there would have to be something else on top of kindness, though. dimitri would be drawn to a partner that has a quirk of some sort, whether it be corny humor or wacky hobbies & interests. he considers himself to be rather plain, so encountering someone that could bewilder him with their uniqueness would have him particularly drawn. you enjoy collecting bugs? he doesn’t quite understand it, but the novelty of it has him intrigued enough to ask you questions and show his support. always cracking jokes? he might act stern and annoyed with your humor at times, but he’d look forward to seeing you just to hear your laugh.

someone with strong ideals and morals would also be incredibly attractive to him. he has his own goals and ambitions he’s passionate about, and he’d want to hear about yours, too. he would only fall harder if his partner shared the same ideals as him. 

he struggles to initiate and can get consumed by his own thoughts, so a straightforward significant other would keep him grounded and build his confidence. someone comfortable making the first move until he’s ready to take the lead (this is less of an issue post timeskip and post unhinged emo era). he’d be simultaneously flustered and infatuated by someone who wasn’t afraid to praise or compliment him outright, anything to show he’s not overthinking the possibility that his affections are reciprocated. it would be a bonus if they had enough charm to tease him and bring out his playful side.

[ dedue molinaro ]

as shown in his supports, dedue is not much of a conversationalist. that being said, he would be drawn to a significant other that can fill the silences that are sure to come in the beginnings of your relationship. he can be flighty and dismissive at times as a means to keep others at a distance, so being around someone that compels him to stay with their own outgoing nature would make his heart flutter. he wouldn’t like feeling pressured or pushed to talk, but having a partner with the ability to smoothly coax responses out of him until he’s fully engaging in the conversation would go a long way. 

dedue with a chatty partner! even if the conversation consists of them rambling about their interests, or their day, or the food served at dinner evening, he’s enamored. dedue is an exceptionally good listener, and overtime he would come to realize that he could listen to you for hours on end. there would have to be moderation, though, as he would want to be able to enjoy quiet moments with you, simply enjoying each other’s company.

stoic and reserved, dedue can be difficult to read. he would benefit from an observant partner that could pick up on his body language and subtle tells. being able to notice when he’s uncomfortable with something and see past his neutral front would make him feel seen in a way he isn’t accustomed to. 

and, of course, be kind to him. ignore his protests that there is no need to flatter him or treat him kindly, and be earnest and genuine in your affection for him. he would be taken aback at first, possibly even uncomfortable, but overtime your amicable gestures would break down his defenses. dedue would fall for a kind soul, one without discrimination or malice. 

[ sylvain j. gautier ]

oh sylvain. moving past his issues with genuine connection and intimacy, sylvain would be capable of falling deeply for someone, given they were able to work with him and his issues. he would be attracted to someone more on the no-nonsense side, someone capable of putting him in his place at first. pre-timeskip sylvain would be difficult to grasp unless you’re able to see through his flowery nonsense and be straightforward with him about not tolerating his behavior. there would be push and pull, and the game of that alone would keep him engaged. he would shift between waving off your rejections, becoming internally frustrated with his developing feelings, and ultimately seeking out your company for genuine connection. it’s stereotypical, but being “not like the others” would unfortunately catch his attention and draw him to you. 

in order to keep this up, you would need to have a lot of emotional maturity. sylvain can be incredibly perceptive and introspective when he wants to be, and having a partner with a high level of emotional maturity would encourage him to show this side more. he would try to deny it at first, but being with someone that’s able to “read” him upfront and see his true feelings would be… relieving, to say the least.

he would be attracted to someone creative and intelligent, with their own set of unique interests and hobbies. a benefit to being with sylvain is that he’s incredibly open-minded and nonjudgmental, so a nerdy, eccentric partner would only intrigue him further. he’s also a lover of the arts himself, and he would be enamored if you had a knack for art or writing (his supports with bernadetta are a testament to this). his encouragement may seem insincere at first, especially if this is before the timeskip, but he’s genuine in his interest in your work. 

