The Divine Dragon had faced many adversaries and challenges since his awakening, from fighting the corrupted to facing his past… even having to kill his father. That compared little to what he was feeling now.
When he looked at her, his heart stirred in his chest so intensely it made him sway on his feet. His face heated up at her beauty, his mind melted at her smiles. Her kindness, and strength in battle made him shake.
Alear found himself going out of his way to speak to her, polishing her ring extra intensely to the point where she'd tease him about it. And engaging with her just so he could feel the pinnacle of their bond more fluently.
Alear may have slept for a thousand years, but he was no fool to these feelings. He'd seen the way Diamat looked at Princess Ivy, utterly enamored by her in every way. The way Alfred has been slowly courting Yunaka, who'd been fighting her own feelings for the prince until she no longer could.
Alas, of course fate Is cruel in this way to Alear as well. For the person he has fallen in love with is… dead, in a way. He saw her from the corner of his eye, her blue hair blew lightly in the wind. She floated very slightly above the ground, making her appear taller than Alcryst; the one she was chatting with, the master archer a stuttering and apologetic mess like he usually was.
Their conversation seemed fun, and an ugly feeling crawled its way through Alear's stomach briefly before he banished it. He hated that feeling, Jealousy. It was irrational and unreasonable, especially since he only had those feelings when they weren't in combat. He was perfectly okay with her engaging with others in the heat of battle, his normal partner being Marth.
Eventually their conversation ended and Alrcyst wandered off towards the market, leaving Lucina to look around. She met eyes with the Divine Dragon and smiled widely at him, and he felt his being warm in response.
"Ah, hello Lucina. How are you today?" Alear had been called 'unintentionally charming and radiant' once by Figado, which was a compliment apparently… he was feeling the opposite of that in this moment.
"I'm fine Alear, I should be asking how you are really, you got hit pretty hard in that last battle." His name sounded like perfection when it was voiced by her, and her concern in him made him happy.
"Ah, I'm fine! I was just in my own world then, I'm glad you were there. It could have been worse." Alear shook his head, embarrassed. It was true, he had been unfocused in that fight despite his efficiency at killing the corrupted. The swordmaster had snuck up on him after he thought they were all dead, and stabbed him in the side. It had barely hurt, but Lucina attacked the monster in savage anger saving his life.
"I won't let anyone hurt youAlear, and not just because I'm an Emblem." Lucina said. "You are so much more than that too me, our bond is too important for me not to risk everything for you my friend."
...Yep, Alear was catastrophically in love with her. His heart soared at her words more than it deflated at the use of friend.
He'd thought about it of course, offering her the pact ring had been on his mind constantly. She could wear it, he'd seen her try on necklaces that Goldmary had conned her into wearing, she could touch things and feel sensations.
But… she was dead, she didn't need to eat or sleep. And her body wasn't fully corporeal, she was part of that ring as it was part of her.
"Alear? You okay?" Lucina asked. And he startled himself as he realized that he was just staring and not speaking. "If you need to sit down…"
"N-no! I'm fine! I was just admiring how beautiful you are." the words slipped out completely by accident, and Lucina's eyes widened in surprise as Alear wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
"O-Oh! Th-thank you Alear… I think your very beautiful as well." Lucina looked embarrassed and that made the divine dragon feel bad.
"I'm sorry, that clearly made you uncomfortable… I'll just be going." Channeling his inner Alcryst; Alear made to disappear from the awkwardness when Lucina reached and stopped him. Her touch traced lines of fire across the skin of Alear's arm, and he stopped still and stared at their conjoined position.
"It's okay Alear! I don't have any discomfort at all, I'm just not used to being complimented. Let alone so directly." Lucina offered a smile in his direction, and she moved to remove her hand from his arm.
A feeling of courage suddenly onset Alear, and without a word he slowly reached up and interlocked his fingers with Lucina's spectral ones, she froze but didn't pull away. And Alear took a deep breath for even more bravery, basking in the surprising warmth of her touch.
"Lucina… do you ever wish you were… fully alive?" Alear asked. His question made Lucina's eyes widen and he continued quickly. "I imagine it's… sad to be bound to a ring all the time."
Lucina pulled away gently, shaking her head. "It's not cumbersome in the slightest, I can leave to wander whenever I want. I can talk to my friends whenever I wish, I can feel things and wear things if I wish. Even if I'm not flesh, I still live happily."
"But you'll never… you'll be able to do the most human of things like… fall in love or get married? That doesn't make you sad?"
"Not at all. When I still lived in my world I was in love, and married to the man I loved."
That disgusting feeling made its way back through Alear before he pushed It down with vehemence. "W-who was amazing enough to claim your heart?"
Lucina had the grace to look embarrassed. "O-oh uh… he was my fathers best friend. I uh… kinda hated him at first but he was just so… him."
Alear wondered who that was. Nevertheless, he felt a little ill now and his chest hurt. "I see, well. Please excuse me, I'm feeling a little sick."
"Are you okay?" Lucina asked, all awkwardness seemed to leave her in an instant. "I don't think you've ever been sick before."
"I'm fine. Just going to lay down." Alear all but stumbled away, holding his chest. Lucina could swear his eyes were watering.
"Did I… say something to upset him?" Lucina whispered aloud.
"Wowww… just rip out the divine dragons heart why don't you?" A familiar voice teased her, and Lucina turned to see Goldmary smiling smugly.
The emblem girl frowned. A little annoyed. "I don't understand what you mean."
Goldmary rolled her eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Gosh, dense are you? Well, I suppose the pretty girls are. Except for me of course."
Lucina really did like Goldmary, under that narcissistic exterior was a genuinely sweet girl who loved her friends. But sometimes she genuinely irked her, this was one of those times: "Speak sense Goldmary, because right now I'm-"
"The divine dragon is In love with you." She said bluntly. "Sensible enough?"
Lucina managed to keep it together externally, but internally she was freaking out. He's in love with me? How long? When? What did I do to make him fall in love?
One of the main questions on her mind though? Did she feel the same? Logically, it wouldn't work out. She was an emblem with no corporeal form, not technically alive but-…. Oh. That's why the divine dragon asked that question.
"It's a shame truly." Goldmary said. More to herself than Lucina but it caught her attention. "The divine dragon is a gorgeous man, he deserves someone perfect like myself…"
A wave of… possessiveness attacked Lucina, similar to how she felt long ago when Tharja outright threw herself at Robin in a desperate attempt to claim his heart after their marriage became official. She'd nearly drew steel on the girl in anger, and only Robin and her father could calm her down.
"Hmm, excuse me Lucina. I'm going to go make the Divine Dragon a meal for his sickness, who knows? Maybe he'll turn that lovely gaze of his to me." Goldmary walked away, and Lucina had to bite her tongue to not snap at her.
"Ugh… this feeling isn't good." Lucina muttered. "I… don't have the right to be angry, Goldmary is beautiful and… alive after all."
Yes, yes that thought had to be a comfort for her. Yet as she turned and made her way to the cliff overwatch, her thoughts very quickly turned to the divine dragon and Goldmary.
It irritated her.
A/N: This was originally going to be a oneshot, but I've decided to make it a three chapter short and this is the first. I like Alear, and Lucina is my favorite fire emblem character. I haven't written in a while so I'm a little rusty. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed.