#blaiddarius

He didn’t know what he expected to find when he came to investigate with every intention of dragginghis leader down by forceafter Dimitrihadn’t shown up to the training yard for their usual weekend morning sparring session–Dimitri was never late to anything – but it certainly wasn’t this.

The blond lay curled up on his side, breaths soft and even in slumber.  And…

Felix inhaled sharply and slowly inched closer, careful not to make anynoise.

There they were, every single one of them. He’d always assumedDimitri tossed them away year after year. Yet every birthday, without fail, he continuedthe strange tradition by buying him yet another one.

The stuffed pig toys werepropped up on the mattress like small, portly sentinels standing guard over theprince’s repose. He kept them all. The idiot even brought them all the way to Garreg Mach.

And there, cradled to the blond’s chest as though it were the most precious andvaluable treasure in the world– the very first pig plush he had evergiven him, Just as it had been all those years ago… albeit slightly moretattered.

Felix’s heart gave a great lurch, unbidden warmth filling his chest.

 As nostalgic memories came rushingthrough his mind, a smile unconsciously tugged at the brunette’s lips, How he’d begged and pestered endlessly as a child to before hisattendant agreed to take him to Fraldarius’ marketplace to pick out his owngift for the boar when his father announced they would be heading to thekingdom capital to attend a celebration being held in honor of his birthday.

The way the young prince’s nose had crinkled in disgust at the reminder ofthe unwanted nickname while Felix had sniggered, oblivious to the faint horroron his parent’s faces when they saw their son’s chosen gift. The feeling ofsmug satisfaction he’d felt when the other boy accepted it anyway with a polite“thank you”.

The brunette stopped at the side of the bed, staring down at an expression morepeaceful than Felix had seen from him in a long time. Not that of the revered princeof the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, not the fierce and reliable leader of the BlueLions;  just an exhausted young man with an impossibly heavy burden on hisshoulders allowing himself to be vulnerableand defenseless at least while he slept, clinging to a reminder of happier times –of carefreedays with Felix – as though it were a lifeline keeping him above the waves in aturbulent storm.

Felix should have shoved him awake right then. Should have teased himrelentlessly for a rare display of weakness, for taking comfort in the past. Remindedhim that if he had time to look to such things for reassurance, he should actto change the future.

Instead, he found himself reaching forward, allowing his fingertipsto ever so gently brush across his leader’s cheek as he tucked the stray goldenlock that had fallen across his brow into its usual place behind his ear. He kepthis palm there, cradling the side of his face.

The roiling tempest he always fought so hard to keep bound and restrainedthreatened now to burst out at the seams. At that moment he wanted nothing morethan to pull into his arms and comfort a man who was nigh unbeatable on the battlefield,who always stared into the face of death with fearless and unflinching blueeyes.

…

He jerked his hand back like he’d been burned. He had to get out. Now.

He stormed down the dorm hallway with his pulse racing and head bowed, murmuringan apology when he almost bowling over poor Annette as she emerged from herroom. She shouted something after him. He couldn’t hear what it was over the thud of his ownheartbeat pounding in his ears.

When Dimitri came rushing breathlessly onto the training field an hour laterand apologized for missing training that morning, Felix gave him asharp-tongued taunt in response, and they were back in usual form, hurlingfriendly jibes as they began to spar.