[ felix h. fraldarius ]

felix is a tricky one. he’s so stubborn and people averse that he wouldn’t even have an idea of what traits he’s attracted to. in an opposites attract sort of way, i can see him falling for someone sweet and cheerful, or at least kinder than he is. he would act annoyed at first, of course (unless your personality is similar to annette, in which case he may be less harsh), but he would find himself drawn to a friendly and kind disposition. the stark contrast to his own rough around the edges personality would soften him, much to his dismay, and encourage him to loosen up a bit. it would also cause some inner turmoil, as he tells himself to stay away for the sake of preserving your light, something he doesn’t believe he has. in the end, his own infatuation would compel him to stick around despite his inner protests.

he’ll deny it at first, but felix would like a playful partner. not in a boisterous, pulling pranks sense, but a good-natured, humorous, “saying something that you know will crack a smile out of him” kind of way. he can stand to be teased a bit, too, even if it initially seems like a way to instantly annoy him. he would come to appreciate the lightheartedness, as it would coax him into somewhat letting his guard down.

he would appreciate someone strong, though their strength wouldn’t have to be purely physical. a quiet, unyielding strength would intrigue him, especially if he initially saw you as weak. he would also appreciate someone that isn’t too sensitive, as he can be harsh with his words and delivery. granted, he would try to mince his words for someone he truly cared about, but a partner that’s, for the most part, unbothered by his brash way of speaking would put him at ease.

going further into felix preferring someone with thicker skin, he would secretly swoon over a partner that’s willing to stand up to him when he’s being too edgy or stubborn. he admits that he can be a fool at times, so having someone to keep him grounded and embrace his own humanity would benefit him.

of course, he would immediately fall for someone that challenged him. someone he can train with, improve with, someone he can lose to. that alone would keep him engaged and wanting to be around you more.

[ ashe ubert ]

i have a headcanon that ashe gets crushes rather easily, giving him a wide range of personalities he’d fall for. of course, he would find someone kind and cheerful to be endearing, feeling soothed by their gentle nature. he would also admire a confident, outspoken personality, since he’s working to find his own voice and confidence. i could even see him falling for a shyer personality, as it would encourage him to seek you out and initiate conversations.

a commonality amidst all of these personalities would be that his potential significant other would have to match his earnestness. ashe wouldn’t care if you didn’t share the exact same interests, but seeing you passionate about anything would fill him with admiration. he would fall for traits he could admire; tenacity, creativity, vigilance. 

 similar to dimitri, i think ashe would appreciate eccentricity. he’s open-minded and intrigued by most things, so being around someone that introduced him to new and novel interests would enthrall him. he would appreciate someone that he can explore new things with, someone open to adventure and exploring. bonus points if they’re more adventurous than him, as it would encourage him to come out of his shell. 

though he would definitely fall for someone kind and good-natured, he would also be drawn to someone blunt and straightforward. ashe can be too kind at times, and he would genuinely appreciate being with someone that can help him decipher when he’s people pleasing too much. 

[ annette f. dominic ]

annette would like a strong but silent type, someone that balances her cheerful and bubbly nature. she wouldn’t be attracted to a personality that was too dark or brooding, rather a grounded presence she can feel secure around. she’s naturally clumsy and prone to occasionally making small mistakes, so having someone that can keep her on her toes (figuratively and literally), would be endearing. 

to add to this, she would like having a partner she could spend a lot of time with. it could seem like she’s dragging you around, but ultimately she just enjoys being able to try new things with someone. she would fall for someone open-minded and lacking in harsh or judgmental opinions, as she has her own quirks and hobbies she would want to feel comfortable sharing. 

she would fall for someone hard working, earnest, and willing to grow with her. she’s incredibly heard working and fastidious, and she would benefit from a partner that shares her desire to succeed and improve. with this comes patience as well, as she wouldn’t mesh well with someone too critical or irritable. 

[ ingrid b. galatea ] 

ingrid would fall for someone hard working, passionate, and goal-oriented. she would prefer a partner that she can work alongside; i don’t see her faring well with someone lazy and unmotivated. she takes her ambitions very seriously, and she would be drawn to someone of a similar nature, even if their goals are different than her own. the passion alone is what matters to her, and she would seek a significant other that could provide a dynamic of mutual support and encouragement. 

with encouragement comes improvement, and she would admire a partner that wasn’t afraid to give her constructive criticism. she prefers direct communication, even if it’s difficult, so her ideal partner would be capable of communicating clearly and honestly. 

she would enjoy a competitive partner, or at least a partner that’s playful enough to push her out of her comfort zone. she can get stuck in her own routines, so having someone that can steer her away from comfortability would be a must. 

the ultimate bonus is someone that can cook or shares her love for food. omitting everything above, food might be the key to her heart; she would inevitably find herself falling for someone with culinary prowess. 

