Chapter Text
It starts, like all horrible things do, with Sylvain.
Sylvain would argue it’s all Felix’s fault, obviously. Felix had declared a mandatory training session every week ever since The Incident capital letters mandatory and non-negotiable Sylvain I'm not exaggerating. Sylvain understands Felix’s nagging anxiety that he's going to get himself killed in battle one of these days, but it's war for goddess' sake, people die every day. And now that the potential war has turned to a mildly peaceful if fragile peace with a few skirmishes here and there, there's hardly any need for a torture session with Fiendish Felix over here.
Nevermind the complete unbalanced practice a lance and sword give, Sylvain still can't score even with his best friend. The redhead was panting, bending down and clutching his weak oh so weak knees , every muscle in his body screaming at him for having such an unforgiving sparring partner. Sweat had drenched every part of his body, even ones he didn't know could sweat. Meanwhile, Felix was barely unfazed. His monstrous regiment of daily training had made him accustomed to the drain of sparring.
Felix sighed at Sylvain's pathetic form and thumped his foot impatiently. "Come on get your lazy ass up I don't have all day." He tapped his wooden practice sword to Sylvain's wooden lance repeatedly. The sound of wood meeting wood strikes fear in Sylvain's heart. The fear he never quite felt in the battlefields. No, the demonic regiment of Felix’s so-called friendly sparring must end now. Sylvain was, despite the numerous speculations, quite intelligent. And by the second week of Fridays with Felix, he's devised a number of ways to slip away from training.
Sylvain coughed out the last of his short breath and raised his hand to Felix. "Wait…wait stop! We need to stop." Felix raised his eyebrow and gestured with his wooden sword as if to say go on, what nonsense will you spout now ?
"I uh-my lance! It's terribly off balance. Must be why I'm so off my groove today aha…" Sylvain trailed off, theatrically shifting his wooden lance and then exaggeratedly faked dropping it. "Oh boy guess we can't continue practicing Felix!" Sylvain said with a put upon sigh.
Felix narrowed his eyes and lightly kicked the fallen lance up and right to his awaiting free hand. He throws his wooden sword carelessly to Sylvain and the redhead fumbles to catch it. Felix hums as he shifts the lance left and right, before suddenly thrusting forward at Sylvain. He yelps and fumbles to parry with the wooden sword. Felix is unrelenting in his blows, swinging and stabbing without pause. Sylvain replies by shielding himself with his sword, bearing the weight and pressure of the lance. They keep at it until finally Felix’s lance threatens to poke his eye out and he shifts his footwork, swiftly dodging and swung his sword hard until the wooden lance is thrown away from Felix’s grip. Sylvain pants in exertion while Felix looks on to the discarded lance in satisfaction.
"You're right Sylvain what a terribly unbalanced lance. I'll get you a new one." Felix hums ignorant to Sylvain's gut-wrenching expression. Sylvain is screaming in his mind, it takes all the willpower he has not to shake Felix by his shoulders and scream I don't think it's only the lance that's unbalanced you animal! He sighs and catches his breath while his mind has been racing to find his next excuse. Finally, the wind has caught up to his thoughts and he forces out more words.
"Felix-ugh goddess…Felix, we have to stop! For real now!" He calls out desperately. Felix meanwhile has brought over a new set of wooden lance and by his satisfied smirk, Sylvain knows that Felix knows that he knows that-Felix is ready to call out his bullshit basically.
"Whatever for Sylvain? And here I found such a good and balanced lance for you." Felix mused as he playfully twirls the lance and walks over to Sylvain.
Sylvain racks his brain for a new excuse until settling for long shot one. "Well, you see I'm getting quite hungry! How about we go to the tavern and I'll buy you some lunch?" Sylvain tries and brightens up when he sees Felix raise his eyebrow in interest. "I'll even buy you a drink and help you chat up with some nice gals!" Sylvain couldn't help but add. But it seems the added part only darken Felix’s features and a fleeting look of disappointment seems to flash in his eyes.
"Well, I'm not hungry." Felix bites out as he throws the lance roughly to Sylvain. "I've lost my appetite looking at you fumbling around. It's a wonder they ever let you fight in the war." He growls. Sylvain's spirits drop once again. Not only did he not succeed it seems Felix’s sharp tongue has decided to say hello. Felix seems to take Sylvain's silence as him giving up and bends over to take his sword. Sylvain sighs and quickly stands up.
