just given it to him anyway. "How would you know?"
"Third, take a hint, Crazy Aimee, he doesn't like you. You're stalking an uninterested teenage boy and it's creepy. Fourth, his interests are obvious to anyone with common sense and eyes: food, you moron. Now go away before I break this staff on your face."
He went back into his tent. All right, so clearly Soren was emotionally raw and not on his A-game tonight, but at least he was done with social situations.
Except he wasn't, because the lump of Ike was still present. "She's gone, Ikey-poo." He smirked a little. Telling Aimee off had been cathartic, and as his best friend Soren was obligated to make fun of Ike.
Ike poked his head out of the blankets with what he hoped was an impressive glower. "Not funny."
"Well, most of it isn't," he agreed, taking down his hair to start brushing.
Ike recalled his earlier determination and channeled it as he slid out of Soren's blankets and crawled to the flap, firmly tying the tent shut. "There. Now you can't leave." He turned and sat in front of the entrance just in case.
Soren's eyebrow raised in confusion. "What? But it's my tent?"
"We're not leaving this tent until you tell me what's wrong." He set his jaw in what he hoped was an expression resolute enough that Soren wouldn't fight him on this.
"What?" Soren's expression subtly became a blend of confused… and terrified.
"You and I used to talk every night," Ike said. "We've held each other during nightmares, we've eaten together, slept together – heck we've even taken baths together! You're my best friend and have been forever. We were never apart at all except for your study trip. After you tell me how horrible your childhood was, you stop talking to me? Something is wrong and I need to figure it out."
"I talk to you all the time!" Soren protested.
"Battle reports and tactics don't count!"
"Yes they do," Soren said weakly.
"Did I make you mad somehow?"
"No, of course not!"
"Are you just sick of me and trying to hint that you're done?"
"No! No no!"
"Then what?!"
There was a long, long pause. Then Soren swore before sitting on his bedroll, wrapping himself in a blanket and looking away as if he might cry. "I'm not human," he said in a rush, as if to get it all out as soon as possible, "I'm not beorc or laguz, I'm a mix, a Branded, forbidden by the Goddess, an affront against nature, I shouldn't even be alive much less around you."
Ike had had no idea of what was bothering him, but this was not even on the list of possibilities. "So… you're part laguz?"
"It's what this birthmark means," Soren said, still not looking at him and in fact looking absolutely defeated.
"And this is… a bad thing, you think?"
Soren sighed and buried his forehead against his knees. "Everyone thinks. To the laguz, I don't exist. To the beorc, I should be killed."
"Well that isn't going to happen," Ike reassured him. "I need you and anyone who tries to hurt you will answer to me and apparently I'm important now for some reason."
"Don't bother," he said, not lifting his head. "It's fine. I know people complain about your tactician being a spirit charmer… it would be a hundred times worse if they knew what I really am."
"I don't need you as a tactician," Ike snapped, getting genuinely frustrated at how this conversation was going. He crawled over to Soren. "Look at me." When he didn't get a response, he used his Commander Voice. "Look at me."
Soren hesitantly looked up.
"I need you," Ike said, keeping eye contact. "I need you. Just because you got some news you didn't like doesn't change that. These last few months have been miserable, because I've missed you and you've been depressed and this whole thing just sucks and I need you and you haven't been here."
Soren looked absolutely agonized. "You don't need me. You have other people. You - you're in love with the princess, right? You can rely on her."
Ike went speechless for a few seconds. "Wait what? I don't – I mean - I thought Shinon and Ranulf were being asses! I don't love her – I mean geez, duh – I love you!"
Ike could tell the exact second that Soren processed what he'd said, because his eyes went wide and he inhaled sharply.
"I want to be with you," Ike spelled out so there was no room for confusion or Soren's self-hatred to interrupt. "I want to spend my free time with you, I want to hold hands with you, I want to cuddle with you, I want to kiss you, and – and more, eventually! I want to be yours and I want you to be mine. Will you please be my boyfriend as well as my best friend?"
There was another long stretch of silence. Both of them were blushing and staring at each other. Ike knew Soren well enough to know what he was doing; analyzing his face for any sign of deceit, or wavering, or remorse, or guilt. He felt none of those and knew his face showed it.
"You're crazy," Soren whispered.
"Nope."
"But… but you could have anyone…"
"Psh no, but no one else matters. So, yes or no?"
Finally Soren nodded, his blush and smile becoming adorable and shy. "Yes, please."
"Can I kiss you?" he asked, surprised at his own boldness. With another nod, Ike moved forward and pressed their lips together.
He'd always inwardly rolled his eyes at talk of romance. His father had once told him that your first kiss with someone you love was world-changing in the best way, and Ike had thought he was full of it. Once again, Dad was right.