[ mercedes von matritz ]

perhaps this is controversial, but i feel that mercedes would fall for a significant other that harbors their own fair share of issues and trauma. if they were troubled in their own way, but earnest enough that they were clearly willing and trying to improve, her heart would draw her to them. not necessarily in a savior complex way, but in a such way where she would appreciate your emotional complexity and find herself drawn to your humanity. 

this goes both ways, as mercedes has her own issues and traumas that she mostly keeps to herself. one of the reasons she would find herself drawn to a partner with their own set of baggage is that it would encourage her to open up about her own. she would appreciate the mutual connection, and having someone that understands and empathizes with her would warm her heart. 

even though mercedes is perceptive enough to read you on her own, she would appreciate a partner that’s open and honest. she loves candid conversations and values communications highly, so she would be drawn to someone sociable and outspoken. 

“One down, everyone!”

“You know damn well we haven’t started yet!” the swordsman snapped.

Dimitri grinned, “I must say Felix, I never saw you as someone to be so easily caught off your guard.”

Ingrid hardly held back a snicker, Ashe’s body practically trembling with a similar sentiment as he reflexively moved out of the way of the two nobles.

Felix clenched his hands into fists, “I’ll tear that cloth into tatters while it’s still wrapped around your insolent-”

“That’s quite enough.”

Professor Byleth eyed Sylvain, prompting him to quickly return Felix’s band. Not without receiving a moderate punch to the arm in retaliation, of course.

“The forest will be split down the middle in regards to starting positions. Those with green bands will begin on the east while brown will start on the west. Each team will be given one minute to conceal themselves, come up with a plan, and do anything else they see fit before I sound the whistle.”

“Your opponents’ accessories can be taken by any means necessary. While use of stealth is encouraged, feel free to use weapons and other advantages as you see fit. The goal is to win, first and foremost. Once you are eliminated, you are to return here until we finish.”

“Prepare to sit on your ass for fifteen minutes, boar.”

You couldn’t help the sound that came out of you at that. Dimitri’s eyes flashed over to discern your reaction before his face promptly flushed a light hue of pink.

“Wh- Sylvain took your headband, not me!”

The redhead frowned, lightly ghosting his hand over his new injury, “Throwing me to the wolves so quickly, your Highness? Maybe-”

“Oh, enough already,” Byleth huffed. “Off to the woods with you all. Right now. Sixty seconds!”

Newly motivated by the time constraint, everyone shifted to group up before rushing to their respective sides.

You weaved between the trees, Professor Byleth following close behind as you trailed Dedue and Annette. Not long after you reached a central-western location, Felix instantly pulled the two in front of you aside.

“...-ce at the northern end of the forest where the dirt is…”

A bit confused, you shifted your eyes to meet those of your professor. Apparently, neither of you were invited to this strategy meeting.

That meant you weren’t needed then, right?

It was all the same to you. Better than the same, actually; an archer flying solo on a stealth mission in the woods didn’t sound like a terrible assignment in the least.

To top it all off, Professor Byleth on her own elsewhere in the forest at the same time? The anticipation would surely kill you. Maybe you would even see her skills more personally than you had on the few traditional battlefields your class fought on so far.

You were brought back to the present as your professor turned to you in real life, nodding at you before slipping into the shadow of a thick tree.

Sticking around just a little longer, you gathered enough snippets of Felix’s conversation to understand his plan. He wanted to make a hole in the ground on the northern side large enough to hold as many members of the opposing side as possible. It sounded a bit ambitious, but you supposed that was nothing new concerning the second son.

In any case, your team seemed to masquerade as the better part of a mess. You wondered how things were with Ingrid…

…45, 46, 47…

After a moment, you strengthened your resolve. The best way to see what the other team was up to would be to go see for yourself, right?

Swiftly working your way counterclockwise around the forest, you snuck over to the eastern side, crossing over only upon hearing a shrill note knocking against the trees. It was now imperative to stay hidden in whatever darkness would conceal you. Having a bow certainly made this easier in terms of mobility since you could just sling it across your body.

Even the animals seemed quiet. Accordingly, you were on high alert. Your movements became more careful, more deliberate as your heart began to race in anticipation. No stepping on branches or leaves; just grass and dirt. No bumping against the trees or sudden movements; just liquid flow and shady cover. Soft, swift, and silent.

Once you believed yourself to have rounded the terrain far enough, you stopped, climbing the tree with the best vantage point in the area and scanning the shady path where your opponents must have started. That is, if the ruined leaves on the ground served as any clue. Prepared for action, you took your bow off your back and pulled an arrow out of the slim training quiver you had been given. Patience was a game you were sure to win, especially in such a good position.

