#hensumi

My piece for @awakening-the-shepherds FEA modern AU zine!

This fic was something I had wanted to write for a long time before I even discovered the zine, so getting to write it for a project like this was a wonderful experience!

Chrom's face hurt from the size of his grin.

SHE’S GONE. 

~1-25 Kiss Ficlets~

It takes him a while but Henry’s quest to locate Sumia does eventually lead him to her. He approaches Sumia from behind with long, generous strides, humming, as she sits in a field of flowers. On hearing his voice, Sumia straightens up and turns her head, and she exchanges a smile as wide as the one that he wears.

“Hey-o, Sumia.” Henry remains standing up. “What’cha doing down there?”

“Oh, um, I’m just doing some fortunes,” she says. She gives her hand a shake to direct his attention to the stem in her hand. Half of its white petals have been plucked, leaving its yellow stamens rather naked. “This particular one is an anemone hupehensis and they can predict what the weather will be like in our next battle. Useful, right?”

Henry lifts a finger. “Well, actually, it’s called Jerry, and it’s screaming out in pain from all that mutilation.”

She gasps loudly and twitches. It falls from her slackened grip.

“Nya ha ha! I’m kidding!” says Henry with a hand slapped against his chest. His shoulders shake, tremble then finally still as his silent laughter ebbs away.

“Gods,” goes Sumia.

He tilts his head to one side.

“Was I that convincing?” he asks, amused.

“Yes, you were,” she says, slouching and clutching at her heart. “You’ve got a horrible sense of humour, you know that?”

“Come on now, I said I was joking.”

Sumia’s features harden. “Why are you here, anyway? Do you need something?”

“What? Oh!” Henry clicks his fingers. “Yes, that’s right. There’s a feral wolf wandering through the camp and you need to stop it before it eats someone! Or something like that. That’s what Chrom said.”

She jolts to her feet. “Oh dear! Why didn’t you say so straight away?”

“I forgot. And I knew you wouldn’t kill it so that’s why I told Chrom I’d fetch you. Because you won’t stuff it full of arrows or something.”

“Of course I wouldn’t! That would be terrible.” She wipes her hands on her thighs and adds, “Thank you for telling me, Henry. That’s… actually thoughtful of you.”

Sumia pecks him on the nose and hurries off.