#var!

Gerome was not one to ask for much of anything.

He kept to himself, for the most part. He cared for his companions, of course–cared deeply, even if he struggled to show it, even if he cared for each in a different way–but he was not one to reach out. He was not necessarily proud of his self-sufficience, but he was satisfied to know that should the worst take hold, he would be prepared.

And yet none of his usual mantras–none of that typical satisfaction–reached him now.

It was dark out, not that it ever wasn't. It felt to him as though it were night, though he knew the sleep cycles of himself and the others were no longer aligned with the theoretical daylight hours. They were camped, between missions, somewhere between the Feroxi border and Ylisstol; he sat close enough to the fire to feel its warmth, but far enough away that the low murmurs of his companions did not necessarily disturb him.

Lucina and Inigo were sat together at the log closest to Gerome's own, holding hands and basking in each other's presence. It did not surprise him; Inigo had been holding down the northern fort, while Lucina had mostly been stuck in Ylisstol. Gerome had been lucky enough to see them both intermittently, and yet there was a gnawing in his heart as he saw the gentle touch.

It only increased when he realized the casual touches that lingered all around him. Noire was massaging Brady's neck, Cynthia was gently brushing through Yarne's fur, Severa was curled up on the ground at Kjelle's feet with her hair half-braided. Gerome fought the urge to wrap his arms around himself, instead busying his hands with a loose thread on his cotton shirt.

Inigo and Lucina stood after a moment. They looked at him; when they made eye contact, Inigo subtly nodded towards his tent, a hopeful sort of invitation written all over his face. Gerome stood wordlessly, following them into the already-pitched canvas, ducking beneath the top and arranging himself on the edge of Inigo's cot.

There was silence for a moment save for the rustling of Inigo and Lucina arranging themselves. They rarely touched him, per his own request; he found himself resenting the barriers he had put up in the beginning to protect some sort of pride.

"Can..." His voice failed him; he cleared his throat and tried again, trying to ignore the burning in his cheeks. "Can I have a hug?"

It was quiet, almost like an admission of guilt. But immediately, Inigo's strong arms were around him, tucking him beneath his chin, and he heard Lucina move before he felt her hugging him from behind. He took a shaky breath, struggling with the affection that he needed oh-so-desperately.

"We're right here," Lucina whispered. She pulled away ever-so-slightly, just enough to pepper chaste kisses to the back of his neck. "We're always here."

"Thank you," Gerome managed, his voice thick. He closed his eyes, willing tears not to form, but then Inigo pressed a kiss to the top of his head and Gerome lost the battle with his body.

It was nothing dramatic. He did not sob or wail; it was a bout of silent weeping. But still, Inigo and Lucina held him through it, Inigo beginning to hum a simple melody and Lucina gently running her hands through his hair and massaging his shoulders.

The sky was pretty.

Lucina sat perched in a tree, leaning against the trunk with one leg dangling off the branch as she listened to birdsong and the sound of children playing in the market not far off. The setting sun painted the clouds a whole host of colors–pinks and oranges and purples that part of her had once resigned herself to never seeing again, the sun and its art hidden away by thick clouds of magic and ash.

She let the thoughts of Grima come and go idly, knowing that while the damage he did was real, it was in the past. In her past. She knew she wouldn't have to worry. Not now. Not ever again.

She closed her eyes as she tilted her head back, enjoying the warm wind that ruffled the leaves and her dress. She could smell honeysuckle and citrus on the breeze, and she knew if she turned her head slightly she would be able to see Father and Aunt Lissa eating oranges in the orchard, no doubt while Owain and Gerome attempted to hide the way they practically clung to the fence with the flowers and sucked the sweet nectar from them when they thought they wouldn't be spotted. She chuckled quietly to herself as she imagined it.

How wonderful it had been, when she realized flowers still grew in this world. When she realized anything still grew in this world, other than the mosses and mushrooms that preferred a shady atmosphere.

She opened her eyes when she heard rustling, languidly tilting her head and smiling when she realized that it was just Inigo, climbing up the tree to sit by her side. He looked up at her and offered a smile, the little, bashful one that only she was ever privy to. It made something warm bubble in her chest, as though he'd managed to capture sunlight and put it directly where her heart should be. (She had no doubt that if she asked, he'd find a way to do exactly that.)

"Hi, love," she said, smiling and breathless as the sun caught his hair at just the right angle, sending beautiful ripples of orange flame across the pink. Warm brown eyes smiled back at her, coming up beside her as he situated himself on a branch that was slightly lower but sturdy on the same.

"Hello, my star," he replied, and Lucina felt herself blush. She wondered if she'd ever get accustomed to the nickname, the idea behind it all. She found herself hoping that every time it was just as novel, just as special, as it was now. It was a feeling she knew she'd always cherish.

Lucina eyed the other branch for a moment, determing how thick it was the further out it went, before adjusting herself and managing to climb around, situating herself next to him. He chuckled at her antics, kissing her cheek as she sat next to him before resting his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around him, leaning her head atop his with a smile.

"Any reason you came up here?" she murmured, smiling at the puff of air she felt on her neck in response.

"Just didn't want to be alone," Inigo replied, and Lucina tightened her grip on him.

"You're not alone," she said. "You'll never be alone. Not as long as I'm here."

She felt him smile against the skin of her shoulder, something broad but genuine, and he relaxed even more into her grip. "I know," he said, and Lucina smiled.

They sat like that, facing west as they watched the sun dip below the horizon. Inigo's breathing was deep and even, but she knew he wasn't asleep. He wouldn't be, not until long after the moon had reached his peak and the stars twinkled brightly in the sky, immortalizing the stories that Owain and Inigo alike had spun for her since their youth (the ones she pretended not to remember if only to see the joy in their eyes when they got to explain it again).

"I can't wait to marry you," Inigo murmured eventually, as the first stars made their light known. Lucina had no doubt that seeing them had sparked the thought, but her face still heated as she remembered the ring on her finger, the weight of it familiar and novel all at once.

"And I you," Lucina replied. She pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead, and he tiled his head to do the same to the bottom of her jaw.

She shuffled around a little, leaning her back up against the tree, and Inigo followed, leaning back against her when she gestured for him too. They could better see the sky, this way, as dew began to form on the leaves and the night grew slightly colder around them.

Lucina drew idle patterns into the fabric of Inigo's shirt, and he began to mumble legends she had heard again and again yet found herself never tiring of, the melodies of his words carrying comfort and familiarity with them. His voice was rich and smooth and him, and Lucina thought that if he told her anything in that voice she would find herself enamored.

He was her strength. But he was also her weakness, she had come to realize. He gave her extra shields, extra muscle, extra speed. But with that, he gave her a place to let it all down, to shed off the mask and just be her. Let her be his star. And she knew he felt the same, could see it in the way his eyes became guarded and his shoulders became tense when others were around, but how they relaxed so quickly wen it was just them, just Lucina calling him her strength, her sun.