Nothing happened, though. You detected no movement, no flash of colors, and you eventually concluded that the other group must have had a similar idea. After all, most people are right handed, so they might have felt more comfortable countering on the northern side than from the south.

You were somewhat discouraged at your failure to help, but it was no big deal. Especially not when you heard the sound of branches snapping back the way you came. Felix’s strategy must have worked - there was nothing else you could imagine that might make that kind of sound. It must have been effective, too; you recalled an offhanded comment he made about Leonie teaching him something about traps.

Resigning yourself to picking off any stragglers that might have strayed from the group near Felix, you lowered yourself from your tree. Perhaps enough time remained for you to return to your side and assess the damages to see who was left.

Progressing back the way you came would be simple enough. Although you were intent on remaining undetected, you heard several branches snapping and some shouting up ahead.

Felix must have really gotten to them.

You grew close enough to the commotion to recognize Dimitri and Ashe’s voices as the ones yelling, but it made no sense. You had hardly moved a few paces past the tree you were in, and you were still circling the southern side of the forest.

Why were they being so loud? Did they lose, or did they forget this was meant to be a stealth exercise?

But that didn’t make sense, either. They were the best listeners in Professor Byleth’s class, barring Annette; there’s no way they would slack off now of all times.

Silently, you crept toward their shouts until you were brought to a wall of greenery. If you went through…

You didn’t have enough time to hide before they came barreling through the bush.

“Woah!” an ambush? And you fell for it, no less?

Ashe’s eyes widened, his natural agility allowing him to dodge you just in time. Dimitri, with no such skill, slammed into you. The two of you crashed into the ground, the prince scrambling to the weapon you knocked out of his hands as Ashe pulled you onto your feet.

“Come on, get up!” the archer begged you.

 Dimitri frantically shot off the dirt while Ashe started to guide you in the direction they were running. You didn’t have a moment to collect your thoughts or ask questions.

The crown prince’s longer legs carried him past you before he grabbed your left arm with his free hand. Your right hand still connected to Ashe, the three of you formed a chain for a moment as Dimitri lent you his momentum.

A terrible roar emanated from the bush where the boys appeared, prompting you all to detach and pick up the pace. The sounds of three sets of feet slamming against the dirt bounced off the trees in the forest. 

Two crest beasts barrelled through the shrubs, snapping branches in their pursuit of you and your friends.

“How?” you pleaded, your legs moving impossibly faster with the new adrenaline rush.

“No clue,” Dimitri weaved between the trees, his breath heavy, “where they came from.”

A wave of terror pulsed through you. All you felt were eyes on your back, on your friends, and there was nothing you could do about it. They approached, so much larger and covering so much more ground.

Naturally, your smaller size and unfamiliarity with the area caught up with your group. The demons pursuing you could simply demolish the forest in their path, but Dimitri could only get so far before his height forced him to fumble through a group of low-hanging branches.

Unable to slow down, you crashed into him, sprawling to the forest floor. Ashe had once again been attentive and agile enough to change course, but you and the prince lied prone on the ground.

A sound of anticipation came in the form of an unearthly squeal from one of the monsters trailing seconds behind you. If you did nothing here, you would surely die. 

Upon noticing Dimitri had again dropped his lance in his fall, you snatched it and flipped over to face one of the beasts, contesting a well-timed snap of its jaw by holding the weapon up and angling it to act as a pike. It worked just well enough to force the creature’s mouth open…

…until the beast’s maw clamped down on the training weapon, struggling over it with you before it splintered and snapped.

Knocked backwards, your shoulders never got the chance to hit the ground. Dimitri had been given enough time to stand, placing his hands under your arms and dragging you back while Ashe shouted from another direction.

The archer’s cries were enough to split the horrific hunting party, though the only thing you and Dimitri did was continue running.

This is hopeless. All our weapons are meant for training, Ashe is on his own, there are no other fighters with us…

“We can’t keep running,”  you breathed, looping around a tree to throw the monster off your trail, “something has to change.”

…Felix…

You curved around the forest, switching to head back to your group, “Follow me.”

The two of you determined that zig-zagging was the best way to outrun the monster, though if you slowed down, you would no doubt be back on the ground again.

