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Ashe has never been one to believe in miracles… at least, until this afternoon. Because what happened on the Great Bridge must be a miracle; how else could Dedue, a person Ashe hasn’t seen in five long years and Dimitri told them died protecting him, possibly just appear and join the fight like nothing had happened?
Of course, he knows it isn’t really a miracle—Dedue was never dead, having been rescued by his countrymen and then searching for Dimitri for five years—but in the moment, stood on the Bridge as the man he loved appeared like he was literally back from the dead, it truly was a miracle to Ashe. Nothing will ever be able to change that feeling.
Anyway, he has another reason for believing in miracles now, one that doesn’t have a logical explanation: despite being apart for five long years, Dedue still has feelings for him.
Of course, these past five years have been hell for multiple reasons, but even in the turmoil of battle or laid up in bed injured or mourning the loss of another ally, part of Ashe has never stopped pining for Dedue. But he assumed that was him being sappy, and that Dedue, a far more sensible man who also went through much, much worse in that time, would have had more important things to think about than his feelings for his boyfriend.
However, whenever Dedue was near Ashe during the battle, Ashe could feel his eyes on him, and he could have sworn Dedue was the one who lobbed a hand axe at the enemy who almost struck Ashe with a lance. Did Dedue still have feelings for him after all?
It was when Dedue approached him after the battle (and post his long, difficult reunion with Dimitri and the Professor), a fond smile adorning his scarred face, that Ashe realized how wrong he was. That Dedue had always loved him, and he was a fool to think his lover’s feelings would have died in their five years apart.
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“Hello, Ashe,” Dedue said, smiling down at him, so strong and handsome that Ashe longed to jump on him and kiss him as hard as he could. But he hesitated, still unsure if their relationship was still valid after so long apart.
“A-Are we still dating?” he blurted out like an idiot, and all the blood in his body rushed to his face.
Dedue blinked, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“I, I mean, do you still love me? It’s okay if you don’t, I get it’s been a long, long time since you saw me, but I just wanted to make sure—”
“Ashe,” Dedue said softly, resting a large, gentle hand on Ashe’s shoulder. “Did you think my love for you would wither over time?”
Forcing himself to raise his head, Ashe met Dedue’s eyes. “Well, I just thought you’d been so busy that there’d be no time to think about me, and, and it’s okay if we’re not together anymore—”
Ashe spluttered, voice dying in shock when Dedue stepped closer and encircled Ashe with his strong arms. A hand rested against Ashe’s back, holding him close, and the other caressed the back of his head—and when Dedue’s fingers began to comb his hair, a soft, caring action he hadn’t felt in so long, he let out a sound somewhere between a whimper and a moan.
“Dedue…?” Ashe whispered, swallowing hard despite the sudden lump in his throat.
“I always thought about you,” Dedue said, still stroking his hair. “I longed to be by your side, holding you, kissing you… making love to you,” he added, dropping to almost a whisper, and although he couldn’t see Dedue’s face, Ashe would have bet all his gold that a delightful blush tinged Dedue’s cheeks. Ashe flushed too, suddenly overwhelmed with thoughts of sleeping with Dedue, something they never actually did, but Ashe always longed to. Over the years, had Dedue developed… those kind of feelings for him? “But above all, I wanted—needed—to keep you safe. To protect you.” Dedue sighed, slowly and shakily, and his voice seemed to tremble as he said, “And I am so sorry for not being there to protect you.”
“D-Don’t apologize,” Ashe said, the lump in his throat aching and aching, and when his eyes began to sting, he screwed his eyes up to hold back the inevitable flood of tears. “You were all alone for so long, but you never stopped looking for His Highness. You’re so brave, Dedue!” he said, tears welling up behind his closed eyelids, but when his voice cracked, his attempt to hide the tears became futile.
In an instant, Dedue pulled away enough to see Ashe’s face again (but never letting go of him). As Ashe sniffed and rubbed his eyes before the tears could fall, he glanced up at Dedue. And, to his horror, he found his boyfriend’s eyes glistening with unshed tears. Had he ever seen Dedue this close to tears before? Had anyone?
Staring at Ashe with pain in his watery eyes, Dedue leaned down and pressed a chaste, gentle kiss to his cheek, catching a stray tear with his lips. “Do not cry,” he whispered, trailing careful, sweet kisses across Ashe’s face. His lips were rough and dry, but nothing could ever feel better than his lover’s lips against his skin, and Ashe shivered as another tear slid down his face. He tilted his head to catch the next kiss on his own lips, a sensation that made Dedue gasp against his mouth. “You don’t need to cry,” Dedue said, his breath hot against Ashe’s skin, and Ashe reached up on tiptoes to fling his arms around Dedue’s neck, holding his boyfriend as tight as he could.
“I’m so glad you’re back, Dedue,” Ashe whispered, and when the next kiss tasted salty, he didn’t know whose tear it was.
They stayed like that for what felt like forever, embracing and exchanging gentle kisses, and as much as Ashe longed to kiss Dedue harder and escalate things until they ended up in bed together, he couldn’t seem to stop clinging to Dedue, crying softly and giving every inch of his boyfriend’s face a chaste kiss. Later, they could maybe go to bed together, but for now, Ashe found himself content with what they had.
“As am I,” Dedue said, stroking his hair again, and Ashe squeezed him tighter, never wanting to let go.
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In hindsight, the whole thing still seems like a miracle—a miracle that Dedue was still alive, a miracle that Dedue found them at the Great Bridge, a miracle that Dedue still loved him—but… maybe he was being a bit too poetic.
Maybe Ashe never believed in miracles at all. After all, is it really a miracle that Dedue still loves him? Of course not; from the way Dedue has never left his side since they reunited, Ashe knows his protectiveness has actually increased in the time they were apart, because Dedue never stopped loving him.
Miracle or not, Dedue is here and loves him and never wants to leave his side. And that’s all that matters to Ashe.