Felix was clearly in a bad mood now, his casual stance gone. Now his shoulders are stiff and drawn back, ready to strike at all his opponent's weak points. And judging by how haggard he is right now, Sylvain doesn't think he can last any more hits. He's resigned to his fate until he notices how sweaty he is now. Glancing at Felix readying his deadly sword, Sylvain finds it in himself to make another excuse.
"Wait, Felix-" He starts only for Felix to click his tongue dismissively.
"Enough waiting. Fight back or I'll beat you blue until you can't even think of flirting." He hisses out the last part. If Sylvain didn't know any better it sounded bitter and resigned. Sylvain's heart clenched at the thought. There's no way right? Felix wouldn't be upset over him flirting because he's jealous is he? He visibly shakes his head. No, there's no way he thought derisively.
Felix frowned when he sees him shaking his head. "What, why are you shaking your head? What other excuse do you have now?" He mutters angrily. Sylvain blinked and clutched his lance nervously. Goddess, he better answer with something anything. Think Sylvain! What can distract Felix enough to call off this fight! He racks his brain until an answer so simple and ridiculous comes out. What if…no it wouldn't work…unless?
Sylvain takes a deep breath. This either confirms what little hope he has of Felix’s feelings wrapped up in that icy facade or he's not going to walk normally for the rest of the week. Either way, he's got nothing to lose and everything to possibly (hopefully, dear Goddess if you're really out there it's me your boy Sylvain and I want him so bad ) gain.
"Felix we really have to stop." He says firmly.
Felix blinks at his change of tone and huffs. "Do elaborate before my patience run out."
"M'm...hot…" Sylvain mutters hesitantly.
Felix raised his eyebrow. "What?"
Sylvain groans. "M hot!" He coughs out.
Felix growls in response. "Speak up dumbass!"
"I SAID I'M HOT!" Sylvain yells out. His voice echoes through the training grounds and through the stone walls. Whatever Felix expected it clearly wasn't that. His expression falters into confusion and disbelief. Sylvain is flushing in embarrassment but he's thrown his dice and made his bets. For a moment no one speaks until suddenly,
"YEAH YOU ARE!" A voice calls back. It's quickly followed with hisses and high pitched giggles. A glance of the monastery's arches and a few girls could be seen running off to class shoving their friend shamefully away.
Sylvain chuckles despite himself a rosy blush on his cheeks. He turns to Felix ready to crack a joke when his mind screeches into a halt. There on Felix’s cheeks were a pair of equally red rosy color. Sylvain's heart stutters in his chest. This is it now or never.
"Gosh, I'm hot aren't you hot Felix?" He throws out casually as he settles his lance down. Felix blinks and struggled to regain his speech. In the end, he settled on shaking his head. Sylvain smiled. "No? Guess not you've been doing this more than me huh. Well if you don't mind I'll cool off." He gestures to himself. Seeing Felix’s confused nod he braces himself. Alright, Sylvain, you've got this. You've flirted with so many women rejection be damned. What's another try with your dear childhood friend and only best friend that can kill you slowly with a blunt wooden sword?
He smiles nervously, then starts taking off his outer jacket. He's foregone his usual armor of course for the light training so he had worn his usual black and gold lined jacket and his white undershirt. Felix seems relieved at the motion and regained his wit enough to banter again. That is if Sylvain was finished. No, the redhead was just getting started. He met Felix’s eyes directly and started to undo the buttons on his linen shirt. Felix’s eyes widened and he zeroed in on his hands.
Sylvain unconsciously licked his lips. At long last, his fingers unravel the last button and with a sudden confidence boost, he shrugs off his shirt in one fell swoop. The shirt drops to the ground, and for a moment all is still. Sylvain wasn't lying when he said he was feeling hot, sweat had already covered his body. He runs a hand over his hair and gives out his best-blinding smile. "So much better. So Felix, should we continue?" He says lightly.