Intuitively, you followed the path you were fairly certain Dimitri’s teammates must have taken to get to the western part of the forest. All the while, you silently prayed that your legs would continue to carry you at a pace fast enough that the beast wouldn’t gain too much ground.

Not that it could be helped; you took two strides for every one of the beast’s.

“Felix! Felix, where are you?”

“Felix!” Dimitri followed your lead.

A figure appeared in the distance, his fair skin and blue hair giving him away, “Why the hell are you two-?”

The shriek from the beast trailing you and the prince drowned out the rest of his sentence.

“Felix, where’s the trap?!”

“Shit,” he cursed, though you couldn’t hear. “This way!”

Pushing yourself just a bit further, you forced your mind to ignore the screams of protest from your body. Felix sprinted just ahead of you, his lack of fatigue allowing him to match pace with your adrenaline spike before he rounded a bush.

“Get the professor!” your teammate ordered someone you couldn’t see.

Dimitri rushed past you to follow the bluenette. Upon leaving the beast’s line of sight, however, he was yanked into the large shrub. You recognized Felix’s hand wrapping around your arm before you stumbled into him, entering the branches as well.

“Thank you, Dedue,” you heard Dimitri’s voice next to you, the phrase uttered out between gasps for air.

It was in the split second before the beast rounded the shrub that you turned your head and recognized the trick. The covering on the pit was placed in the path next to the bush you four were in. If someone hadn’t known to stop and take a route through the hedge, they would have fallen through the dirt.

And upon seeing Professor Byleth appear at the other end of the pit, creator sword drawn to lure the crest beast toward her, you recognized how smart your teammates really were.

The pit wasn’t big enough to hold a crest beast by any means, but it certainly did the trick to immobilize it as the monster lost its footing. A well placed strike to the crest stone on the back of its neck shattered the source of its power. You could only stare at the crumbling animal, its bony limbs reduced to dust. The only thing lying in the crater at the end was…

“A person?” Dedue balked.

You moved to get a closer look before realizing Felix still had his arm around you.

“Um…”

Absentmindedly, he released you, throwing an apology over his shoulder before going to examine the woman lying dead in what very much could have been her grave.

Unbeknownst to you, your body was beginning to shut down. Running all that way left you exhausted, and having done so at a sprint certainly didn’t make matters any better. Yet the second you sank to the ground to truly catch your breath, you remembered.

Ashe.

“P-Professor,” you coughed, “...Ashe-”

“...What?”

“Damn, we left Ashe in the forest!” Dimitri agonized.

Byleth’s eyes sharpened, “Understood. I’ll go find him.”

“I’m coming, too.”

“What?” Felix questioned. “No, there’s no way - you’re way too tired.”

“Dimitri and I are the only ones who know where he is!”

At this, the prince attempted to rise from his position bracing on his knees “Then I’ll go.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re a worse candidate than I am - you’re still bleeding from the trees!”

“Bleeding? I’m not-”

“Your highness,” Dedue cut him off, “your chest.”

Certainly, his uniform was ripped in places, blood pooling out from the cuts he received when he scraped himself on the branches, earlier.

“You must not have felt it due to the adrenaline. We should get you to Mercedes.”

Sure of yourself, you began to walk backwards in the direction you came from, “Professor, there’s no time! You have your sword, so if push comes to shove, I’ll be fine. Ashe doesn’t have a proper weapon, though, and he must have been running for a long time!”

Professor Byleth wasted no words, “Fine then. Lead the way.”

As the two of you picked up the pace, she turned to call out, “Be sure to clear that girl out of the pit! Get her to Mercedes!”

The dull ache in your legs became impossible to ignore once you ran back into the forest. Still, through a mix of retracing your steps and following the sounds of roaring and trees snapping, you managed to get close to where you and Ashe had parted ways.

Sure enough, several trees had been reduced to splinters and fallen trunks. The damage created a small clearing, through which you could see your friend. He looked really out of it, the forest around him a mess from the beast’s rage. 

“Ashe! Over here!”

The professor hit the creature a few times with her sword, extending its reach to divert its attention to herself. Recognizing her attempts to hurt it, the beast reared its head and focused its efforts on Byleth.

She had provided enough of a distraction that Ashe could make it to you. Allowing himself a moment’s respite, he braced himself on his knees similar to how Dimitri had earlier. Breathless, the two of you watched your mentor’s skills at work.

The creator sword would wrap around the wild creature’s neck; Byleth’s obvious attempt at trying to break the stone. Each time, the tether was countered by a snap of the beast’s teeth, or her attack missed entirely. The angle was impossible from where she was standing.

