#fe8 ephraim

A friend of mine asked for this and considering FE8 is my favorite game I had to

Another one

Eirika

yes!! yes I really like this prompt anon, I hope you like how this turned out ;v; I love the twins sm... I'm sorry if this didn't turn out how you imagined it - I kinda. went off on a tangent!! hopefully it actually makes sense ;v; )b enjoy Eph!!

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no. 70; "After everything we've been through, you still don't believe I love you?"

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Waking to a teary Eirika and a steel-faced Ephraim was something you hadn't expected to say in the least. You remembered taking a hit for the latter and surviving - which, really, happened all the time - so why were you suddenly fawned over as though you had died?

Eirika wrapped her arms around you in a flurry, choking back the tiniest sob as she did so. The action made you wince involuntarily (since when was your abdomen so sensitive?) and look up at Ephraim confused, silently asking for an explanation. None came.

"We... Natasha said that..." Eirika started, stumbling over her words as she moved to wipe at her eyes. "You were gone, y/n." This took you by surprise; just how much did you miss?

"A gargoyle," Ephraim eventually said, eyes anywhere but on you. "it knocked you out."

Eirika nodded, moving away from you to compose herself. "Natasha said you had a serious trauma to the head... with everything else that had struck you, everyone was sure you wouldn't make it." She explained, voice wavering slightly at the end of the sentence.

Silence fell over the three of you, tense and filled with that unsaid.

You desperately wanted to reach for Ephraim - reassure him that yes, you were okay! - but he was far too distant for you to do so. Eirika, being as perceptive as she was, bid her farewell for the time being. She gave her twin a stern look before ducking out of the infirmary tent, leaving the two of you alone.

"Ephraim." You mumble, forcefully grabbing his hand and yanking him towards you. He looked shocked at this, but not angered. You suppose that's a good thing. "I'm fine." He grunts in response, frown forming on his face once more.

You try again, forcing him to sit on the side of the mattress. "Eph, look at me. Please."

The intensity of the emotion of his eyes almost has you flinching. You cup his cheeks, shimmying yourself upwards so to press your foreheads together. "I love you."

He pulls away as though he were burnt, shaking his head. Voice raw, he hisses a choked "you can't say that."

"And why not?!" you huff back, extremely angered by now. While it was common knowledge that Ephraim wasn't the best with his emotions, this constant second-guessing gets on your nerves.

Seconds pass before he slumps, sitting back on the bed and sighing deeply. His back is towards you now, an obvious attempt to shield his face from you. "Because..."

You wait, ready to fight whatever stupid excuse comes out of his mouth this time. Part of you feels that you're being too harsh on the poor guy, but you also know that being a little less harsh wouldn't get you through to him. It was a catch 22.

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to this again, Ephraim." You eventually say, voice unnervingly calm. "After all we've been through, you still genuinely believe I don't love you?"

You've only ever seen Ephraim cry once; he refused to let himself show any supposed emotional weakness in front of anyone. And yet, you watch as his back begins to tremor and his head dip in front of you, hands going to cover his face.

Not wanting to overwhelm him with too much affection in his current state, you wrap your arms around his torso and place your head against the nape of his neck. Guilt washes over you as he continues to silently sob and you find yourself squeezing your arms tighter, placing a ginger kiss where his collar meets his skin.

"I'm sorry." You mumble, trying not to cry yourself. "I just... want to get it into your thick skull that I'll love you no matter what. I always have, I always will. Okay?"

He nods, placing his hands on yours. "You promised me you wouldn't die. I can't lose anyone else," he stops, taking in a shaky breath. "especially not you."

"I thought that- well, if you could cast away your life that easily," he continues, trying to keep his voice steady. "then I was sure that meant you didn't... you didn't care for me. How I would feel."

You try not to show your frustration at the answer, especially considering how nonsensical it was. "It was a mistake, Eph." You reassure him, now placing your head on his shoulder. "I wouldn't ever purposefully allow myself to get killed, especially when I know how it would affect everyone; would affect you."

Silence follows once again, Ephraim following your words with an awkward kiss on your cheek. He moved again shortly after, turning so he could hug you properly, kissing you as gently as he could. (Which was not particularly gentle, but it was gentle enough for him.)