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"You should tell her how you feel."
Felix froze before abruptly raising his head to glare at his father who just had to ruin his focus.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Felix hisses as he straightens his back and attempts to focus on the documents before him.
"Yes, of course you don't know what I'm talking about," Rodrigue grins and Felix had to physically restrain himself from snapping the pen in his hand. "I mean, a wooden training sword that fits perfectly in her hands? If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you've been spending an awful lot of time staring at them --"
"Old man." Felix's glare is positively murderous at this point. "You better shut up before I decide to ban you from Fraldarius Castle for the rest of your life."
Luckily, Rodrigue takes the hint and drops his grin in favor of a small, yet sincere smile. And somehow, that made things even worse.
"Felix."
There it was. The affectionate-fatherly tone that never fails to compel Felix to listen, no matter how he feels about the situation. So, the young duke lets out a sigh before dropping the papers in his hand reluctantly sparing his father a glance.
"You either say what you feel, or die wishing you had." A distant look on his father's expression, Felix knew what he was subtly referring to. "And while you are most definitely not obliged to say those words, I think you most definitely need to express them in one way or another. Especially considering our final battle in Enbarr is close approaching."
And just like that, Felix mellows. The duke drops his gaze back to the scout reports in his hands and attempts to get rid of the image of amethyst purple from his head.
"What is there to say?" Felix murmurs.
"I don't know." Rodrigue shrugs, before turning his back and walking out his tent. "Only you do, son."
With that, the former Duke of Fraldarius makes his escape, leaving his son annoyed, frustrated, angry, confused, and somewhat flustered. Felix lets out another sigh before slamming the papers to his desk.
"Tch! Stupid old man."
A groan of frustration escape his lips. Of course Rodrigue had to bring up the stupid gift he gave to Shez - As if Sylvain's annoying comments about 'you and Dimitri really need to learn the proper art of gift giving' wasn't enough.
At least Felix gave her a wooden training sword and not a dagger. How that was any better, the Duke of Fraldarius honestly didn't know.
Oh right, because Felix made it himself after countless of hours of staring at her hands. Ugh, acknowledging that himself was embarassing enough - but to have his own father say it out loud? Absolutely humiliating.
A third sigh escapes his lips, but this time, Felix makes it a point to reach for the tiny accessory that dangles around his neck.
The Merc Whistle, Shez's gift. A little trinket that serves no practical purpose, but Felix (secretly) always wore anywhere. How could he not? Especially after the mercenary-turned-army-commander once told him of that tiny trinkets unexpected sentimental value all the while looking at him with those pretty amethyst eyes.
Felix Hugo Fraldarius had never been one for sentimentality. And yet, here he is.
Ugh, feelings. Why must they always be so complicated?
Maybe he needs some fresh air. Maybe he needs to take a quick swing with his sword and get his mind out of the thoughts of those pretty amethyst eyes. Maybe he just needs …
"Oh, hey Felix! Are you here to train?"
Shez. Of course she's here training. With the wooden training sword he gave her. Alone. Now, with him.
Great. Just absolutely great.
"No." He stops. "Yes."
Shez raises her brow, looking confused all the while still looking at him with a certain softness behind her eyes. The purple haired woman chuckles, and Felix curses how the butterflies in his stomach flutters at such a wonderful sound.
"Yes? No? Which one is it?" Shez asks teasingly.
"Is that," Felix coughs. "Is that the wooden sword I gave you?"
Shez blinks, before suddenly turning sheepish. She attempts to hide the wooden sword behind her leg, all the while chuckling awkwardly.
"Yes? I mean, it'd be a shame if I didn't use it." She says, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Oh, but don't worry, I don't use it when I spar with Dimitri. I care about it too much to let it break just like that, haha."
"Oh." Felix feels his face growing hotter by the second. "Okay."
"Okay." Shez bites her lower lip; a quirk she does whenever she feels nervous. "So … do you wanna spar, or …?"
"Sure." A small smile makes its way to his lips. "We don't want you getting rusty, after all."
She chuckles, amethyst eyes glinting in amusement. "Don't go easy on me, okay?"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Come to think of it, when had Felix began developing these strange feelings for her?