“Fall back, you two - I’ll be right behind you!”

Ashe began to protest, “But-”

“You’re both tired, you’ll need whatever headstart I can give y-ngh!”

Her opponent had grown impatient, swiping its claws at the chain of her sword before her next attack could connect. The weapon was yanked to the side, knocking the professor off balance for a moment and sending the weapon flying out of her hand.

“Just go! I promise I’ll be right there!”

Willing your legs to move, you grabbed Ashe’s wrist and pulled him up, guiding him the first few steps of the way. Once he managed to find his footing, you took a position to lead him back to the group in the west.

You didn’t think you would be able to do much of anything tomorrow, after this. The taste of blood stained your every breath, your throat felt dry to the point it hurt, and you were surprised you could even lift your legs anymore. The adrenaline had worn off by the time you left Dimitri with Dedue.

The noise increasing behind you cut off your train of thought. The pounding of paws much heavier than your own feet thundered against the forest floor. Leaves crushed so loudly you could have sworn they were snapping logs, and the veil of the safety you thought you still had was quickly torn away.

What about Professor Byleth? She should have been on her feet, should have caught up to you and Ashe by now if-

“Keep moving!”

The voice next to you startled you almost enough to make you lose your footing, but a steady hand at your back and the sight of a flash of green hair at your side kept you upright.

“Over here, Professor! This way!”

Annette waved her arms over her head, signaling a new location nearby. They must have created a separate trap in the time you had been away.

But why…?

A snap at your backs inspired the three of you to round this new shrub at record speed. This time, you were ready when Dedue pulled you into the bushes.

“Woah!”

You supposed you had forgotten to warn Ashe.

Sure enough, everything else was the same story, just with different people. The Professor pivoted out of Sylvain’s hold in time to pull the sword she retrieved from her hip. The beast fell in the trap upon rounding the hedge, giving her a more advantageous angle to properly fracture the stone, reverting the creature to the body of a young man.

“I don’t understand,” Felix’s brow furrowed, Ashe ducking out of his hold and falling to the ground to finally breathe.

You were beginning to feel similarly. Were it not for Dedue, you doubted you would be standing. Your classmate seemed privy to this knowledge, as well.

“I will bring you to Mercedes.”

A nod was all you could muster while Dedue bent to put an arm beneath your legs, lifting you off the ground. The air you were practically drinking filled your lungs with more oxygen than you thought they could hold, and your resulting breaths sounded almost raspy. Respectfully, you ensured that your head was turned away from Dedue (though it was also to ensure you could get as much air as possible).

Even still, you managed to catch the final words of those behind you.

“Why didn’t you just take that girl to Mercedes and reuse the last trap?” Professor Byleth wondered.

“Well…” Sylvain, “there wasn’t really a point...she was already dead.”

“...then…this boy…?”

You tried not to focus on the silence that followed her final question.

A few paces later and Dedue had made it to the outskirts of the woods. It was where you all met at the beginning of the exercise.

Mercedes approached the two of you before you cleared the trees, guiding Dedue to set you down on a patch of soft grass in the shade next to three green scraps of fabric. She must have anticipated your arrival.

“Will she be alright?”

“Oh, yes,” Mercedes assured him, though her light tone didn’t match the furrow of her brows. “She’s mostly dealing with fatigue, but the strain on her lungs should be soothed before she tries to go anywhere.”

A moment of silence.

“Where is his Highness?”

The glow of soft magic hovered over you before you felt inclined to close your eyes. You tried not to focus on the strange feeling coursing through you - you still weren’t used to healing spells, yet.

“He and Ingrid went back to the monastery to consult Lady Rhea about all this.” She sighed, and you felt a pause in the flow of her enchantment, “I don’t really understand everything that happened today. It all feels so wrong.”

“I agree. There should not have been any crest beasts this close to the academy. The knights should have noticed.”

Another pause led to a stronger wave of magic passing through your lungs; it was all you could do to focus on breathing next to this weird feeling, but you opened your eyes just to make sure you were still okay.

 “I will head back to the monastery as well.”

The healer nodded, “I’ll let the professor know.”

“Let me know what?”

It seemed the rest of your class made it out of the forest. Professor Byleth approached at the lead, followed close behind by Annette, and finally by Felix and Sylvain supporting a pale and winded Ashe.