Felix, however, seems far from ready. His eyes are drawn from Sylvain's motion of parting back his damp hair. Then involuntarily it drifts down to Sylvain's toned chest. Despite Sylvain's constant whining of training and sparring, he does keep himself in shape. At least Professor Byleth makes sure he does these days. Felix’s eyes drift even lower at Sylvain's muscled abs and oh Goddesses is that what I think it is? There innocently sitting was a happy trail from Sylvain's navel down to his-Felix blushed and forced himself to look away. The hand that was clutching his wooden sword was clammy with sweat and he absent-mindedly squeezed the hilt to ground himself.
He's seen Sylvain naked ever since they were a pair of snotty children. Hell, he's even seen Ingrid naked. Their nannies were terribly worn down taking care of five children running around the grounds and making a mess. One day they decided they absolutely hated the idea of being clean and after one of them finished bathing the unclean ones would latch right on to them and rub their dirty hands and faces to their freshly cleaned friend. The nanny had neared sobbed when she saw the gleeful pair of Sylvain and Ingrid rubbing their muddy hands to Felix’s amused face. The nannies then upped and decided it was better to throw them all in the oversized tub together and scrub them clean once and for all. Felix always looked back through the memory in fondness, of piling suds and splashing water with each other.
Of course, now Felix had to go and catch feelings for his notably very straight and very flirtatious friend. Felix growls lowly under his breath in frustration. Sylvain called him back from his stroll to memory lane. "Felix! Hey, anybody home in there? Come on, I thought we were sparring!" He shouted. To Felix’s frustration, he sounded amused. He slowly looked back to Sylvain and right there on that dumb face, he's somehow found attractive enough to pine for he sees the teasing light in his eyes and an amused tilt of his lips.
Felix’s mind muddles with the thought of Sylvain doing this to intentionally mess with him. There's no way he's found out and Felix’s thoughts trail off. Every pessimistic bone in his body screaming that the redhead was cruelly messing with him. He clutches the sword in his hand harder and with a sudden sprint swung it as hard as he can down on Sylvain. The redhead sputtered in surprise as he blocked with his hastily grabbed lance. The wooden handle nearly breaking under pressure over Felix’s blow. Sylvain grunted as he struggled to find his footing again. Felix, however, seemed to regain his vicious attacks in fervor. Sylvain felt cold sweat dripping down his back.
He really did think this was a good idea. He felt himself growing glummer as he faced Felix’s angry expression. He parried another blow and quickly jumped back out of range. Clearly, Felix had no love lost for him. Whatever Sylvain saw back there, that hint of lust and want must've been his mind playing tricks on him. He sighed down at his lance. Might as well get serious if he doesn't want Felix to clobber him dead. Now he's gone and strip himself down too. He inwardly groans. The sharp pain of that rough wooden sword would be unpleasant on his bare upper body.
He takes a deep breath and starts parrying Felix’s blows with his own. He's not dragging himself, and he's no longer on the defensive. Now, he's fighting to win. Felix seemed pleased with the turnaround and met his blows eagerly. They go through the motion as always, a routine akin to a dance across the training grounds. Both of them are growing lighter at the familiar exchange, the odd exchange of earlier dissipating. Sylvain feels a genuine pleased smile pulling on his face, a giddy thrill of being on equal footing with Felix.
However at the next exchange, Sylvain's lance easily overpowers Felix’s sword that barely manages to parry the blow. On Felix’s cheeks are the familiar signs of a blush. Despite himself Sylvain's hope grows and clutches on the back of his mind, unrelenting. Something like determination lights in him and he starts swinging and thrusting at Felix without pause. Felix growled and met it with with his own strong blows, but his traitorous eyes drift back to Sylvain's exposed chest.
Now with the pressure of battle movements, his muscles tense and strain in response. Sylvain was always attractive this much Felix knows. But now, there's no mistaking how built he is, how strong he is. Now Felix can drink in other details, Sylvain's pink nipples perked up with the heat. His happy trail thick enough to be apparent yet still neat, leading down to his… hefty package to say the least. The dirty thoughts running a marathon on his head distracted him fully from the fight.
Felix was clearly unprepared for Sylvain's sudden attacks and stumbled to parry and shield himself. A sudden opening came to Sylvain's view and he swiftly strikes down at Felix. Felix stumbled and with a harsh sound landed on his back.