Was it that time when they first sparred in the academy? Or maybe, it was that time she had knocked his sword from his hand and pinned him to cold, solid training ground of Blaiddyd castle?
Maybe it was during one of their expeditions, or maybe; it was during one of those times she supported him throughout the war.
He doesn't know. But one thing he does know, is that awful feeling of dread at Dimitri's order to subdue her when she lost control over her powers. That feeling of incredible relief, when she returns to normal - long purple hair back to a single color, and her amethysts eyes shining like brilliant crystals.
And honestly, Felix still finds himself question; truly, what is there to say?
"You're distracted." Shez says, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"No I'm not." He blatantly lies.
"Uh-huh." Shez knocks his sword from his hand, and Felix doesn't even bother to curse. "See what I mean? You're distracted. What's wrong, Felix? Is everything okay?"
"No." He finds himself saying. "Nothing's okay."
She frowns. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No." This time, Felix curses internally. "This is your fault."
Shez blinks, eyes widening. "Oh." A frown. Shit. "I-I see … Well, if I did something wrong then --"
"Fuck, no. That's not what I -- Ugh, look." Felix stares at her, watching as her amethysts eyes went wide once more. "I'm not … big on sentimentality."
A wry smile. "Considering how you quite literally choked when I told you that you care so much about your friends, I'm not surprised."
"Ugh, must you always bring that up? Fine, whatever. That's beside the point." Felix shakes his head, as though that'll help him get rid of the furious blush on his face. "But I .. I guess, it can't hurt to be sentimental just this once. You either say what you feel, or die wishing you had. So … listen up because I won't be repeating of this tomorrow."
Shez nods, now fully serious. Damn, she looks so cute when she's serious like that. Ugh, well; here goes nothing.
"Shez, you make me strong. You challenge me to be better. And, convinced me I'm capable of more." Her face turns red, and Felix would've laughed if his face wasn't covered by the same shade of red. "So in these next few final battle, let's claim both victory and a brighter future. And let's … let's do it together."
"Felix …" She tightens her grip on her wooden sword. "I--Did you really come here to train?"
"No." Felix presses his lips into a thin line. "I came here to confess that I probably have feelings for you."
Felix honestly doesn't know who is more taken aback by his words; Shez, or himself.
Ah, damn it. Why are feelings so damned complicated.
"… Probably?" Shez whispers, face still flustered.
"Most likely." Felix crosses his arms and avoids her eye. "Most definitely."
"Oh … okay." She pauses. Then asks; "What … sort of feelings?"
He clicks his tongue and practically glares at her. "Romantic feelings, obviously. What did you think?"
"Wow, okay. There's no need to be that defensive," Shez replies in a sarcastic tone, a small smile adorning her lips. "But I … thank you, Felix. I um … I think I probably have feelings for you too."
His heart almost stops.
"Probably?" He echoes dumbly.
"Most likely," She grins. "Most definitely."
"You better not be messing with me, Shez." Felix frowns, or was it more of a pout?
"I'm not." Again, she tightens her grip on the wooden training sword in her hand. "Um, I'm not … particularly great at words, but if its fine with you, I can … I can um … show you how I feel."
Felix's face grows even hotter. "Show me?"
"Yes." She takes a step forward. "Could you close your eyes, please?"
"Why should I?" He couldn't help but tease and challenge.
She rolls her eyes, a smirk on her lips. "You're so unbelievable sometimes, Fraldarius."
Before he could come up with a retort, Shez had already closed in the distance between them and kisses his lips. Oh, so this is what it feels like.
Hands wrapping themselves around her waist, Felix pulls her firm body even closer to him as he kisses her back with the same intensity. She smells like the earth; like green grass after a downpour of rain. She feels so good in his arms, she's just so good.
"… How long have you wanted to do that?" He finds himself asking after they part for air.
"For a while now, I think." She grins, slowly drawing near once more. "What about you?"
"I don't know." He whispers. "But now, I think I want to do this all night long."
He kisses her again. And again, and again and again.
Felix is grateful that he gave her that stupid wooden training sword after all.