As Dedue filled your teacher in on everything, Mercedes abandoned you to go help Ashe. Annette replaced her, kneeling where her friend sat just a moment ago to continue her work. Fortunately, you didn’t feel like there was much left to do.

“Right. You can head back. Take some of the training weapons with you, please - I have a feeling everyone else will have their hands full by the time we head back.”

Dedue removed the brown band wrapped around his forehead, adding it to the pile lying about a meter away from your feet. Picking up the discarded wooden lance, bow, and sword lying in a pile closer to the woods, he turned and wordlessly took the path leading back to Garreg Mach.

“My bow…” you remembered, testing out your voice from your position on the ground, “I think…I dropped it somewhere in the forest?”

Felix scoffed, “With the amount of trees those beasts managed to fell, I don’t think a bit more wood lying around would hurt anyone. The Church can just buy a new one. They replace training weapons all the time.”

“Take it from Felix, they’re used to broken weapons,” Sylvain grinned. “Repairing a broken bow can’t be much different than replacing a missing one.”

A small huff of air came from the swordsman’s nose at his classmate’s remark. Rather than respond, however, he just turned back to you.

“How the hell are you still awake after all that? I expected you to have passed out by now.”

“Me? Shouldn’t you be more worried about Ashe? Whatever running I did, he ran and then some.”

“He did pass out.”

Turning your head to where Mercedes knelt, you found your friend sleeping on the grass, uneven breaths heaving from his chest.

After everything he went through by himself, you could only think that he deserved to rest.

“Professor? What is it?”

Annette’s inquisition immediately led your mind to drop the subject, turning instead to see Professor Byleth lost in thought.

“I’m just…trying to understand something. Those people that came from those monsters - did I kill them, or were they already dead? How did this happen so close to the monastery without anyone coming to help us? And…”

No one knew what to say. You hadn’t recognized the people that died, not their clothing or their faces.

“Nevermind. We need to head back in case anything else unexpected is looking to find us.”

“That should be just fine, Professor,” Mercedes agreed. “I’ve made sure these two are stable. The best thing for everyone now would be to rest.”

“Very well,” your teacher began circling around to everyone, collecting their headbands to place in the bag she had left here earlier.

Annette extended her hand out before Professor Byleth made her way over to the two of you. Taking it, you attempted to get up only to be frustrated by the fatigue of your legs. A sharp inhale followed by a hiss of pain accompanied the feeling of Annette lowering you back to the ground.

“Yeah…might not be ready for that yet…” you gritted your teeth.

Byleth walked over, tugging the brown textile off your head in a fluid motion, “Sylvain, please help her get back to the monastery. Felix, you can carry Ashe.”

“What?!”

Sylvain barely contained his laughter, approaching you with easy footsteps and lifting you off the ground bridal-style.

“You’re sure you want Sylvain of all people carrying the woman that can’t walk? Or fend for herself right now, for that matter?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of experience with this sort of thing.”

“...with carrying people?” you raised a brow.

Sylvain winked, “...with carrying women that can’t walk.”

Professor Byleth hit him on the back of the head so hard that Sylvain dropped you on the ground.

You landed, reeling with a small squeak and a light curse. Your breath came labored through your teeth from the incidental blow to your legs. Not that it could have hurt as much as whatever she just did to Sylvain.

“Agh- What the hell, Professor?!”

“You and Felix have done an excellent job of changing my mind. I think we would all feel better if you volunteered to carry Ashe back with us, instead.”

Now it was Felix’s turn to fight a smirk, though he was hardly trying. After making sure you were okay from your slight fall, he picked you up in much the same way Sylvain had mere moments ago.

Meanwhile, Sylvain seemed to be making a point to carry Ashe over his shoulders.

The seven of you headed back to the monastery together, Professor Byleth calling off her lessons for the beginning of next week just to make sure everyone was well rested. Annette tried to reason that taking the weekend off would be plenty of time for most of the Blue Lions. After all, you, Dimitri, and Ashe were the only ones that really suffered any fatigue. Your teacher countered that if she were holding class, you three were the most likely suspects to insist on attending regardless, no matter how badly you were injured.

༓Felix Hugo Fraldarius Felix does not want to be here with unimportant people, if anything he wants to be comfortably at home with you. But he will admit that the other wedding is pretty. Felix wonders if you’ve ever thought about marriage, but any further thought of the subject changes when you catch the flowers that nearly smacked you in the face. The image of what you would look like holding yours flashed quickly in his thoughts as for once Felix quietly watched you.