Felix’s breath was knocked right out of him. He's lost his hold on his sword and was now looking up at the glare of the sun. He squints and moved to cover his eyes only to suddenly see a cast of shadow hovering over him. He glances up to Sylvain's gentle gaze in a sudden bout of embarrassment. "What you've come to gloat? You better savor it because this is the only time I'll ever allow you to use such lowly tricks on me." He growls up to the read head. Sylvain blinked in surprise and to Felix’s amazement started to chuckle down at him. Felix’s anger boiled over as he kicked Sylvain's conveniently nearby leg. The red head jumped in surprise and let out a small groan of pain.
"Ow Felix why would you do that!"
"Because you're laughing at me you asshole! You're having the time of your life right now aren't you, teasing me and using my-taking advantage of-" Felix’s words are cut off. Angry as he is his pride refuses to acknowledge his feelings much less outright tell Sylvain that. The red head frowned and shook his head.
"Come on Felix you know me better than that. I would never-I would never." He said firmly.
"Yeah? Explain this strategy of yours then." Felix hissed and gestures wildly at Sylvain's bare chest. Goddesses even now down at the grown Sylvain's form make for an amazing view. The blush on his cheeks remained stubbornly and refused to go away. The heat of the recent battle deepening the shade.
Something in Sylvain seemed to snap as he harshly threw away his lance. Then with a flourish and Felix’s sharp gasp he took Felix by the arm and pulled him up. Felix ended up pressed closed to Sylvain head to toe and barely an inch seperating them. Felix’s breath was knocked out and all he could do was stare at Sylvain. His hands had ended up holding on to Sylvain's pecs in a desperate attempt for a firm grip. Absent mindedly his palm grazed the firm muscle beneath it.
Sylvain's breath hitched from the motion. Slowly, as if facing a lion, he circled his arms around Felix’s waist. He drew Felix closer until their foreheads nearly touched each others. "Tell me Felix...are you really affected with my…strategy then?" He murmurs lowly. Felix clutched the chest beneath him harder as if grounding himself into reality.
He was about to deny it, deny everything to hell and back if it meant he could avoid talking about these accursed feelings . But this close with Sylvain, sharing a breath for two and feeling the warm arms wrapping around him, Felix felt brave. He felt for the first time that he could truly do this, consequences be damned. He pulls back slightly and met Sylvain's eyes. If Felix were convincing himself, he might even say it looked pleading and with a hint of fragile hope. Want bubbled up inside him nearly choking him of air. What he ended up coughing out however is,
"Everything you do affects me, Sylvain."
Sylvain's heart thuds and he lets out a hesitant smile. "In a good way?" Gently, one of his hands wanders to rest on Felix’s burning cheek. He cups it like it's as fragile as this moment. Felix sighs and leans his head towards it. For the first time in a while, it's a content sigh.
"If you call me losing because of some dirty trick good, then yes." He can't help but jab. He has accepted his defeat but he will not relent on how Sylvain won. It was not fair and square, far from it, it was…a circle of cunning strategies. Sylvain sighed at this. As always Felix’s sharp tongue knows no mercy. Not even on a potential first step to their almost romantic relationship. At least, that's what Sylvain hopes Felix wants.
"But you like me right." He demanded rather than asked. Now both his hands has wandered up to cup Felix’s cheeks. "You can't be looking at me like that and not like me." He tried to tease, but really it sounds like a tentative plea in his ears.
Felix raised his eyebrow and smirked. "I mean you look good I'll give you that." Emboldened by the knowledge of Sylvain feeling the same way, he must be right or else he wouldn't hold me like this, like I'm something worth holding dear- Felix teasingly ran his hand up and down Sylvain's chest.
Sylvain choked on the outright praise. You see Sylvain talked big, he's flirted with countless of women all his life without batting an eyelash. But he never quite knows how to respond to genuine reciprocity. He hears the teasing tone in Felix’s words, and he's determined to match it head to head. He's supposed to be the teaser here jeez .
"I can't believe it Felix you just want to use me for my body don't you!" He let out a gasp and dramatically cover his mouth with both his hand.
Felix nodded solemnly. "That's right you've called me out. I only want you for your sexy body, Sylvain." Sylvain guffawed with laughter and smacked Felix’s shoulder.