༓Ashe Ubert A blush marked his freckled face with a happy smile but a shy expression at the teasing that Ashe knows his friends and siblings will give him as you walked over to him. Subconsciously Ashe reached out his hand for you to take, gently pulling you closer to his side as Ashe studied the flowers. The bouquet was pretty but it wasn’t your favorite, he thought to himself. The following thought is how beautiful you would look, holding your favorite flowers while neither Ashe nor you let go of each other’s hands because it felt like two missing puzzle pieces found a place to fit perfectly together.

༓Sylvain Jose Gautier Immediately starts to sweat nervously as the flowers are perfectly in your hand while his hand subconsciously touches his pocket where the ring is that he’s planning to ask your hand for later. He had been carrying it, not having a day or place in mind until right now. This is a sign, he thinks as you lock eyes with him and smile which he returns.

༓Mercedes von Martritz She was standing right beside you when you had caught the flowers, she leaned over to sniffle the flowers with a smile growing on her face as she looked up at you, pulling away from you but not before kissing your cheek. She giggled quietly at your reaction to the flowers and the kisses. She is going to tease you but this will bring up the thought of marriage and the future with her.

༓Annette Fantine Dominic Instantly a crimson blush blooms on her face as endless giggles of excited bundles of nerves, reaching how to touch one of the flowers’ petals. Annette went quiet, wondering what flowers she would pick for her wedding, she subconsciously looked at you. She isn’t going to say anything immediately today or tomorrow but there will be hints of marriage, hoping that you’ll catch on and talk about it with her.

Felix is... a 1

He is not cuddly at all. He's not really a touchy person. The most he'll do is wrap his arms around you possesively. He doesn't like PDA and prefers to show his affection through words and just being in your presence

Sylvain is... a 9

Are we surprised? Sylvain likes holding you so much. Any chance he gets, he's touching you. Holding your hand, hugging you, cuddling you, you get it. It's partially because he likes contact, but also because he trusts you. He knows you don't like him for his crest, but him. And that makes him want to hug you so much

Mercedes is... a 7

Sylvain

Dear Goddess.

Him. He comes up with. Names.

Sweetcheeks, cutie, babe, lil cutie

No matter if you're taller than him or not, older than him or not, he'll call you lil cutie

A tad annoying, but he's a little charming.

Felix

Um. Him as well

He's not the sweet or sentimental type, so chances are he wouldn't have any pet names

Most he'll do is not call you "You" when he's trying to address you

That's it.

Maybe "mine" if he's possessive and Sylvain was flirting with you (and didn't know you were with Felix), but that's the most you'll get

Ashe

Absolute opposite of Felix

He's very sweet and sentimental

Baby, sweetheart, love

Also traditional

Dedue is a very patient man. He's steadfast and kind, as long as it doesn't go against his position as His Highnesses vassal, he'd be willing to do whatever it takes. He is an excellent man to be with for someone's first time.

He'd prefer to be told beforehand about whether or not it is his partner's first time. It would help him understand exactly what needed to be done so that he and his lover could both have the most enjoyable experience possible.

He's not a super kinky man, but he does have a few things that he really enjoys.

He's definitely the type to enjoy taking his time, to go slowly, whether its the first time or not. He likes the buildup, the subtle sounds. He likes to know that his partner is getting the most out of the experience as well. His patience and want to pleasure leads a lot into overstimulation.

He'd rather over perform than underperform.

Dedue also enjoys oral sex, he prefers to be on the receiving end. It makes him feel accepted and so attractive. He doesn't like to finish in his partners mouth though, he'd prefer to see it somewhere else. Like on his lover's chest of thighs. He's not totally into marking but he enjoys the view every once in awhile.

He likes to hear the sounds of his partners. A lot. He may not make much noise but he loves to hear them make it. Especially during a first encounter, it tells him that he's doing a good job and depending on the sound it can also let him know if they're in any pain or not.

He's a sweetheart so there's a lot of kissing involved. Soft kisses, pecks of reassurance and a mumble of "you're doing so well," every so often. Dedue is large, and he knows he's large, so he feels the need to give as much reassurance and reciprocation as he possibly can.

He'd distract from pain with those loving kisses, with tender touches along the sides and waists of his partner, and pay special attention to where he knew they loved to be touched after his entry.

First times with Dedue are slow, tender, and loving. He makes sure to be as delicate as he would be with the many flowers he loves to care for. Its a wonderful time.