"Oh, so it's not because you've been pining for me from afar the battlefield, too nervous to say anything?" He ponders playfully.
"No, it's because I've been pining for you since we were children." Felix blurted out.
Silence settled awkwardly between them as Sylvain's jaw dropped. Shocked, he's resorted to shaking Felix’s shoulders forward and back. "What-Felix that's-oh my goddesses you've been pining for me for-for years!" He gasped out in disbelief.
Felix grew frustrated and shame crawled to his back. He shoved himself away from Sylvain with a growl. "Teasing me, shaming me, giving me false hope. I see you've adopted a sick hobby of torturing me." He spits out. He walks away from Sylvain's dumbfounded look towards his discarded shirt and jacket. He roughly grabbed them from the ground and shoved it into the red head's chest with a vindictive shove. "Well I get it you don't feel the same way, now get out of my face."
Sylvain shook his head and threw the clothes away in a hurry to grab Felix’s retreating form. "Waitwaitwait-what do you mean I don't feel the same way. Goddess Felix I wouldn't do this with anyone else." He rasped out desperately. Felix stopped in his tracks and slowly glanced back.
"Why did you laugh at me then."
"I wasn't laughing at you!" Sylvain exclaimed. "No I was just- I didn't think you've been…with me…for so long Felix." He neared whispered the last part. Disbelief is bubbling in his gut. Not at Felix’s feelings of course. But at the very thought of someone loving him for so long and so steadfastly. As if reading his thoughts Felix frowned at him.
"Why is that so hard to wrap your little head around? Didn't think I had it in me?" Felix challenged.
"Of course not Felix." Sylvain said softly. "I just- I guess I'm just shocked really."
"Don't be." Felix muttered. "It's really not that hard to fall for you."
Sylvain's heart tightened and an unrestrained smile bloomed in his face. "It's not hard to fall for you too." He replied gently. He met Felix’s gaze head on once again and took a deep breath.
"I like you, Felix."
"You're tolerable. Sometimes."
Sylvain pouted. “Well, that’s as good as I love you when it comes to you I guess,” Felix smirked.
"Your face helps a lot. And your muscles. Evidently. "
"It is a good face." Sylvain said solemnly. "And I am quite ripped. One might say I'm shredded."
Now they're both grinning at each other basking in the whispered confessions. Now, Felix can finally do as he pleases. He runs his eyes hungrily over Sylvain and licked his lips. The red hair pinked at the sight but regained his earlier confidence. He grabbed Felix by the waist once again. The swordsman hummed in response and ran his hand over Sylvain's bare skin. He shivered in anticipation.
Feeling cheeky Felix raked his hand over Sylvain's chest and lightly scrapped his sensitive nipples with his nails. Sylvain gasped in pleasure and hissed lowly. "I see you're enjoying my body. Maybe I really am just a piece of meat for you." He said with a pout.
"Serves you right for pulling this stunt on me," Felix muttered. "Taking off your clothes in the middle of battle, only you could come up with such foolishness."
Sylvain groaned. "But Felix it was either we go on pining for each other for years or this! See if you just stripped in front of me decades ago we could have already been making out every day!" Sylvain berated mockingly. Felix promptly slapped him over his head ignoring his pained whimper.
"Goddesses shut up and kiss me before I stab you with the lance and end it all. Either way, my headache goes away-" Felix's rant cuts off to the soft feeling of lips meeting his. He inwardly grumbles about being interrupted but eventually moans in response and melts to the kiss, tangling his fingers into Sylvain's damp hair like he's always wanted to.
Sylvain sighed and guided them until Felix’s back meets the arch's stone wall. The black-haired man gasped in surprise and in response Sylvain cheerily slips his tongue in. Felix’s legs wrap up to Sylvain's waist in response. The pair drown themselves in each other, grinding moaning and giggling like a pair of school boys. Belatedly Sylvain patted himself in the back for a spot on strategy and analysis of his 'opponent' in the battlefield called love. Hell, maybe he'll be as good as the professor soon enough.
There on the training grounds, a pair of wooden lance and sword lay neglected in favor of stealing kisses and moments with each other. And there they lay neglected for weeks to come, as Felix found other more intimate sparing sessions he wishes to do with Sylvain, one unfit for the open training grounds.